Old TNA vs. New TNA

[Kenny Powers]

It's great to be back in the WZ, and that ain't no L I E. I received all your twitters, emails and facebooks. I know you've missed me. Now its time to talk about the changes in TNA. I want to know who prefers either the old version of TNA or the new Version. We are in the early stages of the new version, so I understand that there isn't much to compare.

I will say that I'm a HUGE fan of the new version of TNA. I love how every night the fans don't know if they are being worked or not. I remember having to sit through trailer park and mud wrestling matches just a month ago. Not to mention years ago when TNA graced us with Pacman Jones, electrified cage matches, and blindfold matches. We can't forget about Cody Deaner either.

The Old TNA was basically focused on the bigger talent like Sting, Jarrett, Angle and Foley. There were some great matches, but no one took TNA seriously. Now we have Hogan and Bischoff leading the way with a new ring and arena. We also have some new talent which are a mixed bag of good and bad depending on your preference.

I just want to know which do you prefer? It seems a majority of people like myself prefer the new version, but there are still some die hard fans upset about the six sided ring. Which version is better and why?

 

[hunterXhunter21]

I have enjoyed this new TNA. But I do miss the old Wednesday night PPV TNA. This new TNA has been good. They always end Impact with you asking yourself questions. Which will make you want to watch next week. I only think it will get better as time goes on and stories have a better chance to unfold.

 

[Ares35]

I like the six sided ring better because that's what defined TNA

 

[rd2490]

I think the old tna was what honestly I wish was still here. The old tna had that thing to it, I couldn't look away, I had the feeling back where when ur 6 and ur head is only 2 inches away from the t.v. Tna back in the day was my favorite, Chris Sabin, Aj Styles, Daniels, Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, I mean I can keep going. You could nvr look away because if u did, Amazing red or Aj styles are doing a move unrealistic.


But my hats off to the New Tna, I honestly thought it would fail. I honestly respect Bischoff and Hoganfor what they're trying to do. But I have a feeling new people coming in isn't going to help. With Beer Money Inc not happy, and with hogan not liking Daniels I don't know what to think. I think BMI should be in Hernadez and Morgan's place. But thats my opinion.

But no matter what, TNA FOR LIFE

 

[ChristianRivers]

People took the old TNA seriously. At least the old TNA was trying to be original, and taking wrestling in a different direction with all the different match types. It had everything the WWE didn't. Fantastic wrestling, unique match types. A mix of everything to please everybody. It did more for women's wrestling both with the Knockout, & Women's Tag Team Championships. The six sided ring was different and allowed the wrestlers to work different angles to really elevate their game beyond just a four sided ring. Anybody who didn't take the old TNA seriously just didn't understand the concept of being able to do more inside of it. At first it was awkward because the wrestlers didn't really know how to utilize it but that was all changing and it was working well. Especially with the women wrestlers who worked in it.

TNA did make a few minor mistakes, but there was nothing needed so drastic as bringing in Hogan & Bischoff to destroy the progress TNA had already made. Old TNA went from being unique & different to the same old song & dance you've seen before. I've read results from Genesis, which in my opinion was a train wreck that never should have happened. Also by the results I've been reading on Impact, TNA went from quality, and a good mix to a second rate cast off once all this focus was put on a new direction, and not the wrestlers, or getting over the championships. Especially the X Division which is what got TNA so much press, and made TNA stand out. TNA started out in a 4 sided ring but they upgraded to a six sided ring to be a true alternative. TNA didn't need a traditional ring. They needed somebody who had the balls to correct the new minor mistakes they had made segment wise, and cut some time to fit more wrestling in. Old TNA had a robust roster and the doors should have been closed on new stars unless there was a delayed debut to make their appearances more meaningful.

I do not like the new direction and I'm not going to support the new direction TNA is going. From the early results I've been reading TNA is second rate. TNA use to have class enough to show case its talent where everybody had a chance to succeed, and a place to do it in. Right now the organization is so sloppy, and the production value is more reminiscent of WCW or something close to it you can't find the old TNA amongst Shannon Moore, Jeff Hardy, Ken Anderson, and Brian Kendrick plus the Nasty's and I thought Sags was deceased. That's how out of touch with that team I am. Also you've got every other name who hasn't appeared on television in quite awhile. Hardy, Anderson, Moore, Kendrick, oh yeah and Sean Morley. Their appearances should have been delayed for not only more build, but also to show case them in the right way.

I don't need to see the past reenacted before me. I've already lived it. That's not what I sensed TNA was about. They were about being different. Taking chances on things you may not have seen before. While something may not have been new it was new enough to get your attention. Hogan, and Bischoff both want to focus more on traditional wrestling where TNA use to have a nice mix of it all. I've always said TNA needed to find its own identity. It shouldn't be about Hogan, but about what's best for TNA. So far from what I'm reading what Hogan & Bischoff have to offer TNA is not what's best for it.

 

[StingFan4life]

I like both. I loved the X Division of the old one and all the high flying action that you would see. But in saying that the only thing I really have hated about the new one is getting rid of the six sided ring. Also the new ramp is ugly as hell! I loved all the suprises that we saw on January 4th it was awesome when we saw random wrestlers pop up. Who knows we will have to wait and see where TNA goes from now on.

 

[Stormlor]

Comparing the old to the new is like darkness vs light. Right now currently I still prefer the old TNA a lot more than the new TNA. I guess we will have to wait and see but I would rather see Amazing Red and AJ Styles making some good matches over watching a drunk Scott Hall saying "hey yo".

To be really honest if I wanted to watch clowns wrestle I'd tune into WWE Divas. This right now just seems like a mixed bag.

Though I think a lot of people are in agreement here. Hogan + Bischoff = Bad for TNA. More like it Jeff Jarrett > Dixie Carter. My dream would be for Jarrett to get that idiot Dixie out of the wrestling business in which she knows nothing about.

 

[Sabre78]

i like the new one except for the new ring liked old ring better

 

[Depakote]

The six sided ring was awkward and you could tell that even the most venerated of TNA performers felt gimped. It was a smaller ring, the ropes were tighter. Spots took more setup than permitted for a live feel. Only a small percentage of the talent did well in that ring and its not as if they wont do just as well in the traditional ring. Now what I hate about the current setup is that stupid ramp that goes straight to the ring. Its low class, and creates a disconnect between the wrestlers and the audience. It looks like it was added just so the old wrestlers wouldnt have to walk up as many steps, as if Brian Knobs couldnt use more stair exercises. That guy looks like Carter Wong about to explode in "Big Trouble in Little China". Anywho, I am happy for the 4 sided ring because it makes TNA look like a real wrestling company instead of just a fly-by-night gimmick spot-fest, however I dont like the ramp going straight to the ring. Its low budget, low class, and looks like crap on TV. They should go with the WWE format; stage, ramp, floor, ring... if your wrestlers are too fat, old, and lethargic to make it up a flight of stairs, maybe they shouldnt be on TV in the first place. At least when ECW first went on TV and they used the same setup, they put people through that ramp... they used it as a weapon. TNA just ignores it which makes it stick out even more. Alas, I digress.

Another problem I have with the new TNA is that theyre basically killing off most of the angles that were being worked going into this transition. This causes mid carders to get lost in the fray. Remember Dr.Stevie and Raven with their feud against Abyss? Gone. Stevie and Raven have been put on the back burner instead of being used to create a hardcore division. What does WWE lack that TNA could provide?? Hardcore matches. The wrestlers are there for a hardcore division and that would be one more division that TNA could highlight that would include their mid card talent.

All these big names in TNA are stealing spotlight from younger talent that hasnt ripened yet. Amazing Red has a weird look but lots of in-ring talent. No personality. If he had any personality, we'd never know because its getting buried by TNA originals trying to make Hogan's cronies look like viable threats, which is somehow supposed to make the TNA originals look good? o_0

There are good things though. A four-sided ring is good. Story lines that leave a hook, very good. I suddenly care about "The Band" even though I know theyre unreliable pill popping drunks. Every angle being worked is being left open-ended. I can tell theyre doing their best. It hasnt quite ripened yet, but give it time. I think all these kinks will iron themselves out.

 

[TNA cross the line]

I honestly think its too early to call i mean i love the old TNA thats obviously what got us watching it but im very intrerested to see the way the new tna will go because sometimes eversince 1/4 when iv watched impact iv seen some moments that made me say wow thats very creative and what tna needs and other times its the complete opposite and my inner TNA fan is screaming LEAVE HOGAN AND BISCHOFF JUST GET THE FUCK OUT AND DONT LET THE FOUR SIDED RING HIT U IN THE ASS ON UR WAY OUT . But IDK lets see what happens

 

[Flava Flav's PMing Bitch]

If we’re talking old TNA as in weekly PPV TNA then that is where it was at. I remember seeing it for the first time and going what the hell is this? I remember seeing some old favorites from WCW like Raven and then all these new guys, like Styles and Joe and just thinking to myself this shit is great. The matches were excited and there was a ton of fresh young talent, I know I was hoping they would step it up and take on WWE and now that they are finally getting there TNA just seems like WWE light or WCW 2.0. It’s a real shame. So in this debate I’m saying old TNA all the way, that being NWA TNA.

 

[ncwriter2908]

I like the new TNA much better and I have watched TNA from the start. Hogan and Bishoff are just great to watch on Impact. The problem is alot of mainstream fans want to see more entertainment than wrestling which is why WWE draws in the 3.6 ratings and TNA is stuck at 1.3 I guess I would agree with the entertainment aspect also. It is a weekly tv show. Its not like the NFL. There is no great ending it just runs on and on. Also from a sport aspect its not at all. Nothing is a sport when the winner is decided before the contest begins. Nor would the NFL be a sport if they scripted the Colts to win the Super Bowl. Its purely entertainment and a carefully crafted ballet in the ring. I look at TNA and the young talent they have and they are still miles away from were ECW was at this point. ECW had interesting characters like RVD,RAVEN,SANDMAN and so on. ECW just wasnt a mainstream hit because of all the violence of its time. Which I am afraid TNA is going to do they seemed to focuse more on the ballet of in ring matches which is great for a small time audience, but if Stone Cold had to rely on his in ring skills he would have never been the most popular guy in WWE history. There is a reason why Vince isnt raiding TNA's top talent. Its because they are not as over as you think. The new fans I know just laughed at The Band having to fight what they called drunken rednecks Beer Money Inc. Even thought it was stupid when they lost.

Alot of new fans are joining TNA now. The young guys really need to kick it in gear to grab these new fans and make them think you are believable. Aj Styles is not over in the mainstream effect. When he fought Angle on Impact I had people calling me saying wow what a match. Which is great for AJ. It was because he fought a credible champion that was known on a mainstream level. He isnt over yet though he needs to jump into a fued with another guy who is over with the new mainstream fans. Sting. They need to drag him down from the rafters and get him into a good fued. It makes sense Sting believe in AJ and AJ has turned heel and turned his back on TNA fans so to speak. Also has sided with one of Sting greatest enemies Ric Flair. Aj vs Sting at the next PPV would sell. Samoa Joe vs AJ no way. Samoa Joe is less over than AJ. He is basically an unknown to new fans. Why would TNA expect fans to buy the ppv. You will get the same ole small fan base buyers that TNA had before.

The new fans are mainstream fans who have stopped watching wrestling and tuned into TNA to mark out to see the NWO reunion or guys who are sick of WWE. Its the young guys job to bring them in to stay. Aj, Daniels, and Samoa Joe are all TNA big star original. Not one of them can cut a promo thats entertaining. Proof in point they stuck AJ with Flair. Samoa Joe is sluggish and has been interesting since his undefeated streak was lost. The young guys need to get personality for TNA to be a long hit. Or else when the Band leaves so does a small portion of your fan base and your back to sqaure one.

Monday Night wars was wrestling biggest and most profitable time why? It was filled with Austin and NWO segments. It was entertainment at its best and yeah some wrestling was cut short but why not work what sells? I think Hogan is trying to get TNA back to entertainment which is good. I can only stand to see AJ and Daniels hit a couple of high spots in a matches so many times. I need entertainment!!!! We know you can flip and move quick oh wow but why cant you entertain? I am pulling for you TNA!!

 

[ncwriter2908]

The thing is Hogan and Bishoff is working the proof is in the ratings. So no matter what people say old or new the new TNA is working better than the old TNA did. As far as ratings. Which leads to more people and bigger profits

 

[friarferguson]

I personally feel that TNA has lost its identity a little bit. No doubt that Hogan and Bischoff have increased popularity in the product and more people have tuned in to watch as a result. But its the focus on the baggage that Hogan has bought in - The Nasty Boys have never really been able to wrestle that well and haven't been over in the last 15 years, Scott Hall can barely wrestle, rejects like Sean Waltham and Orlando Jordan have never really been over and Sean Waltham is a talented performer when he puts his mind to it but has lost passion for the business.

While, as others have mentioned, the six-sided ring was arkward for some performers it was what marked TNA out from the other brands. Moreover AJ Styles is great as a face champion and I believe his heel turn would not have happened if Flair had not entered the company and they needed something for him to do. We've also had the sacking of the company's best female worker (Awesome Kong) after she attacked Hogan lackey Bubba the Love Sponge, another thing that would not have happened if Hogan hadn't entered.

Not all these problems can be attributed to the new era, Vince Russo did start running TNA into the ground when he took over and at least Hogan has been able to bring three wrestlers who may be able to help the company (Jeff Hardy, Brian Kendrick and Mr Anderson). But I believe that Bischoff and Hogan are too focused on competing with Vince McMahon rather than producing the best product. This was evident in the 'Montreal Screw Job' finish of the latest Angle/Styles title match which is most likely a response to the Bret Hart appearances on RAW.

The focus should be on guys like Styles, Daniels, Desmond Wolfe, The Pope, Matt Morgan, Beer Money, The Brits, Homicide and others who may not get the break they need on WWE rather than guys who have had their time and should really retire. I believe if Hogan and Bischoff realise this and concentrate on the younger talent and having decent matches which look different from what the competiton is doing then I believe the new era will work.

 

[Trill Co$by]

What the fuck do you mean the Old TNA was based on the Angle, Sting, and Foley?

Incase you do not realize, TNA started back in 2002 with only Jeff Jerret, Scott Hall, Syxx Pac, and Ken Shamrock as their so called "legends" inside the ring. TNA was built around people like America's Most Wanted, AJ Styles, Low-Ki, Sonny Siaki, Christopher Daniels, Monty Brown, Saban, Team Canada, and Kaz.

The OLD TNA had hell of a lot more to offer than this TNA and WWE combined. They displayed the best wrestlers around and had no problem doing that. They even had tours with WWA in Australia to let people know just who the hell they are.

The NEW TNA would be the piece of shit that's released onto the TVs now. So with that, I would definately say that the old TNA was way better.

 

[DarkAngel]

I've watched TNA for a long time now, and forming my own opinion, the new TNA completley knocks the old TNA into the dust! During the old TNA, there was absolute no energy as to needing to tune into the next show and first and foremost, that's important to wrestling fans. TNA had maybe a surge or two with the emergence of Sting and Angle but TNA was such an unknown and relied basically off of their low salary and much of their self groomed wrestlers that certainly weren't there yet. I watched, but there was simply nothing there to determine it to be for real.

All of a sudden, with the stability of Bischoff and Hogan and with the hype that surrounded the 1.4 show, it became energetic, unpredictable, and the quality of storyline evolving within the hours brought the feeling back that wrestling was now a must watch and everything, from top to bottom, felt differently and it took off from there as far as feel and viewership. The new TNA is where its at and it makes me want and NEED to tune into iMPACT! that next Thursday and I am now overly excited to be a TNA fan, as the new TNA had me interested in coming on the boards once again, something I haven't done in a long, long time.

As far as the six sided ring.. well.. my opinion.. about time. I was almost turned off from the early years of my viewership but the wrestling was superb enough to let me forget it, but to me it seemed juvenile, weak, and cheap. The 4 sides makes it feel more like wrestling and a promotion that wants to be taken seriously.

TNA TNA TNA!

 

[AndyUK]

I'm enjoying this new era more than I enjoyed it before. It is more exciting and unpredictable and I prefer the four sided ring to the six sided ring. I thought the first two Impacts of the new era were pretty great and Genesis was very good but the quality dropped a little this week due to some of the decisions made and the wrestlers not on the show.

 

[milfy21]

This is a funny question sence i been layed up in bed sick for the last week i went back and started watching every tna ppv from 2004 on plus what i could get of the weekly ppvs. so after watching these agian and still watching the weekly inpact i believe the new tna has way more story lines then the old tna even tho in the old tna they had alot more wrestling matches then b*llsh*t that goes on know .. but i personally think they are using impact to tell the storys more then using the ppv to do the wrestling .. witch to me is a decent idea and might lead to more buys on the ppv .. but when u but aj vs joe as a ppv mainevent i believe they will need a good Co mainevent with angle and another top guy to make people interested. But while i was watching the old ppv's i did notice that waltmen has alot of potential i mean watch the raven Xpac house of run match from hard justice 2005 that was a great match if Xpac can go back and show that kinda talent i believe hell be in tna for a while .. Also WWE divas Hello if that isnt a piss brake i dont know what else to call it unless it the time that young boys stare and hope for a clothing malfunction i just dont even get into the match at all .. but the knockouts are great i love seeing the woman of tna because they actually wrestle and make it look real

Did anyone see the divas matches from last night (THAT IS SAD) i feel bad for gal kim i mean she has talent and wwe makes her look like she hasnt wrestled befor

all in all the NEW tna has great story line and if the wrestler can but there heart into the ppv matches i believe tna will be awsome

1 more thing those people out there saying why is hogan's freinds going over the tna guys i belive this is because they wanna give the credibility so when a tna beats them it will actually mean somethign to that person .. so i dont mind that the old guys win right now

 

[Wrestlefan27]

I love what the new TNA is doing with the old WWE guys, bringing them in in a sort of invasion angle. It's one of those situations where the line between reality and the show seems to blur. The TNA originals aren't sure where the company is going to go with the new personnel and they don't want to be upstaged. It gives something to the old TNA fans in that the Originals are feuding with/going over the older guys, and it gives the older fans a chance to watch guys they recognize. It also will hopefully provide conversions in that the older fans will see the new talent and continue to watch TNA.

I like the old TNA in terms of in ring work, but the new TNA is headed to a better place story-wise, which will capture new fans. New TNA is my choice.

 

[emtflash]

I like the six sided ring better because that's what defined TNA

If all that defined TNA was its ring, then they should be kissing the feet of hogan, bischoff, and the new regime. They have breathed life back into a dying product.

 

[Wrath]

New TNA is just fine and I still like the product but for me it's not as good as old TNA. I'm not talking about the MEM,Foley,Jarett era I'm talking about TNA in 2004-2005. It was probably TNA's best period. Yeah it was more like a indy show but I don't really want that much for TNA to go mainstream and really can't understand why people want it this much. Ok competititon is always good for business and we've seen Monday Night Wars 10 years ago. It was great but if we see Monday Night Wars it will only be the watered down version of the first one. I also want to see MNW 2 but not as much as other people want. 2004-2005 was probably the most entertaining period of TNA. It was the only time I really enjoyed watching X division matches, tag team division was at it's finest, they produced some of the most exciting matches at PPVs. In todays product my problem is I just want to see an alternative product to WWE. What I mean by alternative is not being a new WCW or Attitude era it's having it's own identity which is different than WWE's. During 2004-2005 TNA produced some of the best X division matches we couldn't see in WWE. Those wrestlers could go to extremes that WWE couldn't. Yes new TNA can be much better for business wise but for entertainment wise any period of TNA can match 2004-2005.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm not all that wild about most of TNA's new product for the most part. Some are hung up on the six sided ring, I could care less. A ring is a ring, what's important is what goes on in and around it rather than its shape. With the exception of Styles, Wolfe and Angle, I simply do not care about anybody that's in TNA at this point and bringing in this big influx of older WCW and/or WWE wrestlers hasn't done anything to improve that.

I hate to use the term "WWE rejects", but that really is the term that pops into my head when I look at all these guys that have popped up in TNA with Hulk Hogan. The Nasty Boys, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Orlando Jordan, Sean Morley, Brian Kendrick, Ken Anderson are wrestlers that the WWE does not want. All of these wrestlers are men that the WWE has fired and/or want nothing to with whatsoever. Let's face it, these are guys that the WWE literally does not want and TNA just signing all of them up does make them look kind of minor league. It literally looks like they're signing the WWE's left overs and, to me, it makes the company look second rate. Even Hulk Hogan himself wanted to go to the WWE for another run and the WWE wasn't interested. Ric Flair and the WWE both wanted Flair to have some sort of on screen role with the company once the guest host angle finishes, but Flair ultimately didn't want to wait that long. That tells me that, if they had their druthers, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair would currently be in the WWE if the WWE wanted them. And, to be blatantly truthful, it's really the same thing with Ken Anderson as well. If he had his preference, he'd almost certainly be in the WWE as we speak. And the story is going around now that the Honky Tonk Man is close to signing a deal with TNA. The HTM hasn't been relevant in about 20 years and all it does is further reinforce the image that TNA is a second class company.

The X Division really used to mean something in TNA and now it's really something of a non issue. It's a mere shadow of what it once was and X Division wrestlers like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Low Ki were examples of wrestlers that put TNA on the map. Several years back, I could look at TNA and legitimately see an alternative to World Wrestling Entertainment. They were doing their own thing and they were building themselves up at a slower, but steady, pace. However, over the past year or so, TNA just starts to look more and more like a watered down WCW or WWE filled with former workers that the company has cast off.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Nice post J-Hammer. I agree with you for the most part. I really don't like seeing the old fogies in TNA either. It is interesting to me though to see that Hogan is working the crowd by bringing in his cronies. I just hope that most of them are there for a short term basis. I guess you could call Kendrick and Kennedy a Reject. I'm no Hardy fan, and I don't know how TNA can use him with his legal trouble. However, I do think it could be huge to have one of the top stars of WWE in TNA. Even though he was there before and it didn't amount to much.

I wish they would really get back to showcase the X Division too, but I don't think it would attract viewers. Hopefully they can have a blend of wrestling and good segments. I think TNA did have some great matches in the early years, but they also had some horrible gimmicks too. I guess I'm saying I like the new mainstream version of TNA, but I would like to see more of what made TNA great in the beginning.

I don't think Hogan and Flair are a bad acquisition for TNA. I just don't know how TNA could survive without the big names or exposure. It seems if Hogan did go to WWE, he would probably have one last match with Cena and be put out to pasture. I guess Flair could of took a pay cut and been a Smackdown General Manager that didn't wrestle. I don't think Hogan or Flair wanted those jobs though.

I guess we will have to wait and see how it all plays out. I just hope that some of Hogan's older boys are just part of a storyline, and won't be part of the main attraction of TNA. I.E: Bubba, Nasty Boys, Hall & Nash, Morley, Jordan, and any other old timer.For the most part I'm intrigued every Thursday night though. Which is a welcome change because despite some good matches, TNA has put me to sleep over the past few months.