Just to let you know, I'm going to be in training all week so the only times I'll be able to respond will be in the evening and the morning. I hope that doesn't conflict with your schedule.
Oh, trust me, everytime you log on... I'll have a response waiting for you. I guarantee it.
Many have stated that for a wrestling company to be successful in the United States as well as over the world, you need wrestlers who have that charisma and natural ability to entertain the crowd. Vince found his gold mine in Hulk Hogan and the rest is history. Throughout TNA's history, they have built their reputation on having some of the best wrestling in the world and they have tried and been successful at finding big names to make their promotion one of the best.
No, no, you're quite mistaken on your assertion, sir. At least half way. Sure, big name stars are great, when you know how to use them. WCW is a perfect example. When they signed Hulk Hogan, they attempted to live off the nostalgia of the Hogan Era, and tried to trumpet that. The whole show became a vehicle for Hogan's ego, one in which he abused to the highest degree. The television went into the toilet for a good portion of time, until they found a way to utilize Hogan. The numbers didn't lie. His debut at the Bash at the Beach scored a 1.02 Buyrate, which was the highest number since the 1991 Starrcade, I grant you. The next pay per view didn't have Hogan, and drew a .53. The next pay per view, Halloween Havoc, did a .97. A higher number, yes. Keep in mind, in both of these matches Hogan wrestled Ric Flair, a product which everyone really clamored from. The next PPV, which featured the aforementioned Hogan and his buddy, ED Leslie?
Yeah, that drew a .6. And it would stay no better until WCW learned how to utilize Hogan, with the nWo. My point being simple; history has proven over time that if you offer a good product, centered around stars, you have a successful product. I'd love to see you argue how Hogan has done anything for numbers. the truth is, he fucking hasn't, LJL. They're at the same place they were six months, except they added the albatross like contracts of the "stars". The point has become clear, that the numbers show no one cares just for stars, they want a good product. Honestly, I could really just end my response here, because frankly, you can show nothing to say the stars have done any good for TNA. However...
TNA (2002-2005): The big stars in TNA were names such as Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and America's Most Wanted. They were not stars by the standards maybe me and you go by they were homegrown TNA talent and performed some of the greatest matches in the company's history. TNA's best year was in 2005 when Styles, Joe, and Daniels put on a clinic almost each and every PPV. People began to recognize TNA as a legitimate wrestling company even though they didn't have a Cena or a Batista at the top.
And they offered an alternative, a good prodcut, LJL. Now let's see an era that matters.
TNA (2006-2010): With the core already set, TNA looked to bring in established superstars from other promotions to continue to progress. When Christian and Kurt Angle left WWE, TNA quickly signed them and they were successful in bringing star power and recognition and they had great matches to boot.
Yeah, because moving to Spike, getting Dixie Carter as a benefactor for the company, and having overall a better product didn't help at all
Look, match wise, Angle has worked wonders for the company. Sad, because the numbers say otherwise. Sure, you can argue how the numbers went up from a .3, to a 1, but that has more to do with leaving Fox Sports Net, to going to Spike, a more carried and known channel.
Not all has been bad in the Hogan/Bischoff regime. Jeff Hardy, RVD, and Mr. Anderson were brought in because they were big names but why should that be seen as a negative.
Because they haven't drawn an audience yet?
You still have your core talent who have proven that they can put on a great match when called upon. Styles, Daniels, and Joe are just the Jericho, Benoit, and Angle of TNA to use a comparison.
Yeah, that's bullshit frankly. The only way this comparison works is by saying they're all good workers. Joe, Styles, and the like aren't half of what Jericho, Benoit and Angle used to mean for the WWE, because they haven't been utilized correctly. They've been pushed away by ther big stars, and have made the title picture filled with more WWE dropouts than... Well, WCW. And again, your claim would be great, if they did anything to turn business around. And, well, they haven't.
The problem with TNA trying to compete with the WWE is that they didn't try to go toe-to-toe with them when WWE was at its weakest. In the past two years, WWE has been really strong with the high level of matches that have been performed by Cena, Batista, Taker, HBK, Mysterio, and Jericho. The WWE just wasn't that good around 2006 and 2007 and that is when they should have capitalized. You had Styles, Angle, Christian, Samoa Joe, and Sting at your disposal and you strike when the iron is hot. TNA failed to do that and waited until this year and it bombed. I did hate what they did to Styles when he went under Flair's wing but they were trying to make AJ more charismatic and flashy like Ric. WWE was so strong this year that TNA couldn't hold up.
This has nothing to do with the debate. The debate is about whether TNA's newly signed stars are enough to create a company. Perhaps you could provide examples of how the stars actually have done anything to help ratings, buy rates, or even match quality. Not only have the numbers not improved, TNA's overall product has decreased immensely since the beginning of the wave of "new" stars.
The Main Event Mafia storyline as I've mentioned earlier was a way for the young talent to get a rub by the veterans.
I'll say that the MEM was ok. It was a total rip off of a wCW angle seven years, but still, it was a good angle. That said, it did nothing to increase buy rates for a long term period, and the ratings didn't soar with this angle. Again, the product was bettre, but there was still plenty wrong with the company at this point.
Russo has done some good in TNA but I don't believe Dixie has in it her to tell Vince when he is doing something that just won't click with the fans. Until she gets tougher or they find somebody else, you will always get good and bad with Russo.
And as long as that's the case, the product will suffer. Hence, really, you have to conclude as long as Russo is there, the stars have proven the signing of stars do not a wrestling company make.
As much as it pains me, I praised Joe earlier and now I'm going to have to criticize him. Joe has gotten fatter over the years and has been unprofessional in several cases. I blame TNA a little bit for changing who he is. Samoa Joe's best days was his gimmick of the Samoan Submission Machine and when they made him face, that was the end of him. He's had some good matches here and there, but I don't he can replicate the success he had in 2005.
So again... Worse product, unhappy talent, worse show, and overall, more proof that stars aren't enough to make a good company.
You also give the names of wrestlers like Joe, Abyss, and Styles. Mind you, LJL, that is not what this debate is about at all. It's about if TNA has proven that the stars are good enough to create a company. It's your job to argue for Hogan, Flair, and the like, and why they're doing a good job. Not about Abyss and Samoa Joe
The EV 2.0 isn't going to last long hopefully and people are recognizing the midcard talent. I can tell the TNA fans aren't interested in the EV storyline so Dixie needs to wake up and realize that.
So you're agreeing with me, huh?
You really not making that great a point, here. Again, TNA signs some names, some stars, and people dislike it. Again, the stars need direction, they need a sense of purpose. It takes more than flashy signings to make a product. Like, say, good matches, and storylines that draw in an audience.
e always had a good product and the big names they're trying to bring in addition are just a luxury. They're still some minor problems to solve but TNA is doing good as the #2 promotion in the country and I have faith that TNA can be great even though at times they haven't shown me.
Again, you even talk about how the product is being shat on by fans. At the end of the day, LJL, you have to prove stars make a successful company. And judging by the numbers and facts, TNA is not growing, and becoming better. The signing of the big names has made the product overall weaker.
Perhaps you could provide me with a post in which actually has a point? You offered Coco that dignity. You can at least fucking offer it to me
