GuyCompton has unfortunately not responded within the 24-hour timeframe, and so I will go ahead and post first, and I will be arguing that TNA does in fact have too many authority figures.
Does TNA need to cut down the amount of kayfabe authority figures they have or are they fine?
The main authority figure is an important position in a pro wrestling company. Having a kayfabe on-air "boss" helps in creating storylines, creating interest, and getting guys over. Austin's rise to the top was built on the simple premise of "Man hates Boss, Boss hates Man", a concept many many viewers could associate and empathize with. Who hasn't ever wanted to pop a boss in the mouth before?
However, having unnecessary authority figures around can have quite the opposite impact on the product. Too many "boss" figures dilute storylines by adding unnecessary elements and by taking focus away from the ring. TNA currently has 3 on-air authority figures. They are Dixie Carter (TNA President), Eric Bischoff (Executive Producer), and Hulk Hogan (Managing Partner). Miss Tessmacher (Eric's Executive Assistant) can be considered an authority figure in her own right. Are they each used to their fullest? Are they each utilized properly to enhance the in-ring competition? No, sadly they are little more than an excuse to feature Eric and Hogan on TV week to week.
I have seen TNA matches stopped dead in their tracks so that the spotlight could focus to Eric or Hogan, and it did absolutely nothing towards building the prestige of the men in the ring, or towards helping them advance. Entire segments of Impact earlier this year were focused on Eric torturing Jeff Jarrett, an angle which went nowhere in attracting viewers and making new stars. AJ Styles' heel turn and Championship run this year was constantly overshadowed by new boss Hogan's feud with Ric Flair. RVD's debut, and the opportunity to start a Sting/RVD feud was dropped in favor of including Dixie in the angle. Having the authority figure be a central part of the big angles is good, done the right way, but TNA's approach consistently leaves me feeling like the message they are trying to tell me is that somehow the drama between the authority figures, and their petty rivalries, are more important than the in-ring action. Compare that to "Austin era" McMahon and his Corporate stable; they lived and died by the WWF Championship, giving the stable/authority figure a purpose and a way to be written into the angles without taking away from the other performers, and giving the belt and anyone else involved with the angle a pretty damn good rub.
TNA has enough problems with consistant booking that having three authority figures running around on TV making matches and important decisions only confuses an audience already tired of the confusion and lack of clarity in TNA booking. If TNA spent half the time they spend trying to make Dixie, Eric, and Hogan relevant on improving their product in other ways, they'd be in much better shape in the ratings and with PPV buys. Too many authority figures is confusing, distracting, and most importantly not entertaining.
