Rumor: TMZ Says SpikeTV Cancelling Impact

[klunderbunker]

http://m.tmz.com/#Article/2014/07/27/impact-wrestling-cancelled-spike-tv-tna

These rumors have been around for awhile now and there's an actual source for it. While there's still time for them to get on another network as the deal goes through August, this could be BIG trouble for TNA. I'm not sure who would want them at this point as Spike allegedly funded a bunch of their stuff. It's hard to say where this goes, but it's not good at the moment.

Remember that this is a NON-SPAM section. Do not post something like "haha they got what they deserved" as it will be deleted and you will be penalized.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Wow. This is a big shot. Coming from TMZ makes it a bit more believable (at least over WZ). Even if it's small, TNA still gets decent ratings for a smaller network. I could see someone else picking them up.

 

[Miro_A12004]

I am afraid that this is the kiss of death for TNA. Nobody will buy the brand now, not when it is damaged goods, with no television deal, diminishing value, lack of star power or recognition by the fans and a brand that has been losing millions.

WCW, was in a much better value when it folded, Nitro was doing about triple what Impact is doing right now, in terms of viewership, the WCW, while being damaged was still a recognized brand and the promotion had by far more marketable and familiar stars, yet without a television deal, it was deemed worthless. TNA, on the other hand, don't have any of that and I really feel sorry for the people working there.

Unfortunately, in wrestling, people never learn. Had the suits at TNA read the Death of WCW or watched old episodes of Nitro, especially during the end, they would have known EXACTLY what NOT to do when booking their promotion, yet they made almost every mistake WCW did to be thrown out of business and added about 10 more on top of that. By the time, they tried to fix with the NYC tapings, it was probably a little bit too little too late for Spike TV.

Let's hope Jarrett knows exactly how to keep his promotion going on, it is a golden opportunity for him to enter the market right now and that ROH market its program in a better way than it is right now. Sinclair, should try to find a national station to broadcast their flagship show which doesn't air in major markets (I live in Boston and we don't get it here).

The business needs competition on a wide scale, we need an alternative, the wrestlers, announcers, creative, managers, production people and everyone associated with this industry need it. Having just one major program is ABSOLUTELY killing the business and even with all the propaganda, the WWE aren't doing that well either in terms of finances.

TNA, had everything to succeed. Unfortunately, the people running it, didn't have a clue on how to run a promotion (and trust me neither can I). Such a damn shame!

EDIT:

Jason Solomon @solomonster · 1h
Lots of rumors Spike is not renewing TNA. What a sad, yet poetic end if it turns out to be the result of them lying to Spike about Russo.

Jason Solomon @solomonster · 24m
Observer reports that Spike decision to cancel #TNA, if true, came days after they learned that Russo was still with the company.

Wow, just wow. The level of ineptitude is really shocking. You can fool the fans, the IWC, and even your own wrestlers, however when doing business in real life, you can't fool your partners or you will get busted. A lesson, WWE it seems will learn the hard way and a lesson that might cause TNA it's own existence.

Idiotic, Shambolic, choose whatever fits. Really feel sorry for those who worked there. Them and their families will suffer the most out of all of this.

 

[Lowdown]

If this is legit, man it's a huge blow to TNA. There's gonna be a lot of finger-pointing in regards to whose at fault, but I'm not going there. In my mind TNA could get a new TV deal elsewhere, yet I can't fathom where. Sinclair was mentioned, but they currently carry ROH in various markets. CBS Sports seems like a good place but I doubt they'd want pro-wrestling in their lineup. It sucks because TNA does have good talent, but I suppose how certain things were handled on and off screen resulted in drops in viewership here and there. Lots of folks losing their jobs as well? Jesus. I hope this is bullshit, but I have a feeling this had been coming, at least for the better part of the year.

 

[Harthan]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but it was ultimately WCW TV getting cancelled that really did them in, right? So this really, REALLY doesn't seem like a good thing at all for TNA in that regard. At the same time, TNA doesn't operate with the same kind of overhead that WCW did, and they've been cutting costs as far as I can tell. There's no reason to my mind that TNA couldn't comfortably contract into a large indy fed if they can find some way of distributing their show into at least some markets. I don't know the landscape of TV well enough to really know all the possible players - but I know there are enough cable channels out there that need something to fill primetime on Thursdays.

It's also worth noting that the unique feature of TNA is that it never really seems to actually matter if they're doing well financially or not. It's a company that more or less is the pet project of Dixie using her family money to finance it. There's no real reason to believe she couldn't move to an Internet distribution model for future Impact.

I think this will cause major upheaval for TNA and it may mean the end of it for good, but I think that more likely TNA will survive and find a new distributor. They may have to cut relations with some of their higher priced talent - I would bet this all but guarantees Angle will leave when his contract runs out - and learn to rely on less constrictive but cheaper contracts, so they can operate more like ROH and other large indies. But I think they could roll with it. Most interesting to see will be how much this blurs the lines between ROH and TNA as the American #2.

The other thing worth mentioning - if TNA does go bottom up, can the WWE even afford to do the now traditional thing and buy them up? With the drastic cost cutting measures being implemented I really don't know if the WWE would go after them right now. One always hoped that if TNA ever did flop at least the WWE would buy them, take the good talent, and maybe we'd see a nice little TNA invasion angle, and get the video library curated and posted to the Network. It's sad to think that TNA might die and simply lie cold.

EDIT: And now for the spam version of my response:

Russo kills another company. Man, he must hate wrestling.

 

[nightmare]

Looks very bad at this point. TNA does not have the following nor the big name talent to attract another network at this point. Plus if the Russo thing is really the nail in the coffin as to why Spike made the decision, then that makes it much worse. How could you go around asking for a shot when your last working relationship ended in a cloud of mistrust? How could you spin that in a way to get a chance with another tv deal, when you dont have anything making that chance worthwhile? Bad situation indeed.



If TNA had people in management who networks had confidence in, they may have a shot. Unfortunately they dont. Dixie has just showed her ass and inexperience one too many times. TNA has no big names left & what talent they do have, isnt as well known to the masses like the days past. Plus with news of Angle heading out, this makes the promotion less appealing to the networks, I would imagine. Spike was very patient in ways, with the in\out of big names and promises of huge ratings without a real return. Another network wont give the same time\effort\dollars with that track record & certainly not with a seed of doubt as to if management can be trusted.


This means a few people retiring, Angle coming back home finally, a huge ROH homecoming for Aries\Joe\Kenny King & a some new faces to the free agent market. NJPW & GFW may have a few new stars headed their way. Question is, who gets Roode & Storm ??

 

[The Dragon Saga]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but it was ultimately WCW TV getting cancelled that really did them in, right?

Two things killed ECW - Spike/TNN using them as a tester for a potential Monday Night Raw/wrestling program slot in their weekly schedule and then basically leaving out to dry and a PPV provider not giving them their share of PPV income/buyrates. TNA runs four PPV's a year, they're not highly profitable, their ONO tapings have failed and now Spike TV is reportedly finished with them and Spike TV is their biggest backer. In fact other than Dixie's money, Spike TV is their only backer.

I personally hope this gives way to another wrestling program going to Spike TV. They have their Thursday programming down, you got MMA with Bellator, you need something to play into that. This could be the opening another wrestling company to have their opportunity, whether it be ROH or GFW or even someone smaller with potential, I hope this leads to another wrestling company getting a shot.

As for TNA, I don't watch anymore and I said this months and months ago, if it died tomorrow I'd be sad for the people losing the jobs, but truthfully I'd be excited by the potential it has for my more favored wrestling promotion, ROH, and what it could do for them. TNA is seemingly going to pay the ultimate price for their many mistakes through the years.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

HAHA THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED

No, but seriously. Long overdue, and WELL deserved.


However, I also will believe it when I see it. Isn't IMPACT! pretty much their highest rated show on Spike? What sort of sense does it make to get rid of it?

I will light a great celebratory bonfire if this ends up happening, just if in one small instance, imbeciles finally got what they deserved....ESPECIALLY if it ends up really being over Russo....

That would be so delicous it HAS to be fattening.

 

[Pedigree1]

TMZ usually doesnt report anything that isnt true.. If so,this could very well be the deathblow for TNA! Spike was their biggest supporter,besides Dixie and her daddy's money. I have said this from day one,Dixie had no business running a wrestling company Hogan and Bischoff came in,took what they could and left town..

By trying to go head to head with MNR,that was the beginning of the end.. This is sad news,i never want to see people lose their jobs.. But TNA never being able to find a true home,could never go on the road really there was no revenue for them..

Spike TV was way more patient than they should have been.. Dixie showed her inexperience's one too many times and they just never had the confidence in TNAs management.. This is a deadly blow for TNA. They cant go to Sinclair,ROH has got that avenue sewn up..

Angle is all but gone once his contract is up.. Im really racking my brain over here to find a new network for them.. All thats left i guess,is shows Online and their once a week 10 dollar PPVS! They will have to cut their high priced talent,basically start over like they did some 12 years ago..

I just dont see how TNA is going to be able to survive till the end of the year! Hell they might be gone by summer! Its a shame really it is,at the end of the day peoples jobs will be lost,and talents dreams will be crushed..

I dont see the WWE interested in any of their talent.. That would have happened already if they were. All thats left is ROH or New Japan or back to the Indie scene

 

[The Dragon Saga]

However, I also will believe it when I see it. Isn't IMPACT! pretty much their highest rated show on Spike? What sort of sense does it make to get rid of it?

Meltzer was on The Fight Network's LAW Radio earlier and explained why. Ratings are what's important to a TV network, but when that network pumps "x" amount of cash into a show or production company (in this case, TNA) to produce a show and it sees little improvement in the ratings, then it's actually taking a loss. Spike TV has pumped millions into TNA over the years, to improve its production, so that it could bring in big mainstream names, and the issue has been that TNA has not been able to creatively adjust which is why people don't tune in and why the ratings never move and if they do, they usually drop.

It gets to the point where if names like Kurt Angle or Hulk Hogan or Sting aren't going to move ratings, then what will? The answer is nothing. And if the answer is nothing then it falls back on the company, in this case TNA, who just have a very bad image and a wounded brand name that fans don't want to get behind.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

Two things killed ECW - Spike/TNN using them as a tester for a potential Monday Night Raw/wrestling program slot in their weekly schedule and then basically leaving out to dry and a PPV provider not giving them their share of PPV income/buyrates. TNA runs four PPV's a year, they're not highly profitable, their ONO tapings have failed and now Spike TV is reportedly finished with them and Spike TV is their biggest backer. In fact other than Dixie's money, Spike TV is their only backer.

I personally hope this gives way to another wrestling program going to Spike TV. They have their Thursday programming down, you got MMA with Bellator, you need something to play into that. This could be the opening another wrestling company to have their opportunity, whether it be ROH or GFW or even someone smaller with potential, I hope this leads to another wrestling company getting a shot.

As for TNA, I don't watch anymore and I said this months and months ago, if it died tomorrow I'd be sad for the people losing the jobs, but truthfully I'd be excited by the potential it has for my more favored wrestling promotion, ROH, and what it could do for them. TNA is seemingly going to pay the ultimate price for their many mistakes through the years.

I am sorry but there is no realistic way that this is good, this is pretty much a 1% chance this opens the door for ROH, that is because ROH does not want to go through it AT ALL, in fact none of the other compaines want to, they don't want tv. Tna going under does not help any indy companies other than those indy compaines can cut wrestlers pay, expect Michal Elgin to get a HUGE pay cut. Why are they going to do this, no tna to leverage with.

The only thing that can come is GFW and that I doubt right now, I hope jarret buys tna and merges it with GFW. All this does is take opportunities away from wrestlers to be on national tv, without tna do you think AJ would be drawing the numbers he does on the indies I think not. OH and if you notice going out on the indies gets you love from few, hate from many for being an indy wrestlers, the anti indy movement has been Ramped since Daneil bryan got bigger, I am afraid they are going to convince most people that anyone indy is going to suck, and the indy reputation is going to get ruined to.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I am sorry but there is no realistic way that this is good, this is pretty much a 1% chance this opens the door for ROH,

If TNA dies, who are the only wrestling company with a PPV deal? ROH. Who outside of WWE will have the largest television range? ROH. So ROH instantly becomes number two (its been pushing for awhile). Even if Spike TV doesn't bring them on, not like I'm saying Spike TV necessarily will, being the automatic number two means that when people seek other wrestling products, the most easily accessible will be ROH. 10,000 people bought Best in the World, TNA demise could lead to more people seeking other products then WWE buying Final Battle in December. Which means many doors are open.

that is because ROH does not want to go through it AT ALL, in fact none of the other compaines want to, they don't want tv. Tna going under does not help any indy companies other than those indy compaines can cut wrestlers pay, expect Michal Elgin to get a HUGE pay cut. Why are they going to do this, no tna to leverage with.

ROH isn't an independent company. Go learn what independent means. ROH already has a TV deal, with 39.6% range in the US. Championship Wrestling from Hollywood has 26% range in America. AAA from Mexico is also going to be on basic cable soon. There is an opening for someone else to step up, whether it be ROH or AAA or Billy Corgan's Resistance Pro who'll be getting a ton of publicity off their CMT special. So if you think there is no advantage to TNA's death, not just in possible talent available to them, but for promotions to seek out TV deals due to the fact that there will be a gap open for something different to the WWE, then you need to open your eyes and use some common sense instead of thinking about it as a TNA fan because it's on the verge of death.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

HAHA THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED

No, but seriously. Long overdue, and WELL deserved.


However, I also will believe it when I see it. Isn't IMPACT! pretty much their highest rated show on Spike? What sort of sense does it make to get rid of it?

I will light a great celebratory bonfire if this ends up happening, just if in one small instance, imbeciles finally got what they deserved....ESPECIALLY if it ends up really being over Russo....

That would be so delicous it HAS to be fattening.

Why can't you give a shit about the I don't fucking know the fucking wrestlers, rather than giving a poke at Dixie, because she don't fucking care, all tna was, was a playtoy, think she is hurt. Nope the wrestlers get hurt they are out of a job, also the people working in tna. Less places for the wrestlers to work in a VERY HARD environment, a very tough business, and they need as many options as they want. Not good at all for them. Guys like Roode are to good to be out of a job.

 

[J.D Lethal]

Only one man has the power power to turn TNA around if he wanted too and that Ted Turner. But this is the Kiss of Death TNA and you know this is very sad for a person that likes wrestling because once again WWE has the firm hold on wrestling. Yes the TNA product was not as good but that when you compare it to the Machine then yea its not as good. Spike wasn't happy now we wait for Manswers and MXC to rerun in that time block...I guess come Nov the real winners will be ROH NJPW and WWE.

Roh gets:Aries and the Wolves back

WWE gets the flock of the litter for NXT by that time more guys are gonna get called up up or cut and people like Joe,Roode,ECIII(wwe gotta like him now) will be focal points with Kenta,Devitt and Steen..While Angle,Hardy,team 3D all go part time legends deal

NJPW should get the BroMan and Zemi,Sanada,TJ Perkins,Tigre Uno,MVP and Lashley

and all the Knockouts should go to Shimmer..I swear the the WWE would ruin the Beautiful People just to name a few...

it's very sad, to sum up what wwe did look at Paul Heyman Pipebomb he did in the ring vs vince...everything thing Paul spoke about what that Vince did to ruined wrestling is all there....(also look at Joey Styles Shoot as well)

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Nope the wrestlers get hurt they are out of a job, also the people working in tna.

See they're not really out of the job. They're independent contractors, they will get booked. The independent scene is pretty big, AJ Styles has proven you don't need TNA to make good money - fuck, hes said hes made more money this year then he was in TNA prior to his exit which was said to be a lot of money. Christopher Daniels said on Art of Wrestling he's making good money back in ROH and working on the indies. The days of guys not being able make good money without national TV is done. There are other opportunities now. There's Ring of Honor, New Japan, just work the independent scene - you can make better money then you were making with TNA. I'm not sad for the wrestlers who'll be "losing their jobs", I'd be more sad that another employer will be gone.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

If TNA dies, who are the only wrestling company with a PPV deal? ROH. Who outside of WWE will have the largest television range? ROH. So ROH instantly becomes number two (its been pushing for awhile). Even if Spike TV doesn't bring them on, not like I'm saying Spike TV necessarily will, being the automatic number two means that when people seek other wrestling products, the most easily accessible will be ROH. 10,000 people bought Best in the World, TNA demise could lead to more people seeking other products then WWE buying Final Battle in December. Which means many doors are open.



ROH isn't an independent company. Go learn what independent means. ROH already has a TV deal, with 39.6% range in the US. Championship Wrestling from Hollywood has 26% range in America. AAA from Mexico is also going to be on basic cable soon. There is an opening for someone else to step up, whether it be ROH or AAA or Billy Corgan's Resistance Pro who'll be getting a ton of publicity off their CMT special. So if you think there is no advantage to TNA's death, not just in possible talent available to them, but for promotions to seek out TV deals due to the fact that there will be a gap open for something different to the WWE, then you need to open your eyes and use some common sense instead of thinking about it as a TNA fan because it's on the verge of death.

You really think those other compaines are going to sign tv deals like tna did, they don't want to. ROH does not want to because it will be on sinclair for a long time to come, it won't change ROH, or AAA. To me I would rather see that someone else step up FIRST then tna can die, thought it should not anyways. Plus the AAA deal is similar to ROH's past deal, won't be that good of one either. None of these companys you listed want to do what tna has done and get a tv deal, they don't want to have to chance the way they do things, so tna dying does nothing. I would love to be wrong because indy wrestling compainies deserve that chance, but I am sure people won't give to them, and they will not take the offer, they don't want to chance a thing.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

See they're not really out of the job. They're independent contractors, they will get booked. The independent scene is pretty big, AJ Styles has proven you don't need TNA to make good money - fuck, hes said hes made more money this year then he was in TNA prior to his exit which was said to be a lot of money. Christopher Daniels said on Art of Wrestling he's making good money back in ROH and working on the indies. The days of guys not being able make good money without national TV is done. There are other opportunities now. There's Ring of Honor, New Japan, just work the independent scene - you can make better money then you were making with TNA. I'm not sad for the wrestlers who'll be "losing their jobs", I'd be more sad that another employer will be gone.

While all that is true, you think the money on the indy scene is the SAME for everyone, I think not. A lot of the wrestlers that were not indy greats to begin with will be in lower indies not being paid as much as they were in tna. Plus what happens when a lot of wrestlers get their fucking pay slashed by the indy companies, I have already heard this could happen if tna were to die, less money to go around. I just don't see it making things better but worse for wrestlers. There was a reason why certain wrestlers resigned with tna, because guys like Storm are not going to get aj styles money they are going to get horrible payouts, same with Gunner, same with brooke. The problem is they don't fit in a lot of the top indies there gimmicks are based on looks. Tna was perfect for guys like that. Hell Rockstar spud and EC3 to. Now guys like Jesse and Robbie well suck have nothing there. Fact is tna is great for the business, I can get that you love the indies and I have huge repect for what they do, but tna had a home for a lot of guys, their best paychecks were there. Also most of the wrestlers wanted tna to stay in business due to even some reasons I have listed.

I also don't think it makes the indies look good when most of it's fans are happy about this, cheering for a company to go under it is acually

Also I have seen a more negative opinion towards the indies growing, there is an anti indy movement that will hurt the reputations, people are starting to become disgusted with indy wrestling that I have talked to because of this. New japan does not even tna to fucking die, they are the number 2 promotion so why on earth did tna dying help them, I fail to see this. Makes New japan fans here in america look REALLY BAD. Come to think of this, does ROH need tna to die, probably not, I don't think Sinclair wants ROH to get a bigger tv deal, so why on earth does this help ROH it does not at all, nor hurts it, but I guarantee start seeing paychecks cut.

 

[Seosa]

Soon...

In all seriousness, it's galling to see TNA in this state. It's probably been said a thousand times but the Hogan/Bischoff takeover was the death kneel. I remember at the time being hopeful for the company's future but reading quite a few comments from people saying "Give it 3/4 years and TNA will be on its arse". Unfortunately, they may well have been right.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For wrestlers who're already established themselves in TNA, it's not the end of the world though it'd be a big setback for up & comers.

Guys like Daniels, Kazarian, Roode, Storm, Young and some others can probably make decent money working the independent scenes or in Japan. AJ Styles recently gave an interview stating that his last deal with TNA was worth $350,000 a year and the new deal would have had him making about $200,000. Styles said he could make more than that on the independent scene and, according to the report, he's done so.

TNA losing its deal, if it has and this isn't just a rumor going about that TMZ heard from someone supposedly on the inside, it's not an automatic death nail for the company, but it's pretty damn close considering the various financial issues reported to have been plaguing them for over a year now and that no one else seems to be interested in picking them up. It'd be ironic if their deal with Spike isn't renewed as, in the past several weeks, they've been pulling numbers more along the lines of what they were pulling back around 2010-2011.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

This could be the most fortuitous thing to come Vince's way in a long time. For all the "no value in TNA" stuff, there IS value in buying their tape library for the Network, losing money or not it's an investment that will add value to the network... like WCW... a product without TV is worthless. Mr. Carter would have to say..."enough" to Dixie and recoup something, so 2 or 3 million would be good from his perspective.

But the main reason this is gonna prick Vince's ears up is they have a great 2nd product available to shop to Spike in NXT... which could easily take up that spot if Spike wants to keep wrestling but is unsure of Jarrett's GFW concept. NXT was not part of the USA negotiations and this could recoup some of that "lost TV" revenue from the deal... again gonna help the share price rather than hinder it, even if it costs some outlay.

For all the talk of guys not being "good enough", Kurt, Jeff and Matt and the Dudleyz can pop a rating or two and with TNA in this much trouble if true, they will likely take the lesser money on offer just to avoid being cast down into the uncertaintly of GFW or self booking.

 

[TDFG]

I thought the contract was due to finish in October?

It's bad news for TNA, I don't know what UTA can do for them if they can try and get another network to pick them up.

I hope another network picks them up, anyone who thinks it's ok, talent will go to WWE/ROH/NJPW etc. needs to think again. Wrestling isn't making the same $$$ it was 10 - 15 years ago & companies can't afford big rosters.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

This could be the most fortuitous thing to come Vince's way in a long time. For all the "no value in TNA" stuff, there IS value in buying their tape library for the Network, losing money or not it's an investment that will add value to the network... like WCW... a product without TV is worthless. Mr. Carter would have to say..."enough" to Dixie and recoup something, so 2 or 3 million would be good from his perspective.

But the main reason this is gonna prick Vince's ears up is they have a great 2nd product available to shop to Spike in NXT... which could easily take up that spot if Spike wants to keep wrestling but is unsure of Jarrett's GFW concept. NXT was not part of the USA negotiations and this could recoup some of that "lost TV" revenue from the deal... again gonna help the share price rather than hinder it, even if it costs some outlay.

For all the talk of guys not being "good enough", Kurt, Jeff and Matt and the Dudleyz can pop a rating or two and with TNA in this much trouble if true, they will likely take the lesser money on offer just to avoid being cast down into the uncertaintly of GFW or self booking.

That would be terrible fuck wwe, they have enough shit, anothor wrestling company please, guys like Roode need air time.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

If TMZ is reporting it, it's over. If it walks, talks and quacks like a duck, well, you know the rest.

I won't pretend to know or understand the financials of the television game, or who could or would potentially pick up the product, but I think it's best put this way — how many shows in the last twenty years have been cancelled, only to be picked up by a competitors station? Not very many. I can't think of any off the top of my head. There might be one or two, but generally speaking, the number is probably similar to the percentages associated with winning the lottery.

I remember reading about how the team working on TNT's 'SouthLAnd' were trying to get it picked up elsewhere, and it never happened — and that was a for a great product. It was just a great product that no one watched, apparently.

I loved this company. They were my second favorite wrestling company of all-time behind WCW, and the feelings behind seeing this are really no different as they were to watching WCW go under. The only thing I can ask is they die of their own accord and I don't have to see Vince's giant trolling face, or the faces of any of his idiotic family showing up on the final TNA broadcast as one last 'fuck you' to the TNA fan base.

 

[Alastor]

This was a long time coming. Pro-wrestling is facing a lot more competition for eyeballs now than 7 years ago when TNA was at its peak. MMA has grown larger, major sports leagues have each have their own boom or revival in the time too. Video game exposure have grown leaps and bounds since then. Heck even gaming videos/streaming where viewers watch other players play games has grown a niche audience. This is without mentioning the usual TV programming of reality tv and scripted shows.

TNA had a great run from 2005-2007/8 but then they tried to be a weird hybrid of WWE-lite that was also anti-WWE and then and even worse regressed into WCW-rewind with the same wrestlers 10 years older. There were many mistakes but the one thing that always annoyed me with them is they kept promoting the same wrestlers as the 'future' of wrestling for over 5-6 years. After 3 years of using the same hype it gets old, let alone 5+ years. Then again management could have been under pressure to sign known names by media companies to carry the shows. TV contracts won't pay big money for AJ Styles, Monty Brown and Samoa Joe but Sting, Kurt Angle and Hogan or any wrestlers with the WWE/WCW background are known names that companies were more willing to run with.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

If TMZ is reporting it, it's over. If it walks, talks and quacks like a duck, well, you know the rest.

I won't pretend to know or understand the financials of the television game, or who could or would potentially pick up the product, but I think it's best put this way — how many shows in the last twenty years have been cancelled, only to be picked up by a competitors station? Not very many. I can't think of any off the top of my head. There might be one or two, but generally speaking, the number is probably similar to the percentages associated with winning the lottery.

I remember reading about how the team working on TNT's 'SouthLAnd' were trying to get it picked up elsewhere, and it never happened — and that was a for a great product. It was just a great product that no one watched, apparently.

I loved this company. They were my second favorite wrestling company of all-time behind WCW, and the feelings behind seeing this are really no different as they were to watching WCW go under. The only thing I can ask is they die of their own accord and I don't have to see Vince's giant trolling face, or the faces of any of his idiotic family showing up on the final TNA broadcast as one last 'fuck you' to the TNA fan base.

Yeah that's my thinking as well. This isn't Game of Thrones we're talking about. It's a wrestling show, and there's very, very little demand for pro wrestling out there. In fact, I'd go as far as to saying there isn't any. I'm pretty sure people are still watching it because it's on the air. If it wasn't nobody would want to bring it back like they did with other shows like Family Guy, for example.

No one's fighting to buy TNA out or to have them or their network, unless it's a really crappy one desperate for a show with a steady million viewers. Unless TNA has a huge fan in the upper echelon of a network better than Spike, I don't see the show continuing. We see TNA and wrestling as something that should be passed around the networks, but the networks see only numbers.

If it's true that Spike wants to cancel TNA based on the Vince Russo stuff, then that's a little premature. Or at least it seems like it is. Maybe their relationship has been sour for a while and the Russo involvement was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Either way, I really don't see how TNA will switch networks so easily and so fast. I'm thinkin' Dixie will wrap things up in the coming weeks and that would be it. As far as I go, if TNA is canceled, I stop watching and following wrestling. No other product out there is even remotely interesting for me.

I don't see WWE buying TNA out either. Nothing of value aside from some contracts of some talent and staff. Their video library is useless, TNA never had mainstream appeal, who's going to buy those DVDs? It's better that way, the last thing anyone wants is Vince ejaculating over another good wrestling company.

Let's hope for the best but I'm thinkin' when Dixie found out they were getting canceled she did her own version of a famous movie quote ..

"We're gonna need a bigger network"