Storm, Robbie E, Others Join Aries, EC3 in Speaking Out Against Six-Sided Ring

[It's Damn Real!]

What is your opinion on the 6-sided ring?

Storm: I don't like it. I've been here since day one and I'm more of a 4-sided traditionalist. The 6-sided ring hurts. The structure's made different than a 4-sided ring, there's more steel under there. It's a little bigger, which is no problem, but the ropes are shorter and so they're tighter and the corners are not 90 degrees. I think it should be brought back for special events like Destination-X or Slammiversary. Just for that one night, for a Pay-Per-View to do something different. Give it 3 months and it won't be special anymore.

Robbie E: You think of pro-wrestling and you think of 4-sides!

Brooke: ... and growing up that's what you see, 4 sides! You might think more of MMA and the octagon when it's that style of ring. I've never wrestled in it so I personally and have no idea what it's like but it's not something that I'm personally very excited about. It's going to be confusing.

Storm: Our 4-sided ring was 16x16 and this is 18x18 and its 20x20 corner to corner so it will throw you off if you're not used to working in it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/danny-stone/british-wrestling_b_5589490.html


Bram also took to Twitter a day or so again in sarcastically praising the return:

@BramTNA: Yeah you got your wish #6SidesIsBack ...well done... #witheyeseverturnedinward http://t.co/tSHXGlkUqM​

And Aries and EC3 both spoke out quite candidly (especially Aries) weeks ago:

@AustinAries: For those curious, I find #6sides to be far less forgiving on the body and harder to maneuver around, especially on the top rope. #4sides

@EthanCarterTNA: This is why democracy doesn't work.

You people should not have a voice when it comes to my well-being and safety. #Traditional #4sides

@EthanCarterTNA: You want a 6-sided ring once a year? Fine, I can compromise. Call it "Six-Sided-Fest" or something. But wrestling belongs in #4sides.​

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=277985B

--

I know we just went through this, but man, the more I read with more and more talents (you know, the guys and gals who actually have to take those bumps for our viewing pleasure?) speaking out against it so publicly, and so candidly, the more I see this as just a monumental blunder on TNA's part. I mean, in what world do you value the input of fans over such an insignificant aspect of your broadcast over the input of your talent over what is a very significant physical and technical cost against their bodies?

God, what a fucking shit show this is.

 

[Rayne]

I can understand why TNA would go back to the six-sided ring. Pointing out the unfortunately obvious, TNA's doing anything they can these days to lure eyeballs back, and going to a six-sided ring is the kind of thing that, if you're desperate, might look like it could bring back some of the fans that left during The Hulk and Eric Show.

What really surprises me is that so many talents are going on the record with their complaints to social media. That's incredibly sloppy corporate discipline from the top. I can't even imagine how fast the tweet would disappear if a WWE talent complained about something like the steepness of the entrance ramp. These guys must have some real confidence either in their job security, or that they can do just as well elsewhere.

This seems to be the story of TNA since the "paperwork issues" incident of last year. No one seems to be steering the ship, and without a captain to whip people into line, the crew's starting to rabble.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Thing is, do you really think WWE would essentially change a fundamental aspect of their product that physically affects their performers in a negative way without ever even talking to them about it in the first place? That's key here. TNA made this decision out of the blue (or at least that's how it feels and appears), adding the poll to the site and telling fans "you decide", only to tell the wrestlers afterward "oh, we're letting them decide".

I mean, I get not wanting the inmates to run the asylum, but fans are inmates too. They're just a different kind, who still have no business "running" the show like this. They're always going to vote with their hearts, not their minds, and few are going to be voting in a case like this with the well-being of the performers in mind (not that the fans would have much of a clue about the physics of all of this in the first place — as evidenced by the last time we had this discussion).

 

[fizzdaboi]

I think people are looking into this a bit much, it's ONLY the heels complaining about 6 sides, and it's all on twitter which seems to be in character, Aries I guess is a face now but was a heel on TV when he made these comments weeks ago.

 

[Alex]

I think people are looking into this a bit much, it's ONLY the heels complaining about 6 sides, and it's all on twitter which seems to be in character, Aries I guess is a face now but was a heel on TV when he made these comments weeks ago.

You're going to say the complaints are keyfabe?!?! Really?

Anyways the six sided ring never did it for me. It seemed awkward (Irish whips into the ropes was terrible) and talent is saying it hurts a lot more than a regular ring just shows it's a bad idea. Sure bring it out occasionally but not keep it permanently

 

[Slash-LN]

What pisses me off the most is when "fans" make comments like "It's not me taking the bumps in the ring so why should I care?" which I have seen more than once.

These guys and girls are going out there and entertaining us and already taking risks as it is. Why would we want to add a more dangerous element to the match that really does nothing for anyone? It's not a special attraction that someone may actually pay to see like a ladder match. Very few if any people are going to start watching TNA because the ring looks different.

People argue that wrestlers were able to wrestle in it before without major injury and those who hadn't wrestled in it before were able to adapt. Why do we need a "major" injury when the wrestlers themselves are telling us it's harder on the body?

I appreciate TNA asking us fans what we would like to see. I really do. But I agree that this isn't something we should have a say in.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I understand all points of view in this matter, but I still find it funny that wrestling fans are watching out for wrestlers, considering we're the ones who pop every time they go through glass, a table, thumb tacks, fire, fall off high elevations or do a life threatening move. No, you can go ahead and cut your forehead so you bleed, but God forbid the ring was a little harder. No, that's inhumane.

Where was everyone when Jeff Hardy did Swantons every night and messed up his back? Jumping over ladders, on ladders, through ladders, dozens of TLC matches, weird bumps. No one said absolutely anything. But a six-sided ring? Oh lawd, watch out for that life threatening mat with padding on it.

Sure, go ahead and take a bump on the concrete floor. Feel free to get cracked over the back with a steel chair. And hey, those 450 splashes probably tickle, don't they Austin Aries? A bump tho? Eesh, get that surgery bed ready.

I get that it might hurt a little more and that might be annoying for the wrestlers, but wrestling fans looking out for them is just a tid bit hypocritical. If we REALLY cared about these guys' health THAT much we wouldn't be watching them slowly get crippled week by week. No one would enjoy a safe match. They wouldn't either.

Six sides is back, deal with it.

 

[lilroach420]

I understand all points of view in this matter, but I still find it funny that wrestling fans are watching out for wrestlers, considering we're the ones who pop every time they go through glass, a table, thumb tacks, fire, fall off high elevations or do a life threatening move. No, you can go ahead and cut your forehead so you bleed, but God forbid the ring was a little harder. No, that's inhumane.

Where was everyone when Jeff Hardy did Swantons every night and messed up his back? Jumping over ladders, on ladders, through ladders, dozens of TLC matches, weird bumps. No one said absolutely anything. But a six-sided ring? Oh lawd, watch out for that life threatening mat with padding on it.

Sure, go ahead and take a bump on the concrete floor. Feel free to get cracked over the back with a steel chair. And hey, those 450 splashes probably tickle, don't they Austin Aries? A bump tho? Eesh, get that surgery bed ready.

I get that it might hurt a little more and that might be annoying for the wrestlers, but wrestling fans looking out for them is just a tid bit hypocritical. If we REALLY cared about these guys' health THAT much we wouldn't be watching them slowly get crippled week by week. No one would enjoy a safe match. They wouldn't either.

Six sides is back, deal with it.

You can't say that you "understand all points of view" in an argument, and then blatantly piss on one side. The wrestlers themselves are against it, what else do we need to know?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

You can't say that you "understand all points of view" in an argument, and then blatantly piss on one side. The wrestlers themselves are against it, what else do we need to know?

There's a difference between understand and agree. I understand everyone's points of view, and they're valid, but that doesn't mean I agree with them. Also, "the wrestlers" are four people, one of which is a female wrestler who has been relatively inactive in almost a year. Also, there's been one guy who said the ring makes no difference and it feels the same. Manik. Is Manik invulnerable then? How come they feel pain but he doesn't. He's smaller than any of them and does crazier things. He should be the first guy to complain.

When the entire locker-room, or at least the majority, are in complete uproar about the dangers of the ring, then we can sit here and truly discuss whether the ring is an actual hazard. For all we know most guys don't care or find a difference. That's why they're not tweeting their butts off about it. Only four people raising a fuss making it all seem like a bigger deal than it really is.

Come on, TNA used that ring for eight years and everything was perfectly fine. In fact, the product was much more physical back then. And everyone ... was ... fine. There you go, that's TNA's testing period for the ring. No one got injured because of it, no one was GREATLY inconvenienced by it, no one fell off the ropes because they were different. Heck, some of TNA's best matches were inside that ring.

Big deal for absolutely nothing.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I've taken bumps in a wrestling ring, it hurts. Especially the first few. The morning after it was painful to move. I've seen rings being built, the support is steel gurders with a thin mat over it. On a four sided ring there are eight, on a six sided I would guess more. The softest spot in a ring is the centre, on a six sided ring the steel meets in the middle so there is no soft spot, it's all hard and painful.

And if someone goes through a table or falls off a ladder I'll pop because its a spot, the intention is for the performer to withstand a bit more pain to get the crowd cheering, but if every bump, a bump being the most fundamental aspect of wrestling hurts, then that's not fair on the performer. It makes sense from a business side because it distinguishes the image of the product, but if it effects the morale of a locker room which I imagine is pretty shit to begin with, that's not good.

 

[A11oftheLights]

I understand all points of view in this matter, but I still find it funny that wrestling fans are watching out for wrestlers, considering we're the ones who pop every time they go through glass, a table, thumb tacks, fire, fall off high elevations or do a life threatening move. No, you can go ahead and cut your forehead so you bleed, but God forbid the ring was a little harder. No, that's inhumane.

Where was everyone when Jeff Hardy did Swantons every night and messed up his back? Jumping over ladders, on ladders, through ladders, dozens of TLC matches, weird bumps. No one said absolutely anything. But a six-sided ring? Oh lawd, watch out for that life threatening mat with padding on it.

Sure, go ahead and take a bump on the concrete floor. Feel free to get cracked over the back with a steel chair. And hey, those 450 splashes probably tickle, don't they Austin Aries? A bump tho? Eesh, get that surgery bed ready.

I get that it might hurt a little more and that might be annoying for the wrestlers, but wrestling fans looking out for them is just a tid bit hypocritical. If we REALLY cared about these guys' health THAT much we wouldn't be watching them slowly get crippled week by week. No one would enjoy a safe match. They wouldn't either.

Six sides is back, deal with it.

I think this is spot on. Sure its not great that the ring is stiffer and the wrestlers have a right to say its stiffer and they don't like it. But you cant have it both ways, you can't risk your career and more importantly your life getting slammed on concrete and doing crazy stunts that should be considered unnecessary.

While we're on it can anyone tell me the point of thumb tacks? What does that add to a match? Nothing, in my eyes at least

 

[Pedigree1]

I think this is not kayfabe at all on the viewpoints expressed by the wrestles.. Wrestling in general is very traditional,I am used to the four sided ring not a six-sided ring sideshow.. Ethan Carter is absolutely correct in saying who the hell are we to decide on his well-being..

Fans absolutely have no voice in saying what they wanna see.. You dont see the talent having a voice in our jobs? This is why TNA continues to plummet there hanging on by a thread at this point.. I get why TNA is doing it,to attract new eyeballs and to increase the abysmal ratings.. Plus the six sided ring is just awkward to look at? Irish whips,bumps,just look weird..

For those saying where were we when Jeff Hardy did his swantons,450 splashes,blading,etc,im pretty sure a topic like that was addressed and we all agreed its dangerous what they do for a living.. With that logic there,we might as well ban Pro Wrestling. Would the WWE ever go to the fans and poll us to which ring there going to use from now on?? I doubt it

 

[A11oftheLights]

I think part of the Etan Carter tweet is kayfabe, I think there is no way a performer is going to flat out act better than fans when expressing an opinion like this.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think this is not kayfabe at all on the viewpoints expressed by the wrestles.. Wrestling in general is very traditional,I am used to the four sided ring not a six-sided ring sideshow.. Ethan Carter is absolutely correct in saying who the hell are we to decide on his well-being..

Fans absolutely have no voice in saying what they wanna see.. You dont see the talent having a voice in our jobs? This is why TNA continues to plummet there hanging on by a thread at this point.. I get why TNA is doing it,to attract new eyeballs and to increase the abysmal ratings.. Plus the six sided ring is just awkward to look at? Irish whips,bumps,just look weird..

For those saying where were we when Jeff Hardy did his swantons,450 splashes,blading,etc,im pretty sure a topic like that was addressed and we all agreed its dangerous what they do for a living.. With that logic there,we might as well ban Pro Wrestling. Would the WWE ever go to the fans and poll us to which ring there going to use from now on?? I doubt it

No, but WWE did have us choose the type of match these guys would wrestle in with the Las Vegas themed show. Some of it was rigged, some were not, and some were wrestled in steel cages, TLC's or something more extreme. Surely the wrestlers wouldn't want to do a TLC match but instead a normal one, yet the fans had to decide. Why? Because the wrestlers' job is to entertain and to perform to the liking of the fan. It's fucked up, but that's what it is. They know it, they get paid to do it. If the fans want TLC matches, they do TLC matches. If they want six-sides, they do six-sides.

Besides, we could go further with this. Aries and the rest are arguing that non-wrestlers are deciding what wrestlers perform in? Excuse me, but don't writers decide if wrestlers are gonna do hardcore matches or not? Writers aren't wrestlers, we don't even see them on the screen. But they book some gruesome shit. Even more than that, non-wrestlers and wrestlers brought in the six sided ring in the first place.

Just a thought. The "they're not wrestlers" argument doesn't really work.

 

[ABMorales787]

The 6 sided ring hurts more. That seems like an understandable complaint.

Here's my questions though, and I think these are interesting:

* Why are they speaking out weeks after the change? When the voting opened, we saw them make passing comments. Them being Aries, who had no real problem. And ECIII, who still hasn't given a reason. Now, weeks after, there's a shitstorm.

* Where were these complaints from '04 to '09? The hexagon has been around before. And a good chuck of TNA's roster was around for those days. Why did they not speak out on their concerns back then? Why did they also complain when TNA brought back the 4 sided ring?

* Why does the company that originated the concept not have this problem? AAA has used the 6 sided and 4 sided rings alternatively for years. Wrestlers do not say one is worse than the other. They do not mention difficulties. They do not complain. Many TNA wrestlers have been to AAA and have spoken about the experience too. Not once was there mentions of their 6 sided ring being more painful or difficult to work with. Not once have health issues popped up because of it's alternate use. Which is even more dangerous than sticking to one strict type of ring.

* Are the health hazards of the 6 sided ring really worse than the stuff they already do on TV? 3 Monsters Ball matches in one year. There's at least 1 gimmick per broadcast, Tables, Ladder, Street Fight, etc. The wrestlers still take chair shots to the head and suffer concussions. That's perfectly OK to them, huh? The 6 sided ring they had before? "Fuck no!"

It'll sound dickish. But the roster had their chance to speak up and said very little. Right now they come off as whiners honestly. I get the concern for health. But this is being weighted against the stuff they are actually willing to do and what they did not say earlier.

 

[Rayne]

The 6 sided ring hurts more. That seems like an understandable complaint.

Here's my questions though, and I think these are interesting:

Fortunately, all relatively easy to answer when your goal isn't to protect your favorite professional wrestling company from legitimate criticism.

* Why are they speaking out weeks after the change? When the voting opened, we saw them make passing comments. Them being Aries, who had no real problem. And ECIII, who still hasn't given a reason. Now, weeks after, there's a shitstorm.

Because now they've gotten a chance to use it. The people you are discussing not only do not owe you an explanation as to why they feel a six-sided ring is harder, but did so while fans were still voting on the concept. Now that the NYC tapings are done, people that used the ring are complaining. Go figure.

* Where were these complaints from '04 to '09? The hexagon has been around before. And a good chuck of TNA's roster was around for those days. Why did they not speak out on their concerns back then? Why did they also complain when TNA brought back the 4 sided ring?

1) There is no TNA UNIMIND. TNA is made up of many, many different performers at various times, all of whom have their own opinions. It's fairly unreasonable to dismiss someone's opinion in 2014 because you can't find a record of someone else's opinion from 2004.
2) In 2004-09, TNA was a hot ascendant professional wrestling company which people believed could go places. Under those circumstances, you don't piss publicly in your bosses' face. Now, the rats are fleeing the ship, and the people who hold out high hopes for TNA's future are limited to about five handles in this forum. There's no more incentive to keep quiet; what's TNA going to do, make you go back to working for ROH/NJPW again?
3) Daffney. You're going to talk about performers being quiet about working conditions and not bring her up??!?!?!? Someone was speaking up very, very loudly, you just didn't want to hear it. TNA has a very illustrious history of just not giving a shit what their talent thinks is safe.

The exception are the guys who still think they might have a shot at performing in the WWE, and we haven't heard much of anything from that part of TNA yet. Mostly, it's been the TNA lifers and the guys that the E has already passed on who have been speaking up. You can't have a reputation as a loose cannon.

* Why does the company that originated the concept not have this problem? AAA has used the 6 sided and 4 sided rings alternatively for years. Wrestlers do not say one is worse than the other. They do not mention difficulties. They do not complain. Many TNA wrestlers have been to AAA and have spoken about the experience too. Not once was there mentions of their 6 sided ring being more painful or difficult to work with. Not once have health issues popped up because of it's alternate use. Which is even more dangerous than sticking to one strict type of ring.

See above. AAA is a successful company. No matter what you may think your 'rights' are, talking shit about how your boss does business in a public forum is the quickest way to find yourself without a job. The people speaking up in TNA right now? TNA needs them more than they need TNA at this point.

* Are the health hazards of the 6 sided ring really worse than the stuff they already do on TV? 3 Monsters Ball matches in one year. There's at least 1 gimmick per broadcast, Tables, Ladder, Street Fight, etc. The wrestlers still take chair shots to the head and suffer concussions. That's perfectly OK to them, huh? The 6 sided ring they had before? "Fuck no!"

The flatback bump has become so common and routine for you that you don't think it hurts, and you get all hard over the stuff that hurts once and is over.

It'll sound dickish. But the roster had their chance to speak up and said very little. Right now they come off as whiners honestly. I get the concern for health. But this is being weighted against the stuff they are actually willing to do and what they did not say earlier.

It doesn't sound dickish. It just sounds ignorant, like you could have taken fifteen seconds and put all this together for yourself, but instead you've chosen to be a Good Company Fan and ignore what the performers are actually saying, because it doesn't suit the point of view you decided on before we came into this discussion.

It isn't a conspiracy by whiny performers to damage the TNA brand. It's a harder ring. It hurts more.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I have no doubt in my mind that the six sided ring hurts more. It's simple physics which has already been discussed on here, so no need to get into all of that again. But there's one aspect of it all that I don't get.

The wrestlers, and some fans, and plenty of guys on these forums, some specifically in this thread, have been discussing how the ring is harder and therefore hurts more. Again, no dispute here. But in these same matches, these guys are routinely throwing other guys out of the ring onto the concrete floor, with very limited padding there. Smashing each other with the ring steps. Bashing each other across the back and shoulders (and until relatively recently, across the head) with steel chairs. Slamming each other onto the ring entrance ramp or into the ring side barricade. Participating in street brawls and stuff like that where they are having plenty of contact with all kinds of surfaces and objects, yet I've never heard a whimper from anyone about it. Seems a little inconsistent to me.

Personally, I don't like the six sided ring. I think it looks cheap, gimmicky, and ridiculous and makes the product look second rate. And I have no doubt that it's harder and hurts more. However, some people are talking here like its career ending or even career shortening to the wrestlers because it is so much stiffer, yet I can't imagine it could possibly be the case, for all of the above reasons. Hopefully it isn't here to stay, and there's no way it should have been re-introduced on the whims of the fans. But if it is here to stay, suck it up and deal with it. It's not like these guys don't put their bodies on the line every single time they compete in a match already.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Well, after yesterday's show, it seems like they made the six sided ring less hard. It was giving a lot more bounce than before, almost as much as the four sided ring. Plus, everyone seemed to mysteriously know how to hit the ropes and do springboards, as well as Swantons despite the angle difference. Weird, huh?

 

[Rayne]

Well, after yesterday's show, it seems like they made the six sided ring less hard. It was giving a lot more bounce than before, almost as much as the four sided ring. Plus, everyone seemed to mysteriously know how to hit the ropes and do springboards, as well as Swantons despite the angle difference. Weird, huh?

Well, I don't recall a single person saying that they couldn't do something in a six-sided ring that they could in a four-sided ring, just that it was harder to work with. This isn't a 'weird, huh?' moment, it's you utilizing exaggerated hyperbole, yet again, to make a point which would otherwise appear very weak.

You are asking us to take your opinion on the flexibility of the ring based on how it looks on television over the opinions of the people who actually use it. That's weird.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Well, I don't recall a single person saying that they couldn't do something in a six-sided ring that they could in a four-sided ring, just that it was harder to work with. This isn't a 'weird, huh?' moment, it's you utilizing exaggerated hyperbole, yet again, to make a point which would otherwise appear very weak.

You are asking us to take your opinion on the flexibility of the ring based on how it looks on television over the opinions of the people who actually use it. That's weird.

Only they haven't wrestled in THIS ring. They were referring to the pre-2009 ring. And THIS ring is more flexible, they were bouncing off more, it had more give therefore it was probably easier on the body. Compare footage from pre-2009 six sides where it looked like they were falling on concrete with this one.

Obviously TNA took care of it and made the ring easier to work with in light of some people's complaints.

The end. Finito.

 

[The Dark Warlords]

Even though i do not have a problem with 6 sides, i am more of a 4 side guy. Call me a traditionalist i really do not care. I enjoy more of the simplicity of a 4 sided ring than a 6 sided one. I think that the matches look a lot better to really get into, and i think that it do not look like something out of one of those arcade games. Like a pinball game where everything can go any which direction it chooses. Four sides to me the action in the ring looks like it can be controlled better, and timing of moves and counters are done more precisely than it is done in a 6 sided ring. Just my opinion though, but i feel that 4 sides is better than 6.

 

[therockiswwf]

The wrestlers, and some fans, and plenty of guys on these forums, some specifically in this thread, have been discussing how the ring is harder and therefore hurts more. Again, no dispute here. But in these same matches, these guys are routinely throwing other guys out of the ring onto the concrete floor, with very limited padding there. Smashing each other with the ring steps. Bashing each other across the back and shoulders (and until relatively recently, across the head) with steel chairs. Slamming each other onto the ring entrance ramp or into the ring side barricade. Participating in street brawls and stuff like that where they are having plenty of contact with all kinds of surfaces and objects, yet I've never heard a whimper from anyone about it. Seems a little inconsistent to me.

Personally, I don't like the six sided ring. I think it looks cheap, gimmicky, and ridiculous and makes the product look second rate. And I have no doubt that it's harder and hurts more. However, some people are talking here like its career ending or even career shortening to the wrestlers because it is so much stiffer, yet I can't imagine it could possibly be the case, for all of the above reasons. Hopefully it isn't here to stay, and there's no way it should have been re-introduced on the whims of the fans. But if it is here to stay, suck it up and deal with it. It's not like these guys don't put their bodies on the line every single time they compete in a match already.

It's simple why they put themselves through that other stuff without whining. They don't do that stuff every single match. They don't always do hardcore matches, they don't always get thrown onto concrete, etc.

However, they do bump in the ring every single match. So wanting the softest surface possible for something they do each match makes a lot of sense.

I hate the suck it up and deal with it attitude (when it comes to something that can be easily altered). Getting injured/hurt is part of doing any physical activity. But one thing you have to understand is our bodies are not meant to do stuff like this. That's why when you can do anything to make the activity you are doing just a little bit safer, you should. Because no matter how tough you think you are, physically you aren't as tough.

Sucking it up in this situation could lead to worse and more frequent injuries. It can easily lead to more back problems that you can't cure.

The only thing that I don't get is why the wrestlers would voice this out on twitter instead of to management?

 

[Eyrothath]

I honestly didn't care if the six sided ring came back or not, I am use to watching 4 sided rings but TNA should do what is in the locker rooms best interest when it comes to safety and how they perform and if that means having a 4 sided ring then so be it, however, I feel TNA should gritty up their logo a little bit make it more.. How shall I put this "edgy?" And bring back a red color scheme.. When Raw switched to "white ropes" in the WWE I did not like it.. Red is the first color the human eye looks for when you look at anything the first color people always see first is "red" and a black floor mat to go with it..

 

[Rayne]

Only they haven't wrestled in THIS ring. They were referring to the pre-2009 ring. And THIS ring is more flexible, they were bouncing off more, it had more give therefore it was probably easier on the body. Compare footage from pre-2009 six sides where it looked like they were falling on concrete with this one.

Obviously TNA took care of it and made the ring easier to work with in light of some people's complaints.

The end. Finito.

Which, again, we are being asked to take your observations from what you see on television versus what the people who actually use the ring think. You've also moved the goalposts from the differences between a four-sided ring and a six-sided ring, and now we're comparing the 'old' six-sided ring to the 'new' one.

Usually when you call an argument finished, you put people with the opposite opinion in the position where they have to do something like disagree with classic mechanical physics. Saying "I saw this on TV, try and disagree with me!" is traditionally considered somewhat the lessor as an item of evidence.

I barely even have an opinion on this whole four vs. six sides thing, a shitty salad in a different bowl is still a shitty salad, but the people on the extremes of each side of the argument are being fucking ridiculous.

The only thing that I don't get is why the wrestlers would voice this out on twitter instead of to management?

Because talking to TNA management has historically been a very poor way to enact change within TNA. History being a guide, TNA management is more likely to talk you into the dangerous activity for the sake of the company, rather than worry about the health and safety of the performers.