The 4-sided ring vs 6-sided ring Discussion thread

[wolvdog316]

I thought it was a smart move. New fans have ALWAYS seen the 4 sided ring. So it makes them look more legit....

HOWEVER, how do you NOT tell the boys before hand? This is looking like WCW all over again. Only a select few know whats going on, everybody else is fucking clueless. And I really have not even a 1% clue what Hogan is doing. He looks lost as shit out there for the first time in his career. He draws boo's when he is supposed to draw cheers, he draws silence when he is supposed to draw cheers, he better figure out what is he supposed to be, face or heel. Like I said in my other thread. TNA is in SERIOUS trouble. Hogan was supposed to be your savior, yet not even Hogan has a clue what he is doing right now. Doesn't help Hogan calls the ring a play pen or some shit. Basically spitting in the face of everybody who worked their asses of to form TNA. Shame too, as Wolfe and Pope and AJ and Angle are busting their asses. They are really shinning right now

 

[cypherslock]

Hogan is in this for Hogan. No more no less. And yes he did HELP make pro wrestling big, but there is ONLY one man who gets that accolade: Vince McMahon. Period. If it wasn't Hogan then he would have found someone else to push. Hogan is not GOD and to suggest so is an insult to those of us that actually watched it from back in the day. Hogan is and always has been full of himself. And I think (I hope not but..) that by trying to go mainstream TNA will become a WCW clone and ultimately die. Say what you will but uniqueness does sell. I certainly don't want TNA to become WCW Lite. And by bringing in all the old talent this is what will happen.

Something else that I don't get: The rudeness I see in this thread. I like my wrestling be it WWE or TNA and I watch both for different reasons. However, if TNA becomes too much like WWE then I won't be watching. And for Hogan and Bischoff to denegrate the fans is just plain idiocy. Never piss off your customers, they above anything else, make you what you are.

 

[Chill]

I think this was a good move. Yes, the six sided ring gave TNA it's own distinct look but is that really the image you want when trying to become a legitimate mainstream wrestling company? I'm not so sure it is to be honest.

The reversion back to the traditional standard wrestling ring to me represents a fresh start and a new beginning for TNA wrestling, it's almost like a statement that they're finally ready to be taken seriously.

To me, the six sided ring was too gimmicky and while it may have made TNA unique in comparison to WWE, I think it was still a smart decision to do away with it because it will help in removing TNA's reputation as a second-rate organization (whether a deserved reputation or not) and that is ultimately a positive for them. Overall, I'm glad to see this change being made.

 

[Saritafan]

AWESOME MOVE BY TNA, I couldn't stand the 6-sided ring but watched TNA anyway. The wrestlers looked like they had no space to do anything and everything just looked awkward.

TNA Genesis was a great PPV and I enjoyed it because of the 4-sided ring. At first, the TNA crowd was pissed off but you could tell as the show went on that they didn't care anymore because it shouldn't matter about what shape the ring is, it matters how the company is and how they show-off their talent

The 4-sided ring made TNA look very legit and made them go up a level IMO. The atmosphere was great, this move has done wonder fo Aj styles because all his huge spots looked amazing in that ring. Now they just have to work on their booking and storylines

 

[shaneoshea]

IThe Impact Zone now looks like WCW "c" show WCW SATURDAY NIGHT with a raised stage and ramp. Nuff said

 

[Schizophrenic]

It's amusing that people are saying that the 4 sides are going to ruin their gimmik matches. The one like Ultimate X started on the four sides. Its starting to seem to me like the people who are complaining started watching when they got on SPike and never saw the early PPV's with the four sides. But still after all this bitching and complaining, people will still watch and find something else to bitch about. Most wrestling fans nowadawys are whiney cry babies that think they know better than guys running the buisness because they have been A FAN for however long. I've realized once I took my attitude of "that's not the way I would do it" out of my head I started enjoying the product more. For two hours just forget abou the backstage bs and pretend it is real like you did when you were a kid. I promise you you will enjoy the show much more than you do now.....4 sided rin g or not.

 

[psykohurricane]

while i'm not hating the fact they change the ring from six-sides to four sides, they could at less found a smaller ring. I just finish washing the x-division match from last night's PPV and 2 thing came to mind, first how small Kendrick and REd really are and secondly they really don'T have any place to do anything outside the ring.

The IMpact zone was set-up for the six sided ring and never had a four sided ring there so i look like the forgot to evaluate the place they had inside the studio before getting the ring in. Sure the fan inside the IMPACT zone weren'T happy about the change but you've got to remember that these most of the guys have being going to thoses TNA PPV and Tv Tapings since the very beginning and they are not used to having so much changes coming so let them time for them to adjust to the situation and they probably get over it.


To conclude, i have to ask TNA that if the plan is to continue taping IMPACT and doing PPV in THe IMPACT Zone, please consider a smaller ring only so they it doesn'T make the IMPACT Zone look has small as is actually is.

 

[Derek Bastard]

I know that alot of people are saying or atleast alluding to the fact that without the six sides... the X divison stars wont be able to shine as brightly but people are seeming to forget or not even realize that when TNA started out... They never had the six sided ring... They had a four sided ring and the X divison guys were taking the world by storm. It ain't the ring that makes the match.... It's the talent!

 

[justtxyank]

I know that alot of people are saying or atleast alluding to the fact that without the six sides... the X divison stars wont be able to shine as brightly but people are seeming to forget or not even realize that when TNA started out... They never had the six sided ring... They had a four sided ring and the X divison guys were taking the world by storm. It ain't the ring that makes the match.... It's the talent!

Or the fact that the majority of the wrestling world uses four sides and these guys have all worked and done their same spots on indies and in other promotions with the four sided ring.

The four sided ring never stopped Psicosis and Juventud from tearing down the house, and I'm pretty sure that every where else in the world that Amazing Red did his spot monkey stuff used four sided rings.

 

[psykohurricane]

I know that alot of people are saying or atleast alluding to the fact that without the six sides... the X divison stars wont be able to shine as brightly but people are seeming to forget or not even realize that when TNA started out... They never had the six sided ring... They had a four sided ring and the X divison guys were taking the world by storm. It ain't the ring that makes the match.... It's the talent!

Yes you right but back then, they were at the asylum in Nashville and actually had alot more space to actually jump outside the ring and do amazing stuff. The way the ring is set up in the IMPACT zone, it does give them a lot of space to move outside the ring plus the ramp take away the one side that they could actually do spot outside the ring.

 

[NSL]

I wasn't a fan before the pic, and I'm not any closer to being a fan of it now. the 6-sided ring was part of what made TNA fun to watch, and now the programs are going to look like WWE-lite.

Besides the shape of the ring, let's look at the dynamics of the ring. With more corners, the ropes were taut, and the guys got more speed going, and it allowed for better spots. Now they're not as tight, and it will slow down a lot of the smaller guys.

 

[goldbergiswrestling]

I don't think anyone said not to discuss it. What's at issue is this dumb ass "It's what made TNA unique, now they're just a WCW clone" horse shit. It's every bit as stupid as the "I didn't watch because the ring was 6 sided" horse shit.

It doesn't. Fucking. Matter. They can wrestle in a hovering, flaming, vibrating sphere for all I fucking care. It's just a ring. It's absolutely NOT what makes TNA unique and it never was. What makes TNA unique and sets them apart from their current competition is that they're a WRESTLING organization. They call themselves TNA Wrestling, they call their guys Wrestlers, and they fucking WRESTLE. It makes me proud to call myself a wrestling fan. I was NEVER proud to call myself a Sports Entertainment fan.

THAT'S what fucking matters. So yeah, discussing the ring is fine. Acting like the 6 sided ring was somehow the physical, inanimate incarnation of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, however, isn't.

I agree but the insulting ppl who say these things adds fuel to the fire.

It's a unique thing and adds to more gimmick matches. Ultimate X (if there even is one anymore) will be changed for the worse, and to be honest with you, I think Hogan just needs to realize that TNA is not WWE.

The ultimate X match started with 4 sides and why does 6 sides or 4 sides effect a match that requires 4 turnbuckles?

Hogan is in this for Hogan. No more no less. And yes he did HELP make pro wrestling big, but there is ONLY one man who gets that accolade: Vince McMahon. Period.

so... according to u WCW didnt exist?

 

[Bull_Dawgz]

TNA used to have the 4 sided ring when they first aired the weekly PPV's and kept it for a while. So its cool to go back to it. I think it would be great if the 4 sided ring would be used for IMPACT tapings and 6 sided ring for PPV's

 

[wazaveli]

Well I see they changed it without a major Storyline. That is a surprise.

I don't think this will negatively hurt the company, nor really benefit it.

Once all this transitioning is done, I think it will be easier to accept all these changes

 

[NSL]

Well I see they changed it without a major Storyline. That is a surprise.

It was probably the best move. Treat it like a band-aid, and remove it quick and painlessly.

I'm not a fan of the move, but a month long build to the ring being gone would have soured me badly, and might have made me consider not tuning in. The fact it was done without a big to-do was the right idea.

I'm still not happy they didn't tell anyone. These guys have spent time working on their matches, and planning their time, and they show up to see they need to rework it. I just hope they had enough time before the show to work the ring out a little.

 

[D-Man]

As far as I'm concerned, when I tuned into Genesis on Sunday and saw the four sided ring, at first glance it appeared that I turned on a wrestling program instead of a circus. The six-sided ring just always seemed too gimmicky and over-the-top to me. But once I saw that four-sided ring, I felt a surge throughout my body that told me that TNA means business.

They're now legitimizing themselves as a pure professional wrestling company that is out to surpass the WWE. I got a feeling of the old WCW, but the good side of the old promotion... not the bad. It just seemed right to me. And it showed me that TNA is saying that they don't need to reinvent the wheel to take on the big dog of the WWE.

That's my biggest beef with the six-sided ring. It pretty much raises a white flag to their competition and says, "I can't beat you at your own game by sticking with tradition... I need to reinvent the wheel to get noticed because the rest of my product isn't good enough." And that statement is SOOOO untrue. TNA has so much talent that it's almost sickening. Just thinking about the fact that they believe they need to go to desperate measures in order to prosper just makes me shake my head in disappointment.

TNA needs to take the traditional wrestling formula and be better at it. That's what WCW did. They took the WWE's game, didn't change any rules, and beat the them at their own game. THAT is how you make an impact.

TNA never needed to be different and still doesn't... they just need to be BETTER. I think they're well on their way.

 

[Dave]

I don't get why people are having such a fucking hissy-fit over this.

I am one of the people that TNA are trying to pull in. I am a wrestling fan who has been true to the WWE, whilst at the same time, been desperate for some competition. I am one of the people that TNA are trying to get to watch the show and get on an even keel with the WWE. I must admit that I am neither a fan or a detractor of TNA. If the show is good and I like it, then I will say so and vice versa. The fact of the matter is, I was reading the play by play of Genesis and as soon as I heard that it was 4-sides, I immediately tuned in to see what it was like. That is exactly what TNA wanted and expected of people like me and my thoughts on this issue is wholly positive.

Upon switching Genesis on, I knew that TNA were serious about competition and Hogan is completely right. 4 sided rings are much better and the whole operation looks far more professional than it ever has. It immediately legitimized TNA as a wrestling promotion and took it away from being a gimmick driven promotion. Sure, people are going to be pissed off but this is better for TNA in the long run.

 

[Dead-Angel]

fuck hogan im sure he will destroy tna in 2010 , 6 side ring was like the tradition of tna , what maked something special and more interesting , and hogan decided to play by wwe rules and comeback to same and boring 4 side ring , its bullshit and i can see dixie carter is so stupid i mean she is the boss of the company and she has trust for that prick hogan so she agrees to change the ring fuck that! i dont even want to watch tna because no more fast matches with x division wrestlers can be made , no more six sides of steel , ultimate x , couze with 4 sides it reminds me wwe , tna must be different but not the same like wwe , i hate hogan i hope he will be fired with all he buddies with fucking nasty boys who in the fuck wants to watch them!!!

 

[NSL]

They need 4 sides to compete with WWE, because 6 sides is silly!

I'm sick of hearing this shit. By switching to four sides, strictly to compete, they're pretty much telling everyone "WWE is better than us, and we need to be just like them to have a chance at staying alive."

That's a great business model. Anyone tuning in will say, "Why am I watching this, when I can see it on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and sometimes on Thursdays, too?"

The six-sided ring was not hurting the company. They were making a profit, and their fanbase was growing despite the shape of the ring, and for the people watching, they loved the ring. So why alienate your base?

Bad form, Hogan.

 

[Pedro08]

While I really don't mind the 4-sided ring, I did like the 6-sided ring. Does it make a difference? Ultimately no, because it depennds what goes on inside the ring.

It's really a personal preference. However, did anyone notice the lack of space between the ring and the fans? When AJ did his flip onto Angle outside the ring, his foot caught the barrier. Going forward, I wonder if this will end up limiting all the flips and dives to the outside during matches?

I know this probably won't be an issue at house shows. However with 80-90% of TNA shows being filmed in the Impact zone, could this end up hurting the product since some of the best spots that happen in TNA are the ones that involve dives and flips to the outside of the ring.

 

[EStreet]

I have not read all the pages in this..but my 2 cents:

this will hurt the X Division..one of the great things about the 6-sided ring was that they could get up on the turnbuckle within 2 seconds and hit a spot..4-sided takes some of that away (IMO)

 

[It's Damn Real!]

To those who think this will hurt the X-Division guys:

The "X-Division" is just TNA's way of saying the Cruiserweight division. If WCW's Cruiserweight division was an integral aspect of WCW's success, and we all agree it was a successful deployment, and they worked a four-sided ring, how exactly is TNA's X-Division suddenly going to fail because they added a few extra feet of ring matt, and took away two sides? I don't get it...

If anything this should strengthen their approach, seeing as they'll have more room to actually perform aerial spots in the ring.

 

[KM.]

Another aspect to think about would be the loss of the specialist matches that are created for the 6 sides. They have been a huge pull to the company and now just because it isn't liked by new management means it has to disappear?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Another aspect to think about would be the loss of the specialist matches that are created for the 6 sides. They have been a huge pull to the company and now just because it isn't liked by new management means it has to disappear?

What specialist matches? There were no matches TNA did in the six-sided ring they can't also do in a four-sided one – the only difference is the loss of two sides, the increase in actual mat size, and the fact they can't call it "six sides of steel". In fact, the only match that might even remotely be affected by this is the Ultimate X match, but the increased space is marginal, at best. The ropes will have an extra foot or so of an extension at each corner – big deal.

Monster's Ball, Ladder, Iron Man, "I Quit", Barbed Wire, Clockwork Orange House of Fun, First Blood, Last Man Standing, No DQ, King of the Mountain, Object on a Pole, Feast or Fired, Strap and Lethal Lockdown are all fully capable of being run without a hitch in a four-sided traditional ring.

So again, I ask, what's the problem? Yeah, I get it – the "identity" of the company no one watched. What else?

 

[KM.]

What specialist matches? There were no matches TNA did in the six-sided ring they can't also do in a four-sided one – the only difference is the loss of two sides, the increase in actual mat size, and the fact they can't call it "six sides of steel". In fact, the only match that might even remotely be affected by this is the Ultimate X match, but the increased space is marginal, at best. The ropes will have an extra foot or so of an extension at each corner – big deal.

Monster's Ball, Ladder, Iron Man, "I Quit", Barbed Wire, Clockwork Orange House of Fun, First Blood, Last Man Standing, No DQ, King of the Mountain, Object on a Pole, Feast or Fired, Strap and Lethal Lockdown are all fully capable of being run without a hitch in a four-sided traditional ring.

So again, I ask, what's the problem? Yeah, I get it – the "identity" of the company no one watched. What else?

It is more than just two sides though. For years TNA have been associated with 6 sides and the extra two sides really do add another dimension. Wrestlers get you so much recognition but a federation needs something of its own to bring that extra little spark. TNA just lost that.

Your argument about nobody watching it is wrong also as I have already mentioned elsewhere as Spike is not as widely covered as any channel that WWE are on.