TNA and "too much talent"

[shattered dreams]

Recently, it is in vogue to talk about TNA having too many talented guys and complain about whichever ones happen to not be on TV at the moment. I do think TNA has tons of guys with potential on their roster but that is not the same thing as being established. In fact, maybe the precise reason some of these guys are still just potential is the depth of the roster and too much spreading out of the tv time. They do not need another show because they still do not have roles clearly defined for one show. What they need to do is precisely what is annoying people. Pick some of the guys they like the most and establish them. Instead of putting everybody in and out of relevance and no one ever getting anywhere. Now I can understand taking fault with some of their choices, but the process is correct.

 

[a0161613]

I think TNA often try and cram too much into Impact and they still cant fit in everyone. A second show has to be the answer. They have enough guys with real pedigree and quality to fill out the main event and mid card spots. The X Division has plenty of guys with history and credibility (former champs) in the division and the Knockouts are the best in the US, pretty much the world without exception.

There are of course people who could/should be cut but they can be jobbers to elevate those who need the build.

 

[GenMe]

TNA does have alot of talent and i do think that they need a extra show.But as of right now yeah we cry about how TNA is not letting a the stars get tv time,But im sure they will,Like last week they let GM.MCMG,Amizing red pretty much most of the top X division get some tv time,Also for the last month we been having TBP and Love's drama,Now last week they gave Daffney a shot to get some tv time.As time comes along im sure that TNA will create another sure,And if they dont im sure they will give very body in the roster some TV time not alot of time but some..

 

[xEMBRACExTOMORROWx]

A second show has to be the answer.

I'll agree that a second show is the answer. But a second show right now? No. Maybe in about 6 months to a year, they could create a second show.

The reason for this, is what the OP said. They need to establish their stars and define everyone's roles first. Not every single wrestler on the roster is going to have a feud or storyline to be involved in all the time. It's never been that way and never will be.

However, I agree that TNA has a lot of talent, and at times, as much as I enjoy iMPACT right now, it does feel like they are trying to cram too much into one show sometimes. On the other hand, I think they are doing exactly what they need to do. They have been establishing the main event some of the mid card guys, as well as showcasing all the different talent.

Once they move to Monday Nights, get the stars established, and maybe once iMPACT leaves the iMPACT Zone and goes out on the road, then maybe bring in a second show.

It would lead to all the major and mid card storylines and feuds having more build, as well as the opportunity to showcase even more of the talent that is not involved in current storylines or feuds.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

TNA does need a second show in my view. They have almost the same number of wrestlers signed to their roster as the WWE does but with only a third of their weekly air time. Spike is currently developing a wrestling show that revolves around midgets. Yes, you read that right, midgets. TNA is moving to Mondays in a few weeks so I'm sure a taped show on Thursdays in TNA's old timeslot would draw the TNA audience and would give other talent on the roster something to do.

While it was nice to see the MCMGs, Amazing Red and some of the other X Division guys out there last week, don't be at all surprised if that's the last you see of them for at least another month. Or, at least, don't be surprised if a lot of those guys disappear from TNA tv after the Destination X ppv and are replaced on tv by another bunch of guys that barely get any tv time. As I said, it was nice to see them on tv but the match was a total throwaway that didn't mean anything in the long run. iMPACT! is known to feature a fair amount of those by bringing talent you haven't seen on tv in a while for a match or two before they go MIA for another month or two.

 

[proofinlife]

I'll agree that a second show is the answer. But a second show right now? No. Maybe in about 6 months to a year, they could create a second show.

The reason for this, is what the OP said. They need to establish their stars and define everyone's roles first. Not every single wrestler on the roster is going to have a feud or storyline to be involved in all the time. It's never been that way and never will be.

However, I agree that TNA has a lot of talent, and at times, as much as I enjoy iMPACT right now, it does feel like they are trying to cram too much into one show sometimes. On the other hand, I think they are doing exactly what they need to do. They have been establishing the main event some of the mid card guys, as well as showcasing all the different talent.

Once they move to Monday Nights, get the stars established, and maybe once iMPACT leaves the iMPACT Zone and goes out on the road, then maybe bring in a second show.

It would lead to all the major and mid card storylines and feuds having more build, as well as the opportunity to showcase even more of the talent that is not involved in current storylines or feuds.

You're right in thinking that stars need to be created and cemented, but one thing to take into consideration is, if they make a second show, say one that fills up their old slot on Thursdays, they could put talent with less opportunities due to the over-population of the roster on this show, and really start building them up quite nicely.

Like everyone says, the big problem with only having one show is that they have two hours to put on matches, cut promos, do backstage skits, and work storylines. As it stands, they BARELY have enough time as it is, and because of their over-sized roster they don't have the time necessary between doing all that to really spotlight all areas of talent.

If they had a second show, say a 1 hour show on Thursdays, they could have some of the lower cards like Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed, Beer Money (pains me to say they are lower card, but the way they've been booked lately it looks to be true), and all the young guys that really need that push. Guys like Somoa Joe wouldn't flounder and suffer from booking changes because they could be featured on this show and really keep their characters alive, giving them the chance to come on impact and put on a match every few weeks to bring interest to the second show and really keep them solid in the eyes of the fans without having to squeeze them into and between storylines.

I think it could really work. Start with a one hour show that is a like to impact but on it's own path and let the guys who have been forgotten about share the limelight there. I don't see a reason for it not to be reasonably successful compared to Impact's 1 hour show from when it first debuted on spike. Plus they wouldn't have the swollen roster that Impact has and could work some storylines in properly with the under/mid cards.

 

[Tomo23]

I think there is a major perception issue with this thread. Any talent of theirs that doesnt fall into either they are too old for the WWE to use or someone who the WWE just plain didnt want anymore isnt worth mentioning. And before someone mentions Jeff Hardy let me remind everyone that he has a history of drug issues and didnt resign with the WWE because he knew what was coming down the pipe. Somoa Joe is too fat and doesnt care enough to elevate himself to a high level for long periods of time and AJ Styles has to be downgraded to a Ric Flair wannabe to maintain his spot.

 

[JJohns]

As far as them having a second show, with their roster, it is viable. But what TNA also needs to start doing is focusing more on in ring action. It seems that every time I watched Impact in the last year, that they had less wrestling on the entire 2 hour broadcast than what WWE had in the first hour of Raw (another show notorious for the limited amount of wrestling shown). I'm not saying that they need to have 92 minutes worth of wrestling on a 2 hour broadcast, but during some shows, they have less than 20.

If TNA wants to build up their stars, they should let them do what they do best. Wrestle. That's one of the biggest differences between the WWE and TNA roster, that the TNA Roster for the most part is built around guys that are wrestlers first and entertainers second, not the other way around like WWE.

They need to take guys like Jay Lethal, strip away the crap that they put the character through with the "Randy Savage Rip-Off" gimmick (I personally don't see that happening under Hogan and Bischoff, as it's a good way for them to mock a guy that neither one of them is too fond of right now) and let him be the Jay Lethal that made a name for himself in ROH.

If TNA is concerned about whether or not they'd be able to get an extra hour on Spike, they can always attempt to go syndicated with the programming, or at worse, do like WWE did with Heat in it's final year, and make it a web based show and replace Xplosion in International Syndication.

 

[MoneyMack]

TNA does seem to have a good amount of performers as of rightnow. So much so that only about half of them can get on TV each week. This seems like a pretty easy fix to me & I know exactly what I would do if I were TNA.

After Impact gets rolling on Monday nights- I would then start a new show on Thursdays again. It may be best to start it out as a 1 hour show. But with the hopes that it can become its own 2 hour show eventually.


Its simple. Its a X-division show! I wanted WWE to do this in ECW with the cruiserweights- but I knew that wouldnt ever happen with VKM not liking the little guys. Anyway...making the X-division championship the 'big belt' on the show & add in a X-tag title also. Maybe let the Knockouts be on both shows- cuz you cant take them off Impact- but you would want them on your NEW show too.

You take your smaller X-division guys & move them from Mondays to Thursdays. Those being guys like:

Shelley, Sabin, Amazing Red, Gen-Me, Lethal, Creed, Kendrick, Kaz, Homicide, Suicide, Kiyoshi and Shannon Moore. Bring others back like: Petey, Dutt & London. Im sure there are other 'free agents' out there, that are possibilities too.

I think a X-show goes over BIG in this day and age of wrestling. DO IT TNA!!

 

[JJohns]

tna need to get rid of the following imo

Shark Boy
Rhino
Jesse Neal
Hamada
Kyoshi
for the starters. they are all waste of spaces imo.

i really hope tna can sign batista. rumour is he is leaving wwe after wrestlemania 26. he would be great to have in tna imo.

First of all, if booked PROPERLY, Hamada and Kyoshi could do well in TNA.

As far as Batista EVER going to TNA, probably not going to happen. The rumor isn't that he's leaving after Wrestlemania 26, but that he's going to be retiring within the next couple of years. TNA probably wouldn't take a chance on him because of his age and his frailty. They will take the chance on one or the other, but not both.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

First, I think TNA needs to look at the roster and organize them. Who do they want in the main event, who do they want in the midcard, what X-Division people are the focal points, what are the tag teams that they want to build that division around, etc. Right now, people are floundering like all hell and there are a lot of wrestlers that don't even have solidified heel/face roles. One week, someone like Hernandez seems like an upper midcard face but he's also in a tag team and then the next week he seems like an afterthought and a heel that could split from his partner. I think a good idea for them to do is to get rid of the Knockout tag team championship as that seems like a waste of time, for example. After they figure out the people they need to focus on and how they want to focus on them, they need to move into phase 2...

Phase 2 = a second show. Not in the WWE sense of a separation with a draft and everything, but rather, they just need more on air time to develop these people. If they add another hour, they can use that for spreading their guys out a little better. People always go on and on about how TNA is the "wrestling" show (something I kind of disagree with but this isn't the thread for that discussion) so if that's the case, they can bookend their so-called "starpower" segments with the pure wrestling matches. That's one mistake that I think the WWE does...having someone like Cena show up on an episode of Raw upwards of 5 times in the 2 hour span. If he showed up twice, it could advance his longevity in the eyes of the fans as people wouldn't get as bored of seeing him so often. You still have the star segments for the ratings, but in between, you throw in something to try to show off the wrestling skills of these guys. In the TNA sense, you have less of the "big name is backstage and talks, then later on he cuts a promo, then he has a match, and we do the same for 3 or 4 other guys as well", and instead, you maybe just have a promo and a match for these guys, and that extra space goes to an X-Division match or whatever. Not every single wrestling match needs an angle behind it. Sometimes people can just go out there and entertain.

If TNA is going to survive and prosper, they need direction and organization, which is something that it seems like they're severely lacking. You don't sign a whole bunch of people and then look at your roster and realize that a good number of them are washed up and probably won't be here in a few months (Hall, Waltman, Nasty Boys), nor do you try to build up a guy that has the balls to consider you his backup option before simply leaving (Lashley). TNA is taking steps towards being a bigger company, but they're nowhere near at a level that they can simply rest and flatline in comfort.

 

[wazaveli]

I think the influx of Talent in TNA is a good thing. This is because it allows them to pick and choose who to put where, and a lot of viable options to do so with. The issue with this of course is that you will have people who do not get time on the show as other feuds need the nessecary time to be built. A big peeve of mine was not seeing Beer Money Inc for 3 weeks at least and you start to notice these people missing.

The answer isn't really a second show, as the way they are now spreading talent out on Impact is pretty good and I'm sure will get better as the weeks go on. The argument for a second show is valid and makes sense as you don't have to over-expose a talent on Impact and have more TV time for the talent that will miss out but at the rate TNA went to jumping on Monday Nights in the EB/HH era I wouldn't be surprised if it happened pretty soon, even as early as this year.