TNA as popular as WWE in six months

[wushady]

I saw an interview Ric Flair did on another web site. Where he stated TNA will have WWE's awareness within six months time.

Does anyone think that's possible? Or is Flair on crack.

I think it will take years before or if that ever even happens. They're getting better as far as product goes in my opinion, but they're promotion and marketing hasn't. Even if they put on a better show than WWE it wont mean anything if the masses don't know it's there.

Maybe they're about to unleash a massive marketing campaign. Even still six months is not enough time.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Another example of Ric Flair's over-estimation of his value at this stage of his career, much in the same manner that Hulk Hogan, Eric Biscoff, Sting, and Kurt Angle are guilty of.

TNA will not have WWE's awareness within six months. I truly don't believe they ever will, but certainly not that fast. They don't have the money, the organization, the direction, or, quite frankly, the talent base to pull of such a miracle that quickly.

I think TNA is actually closer to being a defunct organization than they are to competing with the WWE. If I were associated with TNA, I'd be far more concerned with undoing the damage of the last six months, righting the ship, and trying to re-establish myself as a plausible number two organization, and far less concerned with the futile and unwinnable war with the WWE. Because we all know where that leads, don't we, WCW and ECW fans?

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Obviously he's going to say this..just like Hogan was saying they gna strive to become number 1 in north america...they tried monday night impact..nd it failed...nd sicne then they havent mentioned it..

TNA has been around for 8 years now, but no were neaa wwe level..dey are more than 50 years behind... IMO...

 

[Davi323]

Flair is obviously on crack. I would like to see Flair answer exactly how TNA can improve their ratings to match the WWE's in only 6 months. What are they going to do from a television standpoint? What steps are they going to take touring? Basically, I want to know what realistic steps TNA can take to grow their company in 6 months. Given the time frame of six months, I think its impossible. I am not convinced they can do it in another 6 years...

 

[Ferbian]

I think TNA has the potential to get up there, but they need to do some improvements around the roster and around the general promotion.

TNA has the talents to make it in the big leagues up there with WWE, one problem I think although that TNA will always be lacking WWE has 4 shows which is something that TNA, if they remain at 1 show, will be struggling to compete with if they really want to overthrow WWE in some fashion.

Sure they could over run RAW, or Smackdown etc. on ratings, but WWE won't be going under as long as they can establish a proper fan base spread across the 4 shows that they put on weekly, WWE is doing just fine right now as opposed to the ratings TNA is drawing anywhere with the exception of The United Kingdom, which has been proved before that TNA is big in UK, but it's not gonna be enough if they really want to reach the awareness of WWE.

I don't see it happening in under half a year, maybe a year, or two, or three, hell if I know, but eventually it has the potential of getting there, but not the way it looks now.

 

[MisterRob]

Flair is on crack and about to overdose. There is absolutely no way in hell TNA could or would ever be able to be where WWE is.. not in six months, not in three years. TNA is is such bad shape right now those statements from Flair make him look like a senile man whose truly lost touch with the reality of the wrestling business (and I'm a huge Flair fan!). It's actually quite sad.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Maybe they're about to unleash a massive marketing campaign.

They've already shot their wad. They took their best shot and failed and now find themselves in a retrenching mode, looking to trim payroll and probably cut other expenses, too.

No one has an unlimited supply of money. The closest any wrestling organization has come to a bottomless well has been WCW, and even that well was eventually sealed off when Time-Warner decided to tighten the purse strings after a few years of 8-figure losses.

Ric Flair would be well-advised to back off statements like that because his company has (for the time being, at least) decided to stay in their Thursday time slot and become a small-time alternative to WWE instead of looking to knock the big guys off.

Hulk Hogan's legacy might have taken a hit when he foolishly predicted a 3.0 rating for the January 4th edition of Impact, along with his other ridiculous proclamations. Flair, too, should realize that he left the big-time to go to the small-time.....and there's no sense in pretending otherwise by spouting nonsense about his organization becoming WWE's equal.

In baseball, how often do you see major league players voluntarily choosing to go to the minors?

Hush, Ric.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

This ain't exactly new Hogan, Bisch and Flair have been running this line of BS from the moment they entered TNA.

No- 6 months is far to small an amount of time to make any serious ground. Can it be done? Of course, but not the way TNA are attempting it at the moment.

The NWA/WCW were a country mile behind the WWF- it was regarded as being to old fashioned. They signed ExWWF megastars like Hogan & Savage and initiating the Monday Night Wars. For a while this closed the gap, but the WWF regained the initiative because they where providing the more inovative program (post steroid scandal, Vince went more for smaller athletic wrestlers). Then Scott Hall (WWF Razor Ramon) came out on Nitro, then Kevin Nash (WWF Diesel) came out on Nitro, then Hulk Hogan became a heel- WOW, WCW were the inovative company now- WCW was cool and edgy, WWF had farmers, binmen, dentists and clowns, the coin had flipped and WWF's ass was getting tanned. When their existence was in doubt they took a gamble, they couldn't afford to take on WCW money wise, so they 'borrowed' a couple of ideas from new-guy company ECW, and created the Attitude era that ultimately surpassed and defeated WCW.

Was money the ultimate reason for these tidal swings? No, innovation was. Vince Russo's tenure in TNA has been a bust because he is trying to create WWF/ WWe style. For TNA to legitimately challenge WWe it has to provide a more innovative product. It has the star power at present, it has the ability at the moment, it has the areas to be better than WWe... KOs, XDiv and Tag Div, it's not tied to PG. Play to your strengths logically (Vinnie Ru has to go), should ratings rise- start advertising that Impact is going on the road. Hit WCW's old haunts to start with (where wrasslin is still more popular than sports entertainment)... Basically, build logically, in steps, with targets for a go ahead to the next step. A comparison has been made between going from major to minor league but the TNA schedule is lighter, the money is satisfactory and spaces in WWe are limited. Quite appealing to the guys who have made their money, hate the hectic WWE schedule but still have the wrestling bug.

 

[MisterRob]

WCW competed with WWE because of two main things. One, they got their hands on established, top talent stars that were both still relevant and that audiences still wanted to see (and therefore would go out of their way to tune into WCW to watch). Back then guys like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were still relevant, were still young enough to be a draws to an audience, and were still stars fans wanted to see. That is not the case anymore with Hogan and Flair now. They're far past their prime, they're not relevant anymore, they can't offer audiences anything to make them truly tune in, and they're not draws (the undisputable proof is in the ratings). WCW also gained names like Scott Hall and Kevin Nash who were not only young, but they were two of the top stars in the WWF at the time and had been champions and main eventing the company for years. Fans wanted to see them and they were extremely relevant. The same can't be said for a lot of the TNA talent they've gained from WWE because guys like Ken Anderson, the Pope, etc, weren't THE established guys and THE top stars. TNA is left attempting to make those names established and stars, instead. RVD has been out of the lime light for like 3 years, he's older, and he never was a draw.. Jeff Hardy's time in TNA has proven that his fan base wasn't as crazy as most believed and that the machine that is WWE behind him was the true draw. Not only that but TNA's misused Hardy as well, where WCW did not misuse the influx of big named stars that came in. If TNA somehow gained names like John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, even Chris Jericho or Triple H, then TNA would be comparable to WCW and fans may actually follow.

Secondly, WCW was smart enough (or lucky enough) to see the stale product that WWF was and do the entire OPPOSITE of it. They re-invented themselves and became a true alternative by being something entirely different then WWF was at the time; in their characters, in their storylines, and in the very image of the company. They were fresh, they were edgy, they were revolutionary.. especially when they stumbled upon the nWo storyline. That's exactly what TNA isn't. TNA isn't fresh, because they're trying to be revolutionary and alternative by doing the very same things that have already been done before them. That's not different or inventive. TNA isn't edgy, despite them pretending to be, because fans and society as a whole are not shocked or blown away by the things TNA is doing. It would've been edgy, perhaps, during the Attitude era but times have changed and its not edgy anymore. It's familiar and every day things now. TNA needs to start thinking outside of the box, they really need to start doing something that's entiely different then the norm, or what has been done before them.. and the problem for TNA lies in those who are behind creative now. Vince Russo, Hogan, Bischoff.. these guys are old and out of touch with the current times, and they have no idea how to be exactly what they were in the past because this is no longer their generation. It's like my parents being behind the product, they have no sense of what it means to be a product of this generation and have no way to connect with it because their ideas, their way of thinking, and their views are all out of date and products of a past generation. TNA needs a fresh outlook, they need new, young minds behind their creative direction. That was what was wrong with WCW back in its day too, creatively run and ruled by older veterans who still held mindsets and did things the way of their generation, even though times had changed and a new generation was there. It wasn't until Eric Bischoff took over, a young and fresh outlook, that things changed and started evolving. Until that happens TNA's continually going to be stuck in the mediocre place it is right now, failing to take advantage of all the potential it has. It has the pieces it needs, it's the minds behind it that are the problem. I personally don’t see that changing, though… think TNA will be run into the ground before that happens, all because people are unable to learn from the past and evolve with the times.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I wouldn't put much stock or validity in Ric Flair's statement, and I doubt that very many actually are at this point. Ric Flair's comments are just the latest that a number of high profile members of the TNA roster have made since it was announced that Hulk Hogan was coming to TNA. Quite honestly, I read comments like that and I think it's kind of pityful in some ways. TNA has thrown everything at the WWE, including the kitchen sink, and not only has TNA failed to increase its audience, the audience has actually shrunk. Hogan, Bischoff and even Dixie Carter have thrown out the gauntlet and talked some pretty big talk only to wind up looking kind of foolish. I doubt things will be any different when it comes to Flair.

TNA is not going to be as big as the WWE is in six months. TNA still has to recover the audience that they used to have, then they have to find some way to increase their numbers substantially beyond anything they've done before, keep those numbers consistent and try to keep their numbers growing. It's certainly not going to be accomplished by the end of this year. If TNA is fortunate, they'll be back to drawing 1.2s and 1.3s in six months. TNA really ought to at least try to walk before trying to run.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is pure grandstanding by Flair and TNA. WWE may not be drawing the numbers it used to, but it's still so far and away ahead of any other company in the world it's not even close to funny. How many shows would it take TNA to get 20,000 fans live? WWE tripled that on one night. People come to watch WWE because of tradition, star power, better writing and better wrestling. TNA is lucky to have gotten this far and are lucky WWE doesn't perceive them as a threat or they would have been crushed. Six months ago TNA was hitting its best stuff in forever. Six months later, it's falling apart. Unless some major changes happen, TNA could be in real trouble in six months, not challenging WWE.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I like Flair and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, but TNA will not be anywhere near WWE's level in six months. TNA was actually on a roll before Hogan and Bischoff arrived, but now they are not doing so good. TNA doesn't even come close to WWE when it comes to ratings, ticket sales, and popularity. They are the #2 promotion, and they will stay that way for a while.

If Flair was talking about TNA before Hogan arrived, then he might be on to something with what he said, but this isn't the pre-Hogan TNA.

 

[SHAYAN_CENA_Y2J]

I think this type of interviews never should be taken serious.They just wanna show that they're not afraid and want to declare that they are in a good position.

I mean What in the world Flair is thinking?TNA hasn't done any special thing after Jan 4th to be known as even a growing and improving company.

This one is really similar to the Hogan's interview before Jan 4th where he said iMPACT's rating in his debut will be at least 3.

 

[The Doctor]

Is it possible? Sure, it's possible. It's also possible that in six months I win the lottery, Mega Man Legends 3 is announced, Kung Fu Naki is rehired and wins the WWE Championship, and I become admin. Possible...but very, very unlikely, if not downright ridiculous.

TNA is going through some major issues right now. Their storylines are stupid and incoherent, the "Monday Night War" was a flop and an embarrasment, and Vince Russo is still employed. The only way they can achieve this goal is if they start making some drastic changes to their product and their marketing. Fire Russo and get some competent writers who understand that logical storylines and the heel/face dynamic draws. Get out of te Impact Zone. Spend money on advertising. Advertise their biggest stars in Jeff Hardy and RVD. Up the production value remember you have to spend money to make money. However, don't spend too much on frivolities. Use good sense in everything you do.

I still don't see it happening, but this is how TNA has a fighting chance to achieve their goal.

 

[Razor]

Well, let's see.

1) TNA is currently renegotiating pay cuts to their talents to save money. WWE is paying their top tier stars multi-million dollar contracts and still have enough money to waste on a paycheck for people like Shelton Benjamin and Evan Bourne.

2) TNA tried to compete with the WWE, but they had to run away once WWE even winked in their general direction. How did they do that? Stack Raw with about twice the normal daily allotment of top tier talent. The main event of Raw alone would outdraw all of TNA about 5 times over.

3) TNA is still the subject of Spike marketing. Yeah, that'll totally get them to WWE levels of fame. Because the WWE has only had 30 years of tradition behind them, multiple forays into the mainstream every year, and a cable network that is staunchly behind them. USA advertises WWE Raw as much as they advertise for any other show on that network. Psych, Royal Pains, Burn Notice, you name it. WWE Raw is seen as equal footing with them. Something TNA can't even begin to claim.

4) TNA has Hogan and Flair in their main event, wrestlers new fans won't care about in a million years. They would care if Hogan and Flair showed up on Raw and Cena said "Hey, look! Legends!" But Hogan and Flair aren't doing them any favors amongst anyone that isn't a smark, a hardcore wrestling fan, or someone on a wrestling forum.

Those 4 problems alone mean that WWE can calmly sit right where they are for the next 2 years without TNA even barking in their general direction. Not to mention horrid writing.

This is nothing more than Flair grandstanding. Are we sure he wasn't bleeding while he was saying this? I bet he was.

 

[ABMorales787]

They can't even afford to get out of the iMPACT! Zone and you want them to be at WWE's level of success by October? Did Flair get Marty McFly's phone number or something? TNA is doing OK, but its going through some growing pains that can very well kill it in the blink of an eye. It took WCW over 2 years after Hogan got there to get on track. Its only been four month's for TNA. Do I believe TNA can someday be a legit challenge? Well I can see the noteriety expanding, but I don't see them getting a 3.0 on a Monday. Thursday? Maybe. WWE is just too far ahead. It's claimed the heads of AWA, NWA, WCW and ECW. Not to mention it has a 50+ history. TNA is only 8 years old. People need to realize that it takes more than a day to build an empire. It took WWE 30 years to reach the golden era of the mid 80's. TNA does not have that.