TNA Castmembers

[Grudgge]

Even AJ cant stand these guys lol. Those guys are not helping the product. But, after reading that IM going steal a phrase. "That was awesome" clap clap clap clap clap, "That was awesome" clap clap clap clap clap. Don't look this over crew fools. Even AJ knows you guys are all about yourselves and trying to get yourselves over. If AJ is saying this group is "ruining" the product and doesn't help it what does that tell you? But, will you just read this and ignore it, so yall can continue to put over your lame crew? The CC just wants to be part of the show and nothing more. They don't want to help this product.

 

[kevinc2415]

Ok I'm not a member of the CC and I attend every taping TNA has and I do feel that sometimes they take it a little to far with there chants and such trying to get over, cause they now that people on these and other boards talk about them, and because they feel that TNA was or is changing for the worse with Hogan coming in.

I am a wrestling fan I like the story to be told in a ring no matter the amount of sides it has that is why I like tna and can ignore the chants and things and focus on the in ring product. Do I think they should chill sometimes yeah of course but does it bother me no cause I'm watching something I love for free and in my view I watch the best wrestling that's out right now for free.

I maybe not getting to my point but its rather those guys want to yell stupid crap or whatever it america they can it want stop me from watching some of the greatest Athletes in the world do what they do best. If you show them attention they will countine to do the same things over and over just let it go and enjoy the show

AJ said he wants to go and do shows other places to see what's other places think of his chacter development is going well when TNA is making money and can do it I'm all for it but until then I will countine to go and enjoy the impact zone.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Well people that bring up freedom of speech I say this: You don't have the right to curse at in the movies or at a little league game, or even at a talk show. People can get away with it at the movies and football games, because they aren't on television. I guess their parents didn't teach them common courtesy or respect. Watch one of the Global Impact's from Japan and you won't hear any chants but loud applause.

It's fine to make up chants, but if you are saying things they make the company look bad, you're making yourself look worst. Do the fans really think chanting this is bullshit? helps or encourages the wrestlers in any way? How about the boring or you fucked up chants? Not all fans are like that in the Impact Zone, but the crucial crew need to know they aren't bigger for the company.

I'm sure AJ Styles himself or even Daniels would tell them to shut the hell up. Fans are supposed to enjoy themselves, but not be the center of the show. ECW had great fans too, but they chanted what the wrestlers told them to.

 

[Wrath]

If you think TNA is %100 right about what they do then you have no right to criticise WWE as long as they choose true business moves. Yes they might want to be a bigger promotion and attract to mainstream audience but it doesn't mean that they should spit their loyal fans' face. They were the people that supported the company from day one while no one was giving a shit to company. Right now they're saying that fuck you we want mainstream audience we don't give a fuck about what you think if you don't like the product fuck off we can continue our path without you. Isn't that hypocrisy ? I'm not against TNA going mainstream but while doing that you should also make your loyal fans pleased. Without loyal fans TNA wouldn't even exist. They have every right to show their reaction to product they have been supporting from start. Because loyal TNA fans is right now the reason TNA got this far. Yes wrestling is business and should change some things to go mainstream but they should not forget their loyal fans while doing that. Because those fans are the reason why there is a promotion called TNA exist right now.

 

[Kenny Powers]

ECW only catered to their few loyal fans, and it got them nowhere. They were original and had some great talent and feuds, but they were never seen as mainstream. They tried to go mainstream, and it failed miserably. If fans were really loyal they would go with the changes instead of going against them. I mean the ring was replaced and the arena was changed, that's it. No wrestlers or crew were fired since Hogan got there.

Dixie has the main say of her company at the end of the day. I don't think TNA are saying fuck you, I think they are saying we are moving forward and if you like it fine but if not that's fine too. We will still keep progressing. Trailer park matches and mud wrestling matches isn't advancing a wrestling product, no matter how many sides the ring has. It's the talent you put in the ring that matters, not the ring or gimmick matches.

I believe all of this is not only for the better of TNA, but also for a story line as well. Hogan is pitting his cronies of the new TNA against the old TNA. The difference is that the young guys that matter are the ones that are always on top. AJ Styles is still champion and is being pushed to the moon. Morgan, Hernandez, Pope, and Wolfe are getting their pushes too.

People complained nonstop about Jarrett putting the young guys down in the past, along with Russo. Now Hogan is working together with everybody to make the stars a household name. I guarantee most people don't know who AJ Styles or TNA is. They will never know who AJ Styles is if they don't change their product. Maybe they will lose a hundred fans to gain a thousand, but sometimes that's what's better for the company.

It's too early to say TNA are going against their fans, especially when they are giving them live shows and big name talent.

 

[Grudgge]

These last two weeks have been great. I have to say I really have enjoyed these last few Impacts. The attention grabbing ****es, or the CC as many know them have not took away from me watching these past few weeks. Not having to deal with them as been great. The CC just does things to just get themselves over no matter how annoying it is. It's been great not watching them or hearing them. I have to say it again. Its been great not haveing dealing with them.

 

[RasslingFanatic]

Except they got loud when their favorite spot monkeys the Motor City Machine Guns performed.

The crowd was great again, and the television audience grew once again. The dumbass who started this thread has been quiet recently. Don't like how TNA seems to be growing without your ass.

 

[Grudgge]

Hey crew this Sunday don't make the PPV about you. Can you do that? Don't even think about making it about the crew. I would like to enjoy the PPV without watching the crew morons trying get themselves over. The crew is just there to do that too. Just do us all a favor and don't show up. Your not wanted there by the wrestlers or us at home watching the PPV. If u can't do us that favor then just don't say or do anything at the PPV at all. Dont start any annoying or disrespectful chants. Got it? If not get it then.

 

[klunderbunker]

This whole castmembers thing is a dumb idea on both parts. The fans need to get over themselves and the company needs to realize that the fans are a big reason as to why they're in the place they are today. It works both ways, but at the end of the day it's the fan's fault. They have nothing to be complaining about as they're not paying a thing and yet they're complaining about it? WHat do they have invested? Not a damn thing. It's stupid for them to complain about it and while the company handled it badly, it's not their fault for the most part.

 

[ncwriter2908]

Is anyone feeling like me that the problem with the ratings and TNA is the loyal TNA fans. How loyal are they really? The Impact Zone looks very dead at times. Take a look at ECW (the real ECW) Look at how pumped those fans were for every match. It makes the enviroment much better. No one wants to go to a concert with a dead crowd. Just as bad a dead wrestling crowd. ECW went through many roster changes with top talent being snatched up by WCW and WWE stars like TAZ,Raven,Sandman,Bigelow,Dudley Boys,Beniot,Rey JR,Eddie,Melenko and the list goes on. Yet the fans remained loyal. Ecw went from being very hardcore, then to showcasing alot of cruiserweight talent and then to light hardcore on TNN. Those fans never seemed to showcase a constant bitch fest of what was going on. Oh yeah and ECW showcased stars past thier prime also Sid,Dusty RHodes,Hall,Jake the Snake. Yet they were cheering on the company hoping it would get to the top.

Why doesnt the TNA fans show the same support? Is it because they are just full of pissed of WWE fans? I like TNA. I like seeing the old guys. I would have turned the channel when Eric Young was talking but I didnt since he was talking to Hogan. Thats what helps get viewers interested in the young guys they dont know. I am cheering for TNA the company. I love alot of things they are doing but realize they do some stuff wrong. Over all I will cheer them on because I want them to make it to the top.

 

[skotch]

I agree. To further illustrate your point, ECW was very territorial to the PA/NY/NJ area especially in the beginning. Aesthetically, it's refreshing to watch a show that takes place from different places every week, or every two weeks. So when you watched ECW, you'd see them in the ECW Arena from Philly one week, a bingo hall on Long Island the next week, the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC the next week, and Asbury NJ the next. At the very least it was different.

When your watching TNA, you see the same thing time after time... I am sure its done for purely financial reasons to only broadcast out of one studio, but it doesn't feel like a wrestling show. Change of scenery is good, even if the stage and ring setup is the same (like RAW). Plus, they are giving the same people tickets week after week. For some reason there is a misconception that they aren't they only "loyal" TNA fans. That's simply wrong, they are the only ones who are on TV.

So if I ran TNA, the first thing I would do is sacrifice that nice stage and the LED signage and move around from arena to arena. It gives the show a fresh feeling, it spreads the product to gain a following, and it allows other fans to cheer and boo for who they like or don't (for example in NYC or Philly they boo Cena, but in other cities they dont). They should do what the original ECW did; get a dozen or so places within a 300 mile radius and rotate amongst them.

The longer they stay in that sound stage, the more turned off to their product I get. It may sound crazy, but its the truth. The little things surprisingly make a big difference.

 

[psykohurricane]

But the difference between ECW and TNA is that no matter what would happen with the company or who would leave the company, Paul Heyman would listen to the is core audience because he knew that without his core audience, there wouldn'T be an ECW. While Dixie and everybody in charge of TNA don'T listen to their core audience. The loyal fans want to see the young guys get the spot light and if they get put in programs with the more establish stars then you get the best of both world. you get a young guy getting the spotlight and you get a old guy that's going to help the younger guy make a name for himself. But that'S not what going on in TNA right now. All the spotlight are on the establish guys and all the younger guys are getting the spotlight taken away from them. A.J. Styles is the perfect exemple of what i'm saying. The guy is the most over guy in the IMPACT Zone. He was becoming a main event level guy with the way Sting put him over last october and was the most over guy during the january 4th Impact. In fact alot of the casual fan that tune in for the first time even said it that the best part of the show was A.J. vs Kurt and that they became a fan of A.J. So what do they do, they put A.J. with Ric Flair, Makes him a carbon copy of Flair and have Flair overshadowed A.J. everytime they have a promo or a backstage segment. Then you wonder why the loyal TNA fan don't stay. There that and the fact that most of them where kick out of the IMPACT Zone for not reacting the way TNA management want them to react.

That'S the difference between TNA and ECW. In ECW, Paul Heyman was all for freedom of expression, if a loyal fan didn't like something that was going on, he could express his disaproval and if enough of the loyal fan didn'T like it, then they would change it. In TNA if the loyal fan doesn'T like something they can't express themshelves because if they do, they will get ejected from the IMPACT Zone. That's the difference between TNA and ECW, the way management deal with the fans.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

WWE is still crushing TNA in the ratings simply because it's more popular than TNA. WWE might be stale at times, and they might have the same people constantly hold the world titles and main event their ppvs or TV shows, but still, WWE is more popular than TNA.

The Impact Zone seems just as hyped, or even more hyped then WWE fans at times. They always start those random chants, and you always hear a "TNA!TNA!" chant at least once every Impact broadcast. I've never heard WWE fans chant "WWE!WWE!"...no. There are times when the Impact Zone does look REALLY dead, and because the the amount of fans are a lot less than your average WWE crowd, it can make the show look really bad. It's a good thing that this doesn't happen to often or else it would make TNA look really bad.

TNA fans are supporting TNA, but the WWE just has A LOT more fans than they do. Ticket sales and ratings prove this. There's a chance TNA could catch up with WWE in the near future. We'll just have to wait and see how things will develop

 

[Caustic]

I am sick to death of the Impact Zone. It looks stale. It feels stale. TNA needs new fans, badly. Not because the old ones are bad or lifeless. They need new fans from competition. Its like going to see your favorite band 52 times in a year. They won't be your favorite anymore. But once or twice a year and it will be special to fans. That is why WWE can go almost anywhere they like and fill the place -- its a rarity.

There is a TNA audience waiting to be tapped into all over the United States and even in Canada, but TNA has to get them on live TV. People have a tendency to go bonkers when they see a camera on themselves, as opposed to practically waiting for the applause sign to light up because the taping cameras aren't rolling yet.

The startup costs for taking a show like that on the road are huge. But its not like TNA can't solve this problem. Get a production truck. Hell, even rent it for two nights a week to cut the costs. Don't go too far, just get away from the Impact Zone. They do it with house shows already, I don't understand why they wouldn't go the extra mile to cater to a new audience. It is discouraging when only 500 people show up, but with persistence and promotion that crowd will grow. That's Hogan and Bischoff's job -- promotion. They are getting the ball rolling with airing Impact on monday nights now, so I hope they start airing live shows NOT in the impact zone soon.

 

[wbuqed]

I don't think its a matter of the TNA fans, essentially a fan is a human being, so if entertainment made an ECW fan pop then entertainment will do the same to TNA fan. psykohurricane is on the right track, the problem is with the company, believing they know whats best for TNA. It's not only the current hogan-driven product but it also is based on the idea that impact comes from the same place on a routine basis. Eventually RAW outgrew the set-up they had in NYC and did shows round the country. Yes I know TNA does PPVs sometimes elsewhere, but essentially if your putting the same people in the same seat week in/week out they won't have enough interest to last cause being there widdles down your interest show by show.

 

[proofinlife]

The impact zone seriously hurts TNA in more ways than it helps them. Sure, they get a stage to put their programming on the air with, and it's financially feasible, but it's gotten old (as other's have pointed out), and one major thing that holds back TNA from getting new fans into the impact zone, is the current fans in the impact zone.

A huge fraction of the seats during taping are all usually taken up by the same group of fans each and every time. Only a small amount of new fans get into the impact zone every week, and probably a small fraction of that fraction are actually people who have never seen TNA before. Also these same group of fans that show up every time are the same fans which come up with ridiculous chants like "FIRE RUSSO" that not only confuse first time or newer watchers, but turn away people who are genuinely there to see a good wrestling match (and not hear biligerent chants).

TNA NEEDS to get out of the impact zone and start doing shows in other arenas across the country. Sure, this will affect Dixie's wallet/purse a fair amount, but they can quickly turn those expendatures into high-rate income if they do it properly.

Back when WCW was doing the same thing around 1995, the same thing was the problem with them. When they started going around the country and promoting shows in places that hadn't seen the product before, that's when everything really started working in their favour financially. TNA can atleast follow one of WCW's footsteps and that's getting the HELL out of Orlando Florida

 

[holdingholder]

I think ECW is the wrong model to strive for for your audience, who cares how those fans were, it's quite obviously a failing business model, and for some reason, no one seems to realize this. So catering to some hardcore "loyal" fanbase is not whats gonna put TNA over the top, they definitely need to ditch the impact zone, I really can't stand hearing those smark out chants every week, if I never watched TNA before it would probably ruin the show for me.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

Is anyone feeling like me that the problem with the ratings and TNA is the loyal TNA fans. How loyal are they really? The Impact Zone looks very dead at times. Take a look at ECW (the real ECW) Look at how pumped those fans were for every match. It makes the enviroment much better. No one wants to go to a concert with a dead crowd. Just as bad a dead wrestling crowd. ECW went through many roster changes with top talent being snatched up by WCW and WWE stars like TAZ,Raven,Sandman,Bigelow,Dudley Boys,Beniot,Rey JR,Eddie,Melenko and the list goes on. Yet the fans remained loyal. Ecw went from being very hardcore, then to showcasing alot of cruiserweight talent and then to light hardcore on TNN. Those fans never seemed to showcase a constant bitch fest of what was going on. Oh yeah and ECW showcased stars past thier prime also Sid,Dusty RHodes,Hall,Jake the Snake. Yet they were cheering on the company hoping it would get to the top.

Why doesnt the TNA fans show the same support? Is it because they are just full of pissed of WWE fans? I like TNA. I like seeing the old guys. I would have turned the channel when Eric Young was talking but I didnt since he was talking to Hogan. Thats what helps get viewers interested in the young guys they dont know. I am cheering for TNA the company. I love alot of things they are doing but realize they do some stuff wrong. Over all I will cheer them on because I want them to make it to the top.

You just admitted that you would turn off an Eric Young promo, pretty much contradicting your argument. You personally like Hulk Hogan and the legends, and therefore you get excited to see them and actually react to what's happening. Whereas a lot of people in the Impact Zone are more partial to guys like Eric Young and don't really want to see Hogan and the others. It's a difference of opinion really, and you can't expect TNA fans to cheer for wrestlers they don't care about when you admit that you would do the same if the roles were reversed.

I have always firmly believed that if wrestling fans like what they are seeing, they will react. ECW fans were so rabid because they were given a solid product that they were passionate about. TNA used to be that way as well. However, for some Impact Zone fans the elements that first drew them to TNA have been filtered out, and therefore they may not be as enthusiastic about the product as they once were. Therefore it's up to the stars and the management of TNA to figure out what the live audience wants to see, and to give it to them. Or to take the show on the road and find an audience that does like their product.

What you or I think the live crowd 'should' like isn't relevant, and that mentality has never led to success for any company. You can't really script a crowd. I will say that I agree completely that a lack of crowd reaction does hurt the perception of the show for those of us watching at home. Therefore, either TNA has to start listening to the live audience, or get out of the Impact Zone. Or do some sort of awful 'Wrestling Society X' fake audience.

 

[wushady]

tna just sucks plain and simple they do have some great talent but for the most part its all wwe rejects the true tna fans have not be happy about the changes the ratings are going back down the fans at the impact zone come across as bored even for getting in for free

 

[jrob1113]

that's a funny question cause when i watch impact i see a crowd a lot more into the show than what i see when i flip over to Raw. The crowd reaction to Hitman's arrival was crap compared to Hogan's arrival in TNA. And ever since, there's a great vibe and energy. Fans are sitting back in awe, they're not jumping up and down pissed off like WWE fans are with how boring their favourite promotion is.

 

[mister_b1LL]

I just wish that at least TNA's PPVs were in anouther arena. Like how they did with Bound For Glory last year, the change of pace really helped. It was a new crowd that was into the event the whole way and just the whole ambience of the entire event made it new, exciting and most of all, refreshing.

I personally don't mind TNA still having it in the Impact Zone during Impact tapings. You have an audience that is into it the whole time. I'm a major sucker for random chants (well, besides things like "Fire Russo") and TNA has much more of those than WWE. I just believe that as long the action is still good, I'll keep watching.

 

[Pedro08]

The impact zone seriously hurts TNA in more ways than it helps them. Sure, they get a stage to put their programming on the air with, and it's financially feasible, but it's gotten old (as other's have pointed out), and one major thing that holds back TNA from getting new fans into the impact zone, is the current fans in the impact zone.

A huge fraction of the seats during taping are all usually taken up by the same group of fans each and every time. Only a small amount of new fans get into the impact zone every week, and probably a small fraction of that fraction are actually people who have never seen TNA before. Also these same group of fans that show up every time are the same fans which come up with ridiculous chants like "FIRE RUSSO" that not only confuse first time or newer watchers, but turn away people who are genuinely there to see a good wrestling match (and not hear biligerent chants).

TNA NEEDS to get out of the impact zone and start doing shows in other arenas across the country. Sure, this will affect Dixie's wallet/purse a fair amount, but they can quickly turn those expendatures into high-rate income if they do it properly.

Back when WCW was doing the same thing around 1995, the same thing was the problem with them. When they started going around the country and promoting shows in places that hadn't seen the product before, that's when everything really started working in their favour financially. TNA can atleast follow one of WCW's footsteps and that's getting the HELL out of Orlando Florida

I disagree. The original poster talked about how dead the Impact zone crowd was at times. Say what you will about the hard core fans that show up for every taping, but one thing you can't say is that they are quiet.

I think the reason that the Impact zone can be dead is that it's not all wrestling fans in attendance. A good part of the audience is made up of tourist from Universal Studios, many of whom are there to watch a free taping of a tv show, not necessarily wrestling.

There is aot more to taking Impact live every Monday from a different city than just renting a production truck. Just some of the expenses TNA would have to cover are:

-Rent the building
-Hire local unions for setting up and tearing down the ring, sets, lighting, etc.
-Multiple Production Trucks to broadcast the show, transport the ring, merchandise, etc.
-Gas for the production trucks
-Fly talent in
-Promotion of the event

I'm sure there is other stuff that I'm forgetting, but TNA then has to try to ensure that they sell enough tickets to cover all of these cost and still have money to pay the likes of Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, and the rest.

TNA is simply not in the position to be able to do this every week and still stay in business. Hopefully one day they will be, but until then, it just makes more financial sense to stay in the Impact zone. As is in life, you shouldn't spend what you don't have.

 

[ncwriter2908]

You just admitted that you would turn off an Eric Young promo, pretty much contradicting your argument. You personally like Hulk Hogan and the legends, and therefore you get excited to see them and actually react to what's happening. Whereas a lot of people in the Impact Zone are more partial to guys like Eric Young and don't really want to see Hogan and the others. It's a difference of opinion really, and you can't expect TNA fans to cheer for wrestlers they don't care about when you admit that you would do the same if the roles were reversed.

I have always firmly believed that if wrestling fans like what they are seeing, they will react. ECW fans were so rabid because they were given a solid product that they were passionate about. TNA used to be that way as well. However, for some Impact Zone fans the elements that first drew them to TNA have been filtered out, and therefore they may not be as enthusiastic about the product as they once were. Therefore it's up to the stars and the management of TNA to figure out what the live audience wants to see, and to give it to them. Or to take the show on the road and find an audience that does like their product.

What you or I think the live crowd 'should' like isn't relevant, and that mentality has never led to success for any company. You can't really script a crowd. I will say that I agree completely that a lack of crowd reaction does hurt the perception of the show for those of us watching at home. Therefore, either TNA has to start listening to the live audience, or get out of the Impact Zone. Or do some sort of awful 'Wrestling Society X' fake audience.

I just meant I dont like Eric Young. I never liked his word elite stuff he seemed to hard to act like he was a big tough guy. So normally I would turned the channel or go make a drink or sandwhich instead of seeing him. I do like seeing the old guys and I think they can do alot for the younger talent. I get tired of everyone bitching about the old guys. They havent done anything but basically loose to those younger guys anyway. I guess they have won a few matches but would it be creditable for AJ to beat Waltman if all waltman does is constantly loose.

TNA has some good young talent. Mr. Anderson,AJ Styles is he is a little more serious and less comedic pairing him with FLair will help him out greatly. The Pope,Samoa Joe when he is paired against the right guy, I like Suicide,Daniels is ok just he needs to be in a stable. He puts on a decent match but his promos are off.

The point I was trying to make anyway was with the fans who are so quick to turn there backs on TNA. I just hope they support the company. Its good for wrestling to have a choice.

I hate seeing how Abyss acts so damn stupid. He isnt believable as a monster much anymore. I dont like Jay Lehtal copy the macho man gimmick. I dont want Hogan winning any titles..lol I just think TNA is going good. I think the old guys keep alot of old wrestling fans just coming back to the sport interested. I think slowly throwing the young guys in is great. TNA is on their way. Does is really matter they took away 2 sides of a ring..lol I am just saying stick with this TNA movement.

I agree they need to travel if only to different parts of Florida. I hate never going to be able to see a live Impact show.

 

[Tainted Meat]

TNA would do a great service to themselves if they did pull that old ECW territorial touring schedule, but modified it to the South. They'd do just fine with a TV touring schedule that included Orlando, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charleston, Birmingham, Charlotte, Nashville, Baton Rouge & New Orleans. None of that would necessarily require a robust flight schedule, and they'd build a solid base, just like WCW had. That way, it's a big deal when they start encroaching upon other areas, instead of each distant PPV seeming like a one-off that won't have a sustained presence in the area.

 

[GetsHeat]

Impact zone fans are terrible in my books, yes they might chant, but that's about it.

They don't react to heels, they don't react to faces, they tend to just cheer whoever is winning the match (unless it's someone they actually hate like Anderson) and they almost never react to near falls.

Look at a WWE match, when Cena has someone on his shoulders getting set up the crowd rises in anticipation.. the impact zone doesn't do that. When it's a close 2 they almost never exhale like a WWE crowd.

It doesn't really help that they try to be bigger then the product and are generally whiny little girls.