TNA Castmembers

[The Phenomenal One]

To be honest, I think that the majority of the chants by the iMPACT Zone crowd, are beyond stupid. They also scream the chants at the most unnecessary times. I mean screaming "This is Wrestling" at damn near everything, no matter how stupid it is, is ridiculous. Yes, I know that I'm watching wrestling. I know it's not Oprah. I know it's not Football. I know I'm not watching fucking American Idol or the Simpsons. Yall don't need to chant "This is Wrestling" every fucking time. Then chanting "Who needs Bret?" Are you serious? That shit is so disrespectful, and completely not needed. Yes I know TNA was going up against WWE. And I realize that the "cool/extreme smark" thing to do is hate on anything related to Vince McMahon. But damn, this was Bret Fucking Hart. The man who hasn't been in a WWE ring since Montreal 97. Him and HBK in the same ring for the first time in over a decade. And for the pathetic TNA smarky jackoffs at the iMPACT Zone to chant that shit, was so wrong. To the OP, the chants are fucking stupid. Stop trying to be the "cool" smark. The shit is tired. I'm not saying that you should sit there and be quiet. But damn, atleast think before chanting something. Don't chant just for the sake of chanting.

The smarky iMPACT Zone crowd also apparently chanted "You are married" during the AJ/Flair segment on this weeks iMPACT. That is lame as hell. They're trying to do a storyline. The smarky ass crowd is ruining it b/c apparently their so hell bent on reliving the fucking ECW days. AJ's trying to do his thing and the idiots at the iMPACT Zone are ruining it by bringing up his personal real life. Nobody needs to no about AJ's personal life, while he's working in front of the audience. I can only imagine...Taker's doing his "Black Wedding" segment with Stephanie and the crowd chants "You are married". Or Kane makes his debut in 1997 and the crowd chants "You're a Dentist". I mean how in the hell would that be considered helping the wrestler or the company. You're basically ruining storylines. The casual fans don't need to know that Taker was married at that time, they don't need to know that Glen Jacobs use to be a Dentist with bad teeth. And they don't need to know that AJ Styles is married. That's not helping. I'm all for expressing opinions, but damn...THINK!

I'm glad that Hogan and Easy E are doing something about this. And I'm not a Hogan fan. But I'm glad that he's doing something about this. They want to take TNA to the next level. They want TNA to stop being looked at, as a damn joke. They don't want it to be in the same little iMPACT Zone 2yrs from now. And also, kudos to them for getting rid of the 6-sided ring. IMO, it made TNA look so 2nd rate. I know some people who actually LOL'd at TNA due to the silly 6-sided ring...and turned it off. If getting rid of the 6-sided ring for a traditional ring = TNA growing and becoming more sucessful, then I'm all for it and you so called "Loyalists" should be too. TNA is finally becoming more successful and the so-called "TNA Loyalist, who already seem to be turning their backs on TNA (doesn't sound like a loyalist to me) are complaining? Are you serious? You're complaining b/c Hogan and Eric aren't catering to you and instead are trying to get the casual fans in too? Are you complaining b/c you feel that, even though you have 0 experience in the wrestling business and Eric and Hogan do, that you can do a better job with TNA than Hogan and Eric? Bottomline, TNA is finally going up. This is a time to rejoice not complain. Damn...

And lastly, I hope they get rid of the damn " not so crucial crew". You guys are seriously not needed.

 

[Pope Has Spoken]

That's exactly the thing that bugs me because you're right. The problem is the whole "Maven" example he made. The Crew knew it was on Monday Night TV for the first time ever. They knew there would be millions of new viewers that have never seen the product before and they were unopposed an hour before RAW. So what do they do? They chant words that they know their supposed beloved company isn't allowed to air on TV. They shit on the very first segment among others during that hour when TNA could have finally made an "Impact". They went out of their way to make TNA look bad when they knew this was their first chance to stick it to Vince. I don't care if they write a 72 page essay, they can't justify that.

They go to all the shows but I'm a better fan. I still think my Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl you bastards ... Aikman's gonna commentate. I'm in a local band and if our biggest supporters booed us while we played in front of our largest crowd ever I'd bitch slap every single one of them after the show. The thing is my "best friends/biggest supporters that are at every show" wouldn't do that to us. They'd do everything in their power to make us look good no matter how bad we fucked up. That's what a Maven is my friend ... and a Maven you are not.

P.S. I read they confronted you before the tapings tonight. I'm sure you're mad and no matter what I say I still always see both sides of every story. Just do me a favor and watch the shows from the perspective of a die hard fan watching at home. Then watch it again from Dixie Carter's point of view. You understand so hold back the pride for a minute.

I'm punk so rebellion is my thing, but you had a chance to rebel against Vince McMahon and blew it. Instead you whined the whole time. That makes you emo lol.

So in other words they are doing exactly what they should do? And that is, letting TNA know their displeasure, the only way a fan can.

To me, and I'm sure, to these guys, and you hybrid wwe fan marks out there, understand this. We'd rather TNA dead, before they are successful WITH this awful, regurgitated anal fecal matter, that is called "sports entertainment."


TNA is making a huge mistake alienating their loyal fan base. It is we who support you long before the WWE. You can't say that for 95% of the "fans" who you're luring in with your lame ass sports entertainment.

Pope Has Spoken.

 

[Schizophrenic]

There are other ways to get your point across....like don't go to the show. You act like people are putting guns to your head and forcing you into the arena and watch the show. Dont go morons.

I love how you call people who dont agree with you "Hybrid WWE fans" as if that means anything anyway. Why because we like WRESTLING whether it be WWE, TNA or Indie? Yes how dare us like something other than TNA! What kind of fans are we......oh yeah good ones!

And Im sick of this Sports Entertianment vs Wrestling crap. Pro Wrestling is and always will be Sports Entertainment. It's not really a sport since it's pre-determined but the guys are athletes and it's entertainment. Some companies (TNA & ROH) are better at promoting their in ring product as opposed to WWE which promotes their stories more prominently. They are not alienating their loyal fans. I have been a fan since day 1. Since 2002 when they wrestled on the fairgrounds of Nashville. Guess what looks at the ratings, they usually pull in 1.0, that's the loyal fan base, Hogans appearance brought in a 1.5 and 1.4 espectivley, I don't that that equals 95% of fans. Way to give your favorite promotion credit you jackass.

 

[Hulkamaniac]

People have some crazy perceptions of successful on this forum. People are arguing TNA should have stayed the way it was because that's what made it different. Ok...but it's also what made the company draw a steady rating of around 1.0 and low numbers of PPV buys. Their goal should be to rise ABOVE that, not maintain the same level, and already they've made strides in two fucking shows. How can that be called a failure It's too early to really make judgments, bt if anything, it should be looked at as a success!

And for anyone complaining about Morley going over Daniels, and gettng mad at the "old guys" going over the "young guys", Daniels is the same fucking age as Morley, they were both born in March of 1971. It's not Morley's fault that he's the more famous of the two. The "TNA Originals" can't win every match, or, get this, the match endings will become very predictable.

So in other words they are doing exactly what they should do? And that is, letting TNA know their displeasure, the only way a fan can.

To me, and I'm sure, to these guys, and you hybrid wwe fan marks out there, understand this. We'd rather TNA dead, before they are successful WITH this awful, regurgitated anal fecal matter, that is called "sports entertainment."


TNA is making a huge mistake alienating their loyal fan base. It is we who support you long before the WWE. You can't say that for 95% of the "fans" who you're luring in with your lame ass sports entertainment.

Pope Has Spoken.

How lovely. The show will either die, or be successful the way I like it!

And no, ******o, making an ass out of yourself isn't the only way, or even the best way, to show your displeasure with TNA's product. The best way is to stop going, and to stop purchasing their product. Wrestling promotions aren't going to change their direction based on the way a few morons at a show chant, they're going to change when they're losing fucking money. Seriously, did some of you even graduate high school?

 

[burnout4200]

So in other words they are doing exactly what they should do? And that is, letting TNA know their displeasure, the only way a fan can.

To me, and I'm sure, to these guys, and you hybrid wwe fan marks out there, understand this. We'd rather TNA dead, before they are successful WITH this awful, regurgitated anal fecal matter, that is called "sports entertainment."


TNA is making a huge mistake alienating their loyal fan base. It is we who support you long before the WWE. You can't say that for 95% of the "fans" who you're luring in with your lame ass sports entertainment.

Pope Has Spoken.

I see the bad, but I also see the silver lining. I see both sides which is what you should always try to do. Everyone complained about the band when their promo with Hogan showed the exact direction that was heading. Hogan didn't want them there from the very first eye roll.

I don't like Morley, but the casual fan doesn't know who Christopher Daniels is. In order to help a new guy get over to that crowd they have to stick it to a known name. We should be happy Daniels was picked for that feud because that means he's in for a push.

Hogan's having Angle/Styles headline the shows to prove he wants to highlight wrestling at the end of this initial burst of exposure but noone stops to see the big picture. Hulk tried really really hard to drive that point home when he walked out and praised the duo. He pretty much said great wrestling like this is what you have to look forward to.

James Storm embarassed "The Band" at Genesis with his actions. How more obvious does it have to be that Hogan's trying to use some of these crap names to put the young guys over to the new audience?

The main problem is TNA's direction has pretty much been laid out for us in promo's and everyones ignoring them and jumping to their own conclusions. How? Lace up your boots and prove your worth in the ring. Hall and 6 Pac already failed. Bubba already failed in his own way. They're gonna slowly weed out the nonsense names from the new guys and save the good ones like Kennedy and Hardy. I've been screaming this from the top of my lungs since Day 1 but noone else see's it.

At the end the loyal fan base will win and the TNA Originals will have both the spotlight and credibility. Do you know what part bugs me the most? Noone's going to remember that I was right when it comes true because all of my friends think wrestling sucks now lol.

 

[Pope Has Spoken]

There are other ways to get your point across....like don't go to the show. You act like people are putting guns to your head and forcing you into the arena and watch the show. Dont go morons.

Are you suggesting original TNA fans should forfeit something that, essentially they helped put on the map without voicing their displeasure?

The amount of WWE hybrid fans that support TNA on the internet is staggering to me. It is so painfully obvious at nearly every wrestling forum I visit that most of the so called TNA fans, have only been fans since about 2005-2006, aka the fans who jumped on board when all the famous ex-WWE/WCW names started piling in. You guys are so fake.

Do not tell the real TNA original fans that they should just ignore this patheitc change the wrestling promotion they were so very passionate about, and tell them they should surrender without a fight to you WWE fan rejects. What a joke.

Pope Has Spoken

 

[Dexter]

Are you suggesting original TNA fans should forfeit something that, essentially they helped put on the map without voicing their displeasure?

The amount of WWE hybrid fans that support TNA on the internet is staggering to me. It is so painfully obvious at nearly every wrestling forum I visit that most of the so called TNA fans, have only been fans since about 2005-2006, aka the fans who jumped on board when all the famous ex-WWE/WCW names started piling in. You guys are so fake.

Do not tell the real TNA original fans that they should just ignore this patheitc change the wrestling promotion they were so very passionate about, and tell them they should surrender without a fight to you WWE fan rejects. What a joke.

The fact that you think you helped put anything on the map is the joke here. AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Abyss, and the other insanely talented individuals putting their bodies on the line to entertain us put TNA on the map. All you fuckwits did was chant dumb shit every now and then.

Get the fuck over yourselves.

 

[locoduck]

I'm not exactly sure that the chants and behavior come from a desire to be on TV. After all, the regulars are on TV all the time. Been there done that. They just happen to be fans. They voice that how they see fit. If you were there you could do the same. To prove my point, you choose to call them "Cry Baby Jackasses." Does that make you childish and immature? Sure sounds like the kind of unwelcome behavior that you claim has no place in the show. I guess that becomes the beauty of freedom of speech. You can be the pot calling the kettle black all you want. And yeah, the matches are appreciated. I think that's where the bullshit chants were coming from. You do get a bit spoiled by the caliber of TNA matches that are put on. So when TNA gets their chance to shine in the spotlight on a Monday night they would do that. Instead the show opened with Bubba The Love Sponge and a match that should have been a great example of the talented young stars TNA has to offer, but instead turned into a screw job ending that yeah, was bullshit. The wrestlers deserved a better story for that contest.
And I'd love to see you bring your brand of get a life, get laid, get a bj line of thinking to the Impact Zone and spout THAT. Chant about it, let us all hear YOUR voice. You are saying that the fans should behave respectably, but again, look at the pot calling the kettle black.
Oh yeah, I wasn't one of the guys disrespecting Bret though. LOL. They were chanting Who Needs Bret, I was chanting Me.
I watch all wrestling, and am enjoying it again. I really like and appreciate that I can see TNA almost every show. The "Crew" does become crucial. There are other "Factions" there as well that chant and shout and do obnoxious things, so it isn't fair to single them out. Even Hogan's over the top loyalists have been showing up for the big shows in droves. They muscle in, try to lean and push their way to the front and behave quite badly. But no one seems to be noticing that.
It all boils down to this. During the slower seasons, TNA has to fill seats. The other non local fans who complain about the factions in attendance are nowhere to be seen. It becomes the role of the Crew, and the Gang, and the Posse and the Brady bunch regulars to fill that void. If you want to complain about the fans and how irritating they are, bring your selves down, help fill in the empty spots. And when you are here, voice your opinions, say what you will snarl and sneer at all the crowd factions in attendance. It's your freedom of hard fought for speech. And it's theirs, ours as well. Yes TNA does have the right to remove people as they see fit, but are a bunch of guys yelling this is awesome, TNA, and turning their backs really worth it? They'll be missed when the rest of the live crowd vanishes half way through the show. BTW, that happened really bad tonight. One entire section of the arena emptied out with three awesome matches left at the tapings.

 

[Schizophrenic]

I was gonna respond to the wannabe Pope but Dexter here laid out everything I was gonna say. You "fans" didn't put anything on the map, The wrestlers did.

And the big question is wannabe Pope, how did you get into TNA? DId you say "Here is a company I know nothing about and nobody is gonna be involved tha I ever heard of....I AM GONNA WATCH IT!" No you probably saw the names Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett and Ken Shamrock and said I want to see the stars I remember and then saw the new guys then jumped a bandwagon when someone said that TNA was bringing in new guys. No one watches a wrestling show they dont know anyone on. So in all technicality, you are a hybrid WWE fan as well. Would you like some wine with your crow?

 

[Pope Has Spoken]

The fact that you think you helped put anything on the map is the joke here. AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Abyss, and the other insanely talented individuals putting their bodies on the line to entertain us put TNA on the map. All you fuckwits did was chant dumb shit every now and then.

Get the fuck over yourselves.

And who is it exactly that you think supported those wrestlers. Most of these hybrid fan boys had never even heard of those wrestlers until TNA got a network TV deal.

Cause and effect my friend. TNA got their TV and and financial backing from Panda Energy because the original cult like fan base supported the product and helped to make them seem like a worthy investment.

This is not rocket science. This is the simple truth. It was ours, before it was yours, so why should we forfeit it now? We shouldn't. We probably won't get our way but at the very least we can remind TNA who their real fans are, and remind them where they came from, and a large reason why they are where they are at. That is enough motivation for me to support the Crucial Crew.

Pope has spoken

 

[Dexter]

This is all going to be a moot point anyway here in a few months whey the get the hell out of that lame ass sound stage and get on the road like a real wrestling promotion anyway. Then we won't have to worry about self-promoting "crews" and we can see what real wrestling fans think of TNA.

 

[burnout4200]

Are you suggesting original TNA fans should forfeit something that, essentially they helped put on the map without voicing their displeasure?

The amount of WWE hybrid fans that support TNA on the internet is staggering to me. It is so painfully obvious at nearly every wrestling forum I visit that most of the so called TNA fans, have only been fans since about 2005-2006, aka the fans who jumped on board when all the famous ex-WWE/WCW names started piling in. You guys are so fake.

Do not tell the real TNA original fans that they should just ignore this patheitc change the wrestling promotion they were so very passionate about, and tell them they should surrender without a fight to you WWE fan rejects. What a joke.

Pope Has Spoken

That right there finalizes it. It's kinda like Green Day. I didn't become a fan until Dookie and that's when they first got popular. The thing is it wasn't my fault that I didn't live in California when they were underground and wasn't exposed to them. After that the die hard fans from Berkley CA turned on Green Day calling them posers and sell outs because they were punk and got famous. It's the exact same thing here. You can't let your company go to the mainstream no matter in what capacity. You're complaining about fans that started watching in 2005 and that's the earliest version of mainstream. I started watching when they got on Spike TV. So what? I've heard of all kinds of Indy feds but I wouldn't bother to youtube them all. If it's on TV I'll watch it. If not then the production quality is probably going to suck. If you can't even accept TNA fans that started watching in 2005 as die hard fans then your arguments don't hold much merit. You're disgruntled by change period, even dating back 5 years.

If my football team gets a new Quarterback I'm not picking a new favorite team. 10 years later they might not even have a single player left from that old team ... but a real fan sticks with them. And please don't call me a WWE fan. My favorite guy left is Carlito and you see how far that's getting me.

 

[Dexter]

TNA got their TV and and financial backing from Panda Energy because the original cult like fan base supported the product and helped to make them seem like a worthy investment.

You can not possibly be serious. TNA got their financial backing from Panda Energy because Dixie Carter's dad owns it. This is absolutely astonishing. I knew you guys were self-promoting losers but this is just above and beyond. You guys honestly think you got them their TV deal? Wow.

 

[locoduck]

Then we won't have to worry about self-promoting "crews" and we can see what real wrestling fans think of TNA.

REAL wrestling fans? What in your eyes makes you believe they aren't? What makes a real wrestling fan in your eyes? Would you go to a live show, sit there with your hands in your lap and quietly enjoy the show?
Or would you shout, hoot, holler, and cheer? Now imagine you sat next to a few like minded people who did the same thing?
Seriously, just because you don't agree with their actions does not make them any less of a wrestling fan.

 

[Dexter]

REAL wrestling fans? What in your eyes makes you believe they aren't? What makes a real wrestling fan in your eyes? Would you go to a live show, sit there with your hands in your lap and quietly enjoy the show?
Or would you shout, hoot, holler, and cheer? Now imagine you sat next to a few like minded people who did the same thing?
Seriously, just because you don't agree with their actions does not make them any less of a wrestling fan.

Real wrestling fans don't go around thinking they got a wrestling promotion its financial backing and TV deals. I seriously can't even wrap my mind around that. I mean, I wasn't a big fan of the TNA live crowd to begin with but I honestly had no idea it went THAT far. That ranks right up there among the dumbest things I've ever heard in my entire life.

 

[Schizophrenic]

Locoduck you make very valid point, and yes maybe I am being a little childish calling them names and such and I will refrain from that from now on, passionate I am about this topic and wrestling in general. Thank you for calling me out and making me realize that I am quickly becoming no better than the ones I scorn.

And who is it exactly that you think supported those wrestlers. Most of these hybrid fan boys had never even heard of those wrestlers until TNA got a network TV deal.

God forbid people follow a liked wrestler of thiers to whatever company they go to after WWE. How dare they invade your little slice of heaven.

Cause and effect my friend. TNA got their TV and and financial backing from Panda Energy because the original cult like fan base supported the product and helped to make them seem like a worthy investment.

This is not rocket science. This is the simple truth. It was ours, before it was yours, so why should we forfeit it now? We shouldn't. We probably won't get our way but at the very least we can remind TNA who their real fans are, and remind them where they came from, and a large reason why they are where they are at. That is enough motivation for me to support the Crucial Crew.

What's this "ours before yours" bs? Do you know Dex personally and know how long he has watched TNA? Do you know if I or others have watched from day one? No you don't. Stop trying to act tough and like TNA going maintream is the worst thing to ever happen in your existence. The real fans of TNA are the ones who are watching the shows, buying hte merch and promoting it to the world not hogging it for themselves selfishly.

 

[Hulkamaniac]

REAL wrestling fans? What in your eyes makes you believe they aren't? What makes a real wrestling fan in your eyes? Would you go to a live show, sit there with your hands in your lap and quietly enjoy the show?
Or would you shout, hoot, holler, and cheer? Now imagine you sat next to a few like minded people who did the same thing?
Seriously, just because you don't agree with their actions does not make them any less of a wrestling fan.

Fans who don't write off a product after three weeks? Here's the point: it's been two shows (record breaking shows, BTW) and one PPV, and these "real TNA fans" have already buried the entire company. Why? Because it's changing...almost as if there's new management. They ahven't even come close to getting it towards a more finished and fluid version of their vision, and these people are shitting all over it. And then the "oh, you don't count because you've only been a fan for 3 years! I've been here since the beginning bullshit." Last I checked, my dollar was worth just as much as yours, and my points in the ratings matter just as much.

 

[locoduck]

Fans who don't write off a product after three weeks? Here's the point: it's been two shows (record breaking shows, BTW) and one PPV, and these "real TNA fans" have already buried the entire company. Why? Because it's changing...almost as if there's new management. They ahven't even come close to getting it towards a more finished and fluid version of their vision, and these people are shitting all over it. And then the "oh, you don't count because you've only been a fan for 3 years! I've been here since the beginning bullshit." Last I checked, my dollar was worth just as much as yours, and my points in the ratings matter just as much.

A fan for one show or a fan for 1000, our dollars are all worth the same to us all my friend. That wasn't the point. Just trying to point out that a lot of people are saying we see matches for free, when in fact we pay someway or the other.
And believe me, (I don't speak for the guys) but I don't believe they have written anything off yet. But I'll say this, in the first half hour of Jurassic Park I was bored to tears and kept thinking I had wasted my money. But by the time it got going my tune changed.
The Impact regulars are just voicing their opinions on how things are going so far. If they'd buried it, they wouldn't have been there tonight, and wouldn't be there tomorrow. They continue to support it with their passion and fire. And while some may not agree with it, they are allowed that luxury.
I have been attending TNA shows for a few years as a regular, but sitting by these guys has made it a lot more interesting.

 

[Nichotine]

Well I just couldn't avoid making an account to get a piece of this.

I'd like to give you a little perspective on things. There is a group of about 12-20 of us who are at every show we can attend (Collectively known as the "Crucial Crew", which is why you see us throw up the 'c' hand signal). And we DO NOT like the direction this company is going. Therefore, we express our displeasure in hopes that management will listen. Why? Because we LOVE TNA, and will not stand idly by while it gets raped by Hogan and his boys. If we were season ticket holders for a sports team, this would be expected, would it not?

The season ticket analogy doesn't hold weight. I equate what you're doing to the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno shake up. This would be like going to a Conan O'Brien taping heckling and booing the entire show, not laughing at the jokes to spite NBC. Your problem is with the company, and you're taking it out on the performers. You think TNA is gonna cater to you because you're hurting their chance to branch out and really make something of their company? You're motivating Hulk Hogan to at long last get out of Universal Studios before you can do any more damage to their brand, and better yet convincing them that once they DO branch out, to make sure they don't come back.

Again, we LOVE TNA. So when a man who built his career and reputation on WWF Sports Entertainment comes in, changes the things that make TNA unique and basically tells us that the TNA model is broken and that "the smart marks in the front" (read Hogan's IGN interview) don't matter, aren't representative of mainstream America and so should be ignored- Yeah, we're gonna be pissed.

What reason do you give Hulk Hogan to cater to what you think wrestling should be? For that matter what is it about TNA before Hulk came in that made it such a mecca of professional wrestling? I can tell you that I'm far more interested in TNA now than I ever was before Hulk got involved, and judging by the ratings I'm not the only one. Genesis wasn't a perfect event(and you were by no means helping), but it was a wrestling pay per view, with wrestling matches, clean finishes and one heck of an ending. Do you want to go back to the glory days of starting "fire Russo" chants?

Last night was remarkable in that for the first time ever a TNA producer came down into the pit where we stand, grabbed my friend by the shirt and actually threatened to ban us from the building if we didn't stop with the "vulgarity and the negativity". From reports, this heat came directly from "Dixie and Terry who were pissed that we didn't put Morely over during his match with Daniels. Are you kidding? This happened during the Pope v Wolfe match, and totally killed the crowd. If you were wondering why the crowd was so dead during what was a great wrestling match, that's why.

Like I said before, you're taking it out on the performers. If I were in that arena during Genesis I'd be tempted to leave the way you guys were acting. I find it impossible to believe you're paying attention to the performance when every five seconds is a new chant. Angle and AJ are the best wrestlers in TNA and you think they're gonna pander to your "one more time" chants? You think Desmond Wolfe is enamored by the fact that he's trying to garner heel heat but the best he can hope for is a "let's go Desmond/Let's go Wolfe" chant?

Here's the thing though... We've become friends with a lot of the wrestlers, and they all love our energy, enthusiasm and passion, and have and continue to support us. The production crew, who takes heat directly from the top, HATE us, most likely because they are all afraid for their jobs.

If you're friends with the performers then treat them like friends. Do you think AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels or Samoa Joe would pat you on the back and tell you to keep it up? Hulk Hogan, whether he's doing a good job or not is subjective, but he's trying to take TNA to a higher plateau, he's trying to earn your favorite wrestlers more money, and more notoriety, and you're crapping all over THEM. You want TNA to be yours all yours but for TNA to be what you want them to be is making them less money, and could eventually lead to the end of TNA. This isn't just sending Hulk a message, this is affecting the entire roster. Chanting "You are married" is disrupting AJ, and no one in the production crew is going to take heat over a group of 20 guys who are clearly there to disrupt, and wish to be the center of attention(you can't reasonably deny that).

I saw hundreds of people walk out on the show last night, something i've NEVER seen at a PPV. Things are getting weird. Hopefully, Bischoff and Russo are smart enough to use this tension to create compelling TV, but from my perspective, it seems like TNA is dying right before my eyes.

I'd be tempted to leave if I were there. That crowd was toxic. It was frustrating for me to even watch. Look, I've been to WWE tapings that left me underwhelmed, I know how you feel. RAW is headed places that are the complete antithesis of what I love about wrestling, and it frustrates me to watch it, and if I were in your shoes where I had access to attend their shows live, at this stage I would simply opt to not attend.

We're living in an age where you can literally go on Facebook and ask for Russo's opinion on this. You can ask Vince Russo how he feels about your plight, and I'm more than sure Russo himself would tell you that it's your right to not enjoy TNA's current project, but taking it out on the wrestlers isn't the solution. Write a letter, ask Russo, sit at home and vent on message boards, it's therapeutic.

If you really wanted to help TNA you'd stay at home and let enthusiastic "casual" fans take your place, so that we who can only view TNA on TV don't have to be annoyed by petty insulting inside chants and wishing you lived closer to the Hammerstein Ballroom in the 90s.

 

[Pope Has Spoken]

You can not possibly be serious. TNA got their financial backing from Panda Energy because Dixie Carter's dad owns it. This is absolutely astonishing. I knew you guys were self-promoting losers but this is just above and beyond. You guys honestly think you got them their TV deal? Wow.

Of course, but TNA would have soon went bank rupt if they had no audience. Their fan base kept them alive long enough to get noticed.

Obviously their original fan base was instrumental in getting them a TV deal.

Do you think any major network would pick up a wrestling show with no audience? If that were the case there would be promotions all over the television. But let me guess, as far as you know, WWE (and TNA) are the only wrestling promotions that exist?

You are quite simply delusional if you think the consumers of the product didn't help TNA to get noticed.

 

[Schizophrenic]

Of course, but TNA would have soon went bank rupt if they had no audience. Their fan base kept them alive long enough to get noticed.

Obviously their original fan base was instrumental in getting them a TV deal.

Do you think any major network would pick up a wrestling show with no audience? If that were the case there would be promotions all over the television. But let me guess, as far as you know, WWE (and TNA) are the only wrestling promotions that exist?

You are quite simply delusional if you think the consumers of the product didn't help TNA to get noticed.

You know what they say when you assume. There you go again with your half baked theories about other people you dont know. You are making yourself sound ignorant. Yeah the fan base got them a deal and there were pulling 0.5 or even a 0.3 on FSn with as you put it their "hardcore" fan base. It's the newer fans and the people getting involved and interested now that are giving it the 1.5 ratings. A sure sign of success, but then again you don't like that do you? How dare a WWE fan actually watch and enjoy TNA and vice verca without being cast out as a judas in the wrestling world. This isn't the nineties, this isn't ECW trying to be different, this isn't a you vs us or a them vs the world type of deal. If that's what you still want then wish really really hard one night and maybe you can imagine yourself in the ECW of old. Why don't you want TNA to succeed and get bigger and better?

 

[Nichotine]

Of course, but TNA would have soon went bank rupt if they had no audience. Their fan base kept them alive long enough to get noticed.

Obviously their original fan base was instrumental in getting them a TV deal.

Do you think any major network would pick up a wrestling show with no audience? If that were the case there would be promotions all over the television. But let me guess, as far as you know, WWE (and TNA) are the only wrestling promotions that exist?

You are quite simply delusional if you think the consumers of the product didn't help TNA to get noticed.

What do you feel you're owed for contributing your attendance to a TNA show? What is TNA supposed to do for you since you have attended whichever shows you've been to? You realize that every wrestler that performed every night you saw them could have died or seriously crippled on the job?

I'm not sure you truly understand how complex the wrestling business is. We can all post here and play armchair booker and it's so easy to say that I have the key to open the doors to TNA's top spot in the wrestling world but I don't. This is like saying that I went to a Nine Inch Nails concert but I like folk music now so being that I was there I want NIN to make a folk album. You may not like where TNA is going but when do you become so entitled? Like you said, there's other wrestling organizations from WWE and TNA, find one that you like better.

 

[Pope Has Spoken]

You know what they say when you assume. There you go again with your half baked theories about other people you dont know. You are making yourself sound ignorant. Yeah the fan base got them a deal and there were pulling 0.5 or even a 0.3 on FSn with as you put it their "hardcore" fan base. It's the newer fans and the people getting involved and interested now that are giving it the 1.5 ratings. A sure sign of success, but then again you don't like that do you? How dare a WWE fan actually watch and enjoy TNA and vice verca without being cast out as a judas in the wrestling world. This isn't the nineties, this isn't ECW trying to be different, this isn't a you vs us or a them vs the world type of deal. If that's what you still want then wish really really hard one night and maybe you can imagine yourself in the ECW of old. Why don't you want TNA to succeed and get bigger and better?

Success, well, you know Britney Spears is successful, the back street boys were successful. But do you think I want to listen to it? No, I can't stand that "music." Just like I can't stand "sports entertainment" based pro wrestling. But still, the things I don't like, have their own audience.

The difference between wrestling and music is that, I can go listen to what I like and not concern myself with that of which I consider bad. With wrestling, I can't do that, at least not as far as watching the type of wrestling on free TV. No, instead I have to buy DVDs, download videos and attend shows. It becomes a real hassle.

To me, TNA was basically an indy promotion that went main stream. And this is where it gets really interesting, because I'm of the opinion that an indy promotion can be successful main stream. But that would require time and patience.

See, success can sometimes be subjective. Success is typically measured by how much revenue a particular product generates. To the provider, yes, that is what they would consider success, but to the consumer, not so much. That is what you can't seem to understand.

How much money TNA makes isn't my concern. My concern is with what I find entertaining.

 

[burnout4200]

Here's some short examples of what I'm talking about from a recent Genesis review I read.

Opening Segment

"you changed the ring and laughed when the crowd didn't like it. "Stick it, brother" was the only thing missing here. I know people bitch about the Impact Zone fans, but when they start chanting for THE RING against Hogan, that is not a good sign."

Morley/Daniels

"who noticed the front row fans turning their back to the finish because they were pissed? Never a good thing."

Kennedy Debut

"All of the heat he had when he came out fizzled quickly, the crowd chanted overrated, and in the end, this was fail."

How much more proof do you need that these guys are currently ruining the quality of the shows 10 times more than Hogan is? They're literally swaying an opinion right there in black and white. I'm a TNA fan and I'm getting tired of reading bad reviews. This time I have someone to blame and it's not Hulk Hogan. If The Cuddle Crew would have went nuts Kennedy's debut could have been great. It's unfortunate that you guys gotta be this way. I get it, but I don't like it.

 

[underworlderZer0]

Wow.

First off, I want to thank everybody here for their opinion, whether it be in support or against us. Debate and discussion about the sport we love is why the forum exists.

I don't take any of the immature ad hominem attacks personally. I understand that they are used when one doesn't have a valid argument to present. I also understand that many of you have some unresolved personal issues that you are unable or unwilling to confront and so that self-loathing and angst comes out in unjustified and virulent rants against others. I was a teenager once too. I get it.

The CC is not concerned with your opinions. We love this wrestling company and are very concerned that the TNA we watched grow up in front of us is being taken apart because a celebrity decided that it was 'his company' and everything has to change. As I told a friend at the taping last night, it's like watching your child get raped and murdered in front of you with all of the rapist's friends and supporters cheering him on. What do you expect us to do? Be happy that the rape and murder will get good press and high ratings? Start cheering for it because it's good for business? Fuck that.

I fell in love with TNA because it truly was an alternative to the WWE product, with real athletes performing a style that emphasized and celebrated the art of professional wrestling. I, like many here, had grown tired with Vince's programming after watching it gradually become less and less about the in-ring product and more and more about promoting 'personalities'. I'm not a fan of wrestlers because of their name or image; I'm a fan of performers who, get this, are TALENTED wrestlers. That's why I became such a TNA fan- their performers were allowed to show the world what they really do best, and I still believe that many of America's most talented wrestlers work in TNA.

Now Hogan comes in and tells me that that brand of wrestling is broken and TNA needs to focus on personalities and soap-opera drama in order to appeal to a more mainstream audience. This may actually be "successful" in that ratings may increase, at least initially. That WWE approach is what most fans of this generation grew up on, and many will now gravitate towards Hogan's new TNA because it's more like what they know.

But is that really a success? Is that "taking TNA to a new level", or is it "killing TNA and replacing it with WWE/WCW 2.0"? I'm afraid that it's the latter, and I am not happy about it one bit.

So what are my options? I could roll over, and smile for the camera and mindlessly put over whatever they give me in the name of appealing to a more mainstream audience. That's certainly what the Hogan regime would like me to do, and apparently a lot of you here agree. Or, I could choose to let management know that I am not pleased about the direction the organization is going and try to steer them back to what made TNA great in the first place.

Know that I am not alone. There are millions around the world like myself who cheer talented wrestlers regardless of whether they are heel or face; who are fans of performers rather than characters; who appreciate the art of wrestling more than the stories and characters it presents. You may call us "smarks". I, for one, wear that title with pride.

We will continue to fight for the TNA we knew and loved, and will not go without a fight. There are very real battle lines being drawn within this organization, and I will stand on our side until the bitter end if need be. A while back I crossed the line from being a fan of sports entertainment to being a fan of professional wrestling. I refuse to step back over because the biggest sports entertainer ever tells me it's the right thing to do.