TNA Doing Some House Cleaning: Several Stars Released

[Zeven_Zion]

But what exactly has that done for TNA? He doesn't help with the ratings and outside TNA he is always in business for himself. You NEVER keep someone around because of what they once were. Hogan just doesn't do much for TNA. That is money better spent elsewhere.

Who has then? Who is the one person in TNA who has helped the ratings?

Following your flawless logic, if TNA is to cut Hogan because he didn't help with the ratings, then they should cut AJ Styles as well. It doesn't matter what else AJ brings to the table, he doesn't help with the ratings - he's out.

What makes you think that the only purpose of having someone employed is to help the ratings? Do you think TNA cares ONLY about their ratings? Do you think their existence depends ONLY on the ratings? Maybe Hogan sells a lot of merchandise. Maybe Hogan gets them more media attention than others would. Maybe Hogan has good ideas and is helping the backstage operations. Maybe Hogan has other values than to boost ratings.

The way I see it, even though Hogan can't wrestle he's a great authority figure on the air, he's probably in the top three most over people in the company and he's Hulk freaking Hogan. If WWE was offered to have Hogan or some amazing indy talent on their roster, guess which one they'll pick. Hogan. Every time. He's money, he always has been money and he's one of the most recognizable people on the planet, not just wrestling. That's a fact. TNA has that man on their roster. That's all you need to know.

Realize that NOBODY in TNA draws ratings and puts butts in seats. Hell, WWE barely has legit draws these days. The only ones we can be sure about are Cena, Punk (somewhat) and Undertaker. WWE draws more from the name of events (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble) than actual wrestlers. WWE's main strength is the fact that they are brand. People buy brands, people trust brands. TNA is not a brand, it's nowhere near it. Hulk Hogan, on the other hand, is also a brand. Perhaps the only wrestler to be a brand.

The days of people paying to see a wrestler are long gone, man. WWE still has a few of that dying breed, TNA has none. So what should TNA do? Fire everyone? How will that help anything?

 

[newwaveknight]

WWE's main strength is the fact that they are brand. People buy brands, people trust brands. TNA is not a brand, it's nowhere near it.

As much of a TNA fan as I am, I definitely agree. Being an established brand is important. Hell, that's the ONLY thing that sold WCW (tickets for shows would sell like crazy before they even announced who was on the card for that night) toward its declining days.

The ONLY way I even knew TNA ever existed (granted, I had gone from 2001-2007 not watching wrestling since I was burnt out by the WCW buyout) was by flipping through channels one night in 2007 and I STUMBLED upon it. A true brand is at least known to others without having to stumble upon it like that. That's just my opinion though.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

I don't understand the logic of cutting a Crimson and keeping a Garrett Bischoff. If anything Crimson deserved Bischoff's place in Aces and Eights.

Also if you are trimming the fat, cut Christie Hemme, SoCal Val, Godderz, Robbie E, Mike Tenaz (replace with Jeremy Borash), Chavo Guerro, Hernandez, ODB, Rob Terry and Eric Young.

 

[rokuma]

Who has then? Who is the one person in TNA who has helped the ratings?

Following your flawless logic, if TNA is to cut Hogan because he didn't help with the ratings, then they should cut AJ Styles as well. It doesn't matter what else AJ brings to the table, he doesn't help with the ratings - he's out.

What makes you think that the only purpose of having someone employed is to help the ratings? Do you think TNA cares ONLY about their ratings? Do you think their existence depends ONLY on the ratings? Maybe Hogan sells a lot of merchandise. Maybe Hogan gets them more media attention than others would. Maybe Hogan has good ideas and is helping the backstage operations. Maybe Hogan has other values than to boost ratings.

I agree with a lot of that. I don't think TNA is or should be solely about the ratings. This isn't 1998. TV ratings aren't the end-all be-all of the wrestling world. It's a dramatically different world and I think it's something that fails to get mentioned in WWE's "rating woes." Things like Hulu, YouTube, or even illegal streams really didn't exist during the Attitude Era when ratings were humongous. I don't have cable. I don't watch TNA live every Thursday on Spike. I usually find it on YouTube the next day or at the very worst, I watch it on SpikeTV.com which puts it on there willingly (usually on a week delay). No biggie for me. So, sure, maybe ratings are like 1.1 (being generous), but how many people are really watching the product? How many people are invested? I'm invested. I don't even try and pretend to care about the WWE now. TNA's about all of the wrestling I want to watch. I much prefer their product. Does Hogan bring value? Yes. He's the most recognizable name in wrestling not named The Rock. He gets the casual viewer interested if they're flipping through channels or if they see an ad for TNA wrestling coming to town and say, "Wow. Hulk Hogan?! Sting? We should go to that..." then they do and see the rest of the product.

As for the roster cuts, they weren't doing anything anyways. Who cares? Crimson is a guy I've had the opportunity to watch up-close in Kentucky (wrestled in the Indys there as Tommy Mercer). I thought he'd have a solid career and still probably will, but he's a bit bland. He does need a manager. I think TNA's lack of a development program in OVW really hurt him. They may have dropped the ball on him.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

Out of all the wrestlers Released from the roster, the only one I will miss is Crimson. The Guy had a great look and had come on leaps and bounds down in OVW. Sure there was still some improvement needed when it came to his Mic skills but I still thought Crimson would one day become a main eventer in TNA. The other sad thing about Crimson being released is that there are a couple of other guys on the roster named Bischoff and Brisco that are far less tallented, that should have gotten the boot before Crimson ever did.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

TNA has a 2 hour weekly TV show, this doesn't lend to a massive roster. Cuts are a logical financial and product quality decision. TNA is not struggling, they are going from strength to strength in foreign markets and they are maintaining their market share in the US plus they are now doing what many have criticized them for not doing for years - they are taking their product to the whole of the States, not just the South East.

I have seen y'all expound the virtues of some of the cut wrestlers and I did like some of them myself... BUT... I believe that it wasn't just a knee jerk cull. Crimson was brought back a couple weeks ago for the first time in several weeks and received very little response. Likewise, Taeler Hendrix received very little support when she returned to face Mickie James. Christian York has received exposure off and on but has come across as completely generic - something that is unforgivable in a guy with his experience. Madison is pregnant, why would they renegotiate a contract at this juncture? Which leaves Joey Ryan, who has a pretty good gimmick but were does a '70s Val Venus fit in with a Mafia family and a biker gang?

Now, as to some of the other names being bandied about.

• Hogan; asides from being the biggest name in the history of the business, he also puts in a large amount of effort promoting the product as anybody in the UK can attest too - you could hardly turn on daytime TV the last time TNA was over without seeing the Immortal One.
• Easy E; he isn't on our screens and has a mass of production and backstage wrestling experience. As an idea man, there is few in the world as experienced as Bischoff... possibly only McMahon himself.
• Say what you will about Garrett and Wes but they DO get a reaction and the crowd always pops to see them get their backsides kicked.
• Christy Hemme is a strange one, she basically is just hired to be a hot ring announcer but she has shown character on occasion (particularly with Bully Ray) and is easy on the eye so why not?
• SoCal Val is Christy's substitute and does appear to put in a great deal of work for the company in both their back up shows and on the road.
• Mike Tenay... the Professor is the voice of TNA.
• Godderz and Robbie E; I actually like these two - they fulfill the role of enhancement while actually being enjoyable to watch.
• Hernandez and Chavo; I actually find young master Guerrero very underrated on the mic and think that he could be a nice fit to compensate for Hernandez's biggest weakness. SuperMex is a phenomenal athlete, with Chaco LCSing in his corner - he could be a legitimate contender.
• ODB and EY; I've really enjoyed ODB as the KOs referee - she does the job straight down the line and removes the stupid sexual manipulation that was tainting the division for quite a while. EY is a guest appearance guy now and I have no issues with that, as an original who has a genuine connection with a live crowd, I love to see his cameos.
• Rob Terry... yeah, I don't see anything in Big Rob except that he has Vince's wet dream ideal look but he lacks any cohesion in the ring, has terrible facials and is rubbish on the mic.

Gut Check needs to end; the live crowds prove it - they're uninterested in the match and boo the follow up Final Gut Check opponent out of the ring. As I've said already, they have limited air time - wasting it on two segments that the crowd despises makes someone who might chance on the product move on very quickly.

 

[New Hot Fed]

I think TNA should fire 5 people and hire 5 people every year to reenergizes the roster.

Looking at the talent they are using on the PPV, they should bring these guys in. Aparantly the match between Bad Influence and Generation Me at Hardcore 2 was great and can you believe they had Slash and Sin outthere? I can't believe Slash still wrestles. I would like to see the return of the New Church.

 

[shalliin]

How many times do these butt dumplings have to come on here professing the death of TNA. I mean you idiots have only been predicting the death of tna for I don't know, at least eight years now. The last time I checked, TNA is up and running. So how long are we going to profess the funeral of TNA wrestling by you IWC tards? I continue to laugh at these posts. So keep posting your stupid death certificates for TNA. TNA isn't going anywhere in the near future.

got news for you, dipwad

you are one of those iwc tards you're whinning about.

and while technically, you are right in that the company known as tna might not be dying, everything that made it what it was has been killed in an attempt for bitchoff and rogain to recapture their short glory daze of the 2 year period in wcw that eventually killed that company and they are doing the same to the new company.

Their color scheme and logo fonts are a complete rip off of Smackdown. Their storylines are rehashes of shit that was down 15 years ago, with the same people as partial focal points in hogan/sting. they've turned aj into sting, aces and eights are nwo (with bubba as hogan, kennedy/anderson as hall, devon as nash, and the others filling out the rosters), they've tried several times to make a goldberg character with morgan, crimson, samoa joe and hernandez all fillling that role at various times.

 

[shalliin]

This was said in 2010. Ever since, TNA has expanded. They have more fans, go on live, tape in the UK, have 4 PPV's per year, and have moved out of Orlando, taking the show on the road.



Hogan won't be missed? What the heck is wrong with you? He is the Greatest superstar of all time. He is Wrestling. He gets a bigger pop than anyone in the TNA locker room. Of course he'll be missed. It's fair to say that he does take up a lot of TV time, but he has helped bring some fans over to TNA, and has helped promote the product. Hulk Hogan is an icon, whether he promotes or not, he will attract fans.


Please stop.

If they have grown so much, why are they being forced to cut back their roster? Why haven't some of their staff, wrestlers and office staff hot been paid in as much as 2 months?

If Hogan is so big, why has there been no effect on their ratings? Why are their buyrates for PPV's so low? His pop is audio enhanced, as are a lot of people in both major organizations. Hogan doesn't attract fans, he attracts attention, but it's not necesarily a good thing. Look at the scandals he's been involved in in the last few years. The sex tapes, his divorce from his wife, his weird and awkward relationship with his daughter.

 

[Cereal Killer]

If they have grown so much, why are they being forced to cut back their roster? Why haven't some of their staff, wrestlers and office staff hot been paid in as much as 2 months?

If Hogan is so big, why has there been no effect on their ratings? Why are their buyrates for PPV's so low? His pop is audio enhanced, as are a lot of people in both major organizations. Hogan doesn't attract fans, he attracts attention, but it's not necesarily a good thing. Look at the scandals he's been involved in in the last few years. The sex tapes, his divorce from his wife, his weird and awkward relationship with his daughter.

They have cut their roster back due to money issues, as they now go on the road, and also have only 4 PPV's a year. It may mean less of a profit, but after sometime, after they continue to get more fans, maybe money won't be that much of an issue. If they didn't go on the road, or kept the 12 PPV format, you would be complaining that TNA stays at the amusement park in Orlando, and that they should have less PPV's for a better build up.

Nobody has an affect on their ratings. TNA arguably has the best roster today, yet their ratings are stuck behind the 1.1 border line. It's because of the lack of fans, and bringing Hogan in was a progress to do so. Look at the pops he gets when he comes out in the arena, the amount of fans wearing Hulkamania t-shirts and how they have reached out to more and more countries. They wouldn't be in the shape they're in today if he and Bischoff didn't arrive. Sure they may have done some stupid things, but what about the good things they've done.

Also, what does Hogan's personal life have to do with TNA? And if his pop is audio enhanced, why do several fans get on their feet when his theme hits? Was that edited too?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The cuts keep on coming as the company has announced that Tara has been released from her contract.

This is a pretty significant cut when you consider that Tara has consistently been shown as a force within the Knockout Division, she's a 5 time KO champ after all. At 42 years of age, Tara was easily the oldest woman on the TNA roster but she's obviously taken great care of herself. Even if she was involved in pretty crappy angles or feuds, she's someone that could be counted on for solid in-ring action for the Knockout Division.

 

[newwaveknight]

got news for you, dipwad

you are one of those iwc tards you're whinning about.

and while technically, you are right in that the company known as tna might not be dying, everything that made it what it was has been killed in an attempt for bitchoff and rogain to recapture their short glory daze of the 2 year period in wcw that eventually killed that company and they are doing the same to the new company.

Dafuq did I just read. Bro, do you even research? Do you even WCW?

Fine, let a resident WCW expert educate you.

In June 1994, Hogan signed with WCW. Incidentally, that September they created WCW Monday Nitro SPECIFICALLY to go head-to-head with Monday Night Raw. Do you think for a second that Eric Bischoff (despite being told that his request for a head-to-head show was a random request brought on by him being put on the spot) would have EVER mentioned to Billionaire Ted a show to, not only show on the same day as RAW, but the same damn time slot, if he didn't have the biggest name in wrestling onboard?

And what about Bischoff? Yes, his overbooking of the nWo hurt WCW, but the nWo is what made WCW eviscerate the WWE in the ratings? What chance did a really tall dead guy and a WCW mid-carder who was booked a a cursing beer-drinker stand against the most popular heel faction this side of the Four Horsemen?

That's a HELL of a lot more than a "2-year glory daze" run.

 

[klunderbunker]

Another thing to consider is how much money they lost on monthly PPVs. Let's say they had 10,000 buys per PPV at $40 a pop. TNA would keep about $20 per show, giving them $200,000 a show. I don't know how much the One Night Only shows are bringing in, but it can't be anywhere near that. Let's say they bring in $50,000 a month, which puts them at $150,000 less a month to spend. It's not surprising that they need to cut some costs.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Another thing to consider is how much money they lost on monthly PPVs. Let's say they had 10,000 buys per PPV at $40 a pop. TNA would keep about $20 per show, giving them $200,000 a show. I don't know how much the One Night Only shows are bringing in, but it can't be anywhere near that. Let's say they bring in $50,000 a month, which puts them at $150,000 less a month to spend. It's not surprising that they need to cut some costs.

True. Now that you mention it, there were similar statements made by a lot of posters when TNA went to the four ppv format. The four remaining ppvs would have to generate far more buys than they've ever, reportedly, generated in order to make up the difference. If the reports are accurate, then the three major ppvs they've put on this year haven't come close.

On a side note, now it's being reported that Bruce Pritchard might be on his way out. Prowrestling.net is reporting that Bruce Pritchard was among the officials in TNA that were recently asked to restructure their contract. The details on what sort of changes he was, reportedly, asked to make haven't been revealed; but, again reportedly, Pritchard rejected the request. As a result, he could be on his way out. The same report also mentions that it's looking as though D-Lo Brown is either on his way out or has already been fired. TNA agents are also being asked to restructure their contracts to a per-night deal, but the word going around is that D-Lo agreed to it but was still released.

 

[Weems2k]

got news for you, dipwad

you are one of those iwc tards you're whinning about.

and while technically, you are right in that the company known as tna might not be dying, everything that made it what it was has been killed in an attempt for bitchoff and rogain to recapture their short glory daze of the 2 year period in wcw that eventually killed that company and they are doing the same to the new company.

Their color scheme and logo fonts are a complete rip off of Smackdown. Their storylines are rehashes of shit that was down 15 years ago, with the same people as partial focal points in hogan/sting. they've turned aj into sting, aces and eights are nwo (with bubba as hogan, kennedy/anderson as hall, devon as nash, and the others filling out the rosters), they've tried several times to make a goldberg character with morgan, crimson, samoa joe and hernandez all fillling that role at various times.

How many times does this have to get beaten to death? AJ is not a Crow Sting from 97. Not even close. For one, AJ still talks, and he talks like a heel. 2. He's still wrestling, not just coming down the rafters with baseball bat in hand. The only thing similar between the 2 is the black clothes.

And unless any of you Fat Mark Madden wannabes have actual documentation of TNA's financials, you really don't know shit how they're doing. Aside from D.O.C, everyone else was barely being used.

 

[ABMorales787]

How many times does this have to get beaten to death? AJ is not a Crow Sting from 97. Not even close. For one, AJ still talks, and he talks like a heel. 2. He's still wrestling, not just coming down the rafters with baseball bat in hand. The only thing similar between the 2 is the black clothes.

The base of the story was Sting circa '97. It's hard to say no to it when Sting himself said it to AJ on Impact about a month ago.

And unless any of you Fat Mark Madden wannabes have actual documentation of TNA's financials, you really don't know shit how they're doing. Aside from D.O.C, everyone else was barely being used.

Dixie Carter said on an article released several months ago that going on the road means about a $1,000,000 loss in money before they start seeing gain by next year. There is nothing wrong with that. They are doing an investment towards their future that should start paying off soon if TV tapings keep going positive so in the meantime, they are restructuring to see the most gain.

 

[Dieter_Von_Cunth]

got news for you, dipwad

you are one of those iwc tards you're whinning about.

and while technically, you are right in that the company known as tna might not be dying, everything that made it what it was has been killed in an attempt for bitchoff and rogain to recapture their short glory daze of the 2 year period in wcw that eventually killed that company and they are doing the same to the new company.

Their color scheme and logo fonts are a complete rip off of Smackdown. Their storylines are rehashes of shit that was down 15 years ago, with the same people as partial focal points in hogan/sting. they've turned aj into sting, aces and eights are nwo (with bubba as hogan, kennedy/anderson as hall, devon as nash, and the others filling out the rosters), they've tried several times to make a goldberg character with morgan, crimson, samoa joe and hernandez all fillling that role at various times.

I got even more breaking news for you butt dumpling. I'M NOT AN IWC TARD. I don't sit around my house and claim that I can run the "E" or TNA better than the people that have earned the right to do so & are currently doing so. I'm not better than the head bookers at the "E" or TNA like all you IWC tards claim to be. You shitheads have an answer for every fucking thing for the people who book shows and how this or that would be a better thing. I have news for you God Damn Parasites. You would be there if you were better than the person in charge of booking wrestling programs. I'm a pedestrial wrestling fan. I don't watch Impact or Raw with grades of each segment. I don't watch Impact or Raw with putting stars on each and every match presented to me in an evening. I don't sit there and say well, he really botched that spot or move in a match. If something is being rehashed, so be it. I have a wild concept when it comes to watching wrestling. If I'm entertained by it, who gives a shit. It is called watching wrestling for the sure enjoyment and theatre it provides. Not being a God Damn critic for every little thing. If you like the theatre that Raw provides, so be it. It's your call. If you like the theatre that Impact provides, fine. I don't sit here and say well, Garrett Bischoff sucks and can't wrestle. Who the hell am I to tell somebody that they can't wrestle? I've never been a professional wrestler and don't pretend like I know everything about it. Some people may love Garrett Bischoff and that's there right to do it. Some people may love Rob Terry and that's there right to do so. Some people may even love John Cena and that's there right to do so. You people that sit here and critique every God Damn thing are pathetic IWC punks. Don't label me with that bullshit. If that is what you choose to be, the more power to you IWC dirtbags.

 

[The_YES_No_Man]

The base of the story was Sting circa '97. It's hard to say no to it when Sting himself said it to AJ on Impact about a month ago.



Dixie Carter said on an article released several months ago that going on the road means about a $1,000,000 loss in money before they start seeing gain by next year. There is nothing wrong with that. They are doing an investment towards their future that should start paying off soon if TV tapings keep going positive so in the meantime, they are restructuring to see the most gain.

If money and cuts are an issue I don't see them being around another year pretty soon where gonna see the rise and fall of tna dvd and I'm a fan of TNA and I don't want to see it go but I have a bad feeling that things are only gonna get worse unless they start going back to the Impact Zone in Orlando Florida.

 

[shalliin]

Think about it from different angles. If you're talking about TNA to someone who's not too versed in wrestling who'd be the first name on the roster, they'd recognize? Hulk Hogan.

except he's not realy on the roster, he's office. and Really There are other options. Kurt Angle and even Eric Young thanks to his fishing show might be as recognized outside of TNA

If TNA were to get any form of media coverage, due to what name would it most likely be from? Hulk Hogan.

Who's more likely to get a guest spot in a radio or TV show in TNA right now? Hulk Hogan.

Again Kurt Angle could be the one to replace Hogan and would likely have more success in some areas as people would recognize that when a GOLD MEDAL winner says that the roster is stacked talent, they can believe it more coming from him then a guy who while known around the worldi s mostly known for cheesy 90's action/comedies and a reality show that let to his divorce, media scrutiny about just how close he is to his daughter, a son in jail, and a sex tape not with some young, attractive star or even a MILF, but a far from tempting woman who's husband was in the other room.

He's name value. Big name value. He's chosen to work for them and they've chosen to stay with him. People still cheer for him and recognize him, so just what's to gain from cutting him? The roster is still bloated. Guys like Devon are the one's that need to go. People who are unproductive on every possible front. Devon fits that bill.

I get frustrated when people use this arguement to defend Hogan. The type of coverage Hogan gets in today's media is mostly negative so the wrong sort of attention is drawn to TNA. This further pushes the opinion of wrestling as a low class form of entertainment with no appeal to draw casual fans in. Sure people know the name, but it's mostly from the horrible 'Hogan knows best' reality show then anything he's done in wrestling.

Sure he 'chose' to work for TNA, since it's unlikely he would have been paid as much money working for WWE on a legends contract and WWE understands that at this point in time, he can no longer be the focus of a show or product. His only remaining value is in short term, low effort appearances, not as being THE figure that the storylines revolve around. He should not be used in the role he has claimed for himself as the figurehead for the authority of the company. He should absolutely not be used in any physical confrontational situations. But his own ego and self promotion makes those in charge believe the hype that he throws behind himself. The lackluster response to their programming and events is clear proof that it isn't working.

Another arguement is that people might not watch the event during the 'standard' play time but record it for later viewing or watch online in some fashion, but that doesn't hold up water either. EVERY television show has been affected by these options and others are surviving and even thriving with traditional viewing methods. So the fact that TNA is still at or below a 1.0 to what a 1.5? if that for their flagship event of Impact is another proof that Hogan isn't having the draw TNA wanted from him when they hired him.

 

[shalliin]

I got even more breaking news for you butt dumpling. I'M NOT AN IWC TARD. I don't sit around my house and claim that I can run the "E" or TNA better than the people that have earned the right to do so & are currently doing so. I'm not better than the head bookers at the "E" or TNA like all you IWC tards claim to be. You shitheads have an answer for every fucking thing for the people who book shows and how this or that would be a better thing. I have news for you God Damn Parasites. You would be there if you were better than the person in charge of booking wrestling programs. I'm a pedestrial wrestling fan. I don't watch Impact or Raw with grades of each segment. I don't watch Impact or Raw with putting stars on each and every match presented to me in an evening. I don't sit there and say well, he really botched that spot or move in a match. If something is being rehashed, so be it. I have a wild concept when it comes to watching wrestling. If I'm entertained by it, who gives a shit. It is called watching wrestling for the sure enjoyment and theatre it provides. Not being a God Damn critic for every little thing. If you like the theatre that Raw provides, so be it. It's your call. If you like the theatre that Impact provides, fine. I don't sit here and say well, Garrett Bischoff sucks and can't wrestle. Who the hell am I to tell somebody that they can't wrestle? I've never been a professional wrestler and don't pretend like I know everything about it. Some people may love Garrett Bischoff and that's there right to do it. Some people may love Rob Terry and that's there right to do so. Some people may even love John Cena and that's there right to do so. You people that sit here and critique every God Damn thing are pathetic IWC punks. Don't label me with that bullshit. If that is what you choose to be, the more power to you IWC dirtbags.

Look dipshit, I tried being polite but you had to react like a little turd.
I never claimed I was better then the writers for the shows. And who knows maybe I or someone in the IWC would be better. But what a sack of crap like you doesn't admit is that not everyone will get the opportunities in life to fulfill their dreams or to have that career that they would kick ass doing.

I know people who were fantastic athletes, who competed against others that did get breaks and played pro who would consistently make those pros look like chumps. But life situations such as living in an area that doesn't have the facilities to completely embrace a persons talent made it impossible for them to reach that same level of success.

I also enjoy just watching the product and rarely if ever even care about botches. The problem I have is when the product is not entertaining because if I am watching a wrestling show, I want to watch wrestling, not the soap opera shit story lines that have taken over. I don't critique everything that happens I just want more damn wrestling then backstage skits and interviews. When during a 2 or 3 hour show there's only 4-5 matches and the total wrestling time runs under 50minutes consistently, thats what I have a problem with.

And yes, dipshit you are a member of the IWC. If you weren't you wouldn't be trolling the forums for stuff to complain that others are complaining about.

 

[Cereal Killer]

I think it's fair to say that it is the travelling which is having the cost effects. Stars have been released, pay-checks have been delayed and the word is that TNA Wrestlers may want to go to the WWE.

Dixie Carter is basically hoping for a change in numbers after a year or two, as the recent move is going to cost loads, and a loss (in money) comes almost guaranteed. The price for taping on the road ranges from $600,000 to $700,000. Add it all up and it comes to about $20 million a year.

Expanding the TNA product is necessary for the company, as wrestlers and storylines are having literally no effect on anything. Hulk Hogan has come to TNA and nothing has happened to the ratings. So reaching out to the fans is the only option to try and boost the buy-rates and ratings. That's how they get more attention, fans will hear their name, and that leads to them watching something they probably didn't expect.

You see, travelling is/was their way of expansion, however it isn't looking good as it is costly. They could try and get their stars on shows, interviews, get the big-deals Hogan, Angle, Sting, Hardy and Rampage Jackson to try to get them some mainstream attention (Hogan once promoted TNA on UFC, Rampage is a well known fighter, Kurt is an Olympic-gold medalist and Hardy has a massive fan-base), travel very few times a year, make video games, expand their market for all audiences, etc. None of those are exactly cheap, but they are less than the road travel prices. After the numbers added up, they could have easily traveled with money not being that much of an issues as it is today. Today, they don't pay their wrestlers per weekly appearance on TV, but rather per-taping appearance. It's because travelling every week costs too much.

Alternatively, they could cut down the travelling even though Universal Studios now have another event going on there meaning it's booked for a long time. I'm sure any other studio with a 5000+ capacity will take them on given their popularity (which is not much but its there). It doesn't matter if you have people taking the piss, you need to think of the long-term affects. Where do you think they would be if they were till on Monday?

One thing which must be taken into consideration is mainly the pay. Especially after the recent reports. What if some of the more able stars like Styles, Roode and Aries do sign with the WWE? If men of their ability don't want TNA contracts, then those that are talented from the Indy's won't either. If they don't watch their finances, the roster can take a massive blow; and this is a pretty good roster.

To summarize, if the numbers all add up, they should stay on the path they're going, yet at the same time make sure the wrestlers get a pay they can live off. If they DO make a loss, cut back on their travelling expenses, and do whatever else they can to expand their market. Be wary that Lockdown and also Slammiversary did show bigger buyrates than usual, so I'm guessing that the income from the PPV's aren't that bad.