TNA's Debut At Destination America - January 7th - Spam Discussion

[Hard Hit Prince]

“A week after the ball drops in New York City, fists will fly as IMPACT WRESTLING begins a new era with our LIVE debut on Destination America,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “IMPACT WRESTLING will be the most compelling two hours of wrestling on television.”

The special live broadcast on Wednesday, January 7 will feature a main event for the richest prize in IMPACT WRESTLING: the World Heavyweight Championship, Roode vs. Lashley III. A decisive rematch in this epic trilogy, reigning champion Bobby Roode defends the title against dominant former heavyweight champion Bobby Lashley to prove who’s the best in IMPACT WRESTLING. Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Gail Kim, Ethan Carter III (aka EC3), and all the stars of IMPACT add to the explosive debut. An encore will follow from 11 PM-1 AM ET.

So this is the first match announced for the debut episode of Destination America, and as an outsider, I saw the other two matches and there was nothing wrong there. This is a good way to create some hype for the first show and the match here, should be a good one to start 2015 with a bang. I hope TNA does indeed really understand that a solid main event match is what's going to make us tune in the week after, and not, just throwing away all the guys for the sake of it.

Roode and Lashley have been by far the best thing going for TNA in 2014 as far as singles feud goes for the main title, so this one, does indeed have a big fight feel to it. This should end it all and let people move on from this feud. Hope they bring us some video packages and interviews to build it even better.

 

[Lowdown]

I'm looking forward to some fresh feuds with the changes going on. Roode vs Lashley III is the major story, but I'm kinda over it already.

 

[rbv13]

I am pumped for the live debut of Impact Wrestling on Destination America. I am curious to see what changes they’ve made in production, how the new announce duo will work and what talents will begin to emerge with a seemingly fresh start. While I would like to know more about the card the mystery of what potentially could happen has this fan very intrigued.

I would like to know Lashleys long term status with the company. He remains signed with Bellator so there is a possibility they and Spike pressure him to leave the company. I hope this is not the case but shadier shit has happened.

 

[Starkist]

I'm not over it yet. Roode vs Lashley shall be better than Lesnar vs Cena.

I'm hoping to see Somoa Joe, Austin Aeris and ECIII get in the title scene.

 

[Boring]

I feel the best ending for this feud would be for Bobby Lashley to come out in a "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt and for the match to end with him tapping out screaming "I can't breathe" in a crippler cross face by Officer Roode. If that doesn't draw buzz, I don't know what will.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

TNA IS TRYING REALLY HARD TO GET ALBERTO "EL PATRON" TO SIGN AN EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH THE COMPANY
​

- TNA recently made another play for former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio (El Patron). Apparently they made a very serious money offer - a rumored one-year deal for $400,000.

TNA is reportedly asking for exclusivity, which could be a problem as Del Rio is planning to work with El Rey and AAA's Lucha Underground in 2015. TNA may have to drop the request for exclusivity or up the money to get Del Rio. TNA is trying to sell Del Rio on the idea that he will have more US TV exposure with TNA than with anyone else.

TNA is trying hard to get Del Rio due to John Gaburick working closely with Del Rio in WWE.

Alberto Del Rio is sure to become the hottest property in professional wrestling in 2015 - he already has a deal made with Ring of Honor for January tapings and an appearance at the March 1st PPV - 13th Anniversary. He's the current AAA World Heavyweight Champion, so for now, it would be safe to assume that if Del Rio does indeed get to TNA, it will only be for half an year at least.

I think he would fit better in TNA than in any other company (US based) including ROH. He has the "superstar look" and TNA is able to give him a bigger value, if not for production values. I would for sure like to see him wrestle a guy like Bobby Roode or Austin Aries for a debut feud. It will be very interesting to see this own soap opera between TNA/Alberto "El Patron" - the money looks to be there, will the commitment? He's another "former WWE", but he could easily set his own value in TNA.

 

[Starkist]

No, I myself am not for it. They say history doesn't repeat itself but in wrestling it does. TNA will sign ADR a few weeks later he's WHC. There goes all the other contenders for the belt for who knows how long.

I wish TNA would stop chasing ADR and use the talent they have now. Push Kenny King, Manik, AA, Somoa Joe, Storm, Tigre Uno, EC3 and hell push Tyrus and Bram too.

I'm not a fan of ADR, he's decent in the ring but other than that I'd be happy without him in TNA.

 

[lil steroid meat]

ADR is cool and all, but it would benefit them so much more to spread that 400k out into signing multiple indie dudes that they could mold into their own creations. Why are they afraid of this? There has not been a true non-WWE star since WCW.

It gets played out so quickly to have a well known name come in, run through the roster, and then a year later he's just...there.

 

[lil steroid meat]

New logo looks better than I initally viewed it, but I still think the name should be "Impact Zone Pro Wrestling".

Also for fucks sake get rid of the blue. I like that they made it royal blue, but it's still a color mostly associated with Smackdown. So many other colors would look sick.

 

[Alex]

I don't see why they'd go for Del Rio. He's a good in-ring worker but there are loads of them and he's not particularly good on the mic and he doesn't have the presence of Hardy to be able to make up for that.

Honestly trying to court Chris Hero (providing he isn't fat) or another big indy star seems the better choice.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I wish them all the best. I hope they mature and grow with great storylines and provide the alternative to the E.

Good they got another TV deal in time.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

ADR is cool and all, but it would benefit them so much more to spread that 400k out into signing multiple indie dudes that they could mold into their own creations. Why are they afraid of this? There has not been a true non-WWE star since WCW.

It gets played out so quickly to have a well known name come in, run through the roster, and then a year later he's just...there.

I do not particularly agree with this - I mean, if we're looking for major stars such as Austin, The Rock or John Cena then sure, none of them is making the rounds outside of the WWE, but there's an handful of guys that are indeed making more money and making a name for themselves outside of the WWE.

The thing people need to understand is that information now is easily found. If you want to be a fan of a wrestling company based in Russia, you probably can if you find it, so if interested people are big fans of that said promotion, then, that will be a pretty popular concept. So, for that matter, I say there's been a lot of non-WWE guys who were actually pretty good without putting their feet on WWE. Right now, I could say that AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Hiroshi Tanahashi, ReDragon (a tag team) are pretty big stars on their own, without ever being a WWE Superstar and if they appear in the company one day, they'll all be received with big pops from the crowds, wherever they are.

As far as TNA goes, I've already said Bobby Roode, but James Storm is another pretty known star. Eric Young is too and Austin Aries. Those guys, mainly Roode, Storm and Aries could indeed pop a house in WWE or anywhere else in the world, so they are true wrestling stars. You feel what I am saying?

 

[lil steroid meat]

I do not particularly agree with this - I mean, if we're looking for major stars such as Austin, The Rock or John Cena then sure, none of them is making the rounds outside of the WWE, but there's an handful of guys that are indeed making more money and making a name for themselves outside of the WWE.

The thing people need to understand is that information now is easily found. If you want to be a fan of a wrestling company based in Russia, you probably can if you find it, so if interested people are big fans of that said promotion, then, that will be a pretty popular concept. So, for that matter, I say there's been a lot of non-WWE guys who were actually pretty good without putting their feet on WWE. Right now, I could say that AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Hiroshi Tanahashi, ReDragon (a tag team) are pretty big stars on their own, without ever being a WWE Superstar and if they appear in the company one day, they'll all be received with big pops from the crowds, wherever they are.

As far as TNA goes, I've already said Bobby Roode, but James Storm is another pretty known star. Eric Young is too and Austin Aries. Those guys, mainly Roode, Storm and Aries could indeed pop a house in WWE or anywhere else in the world, so they are true wrestling stars. You feel what I am saying?

I was talking major mainstream stars a la Austin, Rock, Hogan, Cena.

To a lesser extent Goldberg, Sting, etc.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I was talking major mainstream stars a la Austin, Rock, Hogan, Cena.

To a lesser extent Goldberg, Sting, etc.

Sting and Goldberg are a fruit of WCW, and people seem to forget that WCW was indeed more popular than the WWF for a period of time. They were beating them to the ground - even though we call it "The Sharpshooter", the move Bret Hart is famous for, was known as "Scorpion Deathlock" and it was a Sting move. Also wrestling was a lot more popular, like, a lot more and people craved for it.

So, in order for TNA to create major stars, they need to become a major company and help bring the industry back up, and for that, they need established stars, just like Alberto Del Rio, or a CM Punk and when they have all the eyes on them, they absolutely need to deliver a good product, and not re-wash WWE storylines or create awful ones. Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy - they were all good additions to TNA in their first few months, but did the company really delivered? They shouldn't have pushed that guys to the moon over and over again, they should have indeed use them to show the potential of major TNA stars, and they actually did that with AJ Styles and to an extent Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, but, after they did good, they became the worse imaginable and after a good period, they give an awful period and that takes a lot away from the current wrestling fans, who have a lot of television options.

 

[Trill Co$by]

So, in order for TNA to create major stars, they need to become a major company and help bring the industry back up, and for that, they need established stars, just like Alberto Del Rio, or a CM Punk and when they have all the eyes on them, they absolutely need to deliver a good product, and not re-wash WWE storylines or create awful ones. Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy - they were all good additions to TNA in their first few months, but did the company really delivered? They shouldn't have pushed that guys to the moon over and over again, they should have indeed use them to show the potential of major TNA stars, and they actually did that with AJ Styles and to an extent Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, but, after they did good, they became the worse imaginable and after a good period, they give an awful period and that takes a lot away from the current wrestling fans, who have a lot of television options.

No... No they don't... When Hulk Hogan left the WWF, Vince didn't go out and seek guys like Bruno Sammartino. He went with the next generation of stars and pushed forward. He opted out getting back guys like Sammartino in favor of pushing Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, etc. And that's what TNA needs to do now. They need to find people that fans don't know yet, but are willing to get to know. People like Gunner, who I believe has all the tools to be wrestling's next Brock Lesnar. People like Sam Shaw, who has a lot of charisma similar to Shawn Michaels. People like EC3, Rockstar Spud, or even Kenny King who are characters that people can relate to in some form or fashion. They don't need stars... stars are how they got themselves into this situation in the first place. Or have you forgotten how much the product dwindled since Hogan signed?

TNA just needs better writers, and that's all they need. Their roster is spot on.

 

[Dirk]

TNA just needs better writers, and that's all they need. Their roster is spot on.

Yeah, but who would risk it, though?

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

No... No they don't... When Hulk Hogan left the WWF, Vince didn't go out and seek guys like Bruno Sammartino. He went with the next generation of stars and pushed forward. He opted out getting back guys like Sammartino in favor of pushing Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, etc. And that's what TNA needs to do now. They need to find people that fans don't know yet, but are willing to get to know. People like Gunner, who I believe has all the tools to be wrestling's next Brock Lesnar. People like Sam Shaw, who has a lot of charisma similar to Shawn Michaels. People like EC3, Rockstar Spud, or even Kenny King who are characters that people can relate to in some form or fashion. They don't need stars... stars are how they got themselves into this situation in the first place. Or have you forgotten how much the product dwindled since Hogan signed?

TNA just needs better writers, and that's all they need. Their roster is spot on.

You may very well have the best stories going in a small promotion, really intense feuds with the talent going for it but if you don't have the eyes, you will most likely not have success and despite the quality you deliver, nobody will care. There are a lot of independent promotions out there, a lot of good ones - in fact there's been a fantastic series of matches between Colt Cabana and Adam Pearce, both incredibly talented wrestlers, but have you seen any of the eight matches so far? Exactly my point.

Distribution is the key to success, you need more eyes to deliver a good product. That's marketing, that's bringing huge stars in order to create bigger ones. WCW brought Hogan, Lex Luger, Ted Dibiase, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, (Half) The Kliq, Bret Hart... Those guys were the ones that brought attention to the company, and for all the rights and wrongs, they indeed beat WWF (who was already one of the major companies in the world). However they were stupid enough to give on air publicity about WWF, they were stupid enough to use too much of their old stars to a point of stagnation and in the midst of everything, they indeed created some guys like Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg, Sting.

You can not create "major" stars without being "major". You can book someone like Gunner to be the next big thing, but if nobody watches, then nobody cares and he's not going to be it alone.