TNA's Direction Today

[MisterRob]

I use to be a fan of TNA, watching it back in its early days. I enjoyed the X Division and the uniqueness of it, and I loved the fact it was made an important division in the company and highlighted as much as other divisions were. I also loved the fact that TNA had working relationships with other promotions, in Mexico and Japan, and that we got to see exciting, fun things like the World X Cup.

But what ever happened to that?

The current TNA feels like just another wrestling promotion in the image of a WWE. They have the same type of wrestlers, the same time of angles, and the same type of feel to it. It’s missing, in my eyes, the uniqueness it once had and what really made it a different promotion, that had a different “feel”, then other companies like WWE, ROH, etc.

My question is this: What changed and why? But more so, do you think TNA should go a different direction and really TRY to take advantage of working relationships with AAA or Japan? Do you want to see them focus again on unique ideas like World X Cup (in fact, it doesn’t even have to be centered around the X Division anymore)?

Or what about inter-promotional angles and feuds?
Would that not be more exciting and interesting then the current product of today, with Aces & Eights and a focus around the Hogans?

 

[The Butcher]

I also used to be a big TNA Wrestling fan during the 6-sided ring days. As recently as late 2009, I found myself equally as into TNA as I was WWE. That was, to quote Obi Wan Kenobi, "before the dark times..."

It wasn't just the X Division, although that did draw my attention when TNA was still on Fox Sports; what kept my attention and ended up making me a fan was the excitement. TNA was a more enthusiastic promotion than WWE. Younger stars, better high spots, and a crowd that did their best to be an ECW of the South audience.

As time went on, the tag team and knockouts divisions became reasons to watch. Both TNA's tag team and knockouts were superior in-ring to what WWE had to offer to counter, and both arguably held Impact! up on various episodes, as the main event scene in TNA has always been a tad sloppy. Just between Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim and the Motor City Machine Guns vs. Beer Money, Inc. TNA had two of the best feuds in all of wrestling from like '07-'09

What changed is simple: regime change. The less said about this the better, because I know a lot of people here love today's TNA for some reason, and I don't want to get into a debate with no resolution. I don't know what TNA should do, as it seems as if they're expanding and the powers that be around there are happy. Personally, I think Hell's Kitchen is more exciting and interesting than the current product of today, and I'm a much bigger wrestling fan than I am a reality TV or cooking show fan.

 

[ABMorales787]

Ummm.... They still have all that. The One Night Only PPV's will feature talent from other companies. And 2 World Cups.

 

[MisterRob]

Ummm.... They still have all that. The One Night Only PPV's will feature talent from other companies. And 2 World Cups.

Where do you see that?

All I saw was that the One Night Only PPVs will have one PPV consisting of wrestlers from around the globe from each division for that night. And that PPV isn't even being shown until the end of the year. If you know otherwise, please show a link.

My point was that in the past TNA had a much bigger focus then that on their World Cup, with teams from different nations competing against each other in an actual tournament. They also promoted it on Impact up until that tournament took place. I miss that, and think that's something very unique they're lacking right now in their current Impact product.

It's not like they're using the X Division for much right now, they could easily focus it around this sort of thing and possibly make it far more interesting and entertaining then the lackluster division it is now, a roster of 5 wrestlers competing in 3 way dances all the time.

 

[D'Angelo Styles]

Ummm.... They still have all that. The One Night Only PPV's will feature talent from other companies. And 2 World Cups.

ohhh come on, you mean to say that ONO's is going to make viewers. Their primary show is Impact Wrestling, and thats where they should show the unique things. You are one of those people who like today's toned down, half PG, less complex product, but take a look around you brotha, TNA is going nowhere with this new toned down style. Even with their LIVE and now on the ROAD episodes, TNA is experiencing the lower ratings. You people will tell that it is because of transitional period, but let me refresh your memory. The transitional period started during 2011 Bound For Glory Series, and the day Storm became the champion, the ratings scored 1.46, which is a dream for the current product style. After the end of BFG till the day Russo was out of the company, TNA never scored a rating less than 1.1, and that was the time when Bobby Roode was the champ, Storm and AJ Styles were on the lines, Daniels and Kazarian were given more focus, Bully Ray was an awesome heel, and my friend that was the TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. Those 4 months were the time the company was changing for youth movement. But the day the creative changed, Russo resigned, Hogan and Bischoff got more power in Creative; was start of the fall of ratings. Very few people are interested in the ongoing Aces and Eights. Because people didn't saw when angle was building. For 9 months TNA had lowest ratings after Monday Night Wars. People didn't tune up, and so not much buzz was created. TNA lost its unique flavor, and the people.

 

[ABMorales787]

Where do you see that?

All I saw was that the One Night Only PPVs will have one PPV consisting of wrestlers from around the globe from each division for that night. And that PPV isn't even being shown until the end of the year. If you know otherwise, please show a link.

Lince Dorado will compete in the upcoming X-Travaganza, Judas Mesias/El Mesias from AAA will make 2 appearances and so forth. As far as I've seen it won't just be the World X Cup to have stars from other companies.

My point was that in the past TNA had a much bigger focus then that on their World Cup, with teams from different nations competing against each other in an actual tournament. They also promoted it on Impact up until that tournament took place. I miss that, and think that's something very unique they're lacking right now in their current Impact product.

It would take away from the main scene. I understand that it's missed, but there's no room for it which it's why it's on the One Night Only PPV's. If anything, it's good that it's being brought back for the first time since 2008 (I think) and TNA want's to bring other stars in even if it's for just those shows.

It's not like they're using the X Division for much right now, they could easily focus it around this sort of thing and possibly make it far more interesting and entertaining then the lackluster division it is now, a roster of 5 wrestlers competing in 3 way dances all the time.

That's more on the company than on fan theory. I too feel the X Division is just bad right now. Even if they had the airtime to showcase it, the roster is not deep enough for it. But they're showing they have the connections to really beef it up lately with these PPV's. They do still maintain work with AAA and other smaller companies.

ohhh come on, you mean to say that ONO's is going to make viewers. Their primary show is Impact Wrestling, and thats where they should show the unique things. You are one of those people who like today's toned down, half PG, less complex product, but take a look around you brotha, TNA is going nowhere with this new toned down style. Even with their LIVE and now on the ROAD episodes, TNA is experiencing the lower ratings. You people will tell that it is because of transitional period, but let me refresh your memory. The transitional period started during 2011 Bound For Glory Series, and the day Storm became the champion, the ratings scored 1.46, which is a dream for the current product style. After the end of BFG till the day Russo was out of the company, TNA never scored a rating less than 1.1, and that was the time when Bobby Roode was the champ, Storm and AJ Styles were on the lines, Daniels and Kazarian were given more focus, Bully Ray was an awesome heel, and my friend that was the TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. Those 4 months were the time the company was changing for youth movement. But the day the creative changed, Russo resigned, Hogan and Bischoff got more power in Creative; was start of the fall of ratings. Very few people are interested in the ongoing Aces and Eights. Because people didn't saw when angle was building. For 9 months TNA had lowest ratings after Monday Night Wars. People didn't tune up, and so not much buzz was created. TNA lost its unique flavor, and the people.

You're really stupid. Why the hell are you ranting at me about something I'm not talking about?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

TNA does often get criticized for trying to be "too much" like WWE or WCW by some "purists". The thing is though, you have to do what you think will work. What works is something that draws fans to your product. It might not always be something that some fans will like. Sometimes, it might push fans away to the point where they're just not interested. However, the key is to bring in much more fans than you might lose.

TNA has had to become more like your more "mainstream" wrestling companies like WWE and WCW because those companies employed tactics that took them to levels TNA wants to reach. Everything from production values to the size of the ring to how the wrestlers look, especially these days, is put under a microscope. Some feel that the six sided ring made TNA look bush league, I know that's how Hogan felt. Me personally, the shape of a ring doesn't matter whatsoever. It's what goes on in the ring that I care about. But, again, that's just my opinion.

I've read some people have accused TNA of selling its "soul" in the hopes of being more successful. That's more of that bullshit ideology that some people hold to. Those are the same people who see wrestling as primarily some sort of art form that people do because they love it. Business don't have souls. The goal of a business is to generate money so that the people who work for it can earn a good living. Wrestlers, at least sane ones, don't put their bodies through the rigors of the business just for the sake of love for it. They want to get paid. They want to be able to provide a comfortable life for themselves & their families. You have to love it, of course. That goes without saying. But that love has to be balanced with practicality. The fans aren't going to pay your bills when you're 50 years old and your body is riddled with arthritis, strained ligaments & tendons due to spending your life & youth entertaining them.

I agree that the X Division was unique. It was ultimately what put TNA on the map in the first place. The thing is though, the X Division was never designed to ultimately take TNA to the levels of success it wanted to have. After all, let's be honest, how many guys came out of the X Division that had the legit ability to be a major player in wrestling on a big stage? Not very many at all. Also, you have to look at how the business as a whole has changed. With so many wrestlers dying at early ages, having issues with drugs in order to cope with the pain; a lot of the craziness surrounding the X Division disappeared and that's probably for the best. Like everyone else, I get a jolt of adrenaline when I see a nice looking high spot. But the matches used to be packed with little more than numerous, dangerous spots that were wearing the bodies of these guys out. My problem with the X Division doesn't stem from the fact that so much of the craziness is gone, but that it no longer seems to matter. WWE has similar problems right now with its mid-card picture that's gotten worse during the build to WrestleMania. They're jobbing their mid-card champions out left & right these days. In TNA, the problem isn't so much that, but the fact that there's just simply no energy put into X Division at all. A few times a month, we'll see three guys wrestle in a 5 to 7 minute 3 way match for the title, one guy will win and then they just do the same thing over again in another few weeks. There's no incentive to care about anyone in the X Division.

As for their working relationship with other companies, I touched on that in the TNA vs. ROH angle thread. Egos do often get in the way. TNA & ROH have butted heads several times in the past that've ultimately led to ending their past relationships. There's a World X Cup One Night Only ppv coming up and, like the other shows, this ppv seems geared towards an audience looking for a nostalgia kick. For one night, they can watch TNA do stuff that it used to do once upon a time.

 

[MisterRob]

TNA does often get criticized for trying to be "too much" like WWE or WCW by some "purists". The thing is though, you have to do what you think will work. What works is something that draws fans to your product. It might not always be something that some fans will like. Sometimes, it might push fans away to the point where they're just not interested. However, the key is to bring in much more fans than you might lose.

TNA has had to become more like your more "mainstream" wrestling companies like WWE and WCW because those companies employed tactics that took them to levels TNA wants to reach. Everything from production values to the size of the ring to how the wrestlers look, especially these days, is put under a microscope. Some feel that the six sided ring made TNA look bush league, I know that's how Hogan felt. Me personally, the shape of a ring doesn't matter whatsoever. It's what goes on in the ring that I care about. But, again, that's just my opinion.

I've read some people have accused TNA of selling its "soul" in the hopes of being more successful. That's more of that bullshit ideology that some people hold to. Those are the same people who see wrestling as primarily some sort of art form that people do because they love it. Business don't have souls. The goal of a business is to generate money so that the people who work for it can earn a good living. Wrestlers, at least sane ones, don't put their bodies through the rigors of the business just for the sake of love for it. They want to get paid. They want to be able to provide a comfortable life for themselves & their families. You have to love it, of course. That goes without saying. But that love has to be balanced with practicality. The fans aren't going to pay your bills when you're 50 years old and your body is riddled with arthritis, strained ligaments & tendons due to spending your life & youth entertaining them.

I agree that the X Division was unique. It was ultimately what put TNA on the map in the first place. The thing is though, the X Division was never designed to ultimately take TNA to the levels of success it wanted to have. After all, let's be honest, how many guys came out of the X Division that had the legit ability to be a major player in wrestling on a big stage? Not very many at all. Also, you have to look at how the business as a whole has changed. With so many wrestlers dying at early ages, having issues with drugs in order to cope with the pain; a lot of the craziness surrounding the X Division disappeared and that's probably for the best. Like everyone else, I get a jolt of adrenaline when I see a nice looking high spot. But the matches used to be packed with little more than numerous, dangerous spots that were wearing the bodies of these guys out. My problem with the X Division doesn't stem from the fact that so much of the craziness is gone, but that it no longer seems to matter. WWE has similar problems right now with its mid-card picture that's gotten worse during the build to WrestleMania. They're jobbing their mid-card champions out left & right these days. In TNA, the problem isn't so much that, but the fact that there's just simply no energy put into X Division at all. A few times a month, we'll see three guys wrestle in a 5 to 7 minute 3 way match for the title, one guy will win and then they just do the same thing over again in another few weeks. There's no incentive to care about anyone in the X Division.

As for their working relationship with other companies, I touched on that in the TNA vs. ROH angle thread. Egos do often get in the way. TNA & ROH have butted heads several times in the past that've ultimately led to ending their past relationships. There's a World X Cup One Night Only ppv coming up and, like the other shows, this ppv seems geared towards an audience looking for a nostalgia kick. For one night, they can watch TNA do stuff that it used to do once upon a time.

For once I disagree with you Jack-Hammer.

AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries. All of these names were the corner stone of the original X Division. They began in the X Division and rose beyond that to become prominent stars, and main eventers, three of those names World champions. You can add names like Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Petey Williams, to the list of X Division wrestlers who could have become more then just that division.

Look at WWE: CM Punk was in TNA and in the X Division. He is now one of the top stars in the company and a multi-time World champion. Daniel Bryan would have been in the X Division in TNA, no questions about it. He's a top star in WWE and another World champion.

So, I believe that the X Division is constantly under valued and underrated for what it WAS and COULD have been. There was no need for the Television title (or whatever or name it was given over the years), because its always been and STILL is a meaningless title that has absolutely no value to it. The champion has NO credibility, and people even forget about the title for crying out loud.

All TNA had to do was keep the unique qualities of the X Division (and it was no weight limits, for crying out loud) and push it as the second tier title, the one much like old school Intercontinental championship, which was used as the stepping stone to the main event. It's history, and the fact countless champions who held it have gone on to become stars and World champions in TNA, proves it could have been used for this very purpose. It's the entire angle that was used to build and push Austin Aries to become World champion!

So not only do you have a championship that has history, meaning, and credibility. You have a championship that can be used for those who are not yet main event stars but have the potential to become the future stars of the company. Not only that, but you also have a UNIQUE division, and one that has exciting, interesting feuds and GREAT wrestling matches consistently.

We never needed filler crap like the X Division has been used for over recent years. We never needed it to be devalued and turned into some Cruiserweight title and de-emphasized. We never needed anything but it to constantly evolve.. from the time of stars like Styles, Daniels, and Joe.. to the time of stars like Aries, Shelley.. and so on.

That's where, I believe, TNA has constantly been getting it wrong over the years. They made the X Division into something it didn't have to be, instead of realizing it could have been something it already WAS.

 

[mlp420]

One of two things happened:

1.) TNA is really just a long, elaborate, and cruel hoax to torture internet fans. They could easily go back to their old direction and draw millions of viewers, become a billion dollar company, and make everyone happy but they choose not to because they'd rather go bankrupt just to screw with us.

OR

2.)The old direction was not connecting with the audience that is the SOLE reason for their existence.

TNA is not in this to be ECW 2.0, they're in it to take a chunk of WWE's audience, and find out where all those old WCW & Attitude-Era WWF fans are hiding. If they can't do that, they're gone. They don't wanna be a niche product for hardcore smarks. If they wanted to do that, they could have done that years ago and saved themselves millions of dollars.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I agree that the X Division was unique. It was ultimately what put TNA on the map in the first place. The thing is though, the X Division was never designed to ultimately take TNA to the levels of success it wanted to have. After all, let's be honest, how many guys came out of the X Division that had the legit ability to be a major player in wrestling on a big stage? Not very many at all.

While, the biggest majority of your post is on point Jack-Hammer, this was a little short changing.

Rob did beat me to it, but he makes the point I was going to.

AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Austin Aries all used the X-division to transition to world title status.

Daniels used it to become a star who has headlined PPVs, and became a legitimate contender for world titles.

And others like Shelley, Lethal, EY, and Williams all had the raw personality to accompany the flash, and given the right circumstance could have caught lightning in a bottle the way that Aries did and quickly moved into a more prominent singles spot above the X-division.

Although many see the X-division as merely a cruiser division, it can definitley be a springboard(no pun intended) to a bigger stage, due to the fact that most of its standout combatants earn an early strong relationship with the crowd due to the flashy fan-friendly nature of the division.

Look at how many guys were simply used almost exclusively as Cruisers in WCW that went on to be world champions on the bigger WWE stage.

The X-division holds this kind of potential to make main-eventers if used right. TNA executed that opportunity for guys well in its early days, and proved with Aries that it can still be done.

I think King could end up being a great example of this too. King has the size, look, and natural charisma to be a legitimate main event player some day for the company if he does his part and continues to grow on the national stage and TNA doesn't screw it up.

As for this...

You people

What do you mean by "you people"? Should I be offended?

will tell that it is because of transitional period, but let me refresh your memory. The transitional period started during 2011 Bound For Glory Series, and the day Storm became the champion, the ratings scored 1.46, which is a dream for the current product style. After the end of BFG till the day Russo was out of the company, TNA never scored a rating less than 1.1, and that was the time when Bobby Roode was the champ, Storm and AJ Styles were on the lines, Daniels and Kazarian were given more focus, Bully Ray was an awesome heel, and my friend that was the TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

So wait. Moving to a live broadcast isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And adjusting to a new time slot isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And completely leaving behind their Universal Studios relationship and altogether dumping the Impact Zone isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And bringing the weekly televised product on tour to new cities so fans across the country have the chance to see it live isn't part of the "transitional period"?

And completely altering the PPV format isn't part of the "transitional period"?

I'm sure TNA would be glad to know that you feel a verdict has already been made on how all of these changes impact the product and its potential longterm viewership growth.

 

[bedz_ses]

i've been watching TNA for about 8 years now...and i was a huge fan back then..awesome young talents, be it aj or petey williams or chris sabin or alex shelly..it was different from the wwe..the x division was spetaular...i honestly enjoyed it till about we saw Mr. hogan in the picture...ever since he arrived, it has only been about him..and as a result the x-division has become an empty shell of what it used to be..dont know why in the hell the TV championship even exists..the tag division well...better not talk about it..
and then you have the recycled storylines..everytime its about team tna vs_____(fill in the gap)..i really pray to God we donot have to see Hogan vs Bully Ray..
I can probably complain for the whole day..truth is, TNA is trying to be too much like the wwe...and thats why it is not what it used to be...

 

[snoopy]

i've been watching TNA for about 8 years now...and i was a huge fan back then..awesome young talents, be it aj or petey williams or chris sabin or alex shelly..it was different from the wwe..the x division was spetaular...i honestly enjoyed it till about we saw Mr. hogan in the picture...ever since he arrived, it has only been about him..and as a result the x-division has become an empty shell of what it used to be..dont know why in the hell the TV championship even exists..the tag division well...better not talk about it..
and then you have the recycled storylines..everytime its about team tna vs_____(fill in the gap)..i really pray to God we donot have to see Hogan vs Bully Ray..
I can probably complain for the whole day..truth is, TNA is trying to be too much like the wwe...and thats why it is not what it used to be...

It's not about being like the WWE it's about being what Pro Wrestling is and that's Sports Entertainment or a Rope Opera. In the 80's you had Pro Wrestling, The foundation was the same rather it was NWA,WCCW,AWA, or the WWF.

It was Pro Wrestling but they all had different styles, You could tell the difference in each show but the foundation was the same. And the same thing for soap operas. Guiding light's foundation is the same as General Hospitals but they have different styles,stoyliines and characters.

And that's the same thing with TNA and the WWE the foundation is the same but it's a different World. Simply you guys are just wasting energy complaining about this because Spike T.V.wants Sports Entertainment if they didn't they wouldn't have given TNA a second hour. Dixie has said Pro Wrestling is a Rope Opera and that's what she wants if she didn't she wouldn't have brought in Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff.

So you guys can just stop complaining and put your money where your mouth is and buy the one night only PPV's if you want that style of TNA wrestling.

 

[mlp420]

^That's the thing, if everyone that's complaining buys that X Division PPV, and it does crazy numbers, then the X Division stuff would be all over Impact the next week. Money talks. Everyone goes on about how they "used to like TNA until ____" but it's complete bullshit. The ratings are the same today as they were then, so that doesn't add up. The People complaining are still watching, and there's not that many of them to begin with. Just look at all the indy promotions that still embrace the style TNA once had, they're all floundering. Nobody wants to see it. Even New Japan came here and flopped.

 

[D'Angelo Styles]

As for this...

What do you mean by "you people"? Should I be offended?



So wait. Moving to a live broadcast isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And adjusting to a new time slot isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And completely leaving behind their Universal Studios relationship and altogether dumping the Impact Zone isn't a part of the "transitional period"?

And bringing the weekly televised product on tour to new cities so fans across the country have the chance to see it live isn't part of the "transitional period"?

And completely altering the PPV format isn't part of the "transitional period"?

I'm sure TNA would be glad to know that you feel a verdict has already been made on how all of these changes impact the product and its potential longterm viewership growth.

Well, its not a part of the transitional period, and even if going live and changing their timeslots is transitional action, then also those should be the reasons for the increase in the ratings, not rather decrease in it. My point was simple, that TNA going live and on the ROAD were the best decisions the company took but they took some lame decisions aswell. Changing the Creative department was most idiotic decision. TNA lost its edge from the very first episode the new regime started writing. I love wrestling, but I want edgy storylines aswell. Whether you like it or not, even the most successful period of WCW 97 was because of the storyline concentric program they offered along with some great anticipating matches. TNA is blank on the creative department now. Even though the Aces and Eights are changing in Bully's Leadership, but it was too late, because when building of this angle was done not much people regularly tune IW. TNA is suffering only and only because of the new creative department. Nothing else in TNA is bad, the only thing that still holding them is their creative department, which has lost the uniqueness since the transition. Its 2013, time has changed, people want to see new things, new gimmicks, new style, new matches, but what TNA is offering is the same 96's NITRO's rehashing storylines, with less impact full talent and even less exposure and mostly with lame buildup.

As for "You people" is concerned, I said that line for them who were saying that TNA would do great under the new creative department back in March 2012. And those people literally made a fool of themselves when TNA went for their lowest yearly average rating since 2010 monday night wars.

 

[The Butcher]

^That's the thing, if everyone that's complaining buys that X Division PPV, and it does crazy numbers, then the X Division stuff would be all over Impact the next week. Money talks. Everyone goes on about how they "used to like TNA until ____" but it's complete bullshit. The ratings are the same today as they were then, so that doesn't add up. The People complaining are still watching, and there's not that many of them to begin with. Just look at all the indy promotions that still embrace the style TNA once had, they're all floundering. Nobody wants to see it. Even New Japan came here and flopped.

Your powers of reasoning are weak. Just because the ratings have remained similar, the same people are watching? Please tell me you don't have a high school diploma or equivalent document.

It's not all about the X Division. I can't speak for all former TNA fans (and I am, admittedly, an occasional viewer still), but I said earlier that the Knockouts and tag teams kept me invested for a long time. If the regime change had diminished the X Division but maintained these divisions along with keeping the world title scene uncluttered, I'd still watch TNA regularly. Instead low water dropped all boats and everything went down for a while.

 

[mlp420]

Your powers of reasoning are weak. Just because the ratings have remained similar, the same people are watching? Please tell me you don't have a high school diploma or equivalent document.

Don't really know what you're getting at here. Are you saying that there's a different audience watching now than there was in the past despite the ridiculously steady viewership they've had week after week for 6 years?

It's not all about the X Division. I can't speak for all former TNA fans (and I am, admittedly, an occasional viewer still), but I said earlier that the Knockouts and tag teams kept me invested for a long time. If the regime change had diminished the X Division but maintained these divisions along with keeping the world title scene uncluttered, I'd still watch TNA regularly. Instead low water dropped all boats and everything went down for a while.

They could maintain the X Division, the Knockouts division, the Tag Team division, keep the world title scene uncluttered, on top of all the other things like the TV Title, Open Fight Night, Gut Check, the upcoming BFG series, etc. All they would need is a four hour show. Or they could bring back Vince Russo and go back to crash TV with a bunch 3 minutes matches and a billion backstage vignettes crammed into a 2 hour show (which I wouldn't mind BTW).

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Right. Back when TNA was so damn good. Back when it was all about the originals. Back when the main stars were people like Ken Shamrock, Jeff Jarrett, Rhyno and Raven. I wish we had people as talented these days.

Back when the card was stuffed with spotty X-Division matches with the singular purpose of making you go "holy shit". Back when good promos were non existent. Back when good storytelling was unknown to people like AJ Styles who has been stuck with an indy mindset for years and only recently shook it off.

Back when the production values were crap, back when the arenas looked like crap.

The good old TNA, right?

Who cares about actual stars nowadays. People like Jeff Hardy, people like Sting, people like Hogan. They're nobodies, they have no talent.

Who cares about well rounded wrestlers like Roode, Aries, Storm, Bully, Daniels. These guys can go suck a fuck. Them and their entertaining promos. The hell with their matches and storytelling too. What good are they compared to a bunch of divisions consisting of 90% nobodies and 10% somebodies. One dimensionality for the rulez!!!

Bring back the old TNA because obviously today's TNA is nowhere near its level of glory and talent. That's why the company isn't as big as it used to be 5-8 years ago. They're not even growing. They're not even live. They're not even on the road. They can't even sign famous wrestlers.

OWAIT!

Really? Some people prefer to sacrifice everything TNA is right now, all the good things, just for the notion that it's different from the WWE? Are you kidding me? NEWSFLASH. TNA isn't TRYING to be like the WWE. The WWE has been on top of wrestling for decades. TNA is LIKE Wrestling, and wrestling happens to be personified by the WWE. Look too much into it you'll find that TNA is like WCW, ECW, AWA or any other promotion. Why? IT'S A PRO WRESTLING COMPANY! They're all similar because they're all in the same genre.

People bitching that TNA is like WWE is like complaining that all the action movies are ripping eachother off because they have explosions. Of course it's like the WWE. And the WWE is like TNA. It's wrestling.

The only valid argument you can have here is when we see a Jean Seenah and The Mountain go at it on TNA television. You have an argument when TNA goes PG, when the characters they portray are incredibly similar if not rip offs of the one on WWE television. That is not the case. I don't think it ever has been. You can always make connections between characters, of course. Abyss has been likened to Kane and Foley. Storm has been likened to HBK. Roode to Mr.Perfect or Rick Rude. Aries has been likened to Punk. Doesn't mean it was the intention. These guys were inspired by those wrestlers so they resemble them. Most of them grew out of their idols at this point anyway.

TNA and WWE are alike, but they're not the same. Neither company is trying to be like the other. THey rip eachother off occasionally but the direction of both is different. They target different audiences, their whole agenda is different.

If TNA was so much like the WWE, how come WWE fanboys hate it?

Shoot, if WWE was more like TNA I'd watch the crap out of it. I wish WWE would rip the hell off of TNA. They don't do it enough in my opinion. So what's the problem? Authenticity? Shut the fuck up, you don't care about authenticity. You just wanna bitch about something. No wrestling fan should care. Everything in TNA and WWE is inspired or a rip off of something else that happened somewhere. Live with it.

If TNA was so much like the WWE, how come WWE fanboys hate it?

 

[MisterRob]

What in the blue hell does any of this long winded, meaningless, idiotic rant of yours have to do with the thread and the topic of said thread? You must've come in here, not read anything, and just rambled on a silly TNA rant for your own entertainment.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

What in the blue hell does any of this long winded, meaningless, idiotic rant of yours have to do with the thread and the topic of said thread? You must've come in here, not read anything, and just rambled on a silly TNA rant for your own entertainment.

Kiddy insults aside, I was referring to a bunch of the posts on this thread whining about today's TNA direction being different than what it used to be. In mine, I highlighted why today's direction is in fact better. The comparison with WWE was referencing other points other posters made so far about TNA not being different.

I talk about TNA's direction and state before not being as good as today's. You should know that, read your own fucking posts.

Would you like me to transcribe any other post I've made for your intellectually limited self or are you gonna wing it?

 

[The Roadie]

I'm eprsonally tired of the emphasis on Jeff Hardy & his "My creatures" c**p. The character is boring. Hes boring & to me he does nothing for TNA. And the way its looking hes going to be the one to challenge Bully Ray for the title & probably get another title run. Why? Tehres so much good talent they could push: Roode, Aires, Daniels, etc who would be more entertaining than the boring stuff Hardy brings to the table.