What does the Future Hold for TNA? *MERGED*

[Y 2 Jake]

I think 2007 will be the year when T.N.A. finally start's to close in on WWE. At the moment I dont think it's in WWE 's league. I think they look cheap by comparisin.

With WWE T.V. being a bit stale at the moment I think it is T.N.A. time to really go for it. They've gained the services of probably one of the best and biggest name's in wrestling Kurt Angle. With Angle on their roster it's going to make people who possibly would'nt watch T.N.A. tune in.

There are also rumours that R.V.D. and Sabu are intrested in leaving WWE thus the reason for Sabu's supposed backstage behavior. R.V.D. would be a great addition to the T.N.A. roster and Sabu will have gained significantly more exposure since joining WWE from T.NA.

Also with Rey Mysterio's contract being up in a few month's it's possible he could be persuaded to go to T.N.A. And their are rumour's that Benoit is very unhappy in WWE.

If T.NA. is ever going to be taken seriously as a true competitor to WWE I think the next year will be the year to do it.

 

[attila]

Can you imagine. I just creamed myself at the possibility of all that going down, lol. Never gonna happen, but even getting half that list would be an incredible and landmark event in wrestling history. It would mark the beginning of a new era without a doubt. But again, TNA's problem isn't its stars, its TNA's marketing. I dunno how many times Ive said it. When TNA starts going all out with its marketing, thats when TNA becomes a force. The product is fine and a definate worthy competitor, its juts that word isn't getting around. A group of people tuned in to Impact on Oct. 1, 2005 and its the same people that have watched until the present day. A select number chose to give it a shot and stuck with it. But TNA cannot expect the people that ignored them the first time to suddenly give them a chance without having a reason to. A perfect example is that nobody even knows Angle is in TNA, even more people don't know what TNA is.

They need to get word out on the wire. They need to get in people's faces. TV spots, commercials, print advertising, outdoor advertising, mainstream radio spots and segments/interviews, adds during RAW, Smackdown!, UFC, NFL, NBA, etc. Even use the popularity of wrestling in the 90's to accentuate interest. They could reach old fans with this.

i.e. in a TV add (whilst showing clips of the X-Div, LAX, Sting, Angle, Joe, etc.) "Remember when pro-wrestling was the hottest thing on TV? Remember when it didn't insult your intelligence? Remember when it wasn't tailored for kids? Remember when it was all about blood, sweat and tears... about violence and war.... those days are back... TNA... We are wrestling!!!"

That would be totally hot. Imagine airing that during an NFL game or an NBA match. Tell me it wouldn't get your attention as an old WCW or WWF fan.

 

[Ushiku]

I agree with you attila, however marketing hasn't been TNA's strong point, but TNA listened to some fan comments or even looked at message boards they'd be able to capitalize from doing so.

TNA has got all the mechanisms to do well, they're just not advertising well enough. Sports magazines interviews with their superstars, advertisements on sports channels during big events, advertisements and interviews in television magazines are ways to initially get attention.

To keep attention they can make use of their new found support by launching a TNA Club, similiar to Club ECW, they rewarded their loyal fans with good seats and discounted prices, this could be a hit as WWE is expensive in comparison, and once they've got marketed well it would work well for them, its a known fact that WWE has no clubs nor does in endorse any, it even says so on its contact page on the official website - TNA could take advantage of this.

Also if Sabu, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit and RVD did arrive at TNA it would be great business for TNA who could even launch a Hardcore Division, especially since it already has former ECW wrestlers there, and I'm sure even some TNA originals would be interested, I could even imagine Jeff Jarret's accoustic guitar coming into play at one point if a Hardcore Division was made.

Also Rey Mysterio and RVD have great potential for the X Division too, and with TNA's plans to revamp it, their style could be the catalyst needed to spark things up.

These kind of things will gain a lot of attention for TNA, and hopefully the "war" with WWE will either be abandoned or worked on as a secondary storyline with "warfare" that actually provokes WWE to respond instead of a lame skit and even lamer rapping.

 

[NoUrRoll23]

also i think TNA needs to get a longer program so they can use all there wrestlers instead of usein the same ones every week or they can get a second show going they need to do some thing about that n order to compete with the WWE

 

[Flippyskate21]

I truly think 2007 will be tna's year. I see them hiring some new superstars(from wwe). they won't be near the ratings that wwe has in 2007 but they will definetly be gettng higher than .9-1.1 by the end of the year. Lately i think that tna has been improving on their shows, even though they are doing some things wrong(eric young/ms brooks bikini contest?) I think angle is the key to all of this, because he will hold the title for most of 2007, and new wrestling fans will turn to tna

 

[Ushiku]

I agree that they should have another show or make the show they have longer. But I don't think they should have a show on the same day as a WWE event until they pull a 2 or 3 audience wise, because otherwise it would be suicidal, with WWE pulling between 4 to 5 on average, TNA pulling 2 to 3 would be the perfect place to up their game by challenging WWE directly.

I think for now in terms of their "war" angle, they should use guerilla tactics so to speak such as interupting their live televised shows with heckling, chants and challenges to WWE superstars, maybe even going as far as entering the ring during matches if they're daring enough.

Maybe by 2007 they'll have signed more veterans and fresh talent, as well as developing current TNA wrestlers, I think the future is bright for TNA.

 

[vlad]

o wow if mysterio rvd n sabu go 2 tna....imagine the possible matches. ultimate x.. mysterio vs. styles vs. daniels vs. rvd

 

[ErkBono23]

mysterio isnt goin to tna he will b rite back with wwe after his surgery so give ur hopes of tat happening...rvd is pissed cuz he has no belt and he can thank himself for that with his drug charge which made the company look bad so therefore u cant have a champion who jus made the company look bad..give him time he wont leave and he'll have the belt around him...sabu well sabu is jus slackin and he can thank himself if he gets fired...he has to understand he has to go along with the business that is the reason for his paycheck otherwise take ur business back to tna if u need to it wont make that big of an effect anyway jus look at kurt angle

 

[Cboogie]

what do u yiu guys mean when you say that tna is revamping there x division? how r they gonnna change it?

 

[eric d duszynski]

them guys would have much better matches in tna because they have all faced each other in wwe. i would love to see any combination of rvd mysterio styles and daniels. how about benoit vs samoa joe? i think tna has a much fresher product than wwe at this point.

 

[attila]

what do u yiu guys mean when you say that tna is revamping there x division? how r they gonnna change it?

They just mean with new stars being focused on and using Daniels to give guys like Sabin, Dutt, Lethal, Low Ki and now Shelley/Aries some credibility. To build the next generation of X-Div satrs.

But what the most of that revamp is, is just with Russo giving each of the X-Div stars more airtime and a chance to develop an on-air character. Even people who hate Russo, cannot say the guy is bad at this. He has always been able to make sure all the guys on the roster are identifiable and unique.

As for Rey. I don't see him jumping. I would love it if he did, but I doubt it. Vince made him champion, and I know that is not a big deal for many guys, but for someone in Rey's (physical) situation it was a major thing and would earn Vince a certain degree of loyalty on the part of Rey.

And TNA needs a few things to go their way for 2007 to be a big one. First up they need that second hour. Its imperative. Not only does the product suffer, but the fact that it runs for less time than a WWE show makes it immediately inferior in the eyes of new watchers. It causes people to rank it as a second rate rip-off attempt to duplicate WWE. Which is not the case, TNA is so much different.

Second is touring. I know they wanna stay at Orlando coz they want to maintain a degree of production quality for the Impact tapings but its not worth it. They can make so much more money touring and so what if their entrance ramp doesn't look as good. The presence of an extra three to four thousand fans at the event will more than make up for that. And they can definately pull those numbers. I mean, they already do house-shows with pretty big crowds, why not use these shows as an opportunity to shoot an Impact! taping. Even an NYC event at the Hammerstein Ballroom - how fkn HOT!! would the crowd be for that?!?! Especially since Vince won't let ECW go back there. Touring to more fanfare would also increase their base, just like it did for ECW and is doing right now (but granted, at a much slower rate) for ROH.

This again causes new watchers to rank it as inferior. I got my friends to watch an episode of Impact, and the first thing that came out of their moouths was, "what the fuck is this? there's only like 10 people there". They need bigger tapings. Even if they used the BFG setup. Why not have that ramp (which they have already paid for mind you) and set it up at the Compuware Sports Arena for a night and do a month's worth of TV. Then move it to a medium sized arena in Philly for a night, NYC for a night. That is 3 months worth of TV right there, or 1.5 months at the very least. And at a very small extended operational cost for the company. I just don't understand why they don't do this already.

They are just not doing enough. A second show would be good for TNA, but it seems like they are scared of pissing off Spike. FOX and TNT have both expressed interest in a wrestling show but don't want to deal with Vince. Why havn't TNA chased this up?!?!?! Becoz they would piss of Spike. But so what? Spike isn't giving you the attention you need, you go to someone else for supplementary support. And besides that, I can't see why Spike would get pissed. It would add to TNA's base and mean increased ratings for Impact. Can you imagine how big it would be to have a TNA show on FOX especially. Hell, even TNT would be awesome - it would attract immediate attention in mainstream media off of a WCW nostalgia buzz.

And again I can't stress how important a more aggressive marketing campaign is. TNA cannot grow without it.

 

[RatedRKO]

Put the belt on Kurt have him turn heel and drop it to Joe.
Sign Lesner, RVD, Heyman and Benoit! (And melt the NWA belt and make a good looking one! Come on ppl the NWA belt is soooo ugly!!)

 

[jbremner2]

I am a WWE fan and hav been for as long as i can remember. However, I see TNA as havin better wrestlin over storylines. I wld jst like to know where every1 thinks TNA wil b in 5 years. Wil they be competin head to head with WWE or wil they fade off. And wat does TNA need to compete on a global stand against WWE. Do they need somemore big money draw wrestlers with RVD and Beniot 2 who hav been thrown bout. Or do they need better storylines to compete or do they need to keep doin wat they r doin.

I think tht TNA wil b legitimate competition for WWE in 5 years provided they get a couple of money drawin wrestlers. Also they imo need a new broadcast team cos im jst not feelin teney and west. I think wat TNA does hav over WWE is a sense of direction where the company knows it needs to get on the same level with WWE whereas WWE imo really doesnt know where to go. Also, TNA hav 1 brand, 3 belts, a tag team division, a really good x division and a somewhat strong heavyweight divsion.

 

[Kasey]

I personally think one of the biggest catalysts in TNA's pending success or stagnation will be the video game. It's on all platforms I believe and video games can help to keep a product popular or to elevate it in the first place. If they make the game so that it does justice to the actual performances and limitless qualities that TNA was built on, then they'll definitely make a big splash with a lot of new video game players (which also happens to be wrestling's key male demographic of 18-34 year old males anyway). Video games have never been more widely accepted and popular with the masses, so they have a real chance to sneak in the backdoor on ol' Vinnie and make this thing seriously interesting.

 

[Brilliance In Supremacy]

Well, let's take a look at some of the names that have just might join TNA: Jericho, Benoit, RVD, Sabu, Lesnar, Danielson, McGuinness, and a horde of unhappy WWE guys. I'd have to say that TNA's roster is a bit watered down right now and it called be made more potent by signing the big names I just listed.

No matter who TNA signs next year, they are going to grow as a company. The second hour that they desperately need will come to them. The future is in excellent hands because they have so many great performers who've still got a decade or two left in them. They future just looks very bright for TNA.

 

[yoscoot5]

2007 will be tna's year b/c they will be better. Better than wwe rating wise....NO. I hate the wwe and I tried to watch tna be honestly didn't think it was that good. 2007 is going to be a ruff year for both wwe, and tna why? MMA, its real and its blowing up fast. I give tna, maybe 2 more years, and wwe has like 5 years of shit to look forward to. Wrestling has killed its self, there is not art to it anymore. Its all highspots with predictable finishes. Ive been a wrestling fan since i was 4(and i'm 24 now) and this has been a hard year for me to stomach. Why watch something that even if i don't read spoiliers can predict, or watch something that is completely on the fly like mma?

 

[NoUrRoll23]

lol yea , that belt is ugly as hell its so small its just ******ed the X belt looks better then the NWA 1 even tho i hate the BIG X n the middle of it they just need to throw them away n get to new 1's

 

[attila]

Put the belt on Kurt have him turn heel and drop it to Joe.
Sign Lesner, RVD, Heyman and Benoit! (And melt the NWA belt and make a good looking one! Come on ppl the NWA belt is soooo ugly!!)

Not that its a big deal or anything but I agree with the whole thing about the NWA title. It is seriously just so not impressive. The major title for the promotion should be a great deal bigger and a great deal better. But at the same time you don't want to see it changed coz there is so much history to it. Not to mention the fact that the NWA is likely very strictly against any cosmetic changes to the NWA Championship. TNA will probably need to launch its own titles to make such changes.

This brings up another problem that they should have adressed a long time ago. You cannot have the "Total Non-stop Action" world title. It is just so not fitting. TNA is a slogan not a name for a promotion. Something tells me that they will rebrand when they get bigger, i.e. new name, edgier logo, new TV show, new slogan, etc. but at the same time I wonder whether its worth waiting. I mean fair enough in theory it works well coz when they get to that level and relaunch with a new brand (if they do choose to do that that is) everyone will get caught up coz there is this completely new promotion that nobody ever heard of that suddenly has this massive exposure, these huuuge stars etc. But in practise, won't they confuse all the people who they pick up along the way??

Either way there are a few cosmetic changes the organization needs to make. And I think they should move on them ASAP. TNA has played the waiting game long enough - they need to start going at full speed. Hopefully 2007 will be the year that this finally goes down.

 

[Ushiku]

I think that TNA do have the potential get big within 5 years if everything goes right for them, but then at the same time that would create a problem of burnout, WCW got really big when Hogan moved there and through the beginning of the Attitude Era at WWE, however they started to lose their edge and let it get to their heads.

I believe that if TNA make the right decisions as a business as well as being a wrestling organisation, they could be good competition for WWE, if things are done gradually, thoughtfully and with long term ideas in mind.

I posted this in another thread, but I think that it will also be relevant for this topic.

The basic make-up of wrestling storylines are: Face vs heel, face vs tweener, face vs face, heel vs heel, heel vs tweener, tweener vs tweener.

In that sense wrestling in itself is repetitive in terms of storylines, but what they need to do is to create solid structures for their storylines, subliminal workings and subtle hints here and there, unexpected and controversial twists in a storyline (although I don't think that anyone can ever top Hogan turning heel and joining N.W.O. but never say never), good promos for feuds and upcoming Pay Per View events, but most of all good, solid wrestling.

Of the 5 things that are essential for a great storyline, I feel that TNA has the latter 2 points out of 5.

Whilst they may dislike fan input, I think that wrestling companies will force to acknowledge us, especially with wrestling interest falling after its peak during the Attitude Era/N.W.O. Era/Monday Night Wars, specifically after the Invasion storyline which didn't use the the opportunity to its full potential. However fans are to wrestling what consumers are to economists - vital, to quote J.R. "Without the fans, there'd be no WWE" and that's the same with every wrestling organisation or promotion in the world.

I personally think Eric Bischoff is at the top of his game now, he's recovered from the traumas in his life and he's wrote a hugely popular book, plus the guy's talented economically as well as in terms of booking, storylines and character development. It would certainly create cash without a doubt.

I think that Disney would endorse it as they're always looking for ways to make money, especially since apart from P of C they've got nothing fresh and original worth watching to make them revenue, that's why they're releasing all their special editions, I see Dreamworks taking their spot, but that's beside the point, the point is I think Disney should and would endorse a TNA Club.

As for how it would help the "war", I too don't see the "war" as the main reason for watching TNA, but if they're going to push an angle, they'll need to do so effectively and in style, especially by exploiting the mistakes WWE make as a business and making good use of them, I think the best way to win is by great business decisions and pure economics, they're not yet strong enough to win by hype, although hype would help them get to "Stage 2" of the economic model I thought of for them.

My TNA Economic "War" Model:

Stage 1

Firstly they should have a fan input section on their website where TNA online researches review any ideas or feedback in terms of storylines, promos, character development, live arena tours etc.

They should then use the advise given to them to make sure they've got solid storylines aside from their "secondary war angle". With this interested wrestlers from the TNA roster can do the following at WWE live shows: calling out WWE wrestlers, heckling during matches, chant TNA during matches and during in ring promos, push for dark matches if televised interpromotional matches aren't permitted by Vince McMahon.

If possible they should try to get Eric Bischoff during the 1st stage as he would be a great asset and help to create the hype and controversy needed for the 2nd stage.

Stage 2:

After creating some hype and word getting round about the willingness for TNA to give the fans what they want - pure wrestling with good storylines, they should start a TNA Club, similar to the old Club ECW in which loyal fans were given better seats and ticket discounts, this would make TNA appear friendly in comparison to WWE which is expensive and doesn't endorse any fan feedback or clubs in which loyal fans get discounts or better seats.

Once the club has been up and running for a few months, they should announce a tour of the US in all of the 50 states. That would spread their influence all around the US. If they haven't hired Eric Bischoff by then they should do so to help them with their tour.

Stage 3:

Now that TNA has become more popular with fans and the viewers, and they've acquired Eric Bischoff, they should announce a new Hardcore Division, this would be headed by their wrestlers who are former ECW wrestlers or were part of WCW and WWE's hardcore divisions in the past - potentially even having Chris Benoit, RVD and Sabu by this point.

After a few months of high ratings for TNA: Impact! that included a weekly Hardcore Division match, they should launch a program on Tuesday's called TNA: Hardcore! This would be 2 hours of pure hardcore wrestling, and would give fans of the former ECW something to watch as they're currently alienated. After the first few weeks of TNA: Hardcore! they should offer an Open Invitational for a schedualed TNA Hardcore Championship title defense - but unlike the WWE let anybody join in, and if wrestlers from other promotions and organisations join the event give them the chance to stay on with TNA in their Hardcore Division.

Stage 4:

Now that they're pulling in high ratings, have a strong Hardcore Division and a large fan following TNA should attempt to conquer Europe with a European tour.

If this goes well they should start to look to other countries for up and coming talent, as well as the American guys to build the future of TNA.

Stage 5:

Now that TNA has built itself up to a point that it is equal to WWE in fan following and prestige it should launch its first live televised show, revamping TNA:Impact and making it go head to head with WWE RAW.

There they have the foundation to have a real "war"

Stage 6:

Now they're on an equal capacity to WWE they should introduce some of the talent they've been grooming on TNA: Evolution - a show specifically for developmental talent, in hopes of seeing what types of matches suit them best, it should run against WWE SmackDown on Friday nights since fans are becoming sick of SmackDown's predictable storylines and frequent booking.

Stage 7:

Once they're equal or beating WWE in 3 nights of ratings they should propose a cross-promotional "war" to decide which is the dominant brand of wrestling, if WWE turn the offer down they could run skits with somebody playing Vince McMahon in an old folks' home saying "Wrestling aint what it used to be" and then Eric Bischoff coming into the room and spoon feeding him "Wrestling Miracle Medicine" and saying "Hey gramps, you need it!"

But if WWE don't turn down the offer, then they've got the "war" they wanted, and could even win, either way with all the hype both companies would gain quite a lot economically and in terms of prestige.