Why TNA India is a Bad Idea

[SD619]

To be clear, this is not a TNA bashing thread.While I am interested that FINALLY a major pro-wrestling company is coming to India, I am just listing the reasons why I think the TNA India project is not a very good idea.


1.Lack of interest for pro-wrestling in India: India has never really been a huge market for pro-wrestling. There are very few people above the age of 20 who follow it regularly. I am one of the very few people in my college who watches wrestling regularly.

2.The roster: As of now the confirmed roster is :

Harry Smith, Joey Ryan, Canadian based independent tag team Bollywood Lions, Abyss, Alissa Flash, Arya Daivari, Chris Masters, Chavo Guerrero, Cliff Compton, Jimmy Rave, Luke Gallows, Matt Morgan, Nick Dinsmore, Shawn Daivari, Sonjay Dutt and Zema Ion.

None of these names is really a big draw and consists of a few Indy wrestlers. While these guys may be talented, not a lot of people are going to flock in to see them. If the full-strength TNA roster would come here for a house show, then the response would be encouraging.

3.Bad Timing: TNA is supposed to be airing these shows in January. Also, the India-Australia cricket series is being played in Jan-Feb, which is a HUGE deal. TNA(and for that matter WWE), cannot even think about competing with cricket(that too such an important series) in India.


What do you feel about the TNA India project?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Is it a bad idea? Maybe. Is it a good idea? Maybe.

What do I feel about the project? Seeing that I do not currently live in India, I think that it is safe to say that I don't give a shit. Hope it'll turn out good for TNA. If they're doing it there must be a reason. Do you know better than their management?

 

[MrHashasheen]

1.Lack of interest for pro-wrestling in India

It's an untapped market that the WWE hasn't completely conquered yet. Making professional wrestling an attractive thing in India and making TNA synonymous with wrestling is perfect for TNA longterm. And even if that's a tad unrealistic, they're still making a profit from the television contract.

The roster

Wait. So first you say that very few people follow wrestling, and then you're saying they should send all their best guys over? To a country where they supposedly wouldn't be recognized? Why risk their television contracts in the US and abroad by sending their entire roster abroad to a country's whose potential fans won't recognize them, waste money transporting everyone back and forth for so little pay and reward when they could just send a relatively cheaper roster of guys not working on Impact and Xplosion?

Bad Timing

It's not just up to TNA when it gets aired. It's also up to the Colours Network, the group that showing the project. They've got their own schedule to fit things in, after all.

What do you feel about the TNA India project?

It's a relatively cheap attempt at expansion that makes sense and doesn't have any major risks involved. Why not go ahead and do it?

 

[sTyLnK]

I see it as all positives to be honest. They might not be big names that draw in the US, but there are many names that are recognizable to many people in pro wrestling. You don't know unless you try right? Who knows, it could end up doing very well. I guess time will tell.

 

[Rayne]

This is not the first time a major professional wrestling organization has tried to make inroads with India. India is every business owner's dream right now- a large, rapidly developing economy eager for products they haven't seen yet. And like every developing market, business owners come rushing in with products developed in their own home markets for sale to a foreign population. (India's been 'developing' for a couple decades, and is large enough to go on 'developing' for a few more- bear in mind, it took from roughly the Civil War until WWII for the US to become a global superpower.) The same thing happened in China, and is still happening to a degree, although the American business rush to China is largely over.

The WWF/E has now tried India twice- first, with a touring program that did well at each stop, but made clear that a long term investment in India would be unwise. The second was the heavy promotion of Khali. Neither paid back anything serious. The question I ask- why do professional wrestling companies think India is a potential growth market for them, when India has almost none of the competitive pugilistic history that can be found in the Western countries? Americans have been watching competitive fighting for hundreds of years, since before they were Americans and were the European rabble. It's something somewhat new to India. You can sell out a few tour stops to show people the stars they've seen on TV- the WWE has done some huge Mumbai shows. Can a separate, American-style promotion survive?

If TNA India was public, I'd put my money where my mouth is on this one and short the stock, probably in a two month time frame when I think they'll look their brightest.

 

[Suibon]

Obviously TNA management knows more about the smark on the street, I guarantee you that. Then again, this is the same company that thought hiring WWE rejects and the carcasses of the Hardys, Sting, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair (among others) at the expense of developing their own roster is a good idea.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

If the TV contract they have makes the promotion profitable in India for TNA, then why not? In the 1970's nobody had computers in their homes. Today, I don't know a single person who doesn't. So of course there aren't too many wrestling fans in India, but that doesn't mean that with heavy promoting and solid cards that wrestling can't survive there.

Not to mention TNA succeeding in India = more jobs for pro wrestlers.

 

[Dilligaf]

Its like when India held its first F1 GP last month, the reporters went round asking if people knew what F1 was, and most of em hadnt got a clue.

And most people in India earn less that a dollar a day, and the cheapest ticket to the F1 was the equivalent to one months wages, and only the rich could actually go.

So it depends how they market & price the event, to see how popular wrestling can be, especially as there aint many indian wrestlers that are famous these days, apart from Khali.

 

[prasad.rohan]

Reasons for TNA not working in India -

1) Most of the people here at-least know what a pro-wrestling show is about (though mostly kids and a very few adults watch it regularly). But for them prowrestling means WWE (with many still calling it as WWF). No one even cares what show is going on TV. If couple of guys fighting in the squared circle seen on TV.. Its WWE/F. The biggest problem TNA will face is, make themselves aware to the people of India that they are a different promotion. Dont be surprised if people go to their seats having Cena, HHH and Undertaker posters in their hand!

2) As far as the current roster being sent to India is concerned.. even if the full roster was sent, it would have made a little difference. As no one knows about most of TNA guys. The only known face would have been Angle, Hogan and Bichoff. That too with zero respect to Hogan for sure. As there was no wwe in India during Hogan's glory days. WCW telecast was very late night so kids didn't watch it. They know Hogan as an old man who came after retirement and Rock beat the hell out of him at wrestlemania, he was a great wrestler some hundred years ago when even color TV was not there. Bichoff = Former Raw GM. Kurt.. might get a few fans.

3) Timing - Cricket is on 12 months. They can't find a time slot any where if they wait for any cricket series to complete.

4) Some one posted above about the ticket rates and most people earning below 1$ a month. Its correct, most people do earn less than 1$ a day but the number of people who earn much more than that, is greater than the entire population of USA. Its an overly populated country. So whatever be the ticket prices arenas can indeed go packed houses. But the problem is Who Knows TNA! A few years back a South African wrestling show "World Wrestling Professionals" started (renamed as 100% for India adding a few Indian wrestlers to the show). They ran just 1 story line and after 2 months the show was never seen on TV again.

In short, the basic reason for TNA not to succeed. LACK OF BRAND VALUE.
Can they make the brand value. I dont think so. People will better enjoy WWE at home.
New territory to explore, new audience etc etc.. Forget it. Kids will come along with their parents, and the parents wont give a crap to the show. Parents will go once or twice to watch for their kids. But lack of interest will show a negative result for TNA as a whole.

Better tour India, have a few shows in couple of cities. That will be more profitable for TNA I think.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Lets go through all of these 1 by 1.

1.Lack of interest for pro-wrestling in India: India has never really been a huge market for pro-wrestling. There are very few people above the age of 20 who follow it regularly. I am one of the very few people in my college who watches wrestling regularly.


This is not true at all and something we really don't know much about. I know a lot of people from India that are MASSIVE wrestling fans. The Great Khali is a deity in India (and all he has ever done is wrestling, some acting and bodybuilding, MOSTLY WRESTLING).

There is over 1 billion people in India, they are bound to get quite a few extra fans and supporters of the product. India has never been tapped really by any country but wrestling is popular in middle east Asia, there are documented wrestling events that drew over 70,000 people in that area, in fact I believe the first Million Dollar House (which was drawn by Abdullah the Butcher and Tiger Jeet Singh) was held in Pakistan which has a lot less people in that country and is close in a geographical sense. I would say tapping a market in India could be widely successful and is well worth a shot for those reasons.


2.The roster: As of now the confirmed roster is :

Quote:
Harry Smith, Joey Ryan, Canadian based independent tag team Bollywood Lions, Abyss, Alissa Flash, Arya Daivari, Chris Masters, Chavo Guerrero, Cliff Compton, Jimmy Rave, Luke Gallows, Matt Morgan, Nick Dinsmore, Shawn Daivari, Sonjay Dutt and Zema Ion.
None of these names is really a big draw and consists of a few Indy wrestlers. While these guys may be talented, not a lot of people are going to flock in to see them. If the full-strength TNA roster would come here for a house show, then the response would be encouraging.

Its a good roster to introduce people to wrestling as they are mostly unaware of the huge names in wrestling. I will agree it would be nice to get some big draws on the roster but since the market is mostly untapped its a great roster to start. All of them are great technical wrestlers who can give exciting faced paced matches, although they aren't stars they are great talents who people can get excited for if/when they decide to bring some big names over.

3.Bad Timing: TNA is supposed to be airing these shows in January. Also, the India-Australia cricket series is being played in Jan-Feb, which is a HUGE deal. TNA(and for that matter WWE), cannot even think about competing with cricket(that too such an important series) in India.


This is the thing I actually agree on, Cricket is HUGE in India and its what is gonna be watched by the residents of India for the most part. At the same token if they put their even on AFTER a cricket game then it could be a good way to get people watching (assuming they can actually do that). Also not everyone watches Cricket (just like not everyone watches the NFL in America), they can still be seen by plenty of people in the country.

I think they have a good shot at turning a profit and do well over in India. The country has tons of people, isn't dominated by the WWE and has quite a few wrestling fans to boot. I think its not a bad idea at all and at least worth a shot. Just start small, run a few shows here and there, see how it goes and if it doesn't do well then just go back to what you were doing before in America. The reward is much greater than the risk.

 

[Thekingofblingbling]

Why TNA india is a bad idea?
because wrestling is synonymous with WWE, everybody knows what professional wrestling is in India. People know that it is fake, apart from the kids.
Until and unless you have big names like Cena, Orton, Taker, etc.. wrestling would never work in India. When WWE did their tour around ten years back, the tickets had the picture of The Big Show.. he wasn't even in WWE at that time.
People out there have the sensibility and buying power to know what to watch, kids also wouldn't be forcing their parents to go and watch a show they have never heard about.

 

[J.J.]

Perhaps they should attempt to get a few pay per appearances from Great Khali to boost ticket sales. I understand its potentially bad timing just an idea... Just glad they are looking for ways to expand their product to an international audience.

 

[GameOver]

They can't even get America right how in the hell do they expect to better elsewhere and especially in an area that WWE is already in.

 

[GLOBAL ICON]

To answer your first query, I think you are right. TNA isn't that big a deal. It's on at odd times on a channel like Star Sports which broadcasts other enormous sports like Soccer and Cricket which are a big deal in India and TNA is just a filler program. The adults are ignorant to the WWE and we're talking about TNA. And half the children here don't know what TNA is or who a Harry Smith is perhaps, which takes me to the next query.

The roster, it's pretty fucked up. I bet no one would go to see a WWE tour if there wasn't Cena, Orton, HHH and Taker on it because those 4 are a huge deal in India. Also, 90% of the people in India who watch wrestling are casual fans and don't know most of the lower mid-card guys in WWE and these are recently signed by TNA, WWE rejects.

But when you talk about Cricket, you are damn wrong. I mean, yeah, India-Australia is a big deal considering the history that's attached to it. But, just because it will be on in that period is seriously foolish. The youngsters are trying to accept new sports like Soccer which has become a bigger deal than it was 2-3 years ago. Also, the NBA has gotten more fans over the years. So, TNA could survive that IF they air their shows after the Cricket.

But overall, I don't think TNA will be a hit in India. But I do think there is a minor chance that some of the hardcore fans like me will tune in to see what's going on and that will help them to a .05%. That's it.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

The only way that I feel TNA can get anything out of this project is if they play their cards smartly. Right off the bat, I feel that they have made a mistake by not having one big star accompany them to India. All these wrestlers are unknown to those who watch wrestling in India and a Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy or any former WWE star may have given them some name value. I guess that a lot will depend on Sonjay Dutt, who is of Indian origin.

Secondly, I feel that this project will have a better chance of succeeding if they project it as a kids show. Kids are the ones that watch pro wrestling here in India. Even if the product is NOT a kid friendly one, at least the time slot should be. It would be best if they telecast their TV show at around 4:00 PM than say at 8:00 PM because that is the time when kids get home from school and watch a bit of TV. The adults have no interest whatsoever in wrestling.

The final advice that I would want to give them is to keep their expectations realistic. TNA is not going to change the way pro wrestling is looked upon in India. India will not end up, after this, as the next big market for pro wrestling. But that does not mean that this new show cannot get some decent ratings.

This is not true at all and something we really don't know much about. I know a lot of people from India that are MASSIVE wrestling fans. The Great Khali is a deity in India (and all he has ever done is wrestling, some acting and bodybuilding, MOSTLY WRESTLING).

A huge part of Khali's popularity in India has to do with the fact that he wrestled in the WWE and kayfabe defeated guys who are very popular in India, like The Undertaker. Also while Khali is popular, he is not more popular than any filmstar or any cricketer. Khali tried his hand at a film, which failed miserably which ought to tell you just how popular he is. It's decent but he isn't deified or anything.