Why We *Really* Hate TNA...

[Mr. Artistic guy]

First of all I'd just like to start by saying that the answer is all for a good reason. We're not all sheep jumping over a fence to join the rest, the distain is rational and has a solid foundation. In fact I'm more a TNA fan than most of the guys here and I'm constantly dissapointed with little moves they make, stupid things and I think I've figured out why.


OK so what we know about TNA.
- Second biggest wrestling franchise in North America ergo the world.
- Roster is jam-packed with talent from people like Robert Roode who are in tag teams to others like Kazarian who are in the X-division spot, it proves that the roster is really filled out.
- Has some of the biggest wrestling names of all time; Hogan, Flair, Angle to name the biggest.
- Has a writing team consiting of the ex-WCW creative team Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, often dubbed as the man who killed WCW, with Hogan adding assumedly smaller touches to the proceedings than the other two.
- IMPORTANT Steady stream of ratings that has not wavered in about the last 3 years, in the region of 1.4-1.5 million viewers, despite changes in creative and huge changes in roster.

The last one is the one to really think about. What to blame?

Well that's not really what I want to focus on right now. We all know TNA makes stupid booking descisions and has an unsteady writing team at best. As well as old guys dominating too much TV time often and outshining younger talent with their promo work, classic examples being Flair and Foley. The problems with TNA are renound, well-documented and discussed. Yet here is the strange thing. The same is true of WWE. So why do we punish TNA for the same crimes and let the other company slink away into the background.

Well thatIS the reason. WWE makes mistakes. We hear this ALL the time. Take all the threads about poor booking made daily on this site. Is Miz being booked to weakly, the booking of Sheamus since his King of the ring win, how Edge has been somewhat boring since his face turn, the fact Cena never convincingly lost his job, no tag division, poor women's division. You can take so many things from WWE and make the case for it actually being better in TNA just like the tag division for example, and the far superior women's division. Many acknowledge TNA has as many assets it uses perfectly as those they squander. So I'll ask again why do we punish one company and not the other?

The answer is pretty simple..... we don't like WWE...............?


Yeah sounds crazy but I'm gonna show you it makes sense. WWE is not the company it once was. Many will cite the attitude era of a decade prior to now as the height of it's success and talent. And it made sense that era would be popular with boundary-pushing stories and things that couldn't really be seen anywhere else. Nowadays it's often lathargic.......uneventful.....and worst of all unimaginitive. There is a lot of repetition. You only have to watch a video promo and see they are mostly all in the same format. You get the operatic music, appropriate commentator quotes over the top, slow-motion when something unexpected happens and a change of colour and pace when there is a strike. Don't believe me watch the Corre (new Smackdown stable, yes apparently it is spelled with TWO R's....don't ask me!) video package at the start of Smackdown to see this isn't babbling. WWE is a vast wasteland of mundane, infrequently penetrated by the occassional bright idea or monumental accident that actually lets you register what you see, it really isn't a shadow of what it has been.

What do people want more than ANY OTHER THINGS in wrestling. 2 things:
- Resurgence of an attitude era (generally recognized to only be available once there are two competing companies pushing both products to out-perform the other)
- A HERO

TNA is the only thing emerging on the horizon volunteering for the role of hero. TNA is the company that could bring about both of these things and yet we've sat at homes on a thursday night watching very little change apart from a fresh wrinkle on the forehead of Kurt Angle or the seemingly limitless talents of a Mr. A.J. Styles being pissed away at a place that doesn't really know how to harness him. We want to be able to go out in public and tell people that we're wrestling fans and have them confess also. We want the whole world talking about what John Cena did last monday, not just the hardcore fans. We want a one-way ticket to marking out next PPV. The key to all this is Total Non-stop Action. If it doesn't succeed the whole popular wrestling world just remains as ruins.

In truth we all want TNA to succeed either so it can surpass WWE or just better it so we don't have to complain, and instead of us suggesting booking ideas to the professionals, we can be suprised by what they thought up that we never could have. After all that's only fair, it is their job. We need TNA to feel good about knowing the first Wrestlemania match or the longest time anyone has survived in the royal rumble.

And what do we get. We get a product that has dissapointed regularly and stopped us from being able to enjoy wrestling. You see seen as WWE is so poor right now, it is lacking in some of the things we associate with it's former greatness like the fact it isn't PG and from past experience that can limit the quality of programming we watch. There is a limited market of wrestling fans these days, an ever-depleting one. If somebody wants to gains new wrestling fans, you have to convert them from thinking WWE is #1 to TNA is #1. TNA could
be capitalising on the market, they have the talent but they don't and that means everyone loses out. We hate TNA because they are the key to making wrestling great again and they aren't holding up their end of the bargain. They carry all of our hopes every thursday night and usually succeed in dashing them. They do amazingly stupid things like hire ex-WWE talent and make them world champ in a flash basically promoting the other company, if the fat trimmed from the other company is your champion, what do you expect people to think of your roster. Unfortunately something untrue because most TNA originals are far more talented than a certain Matt Hardy. After all why were we so concerned with TNA getting new management when there were Paul Heyman talks, in fact more generally why do we bang on about how bad TNA is if we don't like it that much, surely it's just easier not to care anymore. It's because were dying to like it. We are waiting for them to give us a reason to switch over and change our priority and they have being failing to do so for such a long time now that it's become like a drug addict friend, always pretending to be on the mend and in the next breath breaking our spirits again.

That's my belief in a nutshell. TNA is the only hope for the whole industry to be risen up from the mud, polished and restored to former glory. For as long as they continue to deny us a better wrestling world, we are going to remain rightly unreceptive of their efforts. The idea is not that the whole world is watching them, it's that they should be.

And to be current about this whole thing. I believe re-hiring a bunch of 40+ athletes to re-run a dead storyline from little over a year ago is not the way I would get about doing it. Very frustrating when a fan can see how stupid your plans are and watch you make a chronology of mistakes, and not be able to do anything about it. I'm begging you TNA, give me a reason to love you. I think secretely we all are.

So basically do you agree? Reasons for your arguements either way. And thanks for reading.

 

[dwith]

Honestly I don't hate WWE, I just dislike 80% of the talent. The MIZ at best is a mid carder. Cena is so repetitive that it's not in the slightest bit interesting.

So TNA honestly overall I think has more intrigue and better stories that make me want to watch it every week. I love everything about TNA right now, because it does remind me of the period of wrestling when it was fun, and adult oriented. I don't love every thing TNA does all of the time, but I love the story lines more than WWE. Honestly when has the WWE really had a story line that kept you wanting to watch? I just hate how everone hates on TNA for it's product, but for some reason the haters still seem to watch TNA every week. Are they haters really? I think not, I honestly just think people bash them because they are afraid their going to fall in love with TNA openingly then they go under and it's another crash of a company, when they were just getting used to liking it (ala WCW). I personally was devistated when CW closed, and the a glimmer of hope shined through when I heard bischoff was trying to buy it, and then VINCE as crushed any hope when he bought it and then closed it. He didn't like that their was someone out their bigger than him, so instead of running it seperately he had to close it to make himself sleep better at night.

So you might think I'm crazy, but I honestly believe that all the IWC haters on TNA really do like them, but are afraid to publicly aknowledge that they are now where WWE should still be. They just don't get the ratings cause their on the wrong network, and because WWE is still the machine that people are used to no matter how they change their programming because the WWE is a safe promotion that people feel isn't ever going to close.

People just don't want to get their hopes up, and have another promotion close.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I don't watch WWE anymore, haven't really since Stone Cold/Rock/ect.
I also might be a different type of wrestling fan, as I don't really watch it for the "wrestling". I watch to be entertained. I feel like wrestling is like a soap opera and the story lines/promos are just as important as the wrestling.

I would like to hear from WWE fans as to why they hate TNA. WWE fans always seem to have negative things to say about TNA. search on twitter "TNA" during Impact on Thursday nights and it's constant negative comments about how much TNA sucks and/or is boring. it irritates me and I often wish I had the time to reply to them. I wish people could/would watch TNA and not have to compare it to WWE just because they are both wrestling. do fans of one afternoon soap opera compare it to another afternoon soap opera? one show does one thing and if another show does something similar, oh they are copying/not original? this new soap opera will never be as good as this older soap opera, they might as well just go off the air? I don't watch afternoon soap opera, just looking for an example.

I do have some ideas as to why WWE fans hate on TNA, but even the things WWE fans might not like about TNA, I wouldn't say it sucks.
even if WWE fans want to hate on TNA, why does that always have to be said/complained about? maybe they see the potential in TNA and are worried about the competition? therefore they feel the need to try and convince current TNA viewers not to watch?

I know that TNA makes mistakes and there are things that could/should be better, but I'm certainly not going to say it sucks. most of the time I am entertained by Impact.

I think TNA is trying for the viewers. the older name type wrestlers are what WWE fans would notice and then TNA is hoping those WWE fans that recognize those names will tune in. I know I have read on twitter that some fans are now tuning into Impact just to watch Matt Hardy since he has joined TNA.
there are probably a lot of general wrestling fans that don't know the names of the TNA originals like Styles/Samoa Joe/Roode/ect. maybe a problem here is TNA could capitalize by having the TNA originals beating the former WWE name wrestlers.

I think it's unfortunate that a lot(if not everything) of what TNA does is compared to WWE. I often hear about how TNA is always using old story lines. since I don't watch WWE anymore can't really compare, but I doubt that everything in WWE is original. wrestling has been around for so long that I'm sure a lot of story lines are similar.

I think it should also be remembered that TNA is still only 8 years in existence. how long has WWE/WWF been around? in the early days of WWF how many of those wrestlers were WWF original? a lot of the big names back them came from somewhere else, like AWA.
TNA isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so hopefully TNA can build the younger wrestlers more.

 

[MizterColemine]

I'm not a diehard TNA fan. I hardly ever watch. But ironically, I agree and I'm also looking for a reason to get behind them.

 

[[cL]]

this was an AMAZING thread and I have to say i totally, 100% agree. I've said this on more than one occasion. When a company beats you in the ratings for a little over 2 years you have to do whatever you can possibly do to make changes that will bring up viewership. TNA is not giving Vince a reason to stand up and make a drastic change in his programming. He is watching them make mistake after mistake and like most people who are marks for wwe, just changes the channel when it gets to frustrating to watch. I personally am a big TNA fan. I want to love this show. I want to be a BIGGER mark for the company. But the question is...what can they do? They've pulled in the names...they've got the talent....So is it the writing or...is it Bischoff.
Whatever the issue is, I totally agree that if the wrestling industry is going to return to its former glory TNA is the answer.
They just GOT to figure this thing out.

 

[MB1025]

The way I feel is wrestling fans and mostly IW fans allow WWE to be the exception. Here is an example.....


If there is a bad story line, segment, or bad finish to a match people will go as far as say they will never watch TNA again or TNA is garbage and they have no idea what they are doing. Then you have WWE. They have made just as many bone headed mistakes, stupid ideas, and dumb finishes as TNA. Yet I don't see anyone ever turn away from the product or say this sucks I am never watching again.

Internet wrestling fans ignore the WWE flaws and puts everything TNA does under a microscope. That's when you get articles, dirt sheet writers, and posters going off on rants about everything TNA does wrong. I mean people act like TNA never does anything right. I don't think it is fear. PWtorch in all their reviews think they know exactly how to run a wrestling company week by week since they have so many problems and issues.

Another is example is this. People have problems with TNA not hyping up matches in advanced. Well they finally do this and they have been hyping up February 3rd like no there. So fans now turn around and go well I guess we don't have to watch until the third. Are you fucking serious?

Fans go out of their way and reach at everything possible to make this company look like shit. The bottom line is if you want wrestling in general to get better then you need TNA to succeed. So maybe if everyone would stop being so fucking cynical about everything, stop acting like they know how to run a company, and stop acting like a bunch of internet ass holes maybe everything would be better.

 

[czar76]

The next few years will tell the story. Right now TNA pushes the old timers way to hard but soon those same old timers will simply not be able to do it anymore. Yes there will always be a crop of older guys to fill the void but what happens when you run out?
What I mean is there will be a period of time when there isn't anyone to fill the old timer spot. Vince locks guys into long term contracts and even those that get a way out have to wait 90 or more days before they can do anything for TNA. So in the next couple of years guys like Hogan, Flair, Foley, Sting, etc will physicaly be unable to perform.
When TNA is left with no choice but to push younger guys that will be thier chance. In the early days all they had was young guys and it still didn't work that well but the company was new and did not even have a clear direction of ownership much less a plan for the future. Fast fowrd 2 or 3 years from now and I think they will find their feet so to speak.
This is what I hope will happen. I am not saying it will but I've seen this happen before. It takes a major misstep buy the competetion but if you are ready for it you can turn ur company around by simply not doing whatever it is that the other is doing. Vince himself isn't going to be around forever. Sooner or later he will step down or die. If TNA can hold on long enough for one of those things to happen they may have the chance they need.

 

[candy girl]

well unlike most of you i'm not an advid watcher of tna, come to think of it my only interst in it is hogan, due mostly because i'm a die-hard hulk fan, however i do agree there's too much negativty thrown at tna, i mean how in the HELL can fans mainly the iwc expect a company that's been in business for 8 years to be on the same level as a company that's been around for centuries? it's not gonna happen, and as far as the veterans like the hogans, flairs, foleys, sting ect. getting too much of the spotlight is concern, if the new so-called generation of stars were guys that the iwc/ general fans actually liked and were going out there and putting on 5 star matches, and maybe having a little charisma to them then maybe companies like tna and yes WWE WOULDN'T HAVE TO RELY AND THE VETERANS TO GET FANS TO WATCH!!!!

 

[rondiesel2005]

I have been watching wrestling since the day Hulkamania was running wild till now. I like TNA but there are fans like me who been watching wrestling for a very long time who understands the business and wants to be entertain by the wrestlers understand what things work in wrestling and what things don't work in wrestling.

I been watching TNA for a while now, maybe 5 years now. When they brought Hulk hogan and Eric Bischoff in did i think it was a good idea?? I thought it was at first because I thought they would get the company in better shape to be successful. Ratings start to drop, i guess Hogan not the draw guy that people thought he was. Now remember Vince Russo in charge of the creative management, look at some of the bullcrap we seen in television. I want everybody to remember what happen in WCW, if you watched WCW till the day they got brought by WWE, isn't it strange guys like Russo hasn't learn his lesson about story-telling?? TNA has the talent, but are they using it?? half the guys on the roster aren't on television weekly

speaking of story-telling, why the hell did TNA put Tommy Dreamer in a match with Jeff Hardy?? I am looking at it they got nothing for Tommy Dreamer, just put him in the match for whatever reason. My problem with TNA, some of the stuff they do makes no sense for an example with Jeff Hardy. We all know he has legal issues. WWE let him go so he can handle his issues, but when he went to TNA they gave him the TNA world title. Was that the right thing to do. If he had went to jail right after winning the title, what would have happen, they would have screwed up the storylines they had for Jeff hardy

I think the TNA fans were hoping because the company has Hogan, Bischoff working with Vince Russo the company suppose to be in better shape than ever, but instead its like they don't know how to use the talent. Its like a company running with a bunch of people who have no clue what to do with certain wrestlers like Tommy Dreamer or those who aren't use in a long time. We want the company to succeed, but how is that going to happen with TNA keeps doing the same mistakes over and over again.

One last thing, TNA has to rely on wrestlers who left the WWE because WWE made them look like Top stars rather than working with the guys they got now

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Second biggest wrestling franchise in North America ergo the world.

No it's not. NOAH, NJPW, AJPW, are far bigger than them. Just because you can travel to Europe for a tour doesn't mean you're the second biggest in the world.

Those Japanese promotions get 40k. TNA gets at most 4k.

I think it should also be remembered that TNA is still only 8 years in existence. how long has WWE/WWF been around? in the early days of WWF how many of those wrestlers were WWF original? a lot of the big names back them came from somewhere else, like AWA.

So? Vince bought WWF from his dad in 82 and in FIVE years he had 90k for WM3.
Here is the thing, someone like HBK was a Tag Team guy in AWA, but became a LEGEND in WWF. Same for Austin. He was a mid card guy in WCW then fired. Became a LEGEND in WWF. Rock a LEGEND in WWF.

People TNA got were already legends and had legacies. Angle, Steiner, Nash, Sting, Jarrett, etc. And don't say AJ or Joe since the biggest audience they've been in front of was when they jobbed for the WWF. Japan doesn't count since it wasn't a TNA event or card.

Ken Anderson is now the TNA champion when he was made and got over in the WWE. Doubt that TNA would have picked him up before he went to OVW. WWE gave him that gimmick he uses now in TNA. Every TNA world champion, except for Joe and AJ, got over in another company first.

TNA hasn't made a nobody into a somebody. AJ since day one was over since TNA started as just an indy company and had indy fans who already knew who guys like AJ and Joe were.

WWE made a dumb looking Cena when he debuted in 2002 against Angle into the biggest star today.

TNA has the capability, and the talent, but for some reason it isn't clicking.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Great post.

And, I tend to disagree. Everything you said is right, except for the reason why people hate TNA. Yes, TNA is the last remaining vessel of potential. Hating it because it hasn't reached that potential is silly. They can't do it in a day, and most importantly - they can't do it without us, the fans.

Many wrestling fans are not as intelligent as the OP. They're much rather turn the product off because of incredibly idle reasons, or because they read something on the Internet or heard how much it sucks from a friend. Wrestling fans are not the brightest crayons in the box. They'd much rather bet on what's popular, what has worked for 50 years (even though is broken now), and watch the WWE not because it's good and entertaining, but watch it because they're hoping for a glimpse of the Attitude Era.

TNA does mistakes as all companies do. They're more frustrating than WWE's identical fuck ups simply because we're tired of caring about WWE's flaws. It's old, it's washed up to complain about the WWE's problems just as much as it's washed up to bitch about how much Cena sucks. It's not going anywhere. TNA is a younger company, smaller company with a product (promos, matches etc.) that almost rivals WWE's.

TNA has been around for nine years. Face it, TNA won't get as big as the WWE or even come close in the next ten. That's the truth. It won't gain viewers over a night, it won't gain them in the next year. TNA is a baby of a company, and people expect it to be as efficient as an adult. They're not even on the road yet. TNA will not grow anytime soon, and we all need to live with that.

The ratings have been stuck in one place, and that's usually a bad thing. But then look at WWE's ratings. They're the same every-single-week. That tells you that it's not a WWE thing, it's not a TNA thing, it's a wrestling thing. And this is where TNA is supposed to chime in and reinvent the business. Well it won't happen when fans are so close minded and cynical when it comes to Total Nonstop Action.

Fans around the globe treat it like trash, while it's not. Old guys this, old guys that. Yes, they do talk on the mic. To some fans that's taking the spotlight off the young guys. But at the same time, the young guys are the one in the ring, wrestling, so it's balanced. TNA has Ric Flair, Bischoff and Double J. I'm even going to exclude Double J from the mix because he's very good and entertaining. That's two guys. Flair and Bischoff. Two guys with great mic-skills, guy who can act, guys who can do it all on the mic. Is that so bad? Is that making the product unwatchable?

Like I said, TNA's product will never be flawless, but at least they're working on it unlike WWE who kept doing everything we hate for the last five, six years, completely ignoring the fans, as if saying "fuck you, you don't know shit". You can feel that TNA is trying to find the pulse of their company, you can feel the passion, you can see that they're experimenting and it's only a matter of time until they find themselves. People need to open their minds, remember why they love the business and try to enjoy a product that is in no way shape or form unwatchable. It's unwatchable for the ignorant sheep, for the idiots, the morons who decide to bash it for the fun of it.

I know, it's frustrating that it hasn't gained any viewers and it hasn't grown. But hating it because it doesn't grow is pretty stupid. Hating it because they sign this guy or that guy is pretty stupid. Hating them because they give the belt to a wrestler who has worked at another company is pretty stupid.

They're not putting the belt on Mr.Anderson because he worked in WWE, they're doing it because he's over with the fans, he's good in the ring and one of the best mic workers in the business.

They put the belt on Hardy for the shock factor of his heel turn and his popularity. Is that so wrong? Isn't "popularity" and merch. sales the reason why Cena is the poster boy?

TNA has put the belt on someone for the fuck of it. RVD and Foley are perfect examples. They've done it for good and bad reasons. Excluding either is idiotic.

They hire ex-WWE guys, yes. But while most fans see "that guy who worked in WWE", I see the worker, I see the wrestler. I see RVD who can still go and has had some cool matches. I see Anderson who's the most entertaining guy to watch in TNA bar Flair. I see Jeff Hardy who reinvented himself and is more interesting than he's been in a long time. I see Ric Flair who's the Flair of old, the guy who cuts a promo like no other, the guy that's not fed to the viewer as an old man, he's Naitch now and is awesome at it. I see Kurt Angle, a guy who has helped the company a lot and had amazing matches and storylines.

They have hired some dumbasses. Matt Hardy comes to mind. All the EV2.0 guys come to mind. It's how it goes, it's a business decision and it sometimes work, and sometimes does not.

Think of it this way. You're making a movie. You have actors who are talented but not famous. You need that movie to sell, and one of the best way to sell it is to slap a famous actor on the poster which would increase the chances of people going to see it. If you're making that small budget movie and Robert DeNiro comes to you and says he wants to be in it - would you say "no", you're old? DeNiro is DeNiro just like Flair is Flair. He doesn't have to go "You talkin' to me?" in the movie, he just needs to use his ability to act, just like Flair uses his ability to be ... well Flair, I can't define what he does. You want the best possible cast, and the more famous people you have - the better. Some of them might be bad actors, some of them might be great, but put them in the movie with the talented youngsters and you have yourself a nice little cast, plus the youngsters will get some experience and exposure by working with the celebs. That's why TNA hires them. Certainly didn't work because the ratings are the same, but just enjoy my example

And that begs the question: should TNA Fire the famous wrestlers/legends they signed because the ratings did not increase? Absolutely not, because if they do - they might as well fire the youngsters too. It's up to them too, isn't it? It is, to an extent. It's also the writer's fault, and the people who market the product.

Personally, I honestly believe that TNA's problems are not that much what goes ON AIR, it's the backstage things, the business aspect of it. I've heard Flair say that there are very few people backstage doing a lot of things, he said that the show could use more "man power". Could it be that TNA's all fine, product wise, but it's not ran by the right people? Are all the right people, interested in working for a wrestling company, in WWE? TNA was awesome in 2005-06. It had everyone we all wanted. The young guys, the awesome wrestling, nice little storylines. Then why did it not succeed? The product was awesome, was it not? Writing was great, matches were great, talent was great, the divisions were great. One more proof that it might not be the people on the air, but the ones backstage who halt TNA's success. Not that they're not trying, they're just not good enough.

Don't hate TNA for doing mistakes, that's stupid, because while they do mistakes, they also do a lot of great and entertaining things, and people seem to forget about that and harp on the bad stuff.

Like I said, it'll take years for TNA to grow. It won't happen now, this year or next year. It takes time. WWE's been aroun for 50 years and it took them 40 to reach their absolute peak, and all they had to do in order to reach it was to exist. Wrestling was a new thing. It's not anymore.

Who knows? Maybe that's WWE/TNA's ceiling now. Maybe WWE will keep drawing the 3.0's and slowly losing them. Maybe wrestling's simply dying and it'll take a miracle to save it, not a new Attitude Era.

Either way, I'm enjoying TNA's product, I watch it as a fan, not a smark - it does miracles if you do so, by the way. I'm watching a company that develops its identity, a company that has things happening in it, new "firsts", moments, a company with a lot of potential which shows no sign of sinking, and it won't as much as some people would like to just so they can boast about it. I'd much rather watch TNA which is going somewhere, than WWE which is going absolutely nowhere but down. They'll have the money, they'll market the crap out of it, buy new trons, new sets, pyro, production, all is fine. They can't buy fans.

Right now we shouldn't worry about TNA beating WWE and being huge. They're about to go on the road and see how it goes, they have a few nice storylines going on, some piss-breaks of course, some wrestlers you wanna see, others that you don't, it's wrestling, it's never perfect. Enjoy it for what it is, we're lucky we even have that.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

Hello... It's me CuddleBuns84, that's right, the CuddleBuns84. But anyways enough of that.

People dislike TNA, because you have a money Mark by the name of Dixie Carter that just gives people who are past their prime decent dollars, and to hold younger guys down.

Hell, people dislike TNA because of the president herself. To post a live shoot like she did, before she brought in Hogan and Bischoff, and tell the talent. "Hey we're going to compete, and if you don't like it. leave!"

Then on top of that! Yea, the WWE makes dumb decisions, water-down their storylines. But they care about their fans a lot more then TNA. They go to different states. They sign autographs, they do the make-a-wish foundation. They branch out all over.

For years the TNA fans have been begging for more road shows. Take Impact on the road. More establish stars. Instead, Kevin Nash and Sting main event the shows. In the impact zone. They don't want to take the show on the road, because it's cheaper to stay in one spot.

Wait a second, we got more...

Sure, the Nexus angle didn't have any surprises, or sweet twists we were expecting... But it wasn't a new version of the nWo. It wasn't stupid take over, from guys who already run the company. It was a storyline that got some younger talent over and recognized.

Fortune, is just a spin-off of the four horsemen. Hasn't really done anything for the members of the group, but it's made Flair look like a million bucks again.

....

If TNA had a Heyman, or a JR, or even a new guy running things, trying establish themselves as a great company. Making matches, building the ground for TNA. Making TNA a wrestling product, and product enjoyed by it's clients and fans. Then we would be on to something.

When the day it happens. When they realize that, finding talent that was a decent draw a few years ago, isn't going to get them the draw they need for the future, then TNA may not be as hated by wrestling fans.

 

[MisterRob]

I don't hate TNA as a company. In fact, years ago, I was a fan. This was long before they had all these recognizable names from WWE and WCW. This was back when the X Division was thriving, their tag team division was exciting and had more then two real teams carrying it, and when the World X Cup was something unique and entertaining. I enjoyed it as a fresh alternative. I enjoyed it as a small promotion with a ton of potential and a ton of great young talent. I actually ENJOYED the product.

I'm disappointed with TNA as a company now a days, but I don't hate it. What I DO hate is the product they're putting out. The storylines and angles, the way they book, the direction they're going, and the similarities with the WWE style instead of crafting their own style and their own vision.

Sure I dislike a great deal of things about the WWE nowadays, and I'm disappointed with WWE's product and direction too in most cases. I'm disappointed that TNA can't get their act together and really offer me something I can enjoy and be interested in like they once did. I'm disappointed that, to me, they're wasting so much potential that they do have with their roster and their place as a company. But, I don't hate TNA's product because of WWE. I hate TNA's product because of the poor quality of it as a wrestling fan, nothing else.

 

[Rckstrtmmy]

I agree with you. TNA should be a company that can compete. Based on wrestling and talent they can definitely compete with the WWE. This competition would push the entire industry and BOTH companies can stop with the lazy booking. However, TNA still seems like a second rate company to me for one main reason. The Impact Zone. The crowd for TNA sucks all the life out of their shows. They barely react to entrances and promos, and aside for stupid "this is wrestling" and "TNA" chants they are mostly lethargic. Once TNA starts traveling and the crowd is fresh, it will bring a new energy to TNA shows. The product as a whole would benefit from the energy and hopefully TNA can get on a roll (I know the writing has to change but thats a relatively easy fix IMO) and really compete with WWE and push both companies to provide more entertainment and less bullshit. If TNA doesn't drop the Impact Zone they will always be a second rate company.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Question. I've seen a lot of people who would much rather watch WWE than TNA, and say that the reason why they don't want to watch TNA is because of the potential and how it frustrates them.

... then why do you still watch WWE? WWE also has even more potential to reinvent the business, don't they? They have all the money in the world, they have the marketing ability, they have the big stars, they have the ability to sign ANYONE out there and bribe them with tons of cash, they have the ability to do anything. They have the money to offer to the best writers out there, they can reinvent the business and have more of the things you need than TNA ever will. Why is the burden on TNA and not World Wrestling Entertainment? Why should the little companies fix the mess of the big companies?

WWE has wrestlers who can really, really make a difference and NONE of them are used right. Cena? Not used to his FULL potential. Same goes for Orton, Kofi, Ziggler, you name it. None of them are in the roles they SHOULD be. The booking is also really bad, if not even worse. It's simply boring, it's a snooze fest. Is WWE thriving because they gave their top belt to a couple of mediocre jerk-offs under the age of 30 who took the title, shat on it and dropped it to Cena/Orton/'Taker? They gave the belt to Swagger - nothing happened. They gave it to Sheamus - nothing happened. They gave it to Miz - nothing happened. The ratings are the same, buys are the same, the company isn't going anywhere. They simply lost all the great wrestlers they had thus eliminating the chance of having a classic bout, and now they're stuck with a bunch of green-horns who don't know what the fuck they're doing, so they have to rely on a team of writers to script every move, word and emotion they make or say because if they can't cut a REAL wrestling promo to save their balls?

It makes you wonder why WWE is still in business. They write storylines for idiots, nothing too complicated for the feeble minded. Same old rigid crap every week, made better by a cool promo video, wrapped in bullshit. Nothing's happening, no new storylines, no amazing matches, no great gimmicks. And you're gonna all tell me that you're not watching WWE out of loyalty and habbit? You're actually fully entertained by such a basic, product-placement ridden, emotionless, mundane, half-assed product?

Why should TNA be the one making it all happen? WWE is the big bad dog, WWE is the trend, WWE is the biggest company in the world. Why do we have to rely on TNA and not WWE?

 

[Dean Winchester]

Question. I've seen a lot of people who would much rather watch WWE than TNA, and say that the reason why they don't want to watch TNA is because of the potential and how it frustrates them.

... then why do you still watch WWE? WWE also has even more potential to reinvent the business, don't they? They have all the money in the world, they have the marketing ability, they have the big stars, they have the ability to sign ANYONE out there and bribe them with tons of cash, they have the ability to do anything. They have the money to offer to the best writers out there, they can reinvent the business and have more of the things you need than TNA ever will. Why is the burden on TNA and not World Wrestling Entertainment? Why should the little companies fix the mess of the big companies?

WWE has wrestlers who can really, really make a difference and NONE of them are used right. Cena? Not used to his FULL potential. Same goes for Orton, Kofi, Ziggler, you name it. None of them are in the roles they SHOULD be. The booking is also really bad, if not even worse. It's simply boring, it's a snooze fest. Is WWE thriving because they gave their top belt to a couple of mediocre jerk-offs under the age of 30 who took the title, shat on it and dropped it to Cena/Orton/'Taker? They gave the belt to Swagger - nothing happened. They gave it to Sheamus - nothing happened. They gave it to Miz - nothing happened. The ratings are the same, buys are the same, the company isn't going anywhere. They simply lost all the great wrestlers they had thus eliminating the chance of having a classic bout, and now they're stuck with a bunch of green-horns who don't know what the fuck they're doing, so they have to rely on a team of writers to script every move, word and emotion they make or say because if they can't cut a REAL wrestling promo to save their balls?

Why should TNA be the one making it all happen? WWE is the big bad dog, WWE is the trend, WWE is the biggest company in the world. Why do we have to rely on TNA and not WWE?

Vince McMahon do not care as long as he is getting cash he does not care. The only time you will see WWE go all out is on special occassions and or if they get challeneged. So in that case TNA has to do stuff to get WWe's attention like what WCW did before they fell apart.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Vince McMahon do not care as long as he is getting cash he does not care. The only time you will see WWE go all out is on special occassions and or if they get challeneged. So in that case TNA has to do stuff to get WWe's attention like what WCW did before they fell apart.

Then what kind of morons are watching this? This is a spit in the face of every single fan out there. They're denied a better product because McMahon said so and because McMahon is satisfied with the moneys? And fans support this attitude? And go on and bash and blame TNA for not being better in order to provide challenge for the WWE so the business itself will get better? It's all TNA's fault that WWE is shitty all of a sudden? Are you FUCKING kidding me? TNA is busting their balls to try and fit everyone's cockeyed views of what's good and what's bad, and it's getting shit on on a daily freaking basis, while WWE is rotting in a pile of money, feeding you crappy product and not giving two FUCKS about what you want as long as you blindly throw money at them. Is this how it works now?

You wanna challenge WWE? Stop watching it. Force them into making it a better product when their ratings plummet. TNA went through that during the Monday Night Wars II. They went there, they got their ass whooped, probably lost a boat-load of money and they'll think twice before making that STUPID mistake again.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

No it's not. NOAH, NJPW, AJPW, are far bigger than them. Just because you can travel to Europe for a tour doesn't mean you're the second biggest in the world.

Those Japanese promotions get 40k. TNA gets at most 4k.[/QUOTE]

The guy who said it's the second biggest in the world kind of over-exaggerated. It's not. But it is in N.A.

Ken Anderson is now the TNA champion when he was made and got over in the WWE. Doubt that TNA would have picked him up before he went to OVW. WWE gave him that gimmick he uses now in TNA. Every TNA world champion, except for Joe and AJ, got over in another company first.

TNA hasn't made a nobody into a somebody. AJ since day one was over since TNA started as just an indy company and had indy fans who already knew who guys like AJ and Joe were.

WWE made a dumb looking Cena when he debuted in 2002 against Angle into the biggest star today.

TNA has the capability, and the talent, but for some reason it isn't clicking.

I'd just like to note that Ken Anderson was in TNA before he went to WWE. So yes, they saw something in him even before he was who he is now. Actually a LOT of WWE's current stars were in TNA before they went to WWE. WWE's the big dog and that's that.

Also, WWE was able to make The Rock, Austin and all those guys stars because it had the fame and exposure. It was a big company at that time, like you said, Vince took it in '82, but he didn't start it from scratch. WWF was huge after the 80's, so many many people watched it. It's easy to make anyone a star in such a company. You just need to book him like a star (i.e Cena). TNA is small. If AJ was with WWE (and he was for a match), and if they kept him, he would be a bigger star than Orton, Cena or anyone else on that roster. A lot of the TNA guys are limited by TNA's popularity. Theoretically speaking, if The Rock and Austin in their primes were in TNA right now, if they had the same talent and feuds they used to, they wouldn't be as huge. Why? TNA's small.

It's all about exposure. Miz is a bigger star these days than the entire TNA locker-room altogether. Is it because he's good, or because he's working for the WWE? Would he be as big if he was in TNA even if he was booked in the exact same manner? Answer that question and you'll see what I meant so far.

Personally, AJ vs Joe vs Daniels is a FAR better match than Shawn Michaels vs Jericho at 'Mania 19, and it's considered one of the best WWE matches. It stole the show. That match is getting all the recognition, but AJ vs Joe vs Daniels is not, because few people were there to see it.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Question. I've seen a lot of people who would much rather watch WWE than TNA, and say that the reason why they don't want to watch TNA is because of the potential and how it frustrates them.

... then why do you still watch WWE? WWE also has even more potential to reinvent the business, don't they? They have all the money in the world, they have the marketing ability, they have the big stars, they have the ability to sign ANYONE out there and bribe them with tons of cash, they have the ability to do anything. They have the money to offer to the best writers out there, they can reinvent the business and have more of the things you need than TNA ever will. Why is the burden on TNA and not World Wrestling Entertainment? Why should the little companies fix the mess of the big companies?

WWE has wrestlers who can really, really make a difference and NONE of them are used right. Cena? Not used to his FULL potential. Same goes for Orton, Kofi, Ziggler, you name it. None of them are in the roles they SHOULD be. The booking is also really bad, if not even worse. It's simply boring, it's a snooze fest. Is WWE thriving because they gave their top belt to a couple of mediocre jerk-offs under the age of 30 who took the title, shat on it and dropped it to Cena/Orton/'Taker? They gave the belt to Swagger - nothing happened. They gave it to Sheamus - nothing happened. They gave it to Miz - nothing happened. The ratings are the same, buys are the same, the company isn't going anywhere. They simply lost all the great wrestlers they had thus eliminating the chance of having a classic bout, and now they're stuck with a bunch of green-horns who don't know what the fuck they're doing, so they have to rely on a team of writers to script every move, word and emotion they make or say because if they can't cut a REAL wrestling promo to save their balls?

It makes you wonder why WWE is still in business. They write storylines for idiots, nothing too complicated for the feeble minded. Same old rigid crap every week, made better by a cool promo video, wrapped in bullshit. Nothing's happening, no new storylines, no amazing matches, no great gimmicks. And you're gonna all tell me that you're not watching WWE out of loyalty and habbit? You're actually fully entertained by such a basic, product-placement ridden, emotionless, mundane, half-assed product?

Why should TNA be the one making it all happen? WWE is the big bad dog, WWE is the trend, WWE is the biggest company in the world. Why do we have to rely on TNA and not WWE?

How do people on the internet know how to run a wrestling company more than someone who has been in the business more than 40 years along with veteran talent who KNOW for a fact what they're doing? Wrestlers LAUGH at the internet Marks who think they know what they're talking about.

I still watch WWE because it's a TV show. I do my best not to act like an arm chair quarterback like those on the internet.

The Chicago Cubs suck ass, but their fans still watch it, don't they?

It's painfully obvious that the Attitude Era "spoiled" the IWC marks making them think that it's only good wrestling with bashing each other in the head with chairs and just a slug fest in a match.

Or nowadays they think a good wrestling match involves spot after spot with no point.

TNA is small

So was ECW and people went crazy when someone like Taz debuted in WWF. Why? because they were internet users. Someone from TNA debuts in WWE, no one will know them because most of the people there don't follow the IWC stuff.

And of course a bunch of the talent was once in TNA. TNA was once just an indy promotion who used other talent that went around.

Personally, AJ vs Joe vs Daniels is a FAR better match than Shawn Michaels vs Jericho at 'Mania 19, and it's considered one of the best WWE matches. It stole the show. That match is getting all the recognition, but AJ vs Joe vs Daniels is not, because few people were there to see it.

You can like whatever you want. And I know a bunch of TNA fans and people who are on the internet have seen that match. And why would WWE talk about a match that isn't in their company or of footage they don't own?

I personally think that match was mostly a spot fest. A fun ride of a match though.

 

[Brian in Austin]

Honestly I don't hate WWE, I just dislike 80% of the talent. The MIZ at best is a mid carder. Cena is so repetitive that it's not in the slightest bit interesting.

So TNA honestly overall I think has more intrigue and better stories that make me want to watch it every week. I love everything about TNA right now, because it does remind me of the period of wrestling when it was fun, and adult oriented. I don't love every thing TNA does all of the time, but I love the story lines more than WWE. Honestly when has the WWE really had a story line that kept you wanting to watch? I just hate how everone hates on TNA for it's product, but for some reason the haters still seem to watch TNA every week. Are they haters really? I think not, I honestly just think people bash them because they are afraid their going to fall in love with TNA openingly then they go under and it's another crash of a company, when they were just getting used to liking it (ala WCW). I personally was devistated when CW closed, and the a glimmer of hope shined through when I heard bischoff was trying to buy it, and then VINCE as crushed any hope when he bought it and then closed it. He didn't like that their was someone out their bigger than him, so instead of running it seperately he had to close it to make himself sleep better at night.

So you might think I'm crazy, but I honestly believe that all the IWC haters on TNA really do like them, but are afraid to publicly aknowledge that they are now where WWE should still be. They just don't get the ratings cause their on the wrong network, and because WWE is still the machine that people are used to no matter how they change their programming because the WWE is a safe promotion that people feel isn't ever going to close.

People just don't want to get their hopes up, and have another promotion close.

Look, I get what you're saying here. And I used to be a fan of TNA prior to the arrival of Bischoff, Hogan, et al. But these guys are well past their prime yet continue to steal the spotlight from the younger talent that needs the push if they are to capture that next generation of wrestling fans. I happen to be a big fan of the talent of A.J. Styles, Robert Roode, James Storm, MCMG, and others on the roster. Problem is, they aren't learning anything because they are too busy being background players to the likes of Angle, Hogan, Bischoff, and soon again to Sting and Nash. There was a time for these guys, but it has passed. It's time for the old dogs to step aside and to let the next generation of stars take to the stage.

Now, this begs the question. Are the younger guys good enough to take the ball and run with it? Or were those running TNA so afraid they weren't that it warranted (in their minds) going out and getting Hogan, Bischoff, Russo, Angle, Sting, Nash, etc?

I predicted a long time ago that we were about to see the new version of NWO and that's exactly what we've seen. Heck, Hogan even comes out to a slightly altered version of his entrance music he used when NWO did exist! I mean, how goofy is that? How unimaginative is that? Now Styles is a bit player when he might be one of the most talented on the roster. Beer Money had one GREAT series of matches with The MCMG and since then are just run-in hit men for attacking Mr. Anderson, Matt Morgan, etc. It's boring. It's old! It's not original. Beer Money is a tremendously talented tag team and they deserve the opportunity to just let their talent shine on its own without the nonsense. Styles is a tremendous athlete and extremely talented. Yet, he's like a little kid in this group who's been told he's not ready to drive the car on his own.

So who does TNA turn to? Jeff Hardy! A known drug pusher and addict and his bloated, untalented, weirdo brother Matt! These are the guys you think will lead you to the promised land? Ha!

Look! TNA is okay. It's not great, and sometimes isn't even good. Yes, I watch. I watch because I enjoy watching "wrasslin." It doesn't mean I'm a closet hater, or that I secretly hate WWE. It's not that complicated. If the product is good, I'm happy. When it's not, I'm not. Both companies aren't great these days. Yes, WWE has become very, very stale! Same old...same old. But then, not every wrestler can be SCSA, or The Rock, can they? WWE made a HUGE mistake losing the attitude era but I get where VKM was going with it. It's a business thing. I get it. And only VKM knows whether or not he won that one! At the end of the day, WWE wins because they are bigger. Maybe not better, but bigger. Is it fair? Nope! But then again, life isn't fair.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

Then what kind of morons are watching this? This is a spit in the face of every single fan out there. They're denied a better product because McMahon said so and because McMahon is satisfied with the moneys? And fans support this attitude? And go on and bash and blame TNA for not being better in order to provide challenge for the WWE so the business itself will get better? It's all TNA's fault that WWE is shitty all of a sudden? Are you FUCKING kidding me? TNA is busting their balls to try and fit everyone's cockeyed views of what's good and what's bad, and it's getting shit on on a daily freaking basis, while WWE is rotting in a pile of money, feeding you crappy product and not giving two FUCKS about what you want as long as you blindly throw money at them. Is this how it works now?

You wanna challenge WWE? Stop watching it. Force them into making it a better product when their ratings plummet. TNA went through that during the Monday Night Wars II. They went there, they got their ass whooped, probably lost a boat-load of money and they'll think twice before making that STUPID mistake again.

So your telling me Dixie Carter & CO. give two craps about you? Did they ask you or anyone else if they could bring in Hogan & Bischoff? Uh no they did it because they were desperate.

Please tell me you just didn't say AJ/Joe/Daniels is a better Match than HBK/Jericho from WM 19? You call a three-man spot fest with hardly any pshycology better than that one?

Look I don't hate TNA as a company I just hate some of the people who run it and the way they do things sometimes. I watch it but there is just no energy in their Shows and I think the Impact Zone has alot to do with it. That crowd just drains the life out their Shows and they hardly react to any of the Entrances & Promos. I know they are going to travel around the Country more (apparently,we'll see how long it really lasts) but im sure they'll keep most of them in the Impact Zone. TNA has the Talent but like someone said earlier something is not working especially since their Ratings have barley moved at all since they got on TV.

 

[BigBombB]

I agree with the topic creators original post. TNA receives a lot of the flack we, as internet users, give it BECAUSE of the opportunity it is squandering. We don't look at ROH and pick apart every angle they have. We don't look at Japanese wrestling and try to dissect every angle they have (...I mean, its a bit tough because they speak a different language and all but still). The only organization who gets torn apart is TNA because TNA NEEDS to be a big deal, they just AREN'T!

I hope you're all happy, this topic made me watch the most recent Impact to be able to make a few points...I apologize if this goes long, but its a big topic to cover.

I haven't watched TNA in months, so this will be as fresh a view as I can get of TNA. What is the first thing I see? An angle between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett fighting over Karen Jarrett. Already, I have a simple situation to explain.

Comparison: Edge / Lita / Matt Hardy

Explanation: Edge, at this time, was just starting to cement himself as a threat in the main event scene. News of Lita cheating on Matt with Edge had made its rounds for a long time, but it was unexpected Matt would ever be brought back given the situation. There was a grassroots uprising to get Matt back into WWE and when he finally returned it was HUGE news!

Why it worked: Edge was arguably the biggest star in wrestling at the time, his segments were getting the highest ratings of the time period. Lita was a female legend in WWE despite still being young, a lot of fans were shocked by the news, and her appearing with Edge on television added to the controversy. Matt returned, the two went on to have some of the most talked about matches in either of their careers, and Matt went on to never be relevant again...but hey, he'll always have this huge angle to lay claim to.

Why TNA's won't work: Jarrett is nowhere near as capable of playing the role Edge played and Karen is no Lita. Lita would still be a draw if she came back to WWE, Karen was always just the unwanted tag-along that got pushed down our throats. There is no grassroots movement, no "is Angle capable of beating Jarrett?" hype because we all know he is, its just an unwanted "shock value" angle that won't lose fans but won't bring any in either.

The women's 4-way was decent until the completely botched ending. Not only the count but...who thought Madison wearing a loaded MMA glove and doing a big, stupid wind-up was a good idea? It was a decent space filler, the company isn't hurt by having a passable women's match, but TNA has no advantage here. LayCool copied the Beautiful People and surpassed them, Mickie is not a big enough star to make the division worthwhile, and at least WWE's women's division is consistently mediocre without pretending to be anything more. TNA claims to be THEE place to be for womens wrestling and most of their matches are embarassing.

Rob Terry is TNA's version of Bobby Lashley, he is a big guy that they are trying to push but he has no personality. People are completely bored by this guy. For as big as he is, he has no presence. I was pleasantly surprised when Morgan squashed him but then Abyss came out. Then Abyss and Terry stood tall in the end. Abyss is the only man less over than Rob Terry, please stop them.

NJPW/TNA footage was cool. Any time I see guys like Nakamura and Tanahashi on American television is good news. This is something TNA could benefit from. NJPW is keeping above water in a wrestling landscape where everyone else is in serious financial trouble. NJPW "gets it". TNA could benefit from looking at how NJPW works.

Amazing Red's big brother? He chokes out AJ Styles and makes a reference to a new "they" group? This stupidity speaks for itself. The last "they" angle popped one decent rating when Hardy turned heel, then people tuned back out again. I'll be surprised if "they 2.0" will even do that.

Kazarian/Lethal was a good match. A good throwback to when TNA focused on wrestling. TNA has a lot of good wrestlers, they excel in the ring, this is more of what they should do. Instead, we get Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett numerous times throughout the night.

Anderson/RVD having a promo...then Tommy Dreamer is randomly in it. LOL. Seriously? Do they really think casual fans think Tommy Dreamer is a significant figure in wrestling? This is another issue TNA has, angles are only as significant as the people in them and Tommy Dreamer devalues every segment he is in.

Oh no, Dreamer vs. Jeff Hardy. You have the man that is supposed to be your biggest heel in the ring with Tommy Dreamer. TOMMY DREAMER! Another weakness of TNA, they have no idea how to book their wrestlers to look strong.

Comparison: Sheamus

Explanation: Sheamus was brought in to WWE, he was talented, he had mic skills, but as far as the WWE audience was concerned he was nobody. So WWE pushed him. HARD. He still isn't seen as on the same level as Cena or Orton, but he is very close and in a short period of time.

Why it worked: WWE exploited the dislike a lot of older fans had for John Cena by bringing in the "great white hope" and having him unexpectedly defeat Cena for the WWE title. It was too early for Sheamus to win the belt, no one will debate that, but once you're WWE champion it is on your resume forever. Since then Sheamus has been taken out of the title scene but he won the King of the Ring to remain relevant. He also lost a great series of matches to John Morrison but that hardly hurt him at all, he is more popular than he has ever been, and Morrison benefited CONSIDERABLY from it.

Why TNA's Won't Work: Jeff Hardy beating Tommy Dreamer does nothing for him. Jeff Jarrett feuding with Kurt Angle accomplishes nothing. Jeff Jarrett does not need a push, Kurt Angle gains nothing from this feud. Matt Morgan feuding with the two least over people in TNA does nothing for him. None of these angles are going to bring in new viewers. Nothing groundbreaking is happening. Anderson is champion now but he has the same affliction Christian had as a face in TNA, he has lost his edge, and without that edge his popularity will flounder.

Beer Money (the most over people on the roster that were TNA made) taking on Anderson/RVD is a good main event. Then Matt Hardy, with his stupid new hair, comes in. I get it, Jeff was there distracting, seeing Matt with Jeff in TNA is pretty amazing...but Matt is not over. Thrusting him straight into your most important angle isn't good business.

Bully Ray/Brian Kendrick segment was the best segment of the night hands down. Bully Ray, as ridiculous as it is, is the best angle going in TNA today. This fact is pathetic, horribly pathetic, but it is a hell of an angle. The new look works for Bubba since it is an extension of his real personality. He has successfully reinvented himself. TNA needs to take notice of this and exploit it.

Big Red takes out Abyss to end the show and deliver a message to Fortune, meaning they are now pushing him harder than every other deserving star on the roster.

Summary: TNA has never been on the pulse of what is current. They aren't pushing the industry forward. In fact, every big step they end up taking just takes them further backwards. TNA can't afford to be WWE-lite or WCW-lite if they want to start gaining on WWE in 2011. TNA's success is so critical for every performer in wrestling and just because they put on a "passable" product in some people's eyes doesn't mean they are on the road to doing that. The only people making big money in TNA are the guys who made big money in WWE/WCW. No one's career is being made in TNA and that is a trend that BADLY needs to change.

 

[nbkush]

the biggest problem is they come off second rate....not because of talent or storylines, but rather the presentation. TNA has to get out of their soundstage, and air more ppvs and impacts filmed while they're on tour. the impact zone is stale

 

[Uncle Chester]

I'm tired of 'waiting' for TNA to reach their potential. I've been waiting for 3 years now and you people keep on telling me to be patient and it can't be done overnight? Bullshit. I gave it plenty of time to get it's shit together and entertain me with consistent story lines and great wrestling. It's failed. You ask why we criticize TNA moreso than the WWE, because with all the talent, with all the big names and the resources you fucking think TNA should be getting 1.1 for 2 years straight? TNA should be critisized more, because if we drop our standards for an alternative to the WWE than we get a virtual quality clone to the WWE.

I fucking hate TNA not only for the product (which (when) compared to the WWE isn't all that bad) but for it's current position which is the end result of 3 years of my personnal investment. I watched this fucking company hoping like a naive fucker I am that like a young child TNA would mature given it's abundant opportunities with a fucking amazing roster and strong financial backing from a corporation but it hasn't.

The promises from from it's fans and the constant hype surrounding TNA should be rewarded with consistent growth but it isn't rewarded. The effort hasn't been returned. TNA is in the same spot it was before and that's unacceptable.

I don't care to watch a product which quality wise is similar to WWE without the excellent production. It would be stupid of me.

 

[safeco1999]

Like WCW, TNA routinely features former WWE stars in major storylines. The problem is, WWE is such a huge marketing machine, that their fans routinely turn to other shows to watch what former familiar faces are doing. This is the MAIN reason why WCW gained any success in the 90's.

The problem with TNA is, they look too low budgeted. WCW struggled until Bischoff improved the production of their tv shows and improved their venues. But this is also 20 years later, and TNA is pushing out the same garbage on tv.

I'll be honest- I won't watch TNA for guys like Robert Roode or that black guy pretending to be the Macho Man and whatever else they feature. I'm sick of hearing about how great AJ Styles and Samoa Joe are. In WWE, they would be nothing but mid-carders.

WCW tried their whole New Blood storylines, and no one got interested. It's all about marketing and improved production on tv. TNA needs a marketable icon + improved production, but unfortunately, those guys are not wrestling anymore (i.e. Austin/Rock).