Wrestling Matters

[Brian in Austin]

You can try to generalize all you want, but I won't be one of those people.

Hogan walk's out on RAW, I'll be pissed off. Same with RVD, Anderson, Hardy. I'll just make me want them to lose and make it hard to watch the product when thier on TV. Why else do you think I stopped watching TNA for a month? It's hard to watch a product with guy's I don't respect.

Them not being in WWE makes them irrelevant. An example, Jeff Hardy. He was the seond top babyface behind John Cena in 2009, even outpopping Cena some night's. He was a two time World Champion. He goes to TNA, nothing. No higher rating's, no big filled arena's. TNA is where people go to irrelevant. Hell, remember Angle and Nash saying in the past that fan's would go up to them and ask "where you working at now?"

You raise a great point with respect to the level of success that moves like Angle, Jarrett, Nash, and others going from WWE to TNA that TNA has NOT achieved. If those who are fans of TNA are honest, they have to be willing to admit that those moves and others have not significantly impacted TNA in a positive way.

 

[Fenris]

You raise a great point with respect to the level of success that moves like Angle, Jarrett, Nash, and others going from WWE to TNA that TNA has NOT achieved. If those who are fans of TNA are honest, they have to be willing to admit that those moves and others have not significantly impacted TNA in a positive way.

We have and we have also spelled out why top guys in the WWE(Angle, Christian, Hardy, Anderson) whom have jumped ship haven't impacted the product like TNA had hoped. The difference is we're honest about it. It has less to do with the product put on TV and it isn't because the talent that jumped sucks. The reason why it hasn't made the impacts(no pun intended) as hoped for? Marketing.

I've said it a million times, TNA's biggest downfall throughout their existence has been a lack of marketing. They don't market for shit. Let's use the example 123 used, Jeff Hardy. He's not wrong, Hardy was drawing bigger pops than Cena and moving a ton of merchandise in the WWE. He leaves and TNA signed him. Well what did they do with that? They put him on TV and figured that would be enough. It wasn't, it never is. They should have been getting the merchandise ready and making calls. IIRC the WWE had a Jeff Hardy action figure around at the time that was flying off the shelves. See where i'm going with this? Dixie should have been calling Walmarts, calling Targets and calling Kmarts corporate HQ's to let them know Jeff Hardy was contracted with TNA and they have a line of action figures and merchandise ready to hit the shelves. Same with Angle, same with Christian, same with Anderson considering Mr. Kennedy toys and shirts were doing good numbers as well.

The toys are just an example, airing commercials is another example. When was the last time a TNA commercial aired on a network not named SpikeTV? I honestly can't remember EVER seeing one. But the point being you cannot grow and gain fans and take off if noone knows who you are or where to find you. Until the Carters accept that and spend the money required to advertise they WON'T grow. Hell John Cena and Randy Orton both could walk out on a live IMPACT or a live PPV and beat the hell outa AJ Styles but if they don't advertise the hell out of it noone will know to tune in to watch them.

 

[itssoeasy123]

Can you give away more of an obvious jab at the WWE. Since WWE took out the word "wreslting" form their name, TNA feel's the need to start saying "Wrestling Matter's." Give me a break, this rebranding and slogan is gonna be another failed attempt to move forward. But, I don't care, and I doubt Vince McMahon can give a damn about TNA. Their not competitiom, or a threat to the WWE, never have been and never will be.

 

[Notorious718]

I guess we'll have to wait and see if wrestling really does matter and we'll see more matches and less in-ring segments. For example, Karen Jarrett's segment last week in which she was interrogating the women looking for Kurt Angle's mistress ate up too much time in my opinion. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. I really don't care if this is a "shot" at WWE's decision to re-brand itself as a full on entertainment company. In fact, I applaud TNA for going down the opposite road WWE is going and setting itself apart from WWE especially since the IWC loves to shit on TNA for "copying" WWE. No harm, no foul. But I have to see what happens in the next few months to believe that "wrestling matters" is more than an empty slogan.

 

[Brian in Austin]

We have and we have also spelled out why top guys in the WWE(Angle, Christian, Hardy, Anderson) whom have jumped ship haven't impacted the product like TNA had hoped. The difference is we're honest about it. It has less to do with the product put on TV and it isn't because the talent that jumped sucks. The reason why it hasn't made the impacts(no pun intended) as hoped for? Marketing.

I've said it a million times, TNA's biggest downfall throughout their existence has been a lack of marketing. They don't market for shit. Let's use the example 123 used, Jeff Hardy. He's not wrong, Hardy was drawing bigger pops than Cena and moving a ton of merchandise in the WWE. He leaves and TNA signed him. Well what did they do with that? They put him on TV and figured that would be enough. It wasn't, it never is. They should have been getting the merchandise ready and making calls. IIRC the WWE had a Jeff Hardy action figure around at the time that was flying off the shelves. See where i'm going with this? Dixie should have been calling Walmarts, calling Targets and calling Kmarts corporate HQ's to let them know Jeff Hardy was contracted with TNA and they have a line of action figures and merchandise ready to hit the shelves. Same with Angle, same with Christian, same with Anderson considering Mr. Kennedy toys and shirts were doing good numbers as well.

The toys are just an example, airing commercials is another example. When was the last time a TNA commercial aired on a network not named SpikeTV? I honestly can't remember EVER seeing one. But the point being you cannot grow and gain fans and take off if noone knows who you are or where to find you. Until the Carters accept that and spend the money required to advertise they WON'T grow. Hell John Cena and Randy Orton both could walk out on a live IMPACT or a live PPV and beat the hell outa AJ Styles but if they don't advertise the hell out of it noone will know to tune in to watch them.

Actually I disagree. TNA could market like crazy but the buying public has to actually care about your product. Simply advertising doesn't guarantee that. And marketing to mainstream America doesn't guarantee TNA success. In fact, your scenario about Orton and/or Cena showing up at Impact is a great example of what I'm talking about.

I GUARANTEE YOU if that happened, the next week the ratings for TNA would skyrocket. Maybe not that night because, true, no one, allegedly, would know about it. (ahem: Hello dirtsheets!)

But you can bet your bottom dollar that the following week would see record #'s of viewers. Not because of marketing ,but because wrestling fans actually CARE about seeing John Cena and Randy Orton more than they do AJ Styles. Sorry to say, but the product is inferior to the WWE.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

Actually I disagree. TNA could market like crazy but the buying public has to actually care about your product. Simply advertising doesn't guarantee that. And marketing to mainstream America doesn't guarantee TNA success. In fact, your scenario about Orton and/or Cena showing up at Impact is a great example of what I'm talking about.

I GUARANTEE YOU if that happened, the next week the ratings for TNA would skyrocket. Maybe not that night because, true, no one, allegedly, would know about it. (ahem: Hello dirtsheets!)

But you can bet your bottom dollar that the following week would see record #'s of viewers. Not because of marketing ,but because wrestling fans actually CARE about seeing John Cena and Randy Orton more than they do AJ Styles. Sorry to say, but the product is inferior to the WWE.

Well it doesn't help that TNA is on Spike TV. Don't get me wrong Spike TV is good, but its not a channel like CBS ,FOX, ABC and NBC i.e a channel that everybody has with basic cable. You can market all you want but if your program isn't on the big-4 tv channels, its impossible to get the ratings you want even if you would have Cena and Orton in TNA. People want to see A.J styles and other TNA originals mixed with ex-WWE guys or else TNA would have zero ratings and would be in the same situation that ROH is in now. The problem with TNA is that they are not on one of the big-4 networks. Even WWE was on Spike Tv, so it isn't that bad but they went to USA network for a reason and that reason is that the more people have the channel were you broadcast your show the more ratings you have.

 

[itssoeasy123]

Well it doesn't help that TNA is on Spike TV. Don't get me wrong Spike TV is good, but its not a channel like CBS ,FOX, ABC and NBC i.e a channel that everybody has with basic cable. You can market all you want but if your program isn't on the big-4 tv channels, its impossible to get the ratings you want even if you would have Cena and Orton in TNA. People want to see A.J styles and other TNA originals mixed with ex-WWE guys or else TNA would have zero ratings and would be in the same situation that ROH is in now. The problem with TNA is that they are not on one of the big-4 networks. Even WWE was on Spike Tv, so it isn't that bad but they went to USA network for a reason and that reason is that the more people have the channel were you broadcast your show the more ratings you have.

No, actaully RAW went back to USA becuase their contract with Spike ran out. And even if they did leave becuase less people have Spike, maybe TNA could try to do the same. But, IMO, I don't know what other channel will want this product. When WWE was on Spike they had good number's, well let's say better than they have now on USA.

The Spike reason is so drawn out. Like I said earlier, WWE had good number's on Spike, TNA have a normal 1.0-1.2 every week, maybe an occasional 1.3, but not even close to RAW's 4.0 and higher rating's they had on Spike.

TNA just need's to market their product more, and get it out there that their on television. But, instead they sign C-list celebrities and pay Christy Hemme and shitload of money for no reason at all. They resign Chris Harris and Scott Stiener for no reason at all but to move backward's 4 year's.

TNA need's to market more. I remember before the Jan. 4th show I saw TNA preview's during RAW, that's what they need to do. Try to draw away viewer's from WWE and market their product.

 

[Ferreira]

You raise a great point with respect to the level of success that moves like Angle, Jarrett, Nash, and others going from WWE to TNA that TNA has NOT achieved. If those who are fans of TNA are honest, they have to be willing to admit that those moves and others have not significantly impacted TNA in a positive way.

False. I started watching TNA Wrestling because of Kurt Angle. And I'm pretty sure that others did too. About Kurt Angle I'm 90% sure that they had a good jump in the ratings.

"If they can pay Kurt Angle a contract, they might be good". I started watching TNA and I loved every bit of it, I didn't knew everyone on the roster but quick enough I cared about everyone.

I think this is a good move, I don't care about Entertainment, if I would like to watch Entertainment I wouldn't watch RAW or SmackDown because they don't really entertain me, the jokes are very bad, the segments are poorly executed and by god I'm sick and tired of the same jokes about fat or ugly people (take Vickie as an example, and the guy usually doing its the ass-face known as The King Jerry Lawler)...

So I watch Wrestling because of the storylines and their matches, I don't care about Santino's Cobra, I don't care about Kozlov's funny accent, I surely don't care about Hornswoggle, I wanna watch wrestling, sure, I want to be entertained at some point, but I watch because I want to watch great matches, not good matches and great promos.

This movement makes sense, but at the same time it's too obvious that is just to put TNA on the side of the 'ressling' fans against WWE's entertainment fans, it might work for TNA but I'm not sure it will. I just hope, as everybody here, I guess, that this leads to even better matches and better storylines.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

All I know is that these guys are as serious about is as they can. First it was the name, the attitude, the logo, the motto, re-designing the iMPACT Zone and they're hyping the hell out of it. Look at this shit, it looks so professional. Kind of "real".

[youtube]STj-mZ5Na3M[/youtube]​

Any doubt that the product will be changed is by now diminished I believe. Just go on the road with the new name and everything and get this shit going.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Now is the perfect time i think for them to completly repackage the product. First of all nobody cares about TNA anymore. Secondly the just announce the new title for the show with the new slogan so fans are going to tune in next week to see if what they are saying is true or not.

So if i was TNA and i was saying that wrestling matters, i would pretty go back to the basics of what a pro wrestling show looks like. I would stop all the backstage dramas, i would have wrestling matches that last longer then 3 minutes and i would use backstage interview to set up storyline. TNA want to sell the fans on this new product they have, then they need to go that route. Stop that action/adventure shop opera crap they been giving us for the last year and a half and concentrate on wrestling.


But i'm somehow convince that TNA won't change a thing and that next week, i will be the shame old shit they delivered for the past year and a half. Too bad because, if done well, they actually got a roster that could pull it off. So i really hope that this change will mean that they actually are changing the TNA product but i'm not holding my breath because i'm been burned to many time by TNA to trust them and delivering what they are promising.

 

[Brian in Austin]

Well it doesn't help that TNA is on Spike TV. Don't get me wrong Spike TV is good, but its not a channel like CBS ,FOX, ABC and NBC i.e a channel that everybody has with basic cable. You can market all you want but if your program isn't on the big-4 tv channels, its impossible to get the ratings you want even if you would have Cena and Orton in TNA. People want to see A.J styles and other TNA originals mixed with ex-WWE guys or else TNA would have zero ratings and would be in the same situation that ROH is in now. The problem with TNA is that they are not on one of the big-4 networks. Even WWE was on Spike Tv, so it isn't that bad but they went to USA network for a reason and that reason is that the more people have the channel were you broadcast your show the more ratings you have.

But once again we're going to disagree. The reason TNA isn't on network television is because network tv doesn't CARE about their product. Would it help if they were? Doubtful. Again, you need a product people care about. TNA doesn't have that. Avid fans of wrestling know and understand what they will see with TNA. Old WWE workers who for one reason or another are no longer with WWE. Network tv also isn't going to go for the T&A aspect of their programming along with the blood and chairshots. Interestingly you mention their need for network tv when network tv is one of the reasons that WWE has gone PG and one of the reasons the WWE haters hate on WWE. So those in your corner would (or should) actually argue for TNA to STAY on Spike and avoid network tv so they can keep that pg-13 rating.

But again, the product is inferior and that's why it's where it is. Believe me, if they were getting the kind of ratings that Raw does, USA or someone else would be at their doorstep negotiating.

I like watching wrestling, so I'm happy that TNA exists. But it doesn't mean they are the equal of WWE. They aren't.

 

[Brian in Austin]

All I know is that these guys are as serious about is as they can. First it was the name, the attitude, the logo, the motto, re-designing the iMPACT Zone and they're hyping the hell out of it. Look at this shit, it looks so professional. Kind of "real".

[youtube]STj-mZ5Na3M[/youtube]​

Any doubt that the product will be changed is by now diminished I believe. Just go on the road with the new name and everything and get this shit going.

No offense intended ZZ, but that 30 second spot doesn't mean they've completely changed course. The battle royal was a nice start, but that's all it was. Let's see where this goes

 

[Zeven_Zion]

No offense intended ZZ, but that 30 second spot doesn't mean they've completely changed course. The battle royal was a nice start, but that's all it was. Let's see where this goes

Yeah, I know, but I'm just trying to say that they made so many changes and hyped it so hard that it's very difficult to believe they'd have the audacity to keep the same amount of wrestling on the show. Then again, I fully understand the doubt a lot of people have. It is TNA ... Don't think I'm 100% sure that change is truly coming, but I'm optimistic, but this is their chance to finally start working on fading that "Well, it's TNA" stigma and completely erase it. We'll see where it goes, and I have a funny feeling that no matter where it goes, some people will still be unhappy and find things to cry about.

 

[Brian in Austin]

Yeah, I know, but I'm just trying to say that they made so many changes and hyped it so hard that it's very difficult to believe they'd have the audacity to keep the same amount of wrestling on the show. Then again, I fully understand the doubt a lot of people have. It is TNA ... Don't think I'm 100% sure that change is truly coming, but I'm optimistic, but this is their chance to finally start working on fading that "Well, it's TNA" stigma and completely erase it. We'll see where it goes, and I have a funny feeling that no matter where it goes, some people will still be unhappy and find things to cry about.

Look at it this way. If people didn't truly care about TNA, we wouldn't be talking about it. I know I wouldn't. I use the same analogy in golf. People can't stop talking about Tiger Woods because in many ways, he IS golf. If he weren't, people would find other golfers to talk about. They rarely can or do.

Point is, yes, even when they make these changes, we're still going to find things we don't like about it. Look, there are things about WWE I don't like. (divas, u.s. title, tag team division, cole/lawler, undertaker undefeated streak, and on and on) But TNA has been an inferior product for a while now trying to find its way. I actually like the direction of the Bully Ray character, like the Fortune v. Immortal storyline when it's faction v. faction in the ring and not silly backstage vignettes, and I'm a big fan of A.J. Styles. I always liked The Fallen Angel character, like the X Division and am a huge fan of Beer Money, MCMG, and Gen Me. (big fan of high-flying, hard-hitting tag team action.) But there are also issues that needed to be dealt with too. The signing of Jeff Hardy was a risk I would never have taken given his history. Wouldn't have signed Chyna, or XPac and Scott Hall when they brought them in. Just horrible decisions made in the interest of trying to create the good old days and it backfired as overall it negatively impacted the product.

Then they let Kevin Nash walk away when he could have been a huge help backstage, and they continue to use HH and Bischoff as focal points of the show when they shouldn't be.

Just let the wrestlers tell their stories in the ring and let the old guys teach in the back. Let them counsel young men and women on how to succeed in this business. There is no question that Bischoff, Hogan, Sting, and others could be invaluable resources for the younger staff of TNA in learning HOW to build a successful brand as they've been there, and done that.

Do you agree?

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

For Satan's sake give it time. WWE wasn't built in a day, hell no wrestling company can expect to have succes over night. We have to wait and see, TNA has been here for at least 9 years. If TNA was as old as WWE is and would be like it is today, i would be worried but its isn't so lets wait and see. Even the great Vince Mcmahon almost went out of buisness not once but twice.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

For Satan's sake give it time. WWE wasn't built in a day, hell no wrestling company can expect to have succes over night. We have to wait and see, TNA has been here for at least 9 years. If TNA was as old as WWE is and would be like it is today, i would be worried but its isn't so lets wait and see. Even the great Vince Mcmahon almost went out of buisness not once but twice.

O.k you got point but at the same time, just look back in the 90's and The birth of WCW. WCW started in 1990 when Ted Turner bought Jim Crockett promotion and it took them 6 years to become a major player in wrestling. Yes you could say that it not the same thing because Turner had a lot of money and bought a company that already had a fan based but let face it, how many peoples where still watching Jim Crockett when Turner bought it.

The fact is that TNA should have a lot more success that they have right now. It's been 9 years already, they have pretty much every main event talent that is available right now. They have to 2 biggest legends in wrestling in Flair and Hogan. They still have 3 futurs hall of Famers in Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and Sting. So why is nobody watching. Because for all the big names they have, they still don'T give the jaded wrestling what they wants and that's wrestling. WWE is not giving wrestling, they been very vocal about this, they are in the entertainment business. TNA just started the new slogan Wrestling matters, hope they stick with this and actually produce wrestling because from what i've seen since january of last here, they didn't deliver anything new or different. It was the same old and boring action/adventure soap opera shit that pretty much killed WCW.

But TNA biggest problem is the booking, they need to realise that you don't need to over complicated everything and have swerve on every show to keep fans watching. They also need to realise that the first hour of the show is suppose to serve to keep people interested in the product, if the only thing the fan see in the first hour is a 3 minutes knockout match and a 3 minute x-division match and the rest is all backstage promos and in ring promos, fans will change channels because they will be bored with the product.

It's been 9 years already, they been on spike since at less 2006 and they are doing the same ratings they were when they aired on the one hour version on saturday nights. Something got to give right now because yes maybe they only been here 9 years and until Spike TV is behind them, they are o.k but what would happen if suddenly, Vince offer Spike TV to run original programming on their Network, Maybe bring Smackdown on Spike TV with a couple of others shows, do you really thing that Spike TV will go and say No to Vince because they already aired TNA. I don't think so, they will do everything in their power to get out of their TV Deal with TNA and will welcome Vince Back with open arms. TNA is only surviving because of Spike TV right now and when that deal is over, so is TNA in my estimation because i doubt that any other network would want to pick them up since they don'T have a great track record.

 

[BenChiefin]

Wrestling always mattered.

Did everyone forget when TNA did that one impace called

THE WHOLE F'N SHOW?

Yeah. It was dope. Now we need that everytime.

 

[Schuyler]

It don't matter as long, as the TNA is focused on HH, and other pass WWE stars, nothing will change, we all have been waiting for something to happen for years now. All we have seen is TNA falling and falling.

 

[Dizzy]

O.k you got point but at the same time, just look back in the 90's and The birth of WCW. WCW started in 1990 when Ted Turner bought Jim Crockett promotion and it took them 6 years to become a major player in wrestling. Yes you could say that it not the same thing because Turner had a lot of money and bought a company that already had a fan based but let face it, how many peoples where still watching Jim Crockett when Turner bought it.

You just basically contradicted yourself. It took them 6 years because they signed a bunch of well known talent and they already had like 7,000+ people attending shows before WCW was created.

Go on Wikipedia, look at the attendance of NWA. It was well known. WCW just made it even bigger and more Global. You cannot compare that to TNA.


The fact is that TNA should have a lot more success that they have right now. It's been 9 years already, they have pretty much every main event talent that is available right now. They have to 2 biggest legends in wrestling in Flair and Hogan. They still have 3 futurs hall of Famers in Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and Sting. So why is nobody watching. Because for all the big names they have, they still don'T give the jaded wrestling what they wants and that's wrestling. WWE is not giving wrestling, they been very vocal about this, they are in the entertainment business. TNA just started the new slogan Wrestling matters, hope they stick with this and actually produce wrestling because from what i've seen since january of last here, they didn't deliver anything new or different. It was the same old and boring action/adventure soap opera shit that pretty much killed WCW.

But TNA biggest problem is the booking, they need to realise that you don't need to over complicated everything and have swerve on every show to keep fans watching. They also need to realise that the first hour of the show is suppose to serve to keep people interested in the product, if the only thing the fan see in the first hour is a 3 minutes knockout match and a 3 minute x-division match and the rest is all backstage promos and in ring promos, fans will change channels because they will be bored with the product.

Okay, so storylines aren't gonna keep people interested? If what your saying is true, why is WWE still have fans watching?

It's been 9 years already, they been on spike since at less 2006 and they are doing the same ratings they were when they aired on the one hour version on saturday nights.

TNA is averaging just under 2 million viewers. Back in 2006 they had just a little over 1 million. Ratings aren't everything, TNA has grown since 2006. Everyone loves to focus on the US. Why not discuss the success overseas?

Something got to give right now because yes maybe they only been here 9 years and until Spike TV is behind them, they are o.k but what would happen if suddenly, Vince offer Spike TV to run original programming on their Network, Maybe bring Smackdown on Spike TV with a couple of others shows, do you really thing that Spike TV will go and say No to Vince because they already aired TNA. I don't think so, they will do everything in their power to get out of their TV Deal with TNA and will welcome Vince Back with open arms. TNA is only surviving because of Spike TV right now and when that deal is over, so is TNA in my estimation because i doubt that any other network would want to pick them up since they don'T have a great track record.

Goes to show how much you know about the TV business. Vince doesn't have the right to ask anyone to showcase his product on TV. That's not how it works.

TV stations will compete to acquire rights to air WWE programming. They also have the right to drop those shows. If WWE is so great as you say (ratings) explain why has SmackDown been dropped from two networks?

Secondly, Spike and TNA have a contractual obligation with each other. They do anything shady and TNA can sue them.

Why would Spike drop TNA when Impact is one of their highest rated shows? Why would Vince go to a network that is dead last in viewership? People somehow think Spike is a popular channel. They hardly get viewers for their own original shows.

WCW and WWE had the luxury of being on top networks or basic networks.

 

[Brian in Austin]

At the end of the day, compelling product (i.e. shows) get on tv and those that aren't don't. Or in this case, a company in WWE has more compelling characters and programming than does TNA or the roles would be reversed. In this day of highly competitive tv ratings, markets, and such, don't think for a moment if TNA were better that networks wouldn't want them on their programming. But when you have a list of reality shows that beat TNA in ratings week in and week out, there's no GOOD reason to offer them a timeslot. For Spike TV TNA is a hit because, well, it's Spike TV. Not exactly USA, TNT, or one of the big three.

Fact remains that WWE is better. Why it's better can certainly be debated, but the results don't lie.

 

[Dizzy]

At the end of the day, compelling product (i.e. shows) get on tv and those that aren't don't. Or in this case, a company in WWE has more compelling characters and programming than does TNA or the roles would be reversed. In this day of highly competitive tv ratings, markets, and such, don't think for a moment if TNA were better that networks wouldn't want them on their programming. But when you have a list of reality shows that beat TNA in ratings week in and week out, there's no GOOD reason to offer them a timeslot.

Power Rangers, iCarly and Big Time Rush draws more ratings than WWE programming. Does that mean WWE doesn't deserve a timeslot?

For Spike TV TNA is a hit because, well, it's Spike TV. Not exactly USA, TNT, or one of the big three.

No kidding. I have been saying that. Spike doesn't even reach the Top 20 list in cable ratings even when TNA scores over 2 million viewers.

Fact remains that WWE is better. Why it's better can certainly be debated, but the results don't lie.

Who the hell is saying WWE is not a better company? Their product? Maybe not. I find it hard to call a company better that drafted Cena to SmackDown and sent him to Raw hours later.

 

[Brian in Austin]

Power Rangers, iCarly and Big Time Rush draws more ratings than WWE programming. Does that mean WWE doesn't deserve a timeslot?


No kidding. I have been saying that. Spike doesn't even reach the Top 20 list in cable ratings even when TNA scores over 2 million viewers.



Who the hell is saying WWE is not a better company? Their product? Maybe not. I find it hard to call a company better that drafted Cena to SmackDown and sent him to Raw hours later.

My larger point here is that if TNA offered a compelling product, networks would be more willing to work with them. Again, I'm not here to defend what WWE has done in the past or is doing now, but it's certainly hard to argue with their success. And I think one of the things you have to look at it is flexibility that those running WWE have shown as time has progressed. When they needed to change the structure and nature of their programming, they were quick to do so.

For whatever reason TNA hasn't been able to shift the structure of their programming as seamlessly to fit their audience as needed. Even today they had to make a statement about "wrestling matters" to let their most ardent supporters know they hadn't forgotten about that aspect of the business and that they were making a committment to move back in that direction. Ironically for them, it becomes a tacit admission that they too had moved away from more wrestling and more into vignettes/promos than wrestling.

I'm just saying that TNA can't, nor should they be, compared to WWE. The two businesses are on completely different levels and I believe in some ways it's even unfair to make the comparisons.

TNA should be judged solely on what they do, how they execute it, and how successful it is regardless of WWE.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

TNA should be judged solely on what they do, how they execute it, and how successful it is regardless of WWE.

But it's harf to not compare them to WWE when they acknowledge the WWE so much during their programming.

I actually understand your point here, TNA is only 9 years old and they don't have the experience yet to change their product on the fly like WWE does but i guess fans tend to compare them to WWE because of how many cheap shot TNA takes at WWE since Hogan came in. Everytime a former WWE guys comes in, the first thing that happens is they cut a promo about how they were miserable in WWE. Now the whole Wrestling matters slogan which is a cheap shop at WWE since WWE publicly announce that wanted nothing to do with wrestling. So the point is we might not want to compare TNA to WWE but for some strange reason TNA sure wants to be compare to WWE and that makes it very hard to not just do that.

 

[Brian in Austin]

But it's harf to not compare them to WWE when they acknowledge the WWE so much during their programming.

I actually understand your point here, TNA is only 9 years old and they don't have the experience yet to change their product on the fly like WWE does but i guess fans tend to compare them to WWE because of how many cheap shot TNA takes at WWE since Hogan came in. Everytime a former WWE guys comes in, the first thing that happens is they cut a promo about how they were miserable in WWE. Now the whole Wrestling matters slogan which is a cheap shop at WWE since WWE publicly announce that wanted nothing to do with wrestling. So the point is we might not want to compare TNA to WWE but for some strange reason TNA sure wants to be compare to WWE and that makes it very hard to not just do that.

Thanks for your comments and let me say that I agree with your perspective on the shots that TNA takes at WWE. Call it bitterness on the part of talent that's been released by WWE or little man syndrome. Whatever it is, I feel like it's both unnecessary and actually hurts their product. If TNA truly wants to be seen as something different from WWE (and right now I'm not sure they really do) then they need to be better than WWE in certain aspects of production and execution. So I think it's important that when new talent arrives, they do their best to avoid taking those shots at WWE. Move on; let it go! Things didn't work out "up north" and we all get it. As fans (at least speaking for myself) we want to see what this person will bring to the table for TNA, and not watch as yet another disgruntled former employee gets their shot in. It's completely childish and unprofessional and I have to wonder if Hogan isn't at the bottom of all of this. His love/hate relationship with VKM, I believe, continues to haunt him even to this day. The whole "I made wrestling what it is today" mantra, for me, seems to have actually taken root in the mind of Hulk Hogan.

Look, there's no question that Hogan made it mainstream and he deserves credit for that. But VKM brought Hogan to the dance. He understood, if not initially then very quickly, what he had in Hogan and quickly learned how best to utilize his talents. But to say that Hogan alone put wrestling on the map is both an oversimplification and exaggeration of the facts. For better or worse, VKM/WWE did a LOT to put wrestling on the map with their production styles, and VKM's ability to leverage his power with major players in the networks to get wrestling noticed. The relationships he and his people forged over the years put wrestling on the map and allowed things like the Monday Night Wars to even happen, much less be relevant in terms of the attention wrestling was receiving.

I recall years ago how regional wrestling seemed to me. I watched The NWA telecasts with Gordon Solie back when Ric Flair was 'the man' and Rhodes was his nemisis and it seemed like it was only on in Florida. Then came the wrestling show based out of Texas? Cowboy Bill Watts. UWF I think? Again, it seemed very regional and wasn't in a primetime slot or a national phenomenon. VKM made it a phenomenon thru the utilization of Hogan and other larger than life, over the top, characters thru the years. Was everything he did good for tv or right? Certainly not! But let's not miss the point here, which is that VKM still deserves great credit for his vision. And I think it's that which bothers Hogan so much. That no matter what Hogan has done (as he continues bellowing about selling out 90K stadiums), that VKM is still over his shoulder, still successful, despite all that Hogan has done and all that Hogan is trying to do now as his (would be) competitor.


I didn't get to see the PPV last night, but from what I've read it sounds like most were overall pleased with it. In reading the spoilers I wasn't sure about the outcome of one match but I'll wait to see how it gets played out before I criticize too much. I also didn't understand not using Anderson in some way, but I get they're building to a big main event with he and another major player. (again don't want to give away anything from last night.)


To me TNA had nowhere to go but up from their last PPV so I'm glad they were able to get this one under their belts and now we get to see what comes out of this next taping.

 

[vampireblade]

of course wrestling matters like styles said in that video its all that should matter and yes while in a way they are taking a shot at wwe maybe wwe needs to have a shot taken at them here because tna is basically saying hey were a WRESTLING company and were proud of it