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Post by Assman on Jul 9, 2012 12:41:46 GMT
I got to thinking about what I personally consider to be the better days of TNA - Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniels and so on doing their thing 6 or 7 years ago and the company gradually becoming a proper threat to WWE with fresh matches, storylines and wrestlers. The last time I regularly watched Impact was around the time when Kurt Angle came in, and I remember at the time people were quite excited and pretty much consider his signing as the breakthrough wrestler to make TNA a truly global franchise.
That was nearly six years ago, and while I'm glad TNA is still around and plodding along happily it's a shame the supposed breakthrough was never made. I don't know who or what was responsible for that and I won't pretend I have the slightest clue about what I'm talking about, but to me it seems the introduction of Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan didn't help. On the rare occasion I have tuned into TNA I can't make sense of the storylines that are going on, guys like Crimson are dull and the idea of seeing Brooke Hogan and Garrett Bischoff on screen makes me cringe.
So, do you think TNA will ever make it big, and what's needed to potentially make that happen?
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Post by Mr. McMahon on Jul 9, 2012 13:31:49 GMT
Well, funnily enough, I think having Hogan there actually helps. Don't get me wrong - he's nowhere near the draw he once was, but recent TNA programming is showing him as GM of the show and NOT making himself the centrepiece. He and Austin Aries don't get on apparently, but yet he recognises that the fans wanted Aries at the top hence his title match at Destination X (I won't spoil the result for those that haven't seen it). I think now that Hogan at least APPEARS to be trying to get younger talent over, TNA is making strides.
The quality of wrestling is vastly improving, and despite the fact they aren't as big as WWE I actually think the big E could learn a thing or two from their young rivals. The booking has actually been decent, and most of it (though definitely not all of it) actually makes sense.
The big thing, for me, is them getting out of the iMPACT zone on a more regular basis. The arena is relatively small for what I would imagine they want, and they aren't going to gain any corner of the market with the same fans turning up week after week and getting bored of the product. We've seen in recent WWE times a lot - a hot crowd helps make a hot show. TNA needs to start touring and staging their shows in different locations each week if they want to be seen as actual, serious competitors to WWE.
But that takes $$$. I have no idea how much they have or will have in future, but until those little green bits of paper start rolling in in their sackloads they will struggle. But recent programming has certainly given TNA fans some hope of progression, and speaking as a WWE fan I truly hope TNA manages to reach WCW heights, if not just for Wars II.
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Post by cloud on Jul 10, 2012 18:13:16 GMT
No, definitely not.. They can't breed talent in quite the way WWE has done. I mean, Robert Roode & James Storm are the only two I can think of at this time that are up and coming in TNA. The rest of the Main Event over the past 5 years or so have been Past-WWE stars that were already established. In short, TNA will never surpass WWE, but they could become more popular if they became their own breed, rather than WWE Junior.
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Post by Justin on Jul 10, 2012 20:18:42 GMT
With hard work absolutely,
quite frankly recently I have enjoyed TNA a lot more then WWE , ever since Slammiversary TNA has been able to produce some one the best matches and best storylines while WWE is simply a bore.
So right now I think TNA is beating WWE creative wise , but WWE is an empire so the rating won't show it until TNA gets to a bigger better network and gets a better fanbase. and as Cloud says they need to get rid of the WWE has-beens and produce their own talent instead of being "WWE Junior".
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Post by Matt Hardy on Jul 10, 2012 20:33:26 GMT
No, definitely not.. They can't breed talent in quite the way WWE has done. I mean, Robert Roode & James Storm are the only two I can think of at this time that are up and coming in TNA. The rest of the Main Event over the past 5 years or so have been Past-WWE stars that were already established. In short, TNA will never surpass WWE, but they could become more popular if they became their own breed, rather than WWE Junior. Not necessarily only Storm and Roode You still got Styles Joe Abyss and now you got Aries coming through. Fair play its alot less than WWE but they are heading in the right way to making more credible contenders without having them come from WWE
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Post by cloud on Jul 10, 2012 22:44:39 GMT
No, definitely not.. They can't breed talent in quite the way WWE has done. I mean, Robert Roode & James Storm are the only two I can think of at this time that are up and coming in TNA. The rest of the Main Event over the past 5 years or so have been Past-WWE stars that were already established. In short, TNA will never surpass WWE, but they could become more popular if they became their own breed, rather than WWE Junior. Not necessarily only Storm and Roode You still got Styles Joe Abyss and now you got Aries coming through. Fair play its alot less than WWE but they are heading in the right way to making more credible contenders without having them come from WWE Yeah I know TNA has produced other names like Styles, Joe, etc... I meant the only "up and comers"... Aries I'd say was produced in ROH...
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Ayen
Member
Posts: 412
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Post by Ayen on Jul 11, 2012 7:26:02 GMT
I haven't watched a full TNA show since early 2007 when things were just getting hot but from the bits and pieces I've seen of the recent product it actually looks a lot better. The fake audience sounds are lame (I think WWE does that too on their taped shows but not sure), and some things still tends to make me roll my eyes like "Last time on TNA!" but compared to 2010 and 2011? Hell of a lot of improvement has been made. They should really work at being a healthy alternative to WWE programming instead of trying to be as big as they are, which by current fan reaction seems to be what they're becoming. People who grow bore with WWE tend to switch over to TNA to see what they're doing. Still not sure why they call themselves 'Impact Wrestling' now instead of simply 'TNA Impact' but ah well.
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Post by Alexis Malaware on Jul 11, 2012 13:02:49 GMT
Despite having Russo on their creative team I thought the years prior to Hogan and Bischoff's arrival TNA was getting better each year. Far from perfect and they missed some opportunities, like how Tomko could have been their next break-out star had they just turned him face and have him attack Christian Cage, and some other stuff that I can't remember off the top of my head. But I thought they were slowly getting there. Then along came Hogan, Bischoff, the Nasty Boys, Bubba the Love Spunge, Val Venus and things went downhill pretty fast.
But let's face it, if they want to be Sports Entertainment that Vince's backyard. They aren't going to be able to beat Vince at his own game. Even Bischoff said it better himself, "I knew to compete with WWE we had to be completely different" and that's been TNA's major flaw. I haven't watched any of the newer editions of iMPACT so I can't comment on the quality of the shows now I just remember how horrible things were in 2010 and 2011 when Hogan and Bischoff were running things.
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Post by Zira Firestone on Jul 11, 2012 19:00:33 GMT
I just want them to bring back the six sided ring and X-Division. X-Division is what made TNA big and the ring helped to make TNA unique when compared to WWE.
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Post by Nabeel on Jul 11, 2012 19:46:03 GMT
I just want them to bring back the six sided ring and X-Division. X-Division is what made TNA big and the ring helped to make TNA unique when compared to WWE. Exactly that, really miss the 6 sided ring. I remember when the top feud in TNA was Joe/Styles/Daniels. They put on some great matches, TNA needs to return to what it was like back then if they want to offer a true alternative and compete with WWE>
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Post by Justin on Jul 11, 2012 21:27:34 GMT
I just want them to bring back the six sided ring and X-Division. X-Division is what made TNA big and the ring helped to make TNA unique when compared to WWE. I agree, the 6-sided ring really made things unique in TNA, i've never seen a 6-sided wrestling ring, and TNA introduced it. Then Hogan came in and was like "I want 4 sides" . That's something they need to go back to.
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Post by La Castellan on Jul 12, 2012 21:57:50 GMT
TNA = WWE + Good but Naive Indy Stars - Credibility + bad russo
I do not think they'll make it big but I think a number of the stars left over when they die slowly and painfully, unloved in a ditch, might go on to bring another federation up to a level of credibility. Hell lightning may strike me as I win the lottery while finally finding a purpose to my shitwaffle existence and We can see Chikara Pro get an influx of talent that pushes them onto a televised circuit akin to TNA or WWE.
on a personal note: I seriously want to see a lot of TNA's talent on WWE and RoH, moreso WWE so people would actually watch them.
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Post by steel90 on Jul 13, 2012 14:04:31 GMT
TNA will always come second fiddle to WWE, it's a given.
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