Bookers of TPWW

[Swiss Ultimate]

What would you have done to make TNA a viable threat to the WWE?

To clarify, this isn't just what you'd do if you had your way. The question is, what would you have done if you were directly competing with the WWE and trying to make TNA the #1 wrestling company in the country.

[tjmidnight420]

Off the top of my head instead of hiring Hogan & Co. I would've taken the exact amount it took to hire all of them, fired Russo and added his paycheck to the sum, and offered all the money and complete creative control to Heyman. That'd pretty well get it started.

[Favre4Ever]

I feel like "hire Heyman from the start" is sort of a cop out answer here. It was honestly the first thing that came to my mind, but in reality I think Heyman is a much better on-screen antoagonist/announcer than he is a booker. That being said, though, I think Heyman could still do miles better than the stupid shit Russo and his cohorts were thinking up.

This is actually a really hard question, because WWE is so entrenched in what they do that short of stealing all their big name talent I don't know how you could overthrow them.

Let me think on this for a bit.

[Swiss Ultimate]

I think a few acquisitions were smart, Kendrick and friends to the X-Division and I'm not against having RVD in TNA. Hogan and Flair however, don't offer anything for me and I think that the over-all gains in views because of them is negligible. (I'd have to see a study done or some comprehensive ratings analysis though.)

Heyman was a great writer and a poor businessman. I'd like to think if he had the financial backing he'd be able to succeed.

[Favre4Ever]

Also, direct competition with the WWE should have been an END point, not a beginning point. Let's assume for a second, and this is a BIG assumption, that the wrestling on TNA was far superior to WWE, and the mic skills of TNA's wrestlers had the upper hand on WWE's wrestlers. I think despite all that, it would STILL come down to production values. The WWE product just LOOKS better than TNA's. On top of that, the crowds are bigger, and thats something else that affects viewer perception of a product's quality.

[Mooияakeя™]

Played to the strengths of the X-Division.

[Favre4Ever]

You're also not going to be able to have a competing product when you broadcast out of a single location every show. I think TNA would have to have a much more WWE-esque travel schedule if it truly wanted to compete.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Are TNA starting to charge for shows yet? I know that's not a booking decision, but that's something I would definitely do. TNA needs to generate money so they can afford to expand their production values. They don't need to go to huge arenas, but the occasional big show would be awesome.

Creatively -- play your strengths where the WWE is weak. Tag team wrestling, women's wrestling and the X-Division are three great strengths. The main event can be the main event, but the other divisions are how you set yourself apart. Guys like Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle are all big names that would actually fit the X-Division, too. I'd love to see Angle and RVD feud over the X-Division Title.

[The Pope]

Kick Jesse Neal, and Rosie lotta bullshit out of TNA

[Next Big Thing]

Great question. I think one of TNA's biggest mistakes was allowing it's Knockouts division to go to shit. In terms of ratings they consistently were the highest rated segments of the program and could put on good matches (Gail Kim v. Kong) and you know they had WWE's attention since Laycool was a rip off of the Beautiful People.

TNA can keep the big names, just use them better:

I feel that shows are typically better with heel GMs/ commissioners. Bischoff would be perfect for the role.

1) I would have had Flair manage a legit stable of Horsemen- esque heels (Wolfe, Anderson, Joe, Morgan) not babyface AJ Styles. Have them terrorize faces like the Pope, AJ, Jay Lethal until Sting returns as a face to mentor them and oppose Flair. The younger guys can then build a history based while simultaneously playing into the long and storied history of Sting and Flair.

2) I would have used Hogan as a way to get Abyss over as a legit monster. Have Hogan befriend him, give him the ring and all that other bullshit... then one day Abyss snaps and turns on him... maybe because he doesn't like being good, or maybe because someone like Bischoff got in his ear. This could culminate in Hogan's true retirement match with Abyss winning a gory hardcore battle.

3) There is so much wasted tag team talent out there... I would definitely build a legit tag team division and give them time to tell a story in the ring. I know some of you might not like this, but I'd rather see TNA have a strong tag division than the X division.

[Wishbone]

First I would fire Russo imidiatly along with much of the other useless 'talent' such as Jesse Neal, Rob Terry, Orlando Jordan, Rosie lotta love, etc. I would then take TNA on the road and begin broadcasting live on thursdays from a different arena every week ala RAW. Turning AJ face again would be another step as he seems to have the potential to be a good contender for face of the company mabe even have Hogan mentor him rather than Abyss :roll: and have Abyss take a roll similar to that of Kane or Undertaker. Next feature top stars like Hardy and RVD similary to how they are now but give Hardy the better end of it as he is very established as a maineventer thanks to WWE and has proven to be a great draw. Feature the X-Divison, Knock-Outs, and Tag-Teams more to set TNA apart and promote TNA better by using money I would have been using to keep low rate talent to purchase advertising space on major networks perhaps even getting a few during RAW or Smackdown!. Give the main event push to guys like Anderson and Pope who have long term appeal while slowly lowering the amount of time spent on guys like Flair, Hogan, and Sting who won't really be able to do much for the company in the future. Anyway that's just a few of my ideas I'd get into more but I'm kinda tired of typing and I'm pretty sure few people wanna read such a big post :lol:.

[Favre4Ever]

I've always thought Bischoff was a TERRIBLE commissioner. I mean he gets the heat, but his angles are always lame. Lose and take off your mask, lose and your fired, lose and babysit my retarded nephew for a week, blah blah blah. He's an ok on-air personality though.

I think one of the key things missing from TNA is the sense of some sort of power struggle. The way it's set up now, Bischoff and Hogan are in control "as a way to get TNA on the map." I think if there were factions vying for control of the company, each one trying to get the best wrestlers on its side, the product would be more interesting.

If they could pull it off without letting things get horribly convoluted that is.

[Schlomey]

The ONLY way to compete with WWE is to model yourself after them in every way but create a niche along the way that is considered to be one of WWE's flaws.

That flaw, I think, is storyline build & TV match quality. The WWE follow a formula for every feud that they have. We all know what that formula is at this point so I won't indulge into it. If I was a TNA writer I would create simple storylines fueled with intensity, void of comedy in most cases & give them plenty of time on free TV.

So yes, firing Russo is a must here.

Paul Heyman is a decent storyteller but I'm sure there are better and more creative minds hanging around that we aren't familiar with looking for a break. Some IWC guys in a round would ALWAYS be a part of my business meetings and corporate structure. They are in tune with what the REAL wrestling fans want to see

I am also a big fan of the X-Division. Some of the best PPV & TV matches include the mid/cruiser size guys. The WWE is obviously not interested in a cruiserweight division so I would also take that opportunity (as another WWE weakness) and exploit it.

I would also slim down the roster. Get rid of the waste & crap comedy names in the company. Shannon Moore, as much as I want to like him, pisses me off with that book of billy goat shit....So sick of things like this in wrestling.


I would put the world title on Kurt Angle again as he builds momentum in the top ten. I am a fan of the new ranking system put into effect. It really gives the fans some much needed power but more importantly it's a good launching pad for guys who need face time and mic time.


Abyss would also be fired. He is a waste and I instantly change channels or stop paying attention anytime he is being featured.


Flair stays put. Just not in a wrestling capacity. He is amazing on the mic and really can help the young cats get over.


Get rid of Hogan/Bischoff. I was excited at first but their presence NEVER does anything for me and sometimes I just roll my eyes and wait for it to be over.


TAG TEAM WRESTLING. Nuff said. You have teams like Beer Money who can work well and my favorite team in the Motor City Machine Guns. Exploit the fact that WWE could give a crap about tag team wrestling...yet another niche to expand on.






Truth is there will NEVER be another WWE. They proved that after the demise of WCW. But ratings and overall likeness of the product CAN improve to the point where they are deemed as a generous second.