TNA starting Indian Promotion

[Xero]

From PWInsider:

TNA hired Dave Lagana not to work on the existing Impact Wrestling series, but to take part in a brand new project the company will be launching later this year in India. The new project will be a weekly series for the Indian market that will not be utilizing the TNA brand name, PWInsider.com has exclusively learned.

Sources indicate that the project, which has been spearheaded by Jeff Jarrett, will be taping for a week in December with an additional week of tapings also scheduled for January 2012.

The project will be a completely separate entity from TNA - both in terms of the creative team and the roster of talents. Joining Lagana and Jarrett on the creative end of things will be Dutch Mantel.

Former TNA referee Rudy Charles has also been very involved in the development of the project's roster. The word we are getting is that they have cultivated a potential roster of former WWE/TNA/WCW/ECW types as well as independent talents that have not had major television exposure. I do not know if any talents have been signed as of this writing.

Sonjay Dutt, who was in India last week with BG James to scout talent, will also be a major part of the project. The project had well over 100 potential Indian talents try out and of those, ten were selected and will be brought to the United States to train as pro wrestlers and be part of the new series. Obviously, James will not be involved as he has taken a position as a WWE Producer on a probationary basis.

The new series will air in India on The Colors Network (known here in the United States as Aapka Colors in the U.S), a Viacom-owned network that launched in 2008. Endemol, a major international television production and distribution company, is also involved with the project.

One would think the series would find its way to the United States and other markets as well in some fashion, but nothing is confirmed in that regard. Colors is, however, carried on a number of satellite systems, including the Dish Network.

So, there you have it. A brand new, internationally based TNA brand will launch before the end of 2011.

[BizarroKing]

Why do i predict TNA will hire the Great Khali to be a part of this?

[Shisen Kopf]

Hopefully there is a heel faction called the Dotbusters

[ClockShot]

There's a jobs joke in there somewhere.....

And I ain't talking about Steve.

[parkmania]

Dey took are jerbs?

[St. Jimmy]

Lagana is the goods, too bad it's TNA related.

[Emperor Smeat]

:wtf: TNA hires him to do a show not related to TNA or using their name even though TNA wants to get part of the Indian market.

Initially thought maybe something similar to OVW or FCW that the WWE owns but even then they plastered their ads and stuff so people knew it was WWE owned.

[Mr. JL]

I'm for anything that sends Jeff Jarrett half way around the world and off my television.

Those poor, poor Indians though.

[GD]

Dammit TNA! Why us? :mad:

[Droford]

Bollywood Hogan anyone?

[GD]

Why is Lagana working with Jarrett? This is outrageous!

[Asmo]

Ok. That sounds neat.

The year before last, Colors had tied up with an South African wrestling promotion World Wrestling Professionals to produce a series for the Indian market called "100% De Dhana Dhan" (loosely translated, that means "Beat Him Up 100%"). Shot in South Africa, it featured several Indian wrestlers and some of WWP's wrestlers.

It was quite a decent watch. The storylines and wrestling style were both old-school WWF, and it became quite popular here in India.

TNA has been constantly promoting itself here in India. They first got a great broadcast deal with ESS (ESPN Star Sports), then allowed the broadcasters to air matches with Hindi commentary (god-awful, but hey, it introduced several of us to wrestling), and had special shows (all in Hindi, with an anchor - kind of like Velocity) which highlighted specific TNA stars.

Furthermore, they've been doing promotions and road shows - last year, they brought down Kurt Angle, Jay Lethal, Mick Foley, Sonjay Dutt, Simon Diamond, Shark Boy, and have brought down others earlier.

I have to admit, i am excited by this. I'm sure it'll be a killer watch.

BTW, India's the next big market - WWE opened an India office earlier this year, and some superstars are expected to visit the country for promotions in a month or two.

[GD]

It sucked balls Mr. TV Producer.

[Asmo]

I'm afraid not. We're so used to the WWE levels of production and wrestling now, that anything that's not WWE will pale in comparison. I thought that show was a decent production - they didn't fuck up the camerawork or the switching (that's cutting from one camera angle to the next) in the matches - and that's something that is absolutely crucial for televised wrestling - you're not supposed to see wrestler's calling moves, or landing fake punches / throws.

Sure, the commentary was hilariously bad (after all, it was in Hindi - and you can't call moves as fluently when you're talking in a foreign language). The sets and lighting can always be improved.

[Kane Knight]

There's a jobs joke in there somewhere.....

And I ain't talking about Steve.

Well, half of the workers will be NAMED Steve.

[GD]

I'm afraid not. We're so used to the WWE levels of production and wrestling now, that anything that's not WWE will pale in comparison. I thought that show was a decent production - they didn't fuck up the camerawork or the switching (that's cutting from one camera angle to the next) in the matches - and that's something that is absolutely crucial for televised wrestling - you're not supposed to see wrestler's calling moves, or landing fake punches / throws.

Sure, the commentary was hilariously bad (after all, it was in Hindi - and you can't call moves as fluently when you're talking in a foreign language). The sets and lighting can always be improved.

The characters were cheesy and corny. There was this guy called Jogiyaa who died or something. It was hilarious. I dug Danger Anna's gimmick.

[Asmo]

The characters were cheesy and corny. There was this guy called Jogiyaa who died or something. It was hilarious. I dug Danger Anna's gimmick.

Agreed.

I wasn't arguing about the content as such. The gimmicks were so 1980s. Caricatures, stereotypes.

That's where TNA & a Lagana can help.

[Tom Guycott]

I think this is an interesting idea: an ACTUAL "Brand Extention" with global ramifications.

Speaking of "global", I see them being able to cultivate the idea of "Global Impact" farther than beating random Japanese champions with nio angle and un-televised rematches.

Also, when someone "leaves" TNA, they could just as well "join" whatever this promotion will be called. If someone who is a BFD in the indies or potentially from homegrown talent comes to the states, they can make a big deal about some "international superstar" without it automatically meaning "WWE castoff".

If done right, switching promotions wouldn't be a demotion like dropping down to WWE's farm system of FCW, but more like what the original idea for the WWE brand split was- WWE vs WCW... except a little more believable since "the competition" is halfway around the world.

Amd, why wouldn't they sign Khali? Sure, he's awkward, slow, and can't wrestle for shit... but he's so fucking over in that country that it wouldn't make any sense NOT to sign him. He's as big as Yao Ming in China, even though Ming is injury riddled and made an NBA cqareer out of being really, really tall.


*The preceding statement was made with the full knowledge that "This is TNA", albeit not technically, and that they'll likely screw it up somehow. I really hope not, though. When they get things right, they really get them right.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Great, another Indy fed...

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

They should probably have done this in England where they are huge.

There top baby face will obviously be Curry Man. Or maybe he will have his distant cousin; Chutney Man.

[Rollermacka]

Why not just bring some Indian and/ or Middle Eastern wrestlers to TNA? Anybody else want to see wrestlers who aren't generic "I hate America because I'm from that part of the world"? Just some talented wrestlers who just so happen to be from India or Iran no asociations with Sheiks or Ayatollahs?

[MoFo]

No Hassan reference yet, TPWW is slacking

[GD]

Why not just bring some Indian and/ or Middle Eastern wrestlers to TNA? Anybody else want to see wrestlers who aren't generic "I hate America because I'm from that part of the world"? Just some talented wrestlers who just so happen to be from India or Iran no asociations with Sheiks or Ayatollahs?

Indians don't hate America. Arabs do. BIG DIFFERENCE.

[RiX1024]

No Hassan reference yet, TPWW is slacking

Hire Muhammad Hassan and push him as top star and hire a personal taxi driver Tiger Ali Singh.

[Shisen Kopf]

They could have a gimmick where someone ate some beef and are the biggest heel ever over in the forehead dot fed.

[Nicky Fives]

There are alot of Indians in India..... if only 1% watch the show, then that is probably more than Impact Wrestling gets on SpikeTV and other foreign channels worldwide.....

[Rollermacka]

Indians don't hate America. Arabs do. BIG DIFFERENCE.

Tiger Ali Singh had an anti american gimmick. From what I've seen Jinder Mahal has one too (at least in FCW he did, I don't watch Smackdown regularly) Pro wrestling doesn't really make much of a diffrence of people from that region

[Kane Knight]

There are alot of Indians in India..... if only 1% watch the show, then that is probably more than Impact Wrestling gets on SpikeTV and other foreign channels worldwide.....

What are the figures on Indian TV ownership?

[Xero]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_states_ranking_by_television_ownership

[GD]

Wow. That was a bummer.

[GD]

Tiger Ali Singh had an anti american gimmick. From what I've seen Jinder Mahal has one too (at least in FCW he did, I don't watch Smackdown regularly) Pro wrestling doesn't really make much of a diffrence of people from that region

Tiger Ali Singh and Jinder Mahal are Canadians.

[VSG]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo

[Rollermacka]

Tiger Ali Singh and Jinder Mahal are Canadians.

Your a Canadian!

[GD]

lol

Almost forgot that. Thanks for reminding me.