Is TNA the dumbest 'worldwide' wrestling company ever?

[slik]

Outdated rasslers and MMA stars.

#Buyrates

[Bad News Gertner]

WCW post early 1998 was worse

KISS and Megadeth playing mid Nitro, not telling the cable companies that Halloween Havoc was going to run late ahead of time, advertising this weeks Nitro on a Wednesday in a newspaper, hiring Russo and Ferrera, giving $250,000 contract to Leapin Lanny Poffo and then not use him once. I could go on.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

To be fair to them, they haven't been able to compete with WWE when offering a similar product. So while as mostly wrestling fans, people here might not like the mma guys coming in, but as a company they need to think outside the box and draw fans from elsewhere. It might not be this, there might not be anything that can get them on a level I compete, but at least they're trying something rather than just accepting being a pound/dollar store version of WWE.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Plus the rumour is that it's not even TNA bringing the MMA people in, but Spike wanting them and paying their wage to get some more promotion for their MMA show.

[whiteyford]

Tito's been cutting wrestling promos most of his career so it might not be that bad depending on what he does/what hes allowed to do in the ring.

[whiteyford]

Still a bit of a waste since they have to disappear and train for fights regardless though.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

They're being dumb by not having Jeff Jarrett on tv anymore though.

[whiteyford]

He'll reappear during the Tito/Rampage fight and lay them out with his guitar while screaming slapnuts.

[screech]

They're being dumb by not having Maven though.

[seapig4]

Yes, yes they are.

[Next Big Thing]

Viacom owns Bellator and of course Spike. I think the addition of MMA fighters is something that is being pushed onto TNA in order to help Bellator more than Impact Wrestling. I truly believe Dixie's hands are tied on that matter.

[road doggy dogg]

Yeah I dunno, some of WCW's worst I think is worse than TNA. That being said, pretty god-awful.

[Shisen Kopf]

WCW post early 1998 was worse

KISS and Megadeth playing mid Nitro, not telling the cable companies that Halloween Havoc was going to run late ahead of time, advertising this weeks Nitro on a Wednesday in a newspaper, hiring Russo and Ferrera, giving $250,000 contract to Leapin Lanny Poffo and then not use him once. I could go on.

I mostly agree but WCW had 3 Count so that makes them better than TNA

[Bad News Gertner]

3 Count were amazing

[The Condor]

WCW and its not even close. That stuff was just God awful but so much so that watching it now is perversely entertaining. TNA is just stupid, but they have a decent in ring product and have had some good feuds. Honestly, the Jarrett/Angle feud might be one of my all time favorites. But this stuff isn't going to help them. MMA fans are not, and will not become, wrestling fans. Different people, different products, different mind sets. This new deal is a misfire.

[Savio]

CHW is pretty bad, No ERAG matches.

[Innovator]

Yeah I dunno, some of WCW's worst I think is worse than TNA. That being said, pretty god-awful.
It has to count for something that TNA has hired most of the people who helped WCW get into the way it was.

[Curd]

WCW post early 1998 was worse

KISS and Megadeth playing mid Nitro, not telling the cable companies that Halloween Havoc was going to run late ahead of time, advertising this weeks Nitro on a Wednesday in a newspaper, hiring Russo and Ferrera, giving $250,000 contract to Leapin Lanny Poffo and then not use him once. I could go on.

Yeah, every WCW fan at my school started watching WWE only except for flipping to WCW during commercials after Spring Stampede 1998.

I get the impression that WCW's USA Today and business card errors were because too many people were officially responsible, whereas TNA's mistakes with the licenses and distribution channels were because the people who should have been responsible had been fired or laid off without anyone picking up the slack.

In terms of WCW's entire history vs. TNA's entire history, I'd say TNA is worse because they haven't had ratings or buy rates peak even close to WCW's.

[Nark Order]

If any of you actually decided to watch TNA instead of shit on it every single day, you might enjoy it. I know I do. It's the weirdest thing. Somebody just decided to write it off forever and now everyone is missing out because of it.

[loopydate]

I enjoy TNA a lot, probably more than most, but they do a ton of dumb shit. Tito being just the latest example.

[Nark Order]

Yeah. They do. So does WWE. They are are just so big at this point that they can succeed despite their awful decision making.

[Innovator]

A lot of my problems with TNA are how the company is run. It is baffling. On screen, the guys work hard and it shows.

[MoFo]

I watch them as if they are a parody show, like The Office or Phoneshop, but about wrestling.

[Rammsteinmad]

TNA's alright. I watch it when I can, and try to catch all of their PPV's. I only have two major problems with the company; too much Hogan, and people turn face or heel way too much. I don't know if it happens on the shows I miss, or just randomly happens for the sake of it, but every time I watch it someone has turned. Fucking annoying to keep track of. :mad:

[Lock Jaw]

I started to get back in to it because of the podcast, but then I fell weeks behind, never caught up, and haven't started again.

[slik]

If any of you actually decided to watch TNA instead of shit on it every single day, you might enjoy it. I know I do. It's the weirdest thing. Somebody just decided to write it off forever and now everyone is missing out because of it.


Everytime I decide to 'give them a chance' they just fuck it up.

Ex: Austin Aries is champ, cool. Aces & Eights, lame.

TNA has spent far too much of it's existence reliant on wrestlers who were big deals in other companies (add MMA fighters to that list now) rather than establish and create their own big name stars. WCW had Sting, Flair, Luger and others who were legit big stars that made a name for themselves in WCW and could sell-out 20,000 seat arenas. TNA does not do that. ECW had their own big name stars and a cult following, and while not selling out 20,000 seat arenas they were presenting a product that was very, very different from WWF or WCW. TNA does not do that. That is where the perception comes from, at least for me.

And that whole 'WTF is Dixie Carter thinking' question that pops up every several months when she does something that seems odd or some bizarre newz story breaks.

[Savio]

I just can't get into TNA, I have tried countless times. maybe if it was on Tuesdays.

[Emperor Smeat]

Leaning towards yes but they haven't reached late WCW in terms of overall awfulness and dumbness.

Their management might be worse though considering its a mix of people who helped kill off WCW or just follow the same dumb mistakes WCW did. As well as having the idea that ppvs should be used to build tv shows instead of the other way around.

Last night's reveal basically followed the same pattern of almost every big surprise from TNA in either being executed badly or just as a huge disappointment.

[Volare]

Dennis Stamp could sure as fuck be using this time right now!

[screech]

If only he was booked!

[stultiloquy]

I used to watch TNA fairly regularly a few years back when the Knockouts division was doing well, but I've refused to watch any of it since they screwed over Daffney.
That said, even back then I was turned off of the product by their schizophrenic booking, and once Bischoff and Hogan took over I knew it was only going to get worse.

So yeah, TNA is pretty stupid.

[JKWJRMON]

I can't stand TNA. It is watch WCW post 1998 all over again. I mean really, same announcers, same stage, same ring, same titantron. Same lame ass ring announcer. Same people running the show. Look I grew-up a Hogan fan, but without Vince McMahon he's shit!! He had success for 2 years of his life in WCW with the nWo without Vince, other than that Hulk's no promoter/manager. He's a wrestler.

For the first time EVER!!! I was intregued by the whole August1 deal. TNA fucked that up as well. What will they do when Angle, and Sting finally retire? Still have Hogan - Flair matches till they fucking die in the ring?

[whiteyford]

A lot of my problems with TNA are how the company is run. It is baffling. On screen, the guys work hard and it shows.

Yeah that's the thing, every time I watch it I can't fault the matches, amazing roster, but it's the rest of it that kills any interest I had.

[Nark Order]

I can't stand TNA. It is watch WCW post 1998 all over again. I mean really, same announcers, same stage, same ring, same titantron. Same lame ass ring announcer. Same people running the show. Look I grew-up a Hogan fan, but without Vince McMahon he's shit!! He had success for 2 years of his life in WCW with the nWo without Vince, other than that Hulk's no promoter/manager. He's a wrestler.

For the first time EVER!!! I was intregued by the whole August1 deal. TNA fucked that up as well. What will they do when Angle, and Sting finally retire? Still have Hogan - Flair matches till they fucking die in the ring?

Almost none of this is true but you aren't the only one to think any of this. TNA gets sweepingly generalized all the time. Hogan does not wrestle and he is basically kept in a role that is suited for his talents. Mike Tenay is the only color commentator left from WCW and he's really good. Tenay/Taz and Tenay/Borasch are solid color teams. The ring announcer is Christie Hemme, who was not from WCW. I can't even begin to dissect your rant on Hogan not being successful without Vince because I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't even know what "same ring" even means.

And the same people aren't really running the show. The show is booked by a number of different people and Hogan has a fairly limited role. TNA really isn't even close to what WCW was. WCW turned into a bunch of old dogs afraid of new talent and petrified of losing their spot. TNA isn't really like that in any capacity.

[Nark Order]

And don't get me wrong. TNA makes some fucking horrific booking decisions sometimes but WWE makes decisions that are just as stupid all the time. It's just that everybody is already drinking WWE Kool-aid so they are more likely to forgive.

[Razzamajazz]

i've found that when i'm half drunk impact is a great show

[Lock Jaw]

What about when you are full drunk? Or like one quarter drunk?

[Lock Jaw]

Two thirds drunk?

[Razzamajazz]

it has to be exactly half. i've got it down to a science

[#1-norm-fan]

I've said plenty of times recently that TNA has been better and much less ridiculous booking-wise than WWE. WWE can just afford to half-ass (at best) storylines and be shit whenever it wants because it's WWE and like Narc said, people will reason it away much easier than with TNA. They have actually been on a good path over the past few weeks however.

[BigCrippyZ]

No, not in terms of booking, writing or production anyway. WWE and TNA have both done some horribly stupid things in recent years. WWE just has the benefit of a legacy and the $ to get away with it. Not to mention, their big surprises can actually be big with folks like Rock, HHH, Taker, HBK, Brock, Austin, Bret, etc. to call on from time to time.

With TNA, outside of Hogan, Angle and Sting, whom all have some kind of full time on-screen role, they have no other big names in wrestling to bring in. They can't really steal any game changing legends or talent away due to Hogan/Bischoff's poor history and the $ and influence of Vince/WWE.

Vince and WWE have a solid 30 year history of building stars like Hogan, Andre, Savage, HBK, Bret, Austin, Rock, HHH, Lesnar, etc. Why would an upcoming talent not want go to WWE and why would a WWE legend want to tarnish their legacy and possibly burn a bridge with Vince, etc.? WWE is not going anywhere anytime soon, TNA on the other hand, we really have no idea.

If however, you were to put WWE in the same situation as TNA in terms of money, history, legends, legacy, etc., I'd say they wouldn't be that far apart in terms of writing quality, wrestling quality and thus viewership/profits/success.

[Heisenberg]

DIXIE CARTER HAS SHIT DOWN ON LOCK

except minor flubs, that is D'Lo Brown's fault everytime

[James Steele]

Has TNA ever even contacted Stone Cold Steve Austin? I could see him popping in for an appearance or something. It seems from his radio show that he likes a lot of the TNA guys and is friends with Angle/Sting/etc.

Like the #August1Warning could have just been Stone Cold coming out and stunning everybody and drinking beer and leaving never to be seen again. Then, the next week you do the exact same lights go out/music hits/etc. and its Shark Boy. Then, you wait a while and debut Stone Cold E.T. at BOUND FOR GLORY.

[James Steele]

In all seriousness, TNA is nowhere near the levels of stupidity that WCW was at towards the end. WCW wouldn't have survived the early 90s if it hadn't been for Ted Turner's bullheadedness. WCW only had a good product for about 3 years (Remember, NWA =/= WCW.) TNA has produced more quality years than WCW did. TNA just overhypes things and goes for quickies rather than going for the whole foreplay and long hard fuck all night sort of thing.

Example, TNA would never have the patience to do what WCW did with Sting. They'd have finished that angle in 3 months.

[xREDxONxYOUx]

While TNA has a few things that they do correctly, most of what they do is just wrong. The whole "August1Warning" being Tito Ortiz??? WHY?! I know SPIKE wants ratings for a new MMA show, but the way it was done made no sense at all. I could understand if he was part of Aces & Eights and have a "match" versus Rampage but the way it was done was just pathetic. While everyone looked shocked, they really dropped the ball here by making it look like no one had any idea how to react. Way to go TNA! Just one more thing to add to the list of horrible decisions(ex. Hogan & Bischoff!).

[Anybody Thrilla]

There is enough entertainment value in TNA for me to watch Impact every week. Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, Bad Influence, the X Division, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, hell, even Magnus recently...the list goes on. There's at least one great match every week, and very few terrible ones. I think TNA might be more enjoyable for some if they weren't dissecting the booking and just breathing it in instead.

Aces and Eights isn't even that bad. Also, that was one of the more patient angles they've done in a while.

[James Steele]

#WeWantDLo

[Anybody Thrilla]

This is only loosely related to anything, but does it bug anyone else that Rampage doesn't wear a suit as part of the Main Event Mafia? Even Joe wears a suit.

[screech]

This is only loosely related to anything, but does it bug anyone else that Rampage doesn't wear a suit as part of the Main Event Mafia? Even Joe wears a suit.

I was thinking about this the other day. Bugged me as well.

[Nark Order]

This is only loosely related to anything, but does it bug anyone else that Rampage doesn't wear a suit as part of the Main Event Mafia? Even Joe wears a suit.

I've mentioned it on the podcast a couple of times. Drives me fucking nuts. They should at least explain why if he isn't going to. Dunno.

[VSG]

I dislike people who don't wear suits when they have to.

[screech]

except minor flubs, that is D'Lo Brown's fault everytime

How dare you besmirch the name of D'lo Brown. HOW DARE YOU

[Emperor Smeat]

This is only loosely related to anything, but does it bug anyone else that Rampage doesn't wear a suit as part of the Main Event Mafia? Even Joe wears a suit.

Does seem a bit odd but just thought of it as an "A Team" like moment considering he did act in the remake and he gives off a Mr. T like vibes with the chains and no suit.

[Heisenberg]

How dare you besmirch the name of D'lo Brown. HOW DARE YOU

Blame Jay Bradley then!

[Wake Up Call]

The hatred for this company on this forum is beyond retarded. The company keeps wrestlers employed, and that's all that should really matter.

[Hanso Amore]

The hatred for this company on this forum is beyond retarded. The company keeps wrestlers employed, and that's all that should really matter.

You are a moron.

They are an entertainment company that doesn't provide entertainment.

Shut it down.

[Wake Up Call]

1 million viewers a week would disagree with you.

[Fignuts]

Sup heyman

[Lux]

I voted for this? it must be true than.

[Lux]

Dixie Carter is the only thing going for TNA, with that said she should sell the company to Hogan so he can run it properly into the ground.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I felt that the Hogan/Bischoff coming in stuff could have led to brighter times for TNA, but they sort of dropped the ball with it. The Nasty Boys being in a wrestling promotion in 2009 or whenever it was? Just ridiculous. Bubba the Love Sponge also got hired, and that led to the departure of Awesome Kong. Homicide left shortly after, whereas I think he could have been an awesome X-Division icon for the company. He and Jeff Hardy should have gotten into it over the title right away.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Dixie Carter should speak to Viacom about paying Dave Bautista a lot of money to sign with them. He has said that he is a WWE guy through and through, but if Viacom could actually get Batista in TNA, a few people might start to watch. Dancin' Dave would be an awesome heel for them. Viacom could just pay Bautista by giving him his own show where he basically serves as a gynecologist for 60:00.

[Mr. Nerfect]

TNA should also consider approaching Viacom about offering Diamond Dallas Page a TNA contract and his own show for his Yoga stuff getting the guys in the TNA locker room doing drugs into shape. People like DDP.

[Mr. Nerfect]

You just know a show hosted by Diamond Dallas Page with Jake Roberts, Scott Hall, Kurt Angle and The Hardys sharing a house together would be entertaining and something Eric Bischoff would go for.

[slik]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_makcerG73n1reijb1o1_400.gif


http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/1732/1270586848894.gif


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[XL]

I thought that chair spot with Sting was pretty original/innovative.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

You just know a show hosted by Diamond Dallas Page with Jake Roberts, Scott Hall, Kurt Angle and The Hardys sharing a house together would be entertaining and something Eric Bischoff would go for.

Check out DDP's interview on the Steve Austin show. In Part 2 he explains that he is trying to get something on TV about his Yoga stuff and the Accountability Crib but he doesn't want bullshit control issues from producers. I'm sure Viacom and Bischoff/Hervey would qualify as bullshit control issuers.

[Theo Dious]

I was watching the Spectacular Legacy of the AWA and I am driven to ask this question: Has TNA ever done ANYTHING as dumb as when Verne Gagne let Hogan slip away from his company over merchandise percentages?

[Bad News Gertner]

TNA isn't big enough to have something be as bad as that. Christ, look to WCW for letting Austin and Foley leave. I'm not counting the Radicals because I find that moment to be highly over-rated.

[Emperor Smeat]

Think it would have just been a matter of time before Hogan left the AWA regardless if Gagne dropped all of his demands or gave everything Hogan wanted.

Vince was on a huge spending and purging spree at the time and the closest he's ever been matched or stopped was when Ted Turner owned WCW.

[Bad News Gertner]

Vince would have gotten Hogan regardless. Wrestling was moving in a different direction and Verne refused to adapt.

[Bad News Gertner]

1 million viewers a week would disagree with you.

You could run OCW on Spike TV and I doubt there'd be a big drop in ratings. Wrestling fans will watch anything wrestling.

[Tom Guycott]

TNA isn't big enough to have something be as bad as that. Christ, look to WCW for letting Austin and Foley leave. I'm not counting the Radicals because I find that moment to be highly over-rated.

You should count the Radicalz, simply because they tried to use their be-all, end-all big gold belt as a bargaining chip to make Benoit stay, and then turned around and jobbed it right back away from him. That was last straw territory for him AND 3 other unhappy guys jumped ship as well. It might not have been as big a coup to you as an angle as it was for others, but you got to admit letting 4 fairly talented guys go at once is some pretty bad fucking turnover on WCW's part.

You should also count Jericho.

[Bad News Gertner]

Oh there's countless mistakes like Jericho, Big Show, etc...

My whole thing about the Radicalz was Saturn and Malenko both saw WAY more success in WCW, Benoit you could argue stayed the same and only Eddie broke out. I think Kevin Sullivan having the book made Benoit leave more than anything.

[Nark Order]

Benoit was a fairly huge deal in the WWE for a long time. When he wasn't in the main event, he was still in many of the best feuds on the shows. That best of 7 series with Booker T was one of my favorite series of matches in Smackdown history, playa.

[Razzamajazz]

wcw monday night smackdown

[Mr. Nerfect]

Benoit winning the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania XX was one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. Benoit's story, which really kicked up around the 2003 Royal Rumble, leading to him chasing, getting screwed by Heyman and finally winning the 2004 Royal Rumble and jumping brand was so brilliantly told. Just throwing that out there.

I think one of the stupidest things TNA has ever done was have Monty Brown throw his chances at being NWA World Heavyweight Champion away and align with Jeff Jarrett while being the biggest face in the company.

I'd still go for a TNA/ROH talent exchange or crossover. ROH could help with tag teams and providing some X-Division talent for TNA. In exchange, TNA can give ROH some "bigger names" back for certain shows. AJ Styles, Bad Influence, Austin Aries, Samoa Joe and even Kurt Angle working ROH would be pretty great for the promotion, and it'd give both them and TNA a chance to create a buzz about themselves. OVW could become a pretty decent online thing, too, if they, say, end the Aces & Eights and have the expelled members take residence in OVW. Devon, for example, would become a trainer for TNA/ROH and be an on-air character in their developmental promotion, with Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Knux doing his bidding.

[Bad News Gertner]

He held the title for a couple of months and his reign was a complete failure.

[Shisen Kopf]

Benoit winning the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania XX was one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. Benoit's story, which really kicked up around the 2003 Royal Rumble, leading to him chasing, getting screwed by Heyman and finally winning the 2004 Royal Rumble and jumping brand was so brilliantly told. Just throwing that out there.

Who?

[VSG]

He held the title for a couple of months and his reign was a complete failure.

lol

[#1-norm-fan]

He held the title for a couple of months and his reign was a complete failure.

Well to be fair, how can you possibly follow up ONE OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS IN WRESTLING HISTORY?

[Bad News Gertner]

Benoit beating Raven was the GREATEST NIGHT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SPORT!

[St. Jimmy]

WCW.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I was talking about the moment Benoit won the title. Not his general reign.

[Kane Knight]

Run out of "newz" to post?

[slik]

TNA has started running an angle on the Howard Stern Show.


They are having Bobby Roode cut threatening promos on Stern regular Eric the Actor, who is in a wheelchair.

The plan is to have Eric the Actor at the Bound for Glory event in some capacity, where they would film the meeting between he and Roode.


-Ryan Clark

[Mr. Nerfect]

The only way this will be good is if Roode pushes Eric into a swimming pool and Shark Boy saves him.

[Ultra Mantis]

The only way this will be good is if Roode pushes Eric into a swimming pool and Shark Boy eats him.

Heel turn of the decade.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Actually, that's way better. He should officially join Roode, Daniels and Kazarian as their shark in the tank.

[#1-norm-fan]

HAH! Eric the Actor will be the best celebrity cameo in TNA history.

[#1-norm-fan]

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lol Tenay "That's the kind of intensity we're looking for."

Apparently the Roode vs Eric feud has been going on for about a year now.

[bigslimjj]

If they let AJ Styles go then they certainly are.