Spike gives TNA 13 weeks to get going
 

Starting on October 1st when TNA Impact! officially debuts on Spike TV, TNA has 13 weeks to deliver strong ratings on Spike. From what is understood, Spike has been in very strong negotiations with TNA and the network is expecting strong results.

The minimum goal Spike is setting for TNA is for the company to at least reach the 0.5 rating WWE Velocity had averaged in the timeslot and then improve on that. Spike has made it very clear that they would like to see steady ratings improvements over the course of that 13 week trial run and are hoping for a strong ratings debut on October 1.

Anything above a 0.5.-0.6 rating would be higher than WWE Velocity and would be considered a moderate success. Anything over a 1.0 would be a solid debut for TNA and would give Spike much more incentive to back the product. The key is for TNA to keep consistant ratings as Spike will be watching closely during that 13 week run. If TNA is unable to reach solid ratings or show a significant amount of improvement, Spike will discontinue the run and that would leave TNA without a television deal yet again.

Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter.

Well TNA better not fuck this up as the pressure to preform is pretty dam big. Pressure usually brings out a better product, but we'll see.

well this does sound like very good news. for 13 weeks maybe we can expect somethin better than Jeff Jarrett runnin his mouth for 20 minutes about being King of the Mountain since they need to show somethin good.

I would have Raven drop the title the first night on Spike to AJ Styles or someone other then Jarret just to show that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN TNA.

Win-Win scenario.

Either they improve their crap and thrive, or they die and we can stop pretending there's two wrestling organisations.

It'll do the 0.5 like Velocity, there's very little doubt about that. Whether those ratings will stay after 20 or 30 weeks after the initial buzz and curious has worn off remains to be seen

Kevin Nash.

I was thinking that too, but then I thought that wouldn't be the right move. They need to set up the main characters like Styles, Joe, Daniels, who people don't know yet. And they should take the time to build that first sqaure off to the first PPV, so people actually buy the thing. You don't want to switch the main Title right away.

But they do need some big names on that first show.

Maybe

oh and $100 bucks says Jarrett has the Title going into the first show. He's a known name and the casual fans last saw him holding the WCW World Title at times, so I hear that's why TNA wants him as champion.

If they can book it better than Velocity, they might be able to pull more than that over time. But it's probably not in the cards. Like Heat, we'll see 20 minutes of Jarrett (Hogan), 3 undercard matches, and some TV programming that you swear you've seen before.

Yeah, when I think strong champion, I think Jeff Jarrett

I wouldn't be surprised if the causal fans remember him losing to Chyna. I'm sure they didn't watch WCW at the end.

If I was running things though, I set the X division as my main division and attraction. You give them the the air time and promo time. Having Somoa Joe in there is key because it doesn't say "Here's our X division and it's for the faster cruiserweight type guys" It says it's for anyone in TNA willing to take the extra step and compete at the highest level.

Which would be a good way to go, but I wonder if a promotion can be booked around that. Especially with only an hour.

TNA shouldn't even have an X-divsion.

yea, the 1hr is really gonna be a test, cause you can't do that much. It's gonna be tough to build characters to connect with the fans. That's why Jarrett will be in there cause fans already know who he is as well as Raven. But they NEED to put the spotlight on guys like Styles, AMW, Joe, Daniels, Brown, Abyss. Also putting the Outlaws and AMW together in matches wouldn't be a bad idea.

What time is TNA going to be on?

legend why do you say tna should'nt have an x division
thats what put tna on the map
the x division is the most innovative thing in wrestling today

like 10 I think.

It's really gay that Spike did that to both TNA and Ultimate Fighter. I would really like to hear one of thier executives explain the logic of taking thier hottest program in Ultimate Fighter and sticking it on Sat Night. And from the reports I heard it got a shitty rating for it's debut episode, just like I thought it would. Do they really think a lot people 18-30 are going to be watching Spike on Sat Night? They should of put it right up against Raw cause I'll tell you right now, Raw would of had a challenge on thier hands based on last years sucess. And then put TNA in there to make people stay around just to see something different.

god I hate Spike.

as far as TNA goes, I just hope they focus the shows more around the future of the company instead of on Jeff Jarrett and other main event guys that everyone knows. Get the new guys established, give them some character.

That way we have people that we want to see and can give a care about. That way when the title were to change hands we can be like fianlly that guy I've been wtchin and gettin into won it.

cause if they pulled the same crap they did on FSN with Jarrett doin the same thing ver and over then I guarantee you they will fail.

The only reason why anyone watches TNA is because of the X-divsion. They should be in the main event or the World Title Scene

Isn't it getting Velocity's timeslot, hence the compare?

aj styles the pioneer of the x division also a 2 time nwa world heavyweight champion that is the main event and the world title scene
daniels looks to be moving into the world title scene as well which i think is great

Daniels and AJ should be in the NWA title scene not curtain jerking to Old wrestlers whose time has passed.

That's what I thought they were getting.

it's like they want these shows to fail so they give htem crappy time slots then once they don't deliver they can say it's cause the product sucks and can it.

This is the same company that thought Bob Newhart was "pop," and "Star Trek: TNG" Was going to appeal to the machon crowd. HELLO?

I'm wondering myself. Then again, they can draw the same as Velocity with reruns of McGyver...

lol if the first match they put on shows Brown doing the pounce, you can pretty much call this show cancelled

I think the first segment will be everyone gathering in the ring celebrating this occassion and then you here that fucking siren in Jarett's music or whatever the hell it is and the shit goes to hell immediately.

MY World

I'm counting on you all just to turn your TV screens on Spike at the time TNA is on. You don't even have to watch it.

BAH GAWD! THE NOISEMAKER FROM HELL!

And the Siren's annoying too.

you need to watch it trust me you will be blown away by some of the things they do
i've saw every tna since the beginning and i mean every single wednesday night ppv i bought them.i'm a devoted tna fan and i always will be
just give it a chance for those of you who have'nt saw it and for those that saw awhile back give it another chance cause the last ppv was awesome

Give X-pac the title.

sorry waltman is a good wrestler when he wants to be but in no way should he be champ

lmfao

Hate to say it, but you'll have a hard time selling peopl eif you were fanatically watching some of the shit on FSN.

Waltman would have more mainstream appeal than Jarrett, at least.

aight as soon as I see a crap match or hear a lame ass promo I'm quittin.

Wow. You're gonna be a viewer for less time than Styles was champion (11 seconds).