TNA's creative issues

**NeanderCarl** · 02-14-2008, 10:42 PM

To those who keep knocking TNA for allowing Vince Russo to write their show, I have to ask... who else is there??

Yeah, Russo is clueless to how the wrestling business is supposed to work, but he is still an ideas man. Amongst the crap and bad comedy, he books otherwise good wrestling storylines, except he books them like he is on speed, and TNA is on fast forward.

But if not him, then who?

Jim Cornette can talk the talk, but when he actually had his own promotion he booked it into the ground, had no idea how to cater to the modern wrestling fan, and happily allowed ricockulous gimmicks like Prince Kharis The Egyptian Mummy to feature on his shows.

On the other hand, Paul Heyman knows how to create a realistic product that is different, which is what TNA needs... but beyond fleshing out characters (which is actually a Russo strength too) and storylines, Heyman is another guy who obviously can create a product that appeals to a niche audience but not a mass one, as he too saw his own promotion perish.

Heyman and Cornette are so often touted as wrestling geniuses, but if either of them had been able to tap into the collective viewing desires of mainstream wrestling fans (the same mainstream wrestling fans TNA so desperately need to grab the attention of) then their own companies would have been met with more success.

Now, I'm expecting a barrage of support for both men here, but please don't used the tired "they couldn't compete financially/bigger companies kept stealing their talent" excuses, because real "wrestling geniuses" would have overcome this by creating a product which had mass appeal, which sold out progressively larger buildings, giving them more money in the coiffers in order to hold onto this talent which abandoned those sinking ships in droves.

So, anyway... yes, unedited, Russo is not the answer to TNA's problems... but if not him, then who??

02-14-2008, 10:42 PM	#1
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	TNA's creative issues To those who keep knocking TNA for allowing Vince Russo to write their show, I have to ask... who else is there?? Yeah, Russo is clueless to how the wrestling business is supposed to work, but he is still an ideas man. Amongst the crap and bad comedy, he books otherwise good wrestling storylines, except he books them like he is on speed, and TNA is on fast forward. But if not him, then who? Jim Cornette can talk the talk, but when he actually had his own promotion he booked it into the ground, had no idea how to cater to the modern wrestling fan, and happily allowed ricockulous gimmicks like Prince Kharis The Egyptian Mummy to feature on his shows. On the other hand, Paul Heyman knows how to create a realistic product that is different, which is what TNA needs... but beyond fleshing out characters (which is actually a Russo strength too) and storylines, Heyman is another guy who obviously can create a product that appeals to a niche audience but not a mass one, as he too saw his own promotion perish. Heyman and Cornette are so often touted as wrestling geniuses, but if either of them had been able to tap into the collective viewing desires of mainstream wrestling fans (the same mainstream wrestling fans TNA so desperately need to grab the attention of) then their own companies would have been met with more success. Now, I'm expecting a barrage of support for both men here, but please don't used the tired "they couldn't compete financially/bigger companies kept stealing their talent" excuses, because real "wrestling geniuses" would have overcome this by creating a product which had mass appeal, which sold out progressively larger buildings, giving them more money in the coiffers in order to hold onto this talent which abandoned those sinking ships in droves. So, anyway... yes, unedited, Russo is not the answer to TNA's problems... but if not him, then who??