Details that have made TNA better lately

[HMARK Center]

So most of us are in agreement that TNA's overall product has, in the past few months, improved by leaps and bounds. We can hope that the improvements will continue, though its tough to blame people for mixing their optimism with caution, given TNA's history.

That said, I just want to see what people think are some of the details they've started putting into their shows that have made them better. We can point to things like "Roode has been great", "Aries won", "Joe's getting pushed again", etc., but let's go deeper and pick out aspects of their new booking philosophy that we like.

The big one for me:

Not trying to book all the divisions/PPV's in the same way anymore.

I think the bookers figured something out: TNA only gets a a single two hour show a week, and one PPV a month, to tell stories and build up characters/feuds/titles/etc. In today's wrestling landscape, that isn't a lot of time to get everybody and every title on the roster a featured, highlighted spot, but the glut of PPV's can easily add to viewer burnout seeing the same guys in high profile matches.

Solution? Give some of the titles new stipulations that differentiate them from one another (so they're not all the same "champ defends against #1 contender at next PPV" format), and don't be afraid to have PPV's that highlight specific aspects of your shows, such as how Destination X is the X-Division-centric PPV.

Honestly, TNA just put on a very good PPV without using some current names that are doing a lot for them, but it worked because it gave a different slate of guys exposure. Next month they'll probably do more to highlight guys who are better hardcore wrestlers. This is good: it makes the two PPV's distinct.

I hope this leads to a creative direction where TNA takes a cue from UFC and other MMA promotions - a lot of those companies benefit from not having every big name on every pay per view. This means that it's a big deal when they're featured, and they get to rest up/train/etc., but from a pure entertainment standpoint it means fans won't get burned out on them too quickly.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

I think the Bound for Glory Series is a great idea all around, as now they have to focus shows on people wrestling in important matches where the outcome matters.

Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm could easily be a throwaway match that does not matter in a couple of weeks, but thanks to the series, even whether Storm pins Hardy or makes him submit or vice versa could pop back up in a few weeks when we have an idea of who's going to be in the running for the title shot.

[velvetsthong]

Better writing and sticking to (so far) story lines.

[chazraps]

Speaking as someone who has given TNA a shot by watching an episode every 6-9 months or so for the last 10 years but is now a regular viewer for the first time ever, I like that everything going on is at least tangentially related to the actual wrestling itself. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even the AJ-Addict storyline stems from Daniels' own issues with how Styles is perceived in the company, correct?

I also like how we're seeing people on television who are much more defined characters, and not just "this guy who can wrestle but sometimes likes to wear Affliction."

The roster is strong enough to offer a wide variety of matches, and outside the ring the promos and overall feel of the show is made to accentuate everyone's strengths.

Question for everyone else enjoying the product right now, when was your favorite time in the company's history? What made you like it? Do you see what's going on now approaching that level?

[Andrew is Good]

Everything simply makes sense, it's pretty amazing.

Like, take the whole Claire Lynch thing. An abomination no doubt, but at the very least, TNA took an episode and tried to fill in the plot holes. A very difficult task, and arguably unsuccessful, but god damn, THEY TRIED. With WWE, like the whole Vince got fired by Triple H, but now he's back to relieve Triple H of his duties, none of that was properly explained, or if it was, said in passing. TNA went out of their way to try to patch up the holes, and again, the storyline is pretty brutal, but they're at least trying.

And the titles are starting to mean a lot more. The TV Title is always defended on TV when the Champion is wrestling in a one on one match, the X-Division Title is still 220 and under but the holder potentially has a title shot at the next pay per view, and of course, the BFG series is leading to the World Heavyweight Title at the next show. Plus, the titles are important again. Except for the KO Tag Titles, but I have a feeling they'll be slowly taken off television for good.

Things are making sense, and like, it's astounding that that's the biggest compliment you can give TNA, but there you go.

[The Spelunker!]

The stories are building directly to matches, and the matches have meaning.

Those are the two things that Wrestling needs at it's foundation, and the two things most easily forgotten.

Things like the X-Division tournament and the BFG series make each match involved instantly that much more valuable.

[Slingshot Suplay]

There are alot more clean finishes and alot less blatant run-ins or interferences, especially in title matches.

[Andrew is Good]

Also, tonight, I liked the ref bump, as normally it's a signal that shenanigans are going to occur, but no. Belt shot, kick out, and Austin ends up taking over and winning.

[HMARK Center]

One thing I meant to add about how they've made most of the titles more unique now: unless you're going to do like a puro company and have equally prestigious Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight belts, it's smart to play up the "It's all about the World Title" card. It's tough to have other belts on the show and attempt to portray them as equally prestigious; most attempts at doing that in US companies come off half-hearted, at best.

So, by making the TV and X belts more unique from all the others, it's kind of a way of saying "No, they're NOT as prestigious as the World Title, but they're both important in their own right, and getting them is a good way to become a World Title contender."

Like most of the posts are saying, it's basically simplifying the overall philosophy of the show's booking, and that's a good thing.

[domrep]

Is Lagana the main booker now?

[AnActualBear]

I thought it was Pritchard, could be Lagana though.

[Yami Daimao]

I'm not used to all of this sudden positivity for TNA.

I...I need to lie down.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

[kingoftheindies]

Pritchard is the head of a three man booking team with Lagana and Matt Conway. You also have agents like Al Snow and D'Lo Brown adding input.

Pritchard is also in charge of talent, and has supposedly changed who TNA looks at as potential wrestlers.

[Fang]

Simply put..there are just less dumb things going on. I mean it's not PERFECT and there are still a few things that make me cringe but I find the product much more interesting than WWE at the moment.

[Rolent Tex]

I'm actually thinking about starting to watch again. TNA is slowly figuring out that they need to be what WWE isn't and that they need to make their divisions like WCW's used to be. When WCW was around, we had the main eventers doing their own thing, the Cruiserweights doing their own style and the US Championship guys doing their own thing...and holding the US Championship mattered. If there was no number one contender to the WCW Title...you got a shot.

It's doing what Russo didn't do. Make the titles matter.

[The Spelunker!]

Jul 9, 2012 15:59:43 GMT -5 Yami Daimao said:

I'm not used to all of this sudden positivity for TNA.

I...I need to lie down.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

I know that feel bro. Having been a fan of TNA since 2004, it's nice for a minute to not hear a wall of hate (founded or unfounded!)

[Deleted]

They're finally using the homegrown talent as the main attraction. Instead of having them be "the future", when a lot of them are 10+ year veterans.

[Bram wants to 'urt you]

"Wrestling Matters" - when TNA first wheeled out this as catchphrase-of-the-month, a lot of people went "yea, RIGHT". But in fact there has been a shift more towards the importance of actual wrestling and storylines about the titles themselves.

Even though AJ/Daniels is based on some second rate soap opera storyline, it has at least allowed the two of them to shine in the ring.

Aries has been all about "climbing the ladder" and winning the WHC.

Roode/Storm, while frequently referencing their past together, has been largely about Storm getting his revenge against Roode, again all over the World Title.

The KO's singles, which for a while threatened to be the Mickie/Velvet/Madison/Gail show, has recently elevated Brooke and also had her restate the importance of the title (to the company and to her personally).

Even the TV title has been given its own little corner. The fact that Devon isn't a champ that most people are really bothered about (most people seem to LIKE him, but I wouldn't say he's had a major decent feud that people really bought into yet) is really just something that the bookers need to tweak - possibly putting the strap on a worthy heel and letting Devon chase it for a few months would be a plan?

But overall, TNA has shifted its focus - the main storylines by and large are about wrestlers wrestling and being successful, not about them using the ring as a way to gain payback for some other (often personal) grievance.

[Deleted]

1) Wins and losses matter. You don't get a title shot by interrupting the champion while he is giving a promo to start the show. There is a kayfabe pecking order and in order to reach that next tier you have to win matches. Aries didn't win the title overnight. He had to run through the X-Division, beat Bully Ray, beat Samoa Joe, etc. That is why I LOVED the fact that Hogan had Aries vacate the title in order to get a title shot. Aries dropping the title to Ion before beating Roode would have made Aries and Roode look bad and would have been insulting to the audience. Instead, he did not have to lose to an inferior ranked wrestler just to say he dropped the belt, and was able to move forward. Losing has to be taken seriously. Just as seriously as winning, and I think TNA is hitting a home run with that. The only exception is Roode losing in non-title matches, but as I mentioend in another post, it is hard to book a long reign for a heel champion without making the faces look bad, so a loss here or there to give the babyfaces an out for losing later is understandable.

2) Keeping it simple. I know that seems odd, but the WWE and Russo's TNA never seemed to be able to do that. How many heel/face turns have there been since Russo left? I think Angle turned face, but that's about it. Give characters a chance to breathe and grow. Let feuds develop over a period of time. Make being the world champion mean something (BFG Series). Make being the X-Division champion mean something (Destination X title shot every year). It is amazing how fluid a wrestling company can be when every feud means something.

[dpg]

Jul 10, 2012 9:49:57 GMT -5 @conebone69 said:

1) Wins and losses matter. You don't get a title shot by interrupting the champion while he is giving a promo to start the show. There is a kayfabe pecking order and in order to reach that next tier you have to win matches. Aries didn't win the title overnight. He had to run through the X-Division, beat Bully Ray, beat Samoa Joe, etc. That is why I LOVED the fact that Hogan had Aries vacate the title in order to get a title shot. Aries dropping the title to Ion before beating Roode would have made Aries and Roode look bad and would have been insulting to the audience. Instead, he did not have to lose to an inferior ranked wrestler just to say he dropped the belt, and was able to move forward. Losing has to be taken seriously. Just as seriously as winning, and I think TNA is hitting a home run with that. The only exception is Roode losing in non-title matches, but as I mentioend in another post, it is hard to book a long reign for a heel champion without making the faces look bad, so a loss here or there to give the babyfaces an out for losing later is understandable.

2) Keeping it simple. I know that seems odd, but the WWE and Russo's TNA never seemed to be able to do that. How many heel/face turns have there been since Russo left? I think Angle turned face, but that's about it. Give characters a chance to breathe and grow. Let feuds develop over a period of time. Make being the world champion mean something (BFG Series). Make being the X-Division champion mean something (Destination X title shot every year). It is amazing how fluid a wrestling company can be when every feud means something.

I agree wholeheartedly with the 'guy interrupts and gets a title shot' bit. That kind of schtick got old years ago, but is still being used. In fact, wrestling in general (especially WWE) reminds me of the pre-attitude days. They were stuck in a rut with a booking style that was out of date but they couldn't see it, so kept going with the same stuff that made them big a few years previously. ECW changed that, for better or worse. TNA needed to boot out the old late 90's Russo booking for the most part as it had become stale to a jaded audience who could no longer be shocked with swerves or shocked with dangerous stuff. They had to change back to a more wrestling orientated style but still with Sports entertainment segments (like the AJ Daniels thing, which I don't like much but is just an example) to get the audience back into watching wrestling.

They haven't got it completely right yet, and may never do, but if they can keep up this consistent style of booking as well as good storylines and feuds they'll be able to grow some more, but they have to keep it up which in the past they haven't done. The ratings aren't growing much, but they weren't going to as the wrestling audience has been in decline since WWE bought WCW. The best TNA can do is get more people through the gate for live events, sell more PPV's and merch, do more international tours and just keep slowly gaining more fans. There won't be an explosion like the 90's again, or if there is, TNA won't be the one to start it because it doesn't have the media presence. But that doesn't matter, those kind of things happen if and when and can't be predicted, just keep booking well and keep growing slowly.