Let's seriously talk about the quality of the DA shows

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Specifically, what the hell happened?

The shows on DA were actually pretty solid at first. It wasn't great or amazing by any means but compared to the dying days of Spike? It was like night and day. The show was presented differently, almost as if these were a bunch of athletes fighting to see who's the best instead of being a bunch of cartoon characters in terrible storylines. Matches were given time, stupid skits were kept to a minimum and most non-BDC finishes were totally clean. For the first time in a LONG time, TNA felt like an actual wrestling alternative to WWE.

Now, the shows are every bit as bad as they were on Spike. The stupid skits are back, there's less emphasis on the actual wrestling, and cornball storylines are all over the show. They reverted back to their old ways. Why? What caused the decline? And don't just say "well, a bunch of people left" because the decline started before people started leaving left and right.

I can't prove anything BUT I will say this shift became very noticeable right around the time Corgan came in. In fact, that first show that he had a hand in writing was the worst Impact of the year up to that point. It was Russo-esque even.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

The quality of show's fallen in correlation IMO with their relationship with DA. They started off decently, the shows were trying to put on a solid product first and foremost- the storylines were pretty rushed, but it felt like a true wrestling promotion for the first time in a while. Within that vacuum, they did a good job building up talent and hyping up matches and feuds.

Whatever Corgan's been adding to the show I doubt is good, but once they got word DA didn't want to foot the bill anymore is when Dixie really fell back into her old Dixie ways. Now as a result we've got The Doctor of Khoyanomics.

[HMARK Center]

I do recall that the last maybe month or so (can't remember precisely) of Spike shows were starting to move in the more stripped down, simpler direction we saw in the first few months of DA shows; that was back when I recall Joe, Low Ki, Homicide, and MVP doing a radio interview where they talked about Gaburik going up to the talent and saying something like "Yeah, we've done some dumb stuff before; we want you guys to drive things now, just go out and do what you do best and we'll promote your stories properly". It definitely seemed to hold up for awhile.

I can't begin to guess what's happened the past few months; it's like a switch flipped and they had to go back to the "too many cooks in the kitchen" formula they always default to, because that's apparently the only way Dixie can operate. I haven't kept up with things for awhile now, so I can't point to specifics, but I always just presume they're going to throw a bunch of shit at the wall and see what sticks, but miss the wall entirely, instead.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Once the belt came off Lashley it just became the TNA of the recent old. I assume as DA became "annoyed" with them that's when the quality started to fall. The honeymoon only lasted what two months before DA started getting "sour" on them and the infamous Dixie mail got out. They probably left Dixie holding the bag after cutting some cost and she went back to what she knows best.

Everything else in the ring is a mess as we get guys coming and going every week and things are just dropped with no notice on screen(BDC being biggest offender). This just stinks of a company not knowing what to do or having any identity. As I said before Dixie has some loyal soldiers but even that is dwindling because you can't pay them. The fall from two years ago to now is very steep.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jul 26, 2015 11:32:51 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

I do recall that the last maybe month or so (can't remember precisely) of Spike shows were starting to move in the more stripped down, simpler direction we saw in the first few months of DA shows; that was back when I recall Joe, Low Ki, Homicide, and MVP doing a radio interview where they talked about Gaburik going up to the talent and saying something like "Yeah, we've done some dumb stuff before; we want you guys to drive things now, just go out and do what you do best and we'll promote your stories properly". It definitely seemed to hold up for awhile.

I can't begin to guess what's happened the past few months; it's like a switch flipped and they had to go back to the "too many cooks in the kitchen" formula they always default to, because that's apparently the only way Dixie can operate. I haven't kept up with things for awhile now, so I can't point to specifics, but I always just presume they're going to throw a bunch of shit at the wall and see what sticks, but miss the wall entirely, instead.

I'm listening to that podcast right now, poor guys they look so happy together...

I think that the problem was all the guys leaving, DA hating TNA after all the stupidity display by Dixie (email). I think the shows are gonna keep getting worse and worse, they tried to do an invasion angle with ROH, but ROH told them to f*** off, now they're working with an e-fed known as GFW

[Deleted]

Money has to be playing into it as well. Literally week by week they're benching guys to save on cash, then getting desperate and bringing them back anyways. How many farewells and returns have their been in the last few weeks? I mean TNA's been bringing guys in and out for years now but this pace is ridiculous even for them.

[Welfare Willis]

That's the sad part of TNA: Brief glimmers of hope followed by a long decline.

[Emmet Russell]

It's such a sad decline.

I was watching a 2011 Impact the other day, and although the quality wasn't the best from an in-ring standpoint, the show felt like it was a big deal.

The look, the feel, the live crowd with actually life in them, the excellent rising stage where wrestlers entered from -- felt like a product worthy of the number 2 promotion in the world. Stars like Hogan, Flair, Sting, Hardy, Angle, all gave it the feeling that you were watching something important.

Now the show is boring, dark, lifeless. A dead crowd after who knows how many days of tapings and how long they've been there and who knows in what order they taped the segments and matches so they likely have no clue what's happening and can't get invested. It's depressing.

[chrom]

Amazing how stupid they were, stations like WGN were showing interest and Spike was willing to help land them a spot with CMT and what does TNA do? Go with a channel that's the bottom of the barrel that nobody gets.

And then after they do they claim that DA treated them better than Spike ever did, yeah look where you're at right now morons.

[Johnny Flamingo]

I find the problem with the show now is that it just doesn't seem important or to have a clear vision. It feels like a show that is being put on because they need to fill the time with something.

The crowds at Impact used to be very energetic and seemed genuinely excited about the product, now I find that feeling is long gone.

[Deleted]

As soon as Lashley lost the title, LOLTNA recommenced.

[A Platypus Rave]

I thought it started off pretty bad maybe it got better but the first episode did not give me any reason to tune in again and just really felt like it was going to be the same shit new network.

[SUPES]

Focusing too much time on Twitter rather than making sure the creative is in order.

[Ryushinku]

Corgan's influence is quite possible. But just as much, TNA just can never keep momentum going...they occasionally hit on something good, but then lose interest or can't handle it and things drift apart again. There's no unifying vision and no clear goal other than 'survive', so they just plod from one thing to the next.

[This Player Hating Mothman]

I think it's more just that they tried really, really hard to make an effort on a new network and impress as much as they could, but their efforts weren't good enough (opened on a nonsensical whole roster brawl and the crowning of a new heel stable) and ultimately it was TNA's new year's resolution. They started out committed, spent the next couple months steadily waning before just saying "f*** it" overall and going back to the old habits hard.

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2015 13:51:41 GMT -5 Welfare Willis said:

That's the sad part of TNA: Brief glimmers of hope followed by a long decline.

I honestly think it's a big part of why they have been around so long. Fans are ready to walk away, and then they do something cool to get hopes up. Then they drop whatever that is. Rinse, repeat. That way, that core million fans never stop hoping it will be great one day.

[Nickybojelais]

I think a large part of the decline has been due to them going back to the sterile studios of the "Impact Zone" at Universal. Most of the Impact episodes over the first couple of months were from the Manhattan Centre and the UK tour, and the rowdier crowds can make the worst of shows seem more appealing.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

This is just how TNA works. When the product over all was at it best and fans praised it, it a matter of months they find away to screw it up. I look at TNA late 09 when everything was working the right way. Then here comes Hogan and Co and screwed up all up and bring in people NOBODY wants to see or careless about Bubba the Love Sponge, Nasties, Hall, Waltman, Morley (For a cup of coffee and winning over F'ing Daniels) and OJ. Anderson at one time in TNA was watchable. Point is killing off everything going right.

Then Roode World champion, again during that period of time it was good stuff. Even though they did that silly Claire Lynch stuff still have us great matches with AJ/Angles and Daniels/Kaz. Plus Hardy was on fire in the ME. Then of course we get Aces and Eight's. The angle went way to long and the talent behind it in the group was mostly terrible and the big revealings was all meh, and to much non sense in it.

The big thing that really killed TNA's creditability was Victory Road with Hardy, allowing that to happen was an insult to every fan who brought and they wonder why PPV buys kept getting bad, It's because they kept screwing the fans over is why? Plus and making Sting the Joker was embarrassing to watch after the first couple of weeks.

[xCompackx]

Jul 27, 2015 7:09:32 GMT -5 This Player Hating Mothman said:

I think it's more just that they tried really, really hard to make an effort on a new network and impress as much as they could, but their efforts weren't good enough (opened on a nonsensical whole roster brawl and the crowning of a new heel stable) and ultimately it was TNA's new year's resolution. They started out committed, spent the next couple months steadily waning before just saying "f*** it" overall and going back to the old habits hard.

TNA was already kinda screwed when they got to DA just because of the huge amount of bullshit they've done in the past that left them with a nonexistent fanbase. It's really tough to come back from years of generally awful television, especially when moving to a new channel.