TNA's lack of confidence

[KEJB]

Let me start by saying TNA restored my passion for professional wrestling. After wCw died, I pretty much gave up on wrestling for a couple years, and was set to just move past it all together. I was not a fan of anything going on in the WWE at the time, and didnt really make it to an indy shows. I still occasionally read the internet news sites, in case something might pull me back.

In 2002, that happened. I heard about the X-Division and how it was the hottest thing to happen in wrestling in a long time. Reports of the few matches between Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles, and Low Ki. I remember going out of my way to find these matches online. I could not be more excited about what I saw. My interest was restored. TNA was going to be HUGE.

Fast forward 5 years.

TNA has absolutely no confidence in itself. It has lost its identity.

It is obvious they lack confidence in their own product, by bringing in all the guys they do. Instead of thinking "hey, we can have a great product, that is slighty differant from the competition.", they say "we need, we need, we need, in the form of castoffs, and guys who havent been relevant in years." If I was a TNA wrestler, I would take that as a slap in the face. I would be thinking, "they feel they cant accomplish what the need with us, so they are just trying to patch it up with name value."

The worst part in all of this, is that it has not even worked. The ratings are not increasing greatly. The shows are not any better. All that is happening, is 65% of their roster, has to be feeling that management has no faith in their own.

What gave TNA that buzz throughout the industry in 2002? 100% The X-Division. People like me were tuning in, and paying 10$ a week, to see it. It was something we couldnt get anywhere else on tv. Right now, the X-Division, has become an afterthought. The title, little more than a prop to further heavyweight storylines. That is turning people away, including me.

My only hope, is that with the advent of a two hour show, the X-D will be given at least 20-30 minutes of time to showcase. If that happens though, it doesnt mean TNA is in the clear. They still have to break away from this practice of bringing in anybody who might have been hot 7-10 years ago.

The 2 hour show can bring me back to TNA, but not with the same formula they have now.

In Eric Bischoff's book he talked about their plans when he started his reign over wcw. They could be better, worse, or differant than the WWF. They knew they couldnt be better at the time, WWF was too established. No way in hell they would be worse. So they were differant. Time for TNA to come at that approach.

[HMARK Center]

I agree, but let's also not forget that, in the US mainstream, TNA is at a unique crossroads.

Really, no other company in mainstream US wrestling history has been born and advanced in the way TNA has. TNA did not start off as a territory, it didn't have an established audience when it began, and it's the first company in mainstream US wrestling history to try to and immediately follow the "WWF route".

Which is to say, attempt to become a major player (ala WCW and WWF) without having to live first as an indy (ECW) or a territory (AWA, WWWF, NWA, WCCW, etc.).

So I think we have to accept it: there are going to be a ton of growing pains along the way. I do agree: TNA should just say "we're here to be different from the WWE", but they're also at a point where they feel they have to build up their audience first...and you do that by getting recognizable people and whatnot.

[wwerules60]

I know that they need to have stars to attract viewers, but they have so much more talent that they can build into stars if they just let them go out and amaze people.

Signing people like Test, Goldust, The Bashams, and other midcarders that are either too old or bad in the ring is not going to do a thing to attract anyone.

[HMARK Center]

wwerules60 said:

I know that they need to have stars to attract viewers, but they have so much more talent that they can build into stars if they just let them go out and amaze people.

Signing people like Test, Goldust, The Bashams, and other midcarders that are either too old or bad in the ring is not going to do a thing to attract anyone.

Hey, I'm not arguing that.

But it doesn't change that it's really not the kind of company we've seen appear in the US before. Again, growing pains are inevitable.

But you keep hoping they've learned from past mistakes; these new names will serve in the near future to get the young stars over, end of story. Keep your fingers crossed.

["Nature Boy" Ric Moranis]

wwerules60 said:

Signing people like Test, Goldust, The Bashams, and other midcarders that are either too old or bad in the ring is not going to do a thing to attract anyone.

Goldust is the only one of those people in TNA right now.

[poi zen rana]

i just wanted to throw this out, a rebuttal if you will from when KEJB said,

Right now, the X-Division, has become an afterthought. The title, little more than a prop to further heavyweight storylines.

now a day and a half ago i would have basically agreed with what you said hear. however, i believe that the title has been elevated and jay lethal made to look better having beaten kurt. sure it took the x-division title away for a few weeks but things have settled now and i believe lethal is looking more credible than he would have without it. which works out good because they seem to be hinting towards more x-division action and have a feud ready. as long as they don't totally blow it now i think the x-division is looking to be making a solid comeback.

[KEJB]

Yes. That is very promising. Im just going by the past year in TNA. I hope it means something will come of it, but I have a hard time giving them the benefit of the doubt. Like I said, 2 hours should fix the X-Division.

[General Adam]

I used to like TNA. Back then it was awesome. If I needed a wrestling fix, I turn to TNA. It didn't need over the top storylines or wrestlers. But now...they are becoming what they didn't want to be and that's the WWE. Not only that but the hire a lot of wrestlers that we are just tired of (Test) or past their prime (Angle). And many of the wrestlers that were in TNA in the start, are now nothing but children waiting for their turn for the spotlight. And the wrestlers that they put out are annoying as hell (Young). I hope TNA gets its things together or it becomes nothing more then a wrestling show with the same wrestlers, same storyline, and same matches over and over again.

[-Lithium-]

Its like academic what they should do with atleast the X-Division. I mean why cant they just let them go out and there put on great matches everyweek? Have ATLEAST that different. TNAs got a great roster, both lower and upper card. Any idiot could use it right, but TNA aint...

[doctorhillbilly]

Here's where I get killed but the X Division is not a good thing at this point, not because the talent isn't great or that there's not an audience for it. The problem is that it's pigeonholed too many talents. All those guys in X-D should and can go with the Angles, Cages, Stings and so forth but because they're labled X Division it's created a division line in the talent. There should have never been a Fallen Angel promo about "treading water in the X Division". Why? A: It cheapened all the X guys and B: Now that Chris is chasing the X title he comes off as a guy who failed in the "real" division.

TNA would be much better served by a TV title or a US title as a secondary title and let the all the talent compete againist each other as equals. Look for as excited as everyone gets over Jay beating Kurt the underlying theme is that he beat him for a title that was a novelty for Angle. The story is not Lethal beats Angle for title; it's Kurt lost to one of those X division guys and thats a terrible way to treat a title and talent.

I thought at first the X division was such a cool thing but now it seems like a dividing line between "Stars" and "Workers". Again an A.J. Styles shouldn't have to distance himself from a title to be seen as being on the same level as the "Big Boys". It's bad for the talent, the lockeroom and the overall product.

[Ass Dan]

TNA booking is a double-edged sword.

On the one side, you can bring in huge names that draw attention to the company. Smarks will complain that guys who deserve to be big names will be squandered (which they will), but there would be a bigger chance for the casual fan to find intrest.

On the other hand, you could do the opposite. You could turn TNA into nothing but brilliant matches with up-and-comers. ****-matches would be weekly, and the viewer would applaude TNA. However, the casual fan wouldn't care. They don't know anything about TNA, whether it be its product or where to watch it. If you can't draw in fans, you can't expand.

The question is, how can you bring in new viewers to watch iMPACT! and buy their products while still catering to the people who were with TNA from the beginning?

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

hitmanmark said:

I agree, but let's also not forget that, in the US mainstream, TNA is at a unique crossroads.

Really, no other company in mainstream US wrestling history has been born and advanced in the way TNA has. TNA did not start off as a territory, it didn't have an established audience when it began, and it's the first company in mainstream US wrestling history to try to and immediately follow the "WWF route".

Which is to say, attempt to become a major player (ala WCW and WWF) without having to live first as an indy (ECW) or a territory (AWA, WWWF, NWA, WCCW, etc.).

So I think we have to accept it: there are going to be a ton of growing pains along the way. I do agree: TNA should just say "we're here to be different from the WWE", but they're also at a point where they feel they have to build up their audience first...and you do that by getting recognizable people and whatnot.

Yea but you gotta draw that line on the recognizable names. I mean it one thing to know who they are but it another to being a guy fans give a crap about. TNA signed anybody that was released in the WWE for a long time and still do it.

I mean yea it was smart to sign Raven in 03 because fans know how talented he really is and if you watch him at his start is was great. The same year they signed guys like Ekmo (Who was coming of at Jamal of 3MW) Pointless because nobody cared about him at that time. Then they signed Dlo Brown who ok did have some good matches but was fans paying to see him? Doubted. They also had a lot of rejects and no talents from WCW and WWE at the first year. Most not worth anything.

You had Brian Lawler, who cared? nobody. The Harris Brothers a Main staged Tag Team that was never good and I still can figure out how they stated in the big leagues as long as they did.

It's a problem TNA has had for a while. Yea sign them if there talented and have something to offer like Killings, Christian, Angle, Sting and Raven did. Not because hey he was in the WWE or in WCW at one time like Dustin Rhodes, Ekmo, and a enlist list of others.