sheepy

About a month and a half in and really enjoying CGC in this game. My headline feud up to Luck of the Draw has been Jack vs Del Veccio + Prometheus. Borrowing from Self, had ADV as the young wrestler of the year qualifying for a title shot. Gonna have him face Jack in a no DQ match which is basically a handicap match with Jack overcoming the odds again. All this is to keep Gargantuan away from the title picture until Wrestlefestival when him and Jack will face off. He's already put Ryan Powell on the shelf and will beat Seeker & Price at Luck of the Draw in a number one contenders match Current plan is to have Jack retain at Wrestlefestival, only for the feud to continue as Gargantuan kidnaps Hotstuff Marie (hired lookalike) and then wins the title at Chaos in the Cage. Its definitely harder this time out but the need to re-build the main event makes CGC a much more dynamic and interesting challenge than in 2013

I'm with you on this. Compared to the matches in LU, which are their number one challenger now, TNA matches feel tame and predictable. Best thing TNA could do is to go back to an hour long show. They just don't have the talent, production or writers to make a two hour long show worth it. Would also make the matches a bit faster paced which would be a decidedly good thing.

Really they should have dropped it to an hour long show a year ago. They lack the booking, writing or stars to justify anyone investing two hours of time on them a week. Look at what Lucha Undetground achieve with a one hour slot each week. Yes it would mean roster cuts and possibly dropping one title belt but a more focused TNA would be a very good thing and give them the best chance of turning things around

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Mootinie" data-cite="Mootinie" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I really hope that they stop pushing old hacks and start developing and pushing their own talent now. I don't care if Lashley is a decent champ, he's 38 or something, where's the TNA trainees? Where's the hungry young guys busting their ass for a big break? Where's the guys I've never seen wrestle elsewhere? Now is the time, push some young guys, pay 'em reasonably, stop overpaying for "stars" and start creating new Mr. TNA's, purrrrlease.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> At the moment I really like the balance of their roster - Roode, Aries and Storm are all being treated like big deals and go-to guys, EC3, Shaw and Bram are getting a lot of attention as have been the Wolves </p><p> </p><p> The "name" pickups feel like they're playing a big role and are actually guys who can go in the ring - any roster with a Lashley, MVP or Hardy is a better place for it and the likes of Dreamer / Devon are clearly there to make the rising stars look good.</p><p> </p><p> Roster wise there's a lot to like. My only problem is that the crowds for these recent tapings have been so small it's hurting the promotion. Match the action and strong storytelling with good crowds and TNA may start to recapture the momentum they had not so long ago.</p>

<p><img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> Really happy to see them get a new network. Been a long time tna fan - think the next 12 months will be very positive for them.</p>

Think you have to give them a bit of a pass though. It's clearly a difficult time and regardless of how well booked this event was, long term the only thing that saves them is how well impact does and if they get renewed. If they had the option I'm guessing bfg wouldn't have happened but similar to the ONO events they had to put something out. More concerning is that they may well finish the year without any new product. Suggestions that the last couple of shows this year could be highlight shows means you have to fear for their future.

Just finished watching the most recent impact and have to say TNA are really on a roll at the moment. Can't remember the last time I was glued to watching impact like tonight. Lashley is absolutely owning his role as a monster heel. I thought putting the belt on him at the time was a great move and he continues to deliver week in week out. Feels like they have found the sweet spot they were in for the 6 months before Hogan arrived.

<p>Amazing to think how well they were booking shows in the 6 months pre Bischoff and Hogan as well.</p><p> </p><p> Wolfe and Angle was a MOTY candidate and a great feud to highlight that time.</p><p> </p><p> It finally felt like they had found an identity and way of balancing in ring action against promos etc.</p><p> </p><p> Sad thing is that their booking isn't that bad on the whole ATM. All their problems stem from failing to build stars over the last 3 years and now they're scrambling to find stars over enough to sell tickets.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Macca316" data-cite="Macca316" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I think he was always better as a heel, his whole DNA of TNA schtick was superb, and when he turned on iirc Hernandez and was carrying both of the Tag titles he was doing great work. <p> </p><p> I'll agree though he never really clicked as a face...</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Biggest mistake as I saw it was towards the end of the main event mafia.</p><p> </p><p> I always thought that was the chance to make him a top level talent either by: </p><p> </p><p> 1) splitting Kurt off from the mafia as he joins forces with Morgan and Lashley (who recently debuted and was a massive name for them at the time). The three of them put an end to the mafia, in turn forming one of the most physically intimidating stables of all time (more so than evolution)</p><p> </p><p> 2) keep Morgan on his own as the one man army who ends the MEM. Then turn him heel and present him as an uncontrollable monster born out of TNA's desperation.</p><p> </p><p> Regardless of his limitations, if booked right he'd have been massively over. Maybe not face of the company level, but certainly a good heel to build a strong ME around.</p>

<p>The next 6 months are going to be a testament to whether TNA can genuinely build stars.</p><p> </p><p> With AJ and Hardy probably out the title picture for a while, Sting wrapped up in a feud with EC3 and Angle down and out after losing to Roode they're running really low on challengers.</p><p> </p><p> Off the top of my head, the only possible top level faces to challenge Magnus are Joe, Aries, Anderson and at a push Park - possibly Gunner but that's a real long shot.</p><p> </p><p> There's not a lot of drawing power there currently and the onus is going to be hugely on how well they can sell the story of Magnus as champ to make up for this.</p>

I've always dug him. He's fairly limited in the ring (decent but not outlandish) but I found when he was in decent feuds he was pretty damn good on the mike. Think TNA screwed up on their part as they could have easily built him into a ME 1 / 2 years ago but cut his push when he was getting over. Towards the end of the MEM days I always thought if Kurt formed a break away faction with Joe and Morgan that would have been the smart end with Morgan and Joe pretty much burying the likes of Booker, Nash and Steiner

I still think they're missing a trick by not having a stronger brand split with strong competing GMs like the original Vince vs. Flair and Bischoff vs. Steph when it first came in. Make a big deal of steals / workers crossing over and by proxy you make a big deal of those workers and help build them up. Meh, guess we'll never see it again...

Quite like the principle of rotating the more popular stars in and out of the roster - keeping people fresh and nice and healthy. Should it be done more often?

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Nathers7" data-cite="Nathers7" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yea, I worded it wrong when I said it but as you say during the PG era that's the way things have been.<p> </p><p> I agree that Cena using this character could work in this scenario as he has The Rock to bounce off but what happens after Wrestlemania? Does Cena just keep the same personna, winning a few more WWE titles in the process?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Cena needs to turn heel fast. The problem is that most of the heels he's gone up against have ended up having to turn face as people end up supporting the underdog rather than the unbeatable Cena. </p><p> </p><p> No matter how many times you can stick Cena in the ring with CM Punk and tell the fans to cheer for Cena, eventually they will switch and become Punk fans and boo Cena. </p><p> </p><p> I really don't get the hesitation with turning him. Triple H showed how you can pull off being a heel and still move merchandise and draw crowds. If the WWE could pull off 6 months of solid story telling in turning Cena heel and elevating a face to go up against him it could easily be the shot in the arm it needs to get the ratings going up.</p>

Problem with de-valuing other title belts so much is that you never have your massively talented guys going after non-entity belts like they used to. (e.g. Edge spending years feuding over the tag titles because they actually meant something). The only place realistically you may get those moments nowadays is TNA cause they do put a hell of a lot of focus on building up the undercard.

Got injured when it looked like he was on the verge of something and then never recovered from losing to Anderson if IIRC. Burke a strange one as it's not the first time he's been on fire, got injured and then floundered (I was a really big fan of his when he was starting out in ECW). Got to say, I really like the Roode / Storm storyline. Having only just seen how it played out on TV I think Roode's turn was fantastic and one of the best I've seen in recent times. He got a lot of heat from that match, it's now up to TNA to keep it going. Hope they realise they can ditch PPVs and just focus on running TV supershows soon...

Reading the spoilers and I'm like, seriously wow. You know the Roode build was epic, I really enjoyed it and wanted to see who would win that match. Heck I don't even care that Roode lost in the way he did. The way that things have happened since have been atrocious - they could have at least had a Roode vs. Storm vs. Angle match (with Angle doing very little in the match) leading to Storm winning the title - that could have been a perfect lead into a feud etc and it's easy to make all three come out looking decent. Instead we get convolusion and stuff that makes absolutely no sense at all. How it's gonna play out on tv I have no idea.

Having gone off TNA for the past 5 months or so (however long it took for "they" to turn out to be Hogan) I'm slowly getting back into it. Angle vs. Roode has been built really well. Kendrick vs. Aries is another I'm looking forward to The Knockouts four way should be fun (especially if it ends with Velvet winning the match) Sting vs. Hogan is a good story and has my interest - they can both tell a good story in the ring and assuming Hogan has some mobility left could be a good match. The other matches all long like they could easily be very watchable on paper Crimson vs. Joe vs. Morgan Lynn vs. RVD Bully Ray vs. Anderson Styles vs. Daniels The only problem is there's only really one must see match of Angle vs Roode, all the others are interesting but only the world title match is going to sell the PPV. TNA really needs to be able to put 2/3 of these must see matches on it's main PPV of the year.

1) First thing I'd love to see is a proper brand split in the way it was first done. Rival GMs trying to poach other stars (none of these drafts). Inter brand rivalry and most importantly, Smackdown home of wrestling. Raw home of entertainment. Both need to be treated as A shows. 2) Stop only pushing dull, generic types. Raw lacks colour (think Goldust, The Hurricane etc) - it's a lesser show because of this.

All I know is that Punk's promo got me interested in the WWE again. Now I'm not. Tells me all I need to know really. TNA, although riddled with mind blowing booking, have a vague sort of inclining of how to book long term stories that the WWE either has forgotten (or more likely) never really knew. It's hard to think of any storyline in recent times that has gone more than a couple of months and been successful other than the NWO vs. Sting.

Yeah, he's been touted for so long as a future star it feels like they missed the boat (truthfully I never really saw it and always figured Matt Morgan was the big thing - no idea why they didn't pull the trigger as him to be the catalyst behind taking apart the MEM). I could deal with Roode but it would need to be at the end of a long running feud, not a tournament with a one off match against Angle. Best thing for him would be if he loses controversially starting a year long feud with Angle over the title culminating in him winning it at the 2012 BFG. That's the kind of story you need to take a guy like Roode to the next level and make him a bonafide star.

Have to say, having watched Sky since her debut seeing her win the knockouts title would be a mark out moment. She ain't great but she's come a hell of a way to be pulling off headscissor takedowns. Early BP are one of the best tag teams of recent years.

Interesting read. The problem they face is that good merchandising revenues are based upon high profile stars gaining lots of tv exposure. A shrinking TV audience, loss of big stars wouldn't have been felt over the last 10 years as they've done lots to make themselves more efficient. This won't necessarily translate into future profits though which is why I imagine they'd be getting nervous. You can already see their profits are dropping. As WCW showed, once profits start to drop they can quickly barrell into a fall collapse if you don't make the right moves to address it early on.

The problem for the WWE is thought that the perception of the audience is such that advertising revenues are fairly low. If they aren't out performing other shows then the amount advertisers are willing to pay for the shows plummet as there become larger, more attractive avenues to put your adverts into. Seeing as the WWE needs TV time to provide the brand exposure for PPVs I'd be worried if I was a top level exec there. Seeing your ratings go from 6.0 to 3.0 in the course of 10 years is worrying. Other shows get canned, actors / directors pursue other ventures. WWE isn't in that position. No TV = no PPV revenues = no company. Course it won't get that bad but if Vince weren't the big controller and it was an exce like in the WCW management structure I'd be surprised if Vince would be still running things on his own at this point.

Punk could be an interesting opponent depending on how the next 8 months go. He's got a level of interest and a surge of strong performances and strong booking then he's believable. If it looks like he's catching on Austin / Rock style then being the one to end Taker's streak could put him over the top (although if the match goes ahead I'd rather see Taker win).