The Official TNA / Impact / GFW Discussion Thread

[sebsplex]

Ewwwwww....this has Russo-rific "work shoot" written all over it..

 

he takes a true life event and turns it into a storyline that onyl a small part of the viewing audience will understand.

 

The part that understands knows its fake so they dont care; that part that don't understand end up confused so it all falls flat.

 

Just like what he tried to do recently with JJ's return and apologizing to Kurt

 

dammit...

 

It smells of a Russo work-shoot... will it have any sort of point or pay-off? Who knows.

[Remianen]

Putting this here just in case....

 

Heh, I'm Haitian myself. Just that I've always expected people here and there to not care and I was even surprised to an extent so many people are willing to come together and actually look at the situation. Got me grateful to say the least. In some parts at this point, some medias try to make a quick buck by putting disheartening clips and photos on the front page, but either way that I guess that gets people helpin out.

 

The simple thing is, if you're not gonna care, don't proclaim it at... this time. I thought that was common sense, and he should expect any beatdown to come his way lol. The problem about people who like to speak their mind is they don't put no consideration into the aftermath, what may come out of it and how people can react. There's even tact ways of saying you wouldn't wanna help the country. I've read such through other forums and I've come to acceptance.

 

Voodoo? lol...

 

I saw this exact same thing for Katrina. In fact, I SAID some borderline offensive things to family members, once they got up here. This one is no different. I was born & raised in Brooklyn, NY. I've got tons of Haitian friends. It's one thing to say something to friends or in the company of people who know you're helping and not just trying to stir up stuff. A Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck can say something because only their audience or fanbases actually care what they think (so most folks don't even hear it). But Bubba's in a bad position in that he's on national television now and has to work with people outside of his little bubble. Thus when he says something offensive (to some), he has to be willing to face the music (or guard his grill, as the case may be ).

 

Kia's a big sweetie but everyone has their limits. *shrug*

[dcxbox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTd--qhRZ-s

 

he has a point thought. this is a free show, its not an outside of the impact zone show. this is a tv show in a sound stage in a theme park.

[SaySo]

Source: NoDQ.com

 

A fan that regularly attends the TNA Impact tapings sent out this message:

 

Hey guys. I'm one of the hardcore TNA fans who you see regularly on iMPACT! and TNA PPV. You probably recognize me as the guy who wears a shirt and tie to the shows.

 

I've seen a lot of posts claiming that the biggest thing wrong with TNA right now is us, the loyal fans in the iMPACT! Zone.

 

I'd like to give you a little perspective on things. There is a group of about 12-20 of us who are at every show we can attend (Collectively known as the "Crucial Crew", which is why you see us throw up the 'c' hand signal). And we DO NOT like the direction this company is going. Therefore, we express our displeasure in hopes that management will listen. Why? Because we LOVE TNA, and will not stand idly by while it gets raped by Hogan and his boys. If we were season ticket holders for a sports team, this would be expected, would it not?

 

Last night at Genesis was a major event in the growing war between the TNA loyalists and the Hoganites. I can tell you that very real battle lines are being drawn within the organization, and the conflict will get a lot worse.

 

Again, we LOVE TNA. So when a man who built his career and reputation on WWF Sports Entertainment comes in, changes the things that make TNA unique and basically tells us that the TNA model is broken and that "the smart marks in the front" (read Hogan's IGN interview) don't matter, aren't representative of mainstream America and so should be ignored- Yeah, we're gonna be pissed.

 

Last night was remarkable in that for the first time ever a TNA producer came down into the pit where we stand, grabbed my friend by the shirt and actually threatened to ban us from the building if we didn't stop with the "vulgarity and the negativity". From reports, this heat came directly from "Dixie and Terry who were pissed that we didn't put Morely over during his match with Daniels. Are you kidding? This happened during the Pope v Wolfe match, and totally killed the crowd. If you were wondering why the crowd was so dead during what was a great wrestling match, that's why.

 

Here's the thing though... We've become friends with a lot of the wrestlers, and they all love our energy, enthusiasm and passion, and have and continue to support us. The production crew, who takes heat directly from the top, HATE us, most likely because they are all afraid for their jobs.

 

Also, all of the Bubba Army idiots and other Hogan marks are now in the iMPACT! Zone and act like the complete tools they are. Oh, but THEY don't get scolded like 5-year olds, even though they are the most offensive people there.

 

I saw hundreds of people walk out on the show last night, something i've NEVER seen at a PPV. Things are getting weird. Hopefully, Bischoff and Russo are smart enough to use this tension to create compelling TV, but from my perspective, it seems like TNA is dying right before my eyes.

 

Want some compelling TV? Wait until the entire pit revolts and empties into the ring on live TV. The way things are going, this is not altogether inconceivable.

 

Rest assured, the Crucial Crew will fight to the end for the TNA we know and love!

[brashleyholland]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbx2dq_tna-director-of-production-steve-sm_webcam

 

he has a point thought. this is a free show, its not an outside of the impact zone show. this is a tv show in a sound stage in a theme park.

 

Thats great, if it is being used to irradicate bad language or fans intentionally disrupting the flow of the show with 'insider' chants etc.

 

But if they are telling fans they cannot boo something that they don't like...how does that benefit them in the long run?

 

You judge a performer and their performance on how well it goes over with the crowd...if the crowd isn't allowed to say 'This sucks', where is the impetus to change it?

 

Take Morley for example. They're pushing him as a good guy, but people don't like him as a good guy and think he is performing poorly. However, they are told to cheer him because he is a good guy. Does that mean we're stuck watching him until they decide otherwise?

 

If thats how they want it, fine. They might as well go the whole hog and have production staff with 'CHEER' and 'JEER' signs held up. It's very hypocritical to profess that you are 'giving the fans what they want' while telling them how to behave at your TV tapings.

[Hyde Hill]

On the video he sounds more reasonable then the excerpts have made it sound. I get the whole no cursing etc part and that is not a problem and the help tell the story is understandable but you just can't tell a crowd who to like or dislike or what to say or not to say. Having said that sometimes the Impact crowd really ads to the show but they sometimes detract from it as well, but in all I liked the greater interaction feel it had/has instead of the generic WWE stuff.

 

Wonder what they will do once they become a paying crowd though (,if ever,) as then TNA has no/less right to instruct them.

 

Edit: Agree with the post above me. Was typed at the same time. And wonder if the Crucial crew statement is legit, seems so though.

[alden]

Seams a little smarkish to me to be honest. I have very strong fellings of people thinking they are adding more to a show then they are. There is nothing wrong with fans getting into the show. But for a group of people to say hey we are helping the show by doing this and that and they have no right to tell us what to do gets to me a little. Tna is trying to get bigger. for that to happen they need to produce a more "fammily friendly" type of program. The comment of why would you bring your kids here is stupid. They are in a fammily ammusment park. Yah, why would a kid be in a enviorment like that?

[PeterHilton]

Seams a little smarkish to me to be honest. I have very strong fellings of people thinking they are adding more to a show then they are. There is nothing wrong with fans getting into the show. But for a group of people to say hey we are helping the show by doing this and that and they have no right to tell us what to do gets to me a little. Tna is trying to get bigger. for that to happen they need to produce a more "fammily friendly" type of program. The comment of why would you bring your kids here is stupid. They are in a fammily ammusment park. Yah, why would a kid be in a enviorment like that?

 

ECW fans definitely added to their shows.

 

TNA has made no attempt to "get bigger" by producing "fammily friendly" programming. None. Zero. They are far more risque in both content and character and practically brag about the fact during their broadcasts.

 

You're entirely off the mark there. Entirely.

[PeterHilton]

Source: NoDQ.com

 

Again, we LOVE TNA. So when a man who built his career and reputation on WWF Sports Entertainment comes in, changes the things that make TNA unique and basically tells us that the TNA model is broken and that "the smart marks in the front" (read Hogan's IGN interview) don't matter, aren't representative of mainstream America and so should be ignored- Yeah, we're gonna be pissed.

 

 

Here's where this guy goes off the rails.

 

The fans have every right to express their feelings, especially because it does add a lot to the live events.

 

But *if* TNA's new direction adds viewers and gets them bigger ratings and increases buy rates, then the opinions of those 20 guys really DON'T MATTER.

 

It's stupid of TNA to deny the fan response. And considering the reactions

to even the smallest of changes so far, they should get used to dealing with a lot more before it's through

 

(I mean..those spoilers..if that goes down the way it was written..the intrawebs might explode)

[Wade]

I'm crossing my fingers, and hoping that everything we've seen is a work. That Jarrett turns straight face, Hogan/Bischoff heel, and Jarrett fights them off and brings back the TNA that we have come to love.

[jwt13]

I dissagree with you all I think this man has all the rights in the world to do this because the fans are coming in free.

 

Example: Its like extras on a movie set, if your a extra and they had said that the sene eould be shot at a favrite club of yours and then they change it or change anything on the set you liked your and extra you sit back and mind your bussiness. You dont just stand back and scream at the directer " We want the old set you prick" or somthing like that because you dont matter your an extra.

 

Example 2: Its like if you have a team you really like lets say the Jets they fire their coach and hire the patriots coach who you hate and dont like the way that he's running the team so you and a group of buddies go to their practice field and sit in the front row and just start jeering him on I'm preety sure they would not let that happen and you would probley get kicked out and still what you did didn't change a thing.

[sheepy]

I loved Sting vs. Abyss with Sting having some sort of control over Abyss. I loved the Angle Alliance vs. The Christian Coallition. I loved the random attacks on Joe and then Jarrett's return. I loved most of the Main Event Mafia. I loved Big Poppa Petey. I loved the Dudleys being pushed as main event faces in a PPV main event. I loved VKM. I loved AJ Styles. I hated Curry Man. I loved TBP (especially Velvet). I loved their feud with Roxy. I loved the undefeated Samoan Submission Machine. I loved the undefeated Christian Cage. I loved Mick Foley vs. Jarrett. I loved the six sided ring. I loved Jim Cornette. I loved the Ultimate X. I loved the X-Division World Cup. I loved Matt Morgan's slow introduction and then promos about being the genetically jacked, athletically stacked next big thing. I loved Jay Machismo (especially his feud with Dutt).

 

I just don't think I can get into this new TNA I respect Bischoff and wish he was back in WWE with a say in the creative direction and booking of one of the brands but him and Hogan back in control just doesn't offer the chance of seeing something new. TNA felt like something new, whereas I can't see this new TNA being anything more than a WCW mark 2.

 

I was hoping TNA would push on to become something more than a clone.

[brashleyholland]

I dissagree with you all I think this man has all the rights in the world to do this because the fans are coming in free.

 

Example: Its like extras on a movie set, if your a extra and they had said that the sene eould be shot at a favrite club of yours and then they change it or change anything on the set you liked your and extra you sit back and mind your bussiness. You dont just stand back and scream at the directer " We want the old set you prick" or somthing like that because you dont matter your an extra.

 

Extra's get paid. There are also there to work, not enjoy something.

 

Example 2: Its like if you have a team you really like lets say the Jets they fire their coach and hire the patriots coach who you hate and dont like the way that he's running the team so you and a group of buddies go to their practice field and sit in the front row and just start jeering him on I'm preety sure they would not let that happen and you would probley get kicked out and still what you did didn't change a thing.

 

This happens all the time, in all sports.

[PeterHilton]

I'm crossing my fingers, and hoping that everything we've seen is a work. That Jarrett turns straight face, Hogan/Bischoff heel, and Jarrett fights them off and brings back the TNA that we have come to love.

 

LOL....

 

yeah, no, that's not happening.

[brashleyholland]

I'd like to give you a little perspective on things. There is a group of about 12-20 of us who are at every show we can attend (Collectively known as the "Crucial Crew", which is why you see us throw up the 'c' hand signal). And we DO NOT like the direction this company is going.

 

Here's where the guy kills it for me. 12-20 of them. The DO NOT like the way the company is going. Geez, how would TNA survive without them?

 

 

I saw hundreds of people walk out on the show last night, something i've NEVER seen at a PPV.

 

If TNA only gets a top end of 2000 people in the building, wouldn't we have noticed these 'hundreds of people' walking out? Wouldn't someone have mentioned this before now?

 

 

Want some compelling TV? Wait until the entire pit revolts and empties into the ring on live TV. The way things are going, this is not altogether inconceivable.

 

Again, what, all 20 of them? What do they plan on doing when they get in the ring, aside from getting thrown out an banned from the venue?

 

If this in indeed legit, he just comes accross like a petulent kid who's resisting change just because. I know the ECW crowd added alot to their shows, but they aren't the ECW crowd and this certainly isn't ECW.

[PeterHilton]

I dissagree with you all I think this man has all the rights in the world to do this because the fans are coming in free.

 

Example: Its like extras on a movie set, if your a extra and they had said that the sene eould be shot at a favrite club of yours and then they change it or change anything on the set you liked your and extra you sit back and mind your bussiness. You dont just stand back and scream at the directer " We want the old set you prick" or somthing like that because you dont matter your an extra.

 

Example 2: Its like if you have a team you really like lets say the Jets they fire their coach and hire the patriots coach who you hate and dont like the way that he's running the team so you and a group of buddies go to their practice field and sit in the front row and just start jeering him on I'm preety sure they would not let that happen and you would probley get kicked out and still what you did didn't change a thing.

 

Terrible. Just terrible. Have you ever been to a sporting event?

 

And you have MORE rights if you DON'T pay??

[Hyde Hill]

Here's where the guy kills it for me. 12-20 of them. The DO NOT like the way the company is going. Geez, how would TNA survive without them?

 

If TNA only gets a top end of 2000 people in the building, wouldn't we have noticed these 'hundreds of people' walking out? Wouldn't someone have mentioned this before now?

 

Again, what, all 20 of them? What do they plan on doing when they get in the ring, aside from getting thrown out an banned from the venue?

 

If this in indeed legit, he just comes accross like a petulent kid who's resisting change just because. I know the ECW crowd added alot to their shows, but they aren't the ECW crowd and this certainly isn't ECW.

 

And he misquoted Hogan on the IGN interview as I reread it after this came up. He just said smart marks in general only constitute a certain percentage of the crowd he wasn't specifically referring to them but more to the internet wrestling board smarks and in that I have to agree with Hogan.

 

Maybe those hundreds walked out during the Impact taping and he was misquoted that would seem more realistic given the spoilers.

 

PS I consider us guys here "educated smart marks" and that is another category.

[lazorbeak]

Just watched Genesis and wanted to weigh in on some of this stuff:

 

First, Angle vs. AJ was great, no two ways about it. I didn't watch their Impact match, and I can see people getting tired of the constant finisher back and forth it turned into, but good slow build and a dramatic finish. I don't even mind the turn, even though I think it's a dumb move.

 

That said, this is the definition of a one match pay per view. Nearly every other match varied between garbage and forgettable, with the highlight being the Pope/Wolfe match that the crowd was absolutely dead for. Actually Red vs. Kendrick was pretty decent, too. I don't really have anything to say about those two matches.

 

But as for the rest of the card! Daniels is a phenomenal worker, and it's a shame he's so small that in the big leagues he'd never do better than Jamie Noble, because he is too good for TNA. This was really the first time we ran into horrible booking. Morley is the babyface here? Why? What has he done other than the same terrible mic work he always did except without his catchphrase that got nostalgia pops. Why on earth would the fans cheer this overweight 38 year old who has spent the last decade doing essentially nothing over their own homegrown talent who has been with TNA since roughly forever and is willing to put his body on the line? Why resist the crowd cheering for Daniels? Just turn him babyface you morons. Also Sean: stop using a top rope move if you are too fat and rusty to stand on the turnbuckle. Mediocre match for the bits that Daniels wrestled himself, but Morley looked terrible.

 

Tara over ODB: what was that all about? Why give ODB the title if you're hot-shotting it right back and making ODB look that weak in the process? I hope this feud is done because these two aren't great in the ring together. Also what was with ODB checking her pulse? I smell a worked shoot where she has blood pressure problems or some other health issue related to drinking. Also she will give birth to a hand. Pretty poor match, let this be the end of it.

 

Dull match for the tag titles that sticks two of your best homegrown babyface top guys into a midcard title. Hopefully the MCMGs or somebody takes the belt off these guys so they can feud and/or just be singles workers. Why hasn't Matt Morgan already gotten a pay per view title shot?

 

Beer Money over the Band- you could hear a pin drip when Syxx was in the ring: literally no heat at all. Considering everybody knew the Band was on their way out, they had WAY too much offense.

 

Speaking of overweight and sloppy, Mr. Anderson looked like he's been storing nuts for the winter in his face. Frankly at this point he looks worse than Hardcore Holly. Maybe that means he's off the juice (oh wait he never took steroids, right?)? Anderson did a decent job on the mic but his match was as bad as most Mr. Kennedy matches generally are, and Abyss didn't look particularly motivated either. Pretty big heat vacuum for this one, too.

 

Considering Hogan's line about being WRESTLING, it's a little ironic that two overweight WWE midcarders who looked sloppy in the ring were each given singles victories over TNA main-stays. I get that for the audience to care they have to beat somebody, but both guys didn't even bother working their way up the card: they just beat a couple of upper midcarders, one a former champ and the other a guy who was main eventing TNA's pay per view a month ago.

 

Also considering the roughly 500 guys TNA employs, how does it make any sense to have 4 singles matches and 2 tag matches on PPV? That's 16 guys. Of those, Waltman, Morley, Kendrick, and Anderson haven't been on the roster a month (and one is already gone). That's 1/4 of your in-ring talent. Wolfe and Pope are practically veterans with their whopping FOUR combined pay per view appearances. Also considering the roughly 30 guys that aren't being used maybe you could at least have a video package or a backstage segment or something that tells the viewer "hey these guys are also important"? Is Jeff Hardy under contract? Even if the answer is no, replay the footage from two weeks ago. Where's Homicide, Suicide, Eric Young (even though I think he sucks shouldn't he at least be on TV?), the MCMGs, Team 3D, Rhino, and anyone else that is not on the card but also not a jobber?

 

What bugs me is that TNA is letting the fact that they are a small market promotion cause them to rely too much on outside talent. You have a pay per view deal and a weekly show, trust your audience enough that the casual fan might actually watch even if they don't see something they recognize from 6 years ago on Raw. Sure Mr. Anderson and even Morley might be better known nationally, but there is a reason neither ever won a world title, and neither looked even close to being main event ready even in TNA. Hernandez and Matt Morgan and Pope look like superstars while Morley and Anderson look like aging midcarders. Start pushing them accordingly, TNA!

 

On the fans: I hate smarky fans, so I'm biased, but considering I don't think they pay anything to just show up and chant about the various members of the Hogan family, I don't see where the product could possibly be worse if they didn't just disappear. They are only there to fill a seat for a TV taping, and it makes the end product look bad when they feel like they are "owed" something by the wrestlers or the promotion itself. Yes, telling audiences who to cheer and who to boo is lame and I wish TNA's creative wasn't so terrible that they need to do anything like that. But since TNA desperately needs to get out of the impact zone anyway, maybe it's a necessary evil.

[Wade]

LOL....

 

yeah, no, that's not happening.

 

A man can dream...

 

On the bright side, I read spoilers for the next two weeks of iMPACT! and.. There's some things that just sound downright stupid, but there are some things that make me think Bischoff isn't a total tool.

[Johnny Fenoli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTd--qhRZ-s

 

he has a point thought. this is a free show, its not an outside of the impact zone show. this is a tv show in a sound stage in a theme park.

 

http://www.cramthis.com/video/166/TNA-Director-of-Production-Steve-Small-tells-the-Impact-Zone

 

there's another link since the other is down...

[Hyde Hill]

Actually ODB has been toughing out a burst implant the last couple of weeks and that is probably why she was checking her pulse if everything was ok. The thing she threw out of the ring was indeed a filling as to make both breasts the same size and resulted in them possibly shortening the match. And yes I hope this program stops and hope they build up Flash vs Tara.

[brashleyholland]

Actually the second set of Impact spoilers doesn't seem that bad.

[Stennick]

The shows seem to be going downhill from the live episode on. I'm glad its easier to read the spoilers for TNA ahead of time so I don't waste my time trying to watch it when it airs.

[jwt13]

I read the show to and sounds good to me I love the way Hogans taking them on a couple exeptions.

[GDE71]

The 28th show does sound better then the one we get on the 21st.