The Official TNA / Impact / GFW Discussion Thread

[PeterHilton]

Why? Even though the numbers aren't from TNA themselves its worth talking about. If its even close to what's being reported then they're still not even getting 1% of the weekly viewing audience to purchase the monthly show. Why should that be ignored in a thread specifically made for discussion on all things TNA?

 

Because it's benn pointed out multiple times that TNA doesn't rely on buyrates at all, so even though that numbers are atrocious, it's not hurting them. It basically doesn't matter if the ECW guys bring in buys...

 

Honestly, the smar things would be to push this ECW angle fo hardcore specific special edition of Impact since TV is where their audience is.

[PeterHilton]

If you say so Pete. WWE has been just as bad, but i don't recall them Ending a show with a striptease angle or doing a Falsely accused of rape leading to "owning" the Women for a month because she "deserved it for crying wolf" angle in the last 3 months.

 

Pretty much the only booking I've liked is RVD's title run and some of the Tag team fueds. Oh, and Jay lethal, because he's GOLD

 

"Good" meaning it hasn't been Vas bad as the stuff directly after Hogan and Bischoff took over.

[Eisen-verse]

As wrestling fans, We're always going to tear apart what we don't like more so than hype the things that we do. With a weekly TV show, It's going to be tough to keep things interesting for everyone (as people of all ages, and smark levels will be watching). With that said, This is my perception of TNA right now (in small bullets):

 

 

1) I can't stand Beer Money. Yes, I know, they are suppose to be one of the top 'company made' teams on the roster but they just seem blah to me; maybe it's the name? I guess I'm just not a huge fan.

 

2) The ECW reunion thing is.... meh. Not terrible but not amazing I guess. What do you expect though, really? I loved ECW; more so than any other company at the time. With that said, ECW has been gone for quite some time now. It's best to move on and focus on developing a new tone than jumping on an old one.

 

3) I don't see why Samoa Joe isn't getting more focus? He seems to have been pushed aside alittle lately.

 

4) RVD as Champ is pretty cool; as I've always been a fan of his. It makes for some great matches down the line (ie: ones we haven't seen before, or, for awhile).

 

5) Jay Lethal is great. I'm excited to see where he goes from here.

 

6) I wish Desmond Wolfe was booked differently. How so? I wish he was more like the 'Stric Lee Bizness' character I created in my XWA project. In a sense, more of a 'contract killer' type that's quiet, cold, and calculating versus a whiny baby. ha.

[LoganRodzen]

Honestly, the smar things would be to push this ECW angle fo hardcore specific special edition of Impact since TV is where their audience is.

 

I completely agree with this, Peter. A special 3-hour Impact for an ECW reunion would have been cool and they wouldn't need to "throw away" an entire PPV on something that'll be done in a month. It's just disappointing that they're focusing on an ECW PPV when they should be trying to continue to build the TNA fan base. You can't build a brand with TNA wrestlers if you're jumping all over the place with stories involving guys people cared about 10 years ago.

 

Will any TNA workers have matches on the Hardcore Justice PPV or is it really ECW-only? That's what I'm pissed off about.

[Slagaholic]

... why are any of the things that ever happen on TNA happening?

 

I'm serious, I recently took my latest look at TNA which I do maybe every 3-6months just to make sure it hasn't gotten awesome when I wasn't paying attention and I just didn't know what the point of anything was.

 

If you look at a weekly TV show with an evolving storyline for the first time in 3-6 months and expect it to blow your mind, you will always be confused and disappointed.

[The Final Countdown]

Will any TNA workers have matches on the Hardcore Justice PPV or is it really ECW-only? That's what I'm pissed off about.

That's an interesting question. I wouldn't mind seeing guys who never were in ECW, but would have fit in fine, used on the show (the Machine Guns, for example, would have thrived in ECW IMO.)

[eayragt]

Because it's benn pointed out multiple times that TNA doesn't rely on buyrates at all, so even though that numbers are atrocious, it's not hurting them. It basically doesn't matter if the ECW guys bring in buys...

 

Honestly, the smar things would be to push this ECW angle fo hardcore specific special edition of Impact since TV is where their audience is.

 

Hang on, that seems to suggest that we shouldn't discuss things that don't hurt TNA (like the lack of buys), yes?

 

By that same basis, we shouldn't be talking about any bad booking on WWE shows, because that doesn't hurt WWE (they still keep chugging away strongly).

 

Man, these threads are going to die out soon.

[Slagaholic]

What's the point of talking about them if they don't matter? Your Comparison of buyrates and poor booking is idiotic. Booking is part of creative, creative is key. How you make your money doesn't matter as long as it's done legally and ethically.

 

John Cena's arm bands recently went from 25% polyester to 35% polyester. That will cause a bit more irritation on people who have very sensitive skin. I for one believe that if WWE went back to the 25% polyesZzzzzz....

[LoganRodzen]

What's the point of talking about them if they don't matter? Your Comparison of buyrates and poor booking is idiotic. Booking is part of creative, creative is key. How you make your money doesn't matter as long as it's done legally and ethically.

 

OK. So if (keyword) they ever reach 50k+ buys lets not talk about that either (still not close to WWE). Nobody talks about WWE buys because everybody knows on average how they do for their OK PPVs and then the big ones. When TNA doesn't release any type of information (not that they have to) it leaves many questions to be answered. This is a forum to discuss TNA and therefore I think it's fair game to talk about the massive PPV problem they have.

[PeterHilton]

Hang on, that seems to suggest that we shouldn't discuss things that don't hurt TNA (like the lack of buys), yes?

 

 

OK. So if (keyword) they ever reach 50k+ buys lets not talk about that either (still not close to WWE). Nobody talks about WWE buys because everybody knows on average how they do for their OK PPVs and then the big ones. When TNA doesn't release any type of information (not that they have to) it leaves many questions to be answered. This is a forum to discuss TNA and therefore I think it's fair game to talk about the massive PPV problem they have.

 

You guys are misunderstanding what I was saying..or I wasn't being clear:

 

The problem i have is that people keep talking about the brutally low buy rates AS IF IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

 

Or more commonly as if it's another sign the TNA is doomed or whatever.

 

Talk about the low buys all you want, but the fact is, TNA doesn't depend on the PPVs, they get most of their revenue from TV, the low buy rates don't generally hurt them, high buy rates would only be 'icing on the cake,' and continuing to say things like it's a MASSIVE PROBLEM means you haven't been paying attention to the things that people have poste and quoted in this thread.

 

Yes, yes, yes...it'd be great for them if TNA got massive PPV numbers. But fortunately their structure is such that it's not a life or death thing and the more constructive conversation would be what they can do otherwise since the numbers don't seme to be going up.

[LoganRodzen]

You guys are misunderstanding what I was saying..or I wasn't being clear:

 

The problem i have is that people keep talking about the brutally low buy rates AS IF IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

 

Or more commonly as if it's another sign the TNA is doomed or whatever.

 

Talk about the low buys all you want, but the fact is, TNA doesn't depend on the PPVs, they get most of their revenue from TV, the low buy rates don't generally hurt them, high buy rates would only be 'icing on the cake,' and continuing to say things like it's a MASSIVE PROBLEM means you haven't been paying attention to the things that people have poste and quoted in this thread.

 

Yes, yes, yes...it'd be great for them if TNA got massive PPV numbers. But fortunately their structure is such that it's not a life or death thing and the more constructive conversation would be what they can do otherwise since the numbers don't seme to be going up.

 

I think it's a massive problem because they present their PPVs like its some awesome blow-out to a huge arc of episodes on TV. They try to go all out on PPV and present a good product, but to what audience? I don't care that their primary revenue doesn't come from PPV buys - I never disputed any of that. I just think its a problem when you've been working towards a big show and to have 1% of your audience care about it? It means you aren't relevant and nobody cares.

 

It's a problem that goes beyond PPVs.

[jwt13]

I think we need a new topic because the ppv buyrates really dont matter I mean they dont hurt TNA so it really isnt a huge problem, TNA is promoteing PPV's big because imo WWE has made it what a national size company does no. TNA's buyrate has nothing to do with booking because if you have watched in the last two/three months they have been 100X better than when Hogan\Bisch came in. Lets start discussing who you think the "They" are that Abyss is talking about?

[SaySo]

How much does TNA make from TV? Did they gain more money by acquiring the big marquee names (e.g. RVD, Jeff Hardy, Hogan, Flair, etc.)?

[Hyde Hill]

... why are any of the things that ever happen on TNA happening?

 

I'm serious, I recently took my latest look at TNA which I do maybe every 3-6months just to make sure it hasn't gotten awesome when I wasn't paying attention and I just didn't know what the point of anything was.

 

Ehm if you just watch a single or maybe two shows you never will as TNA for better or worse doesn't do the endless rerun stuff. And seriously the booking has been very good. Only small opersonal gripes left for me rather then general ones.

[jwt13]

How much does TNA make from TV? Did they gain more money by acquiring the big marquee names (e.g. RVD, Jeff Hardy, Hogan, Flair, etc.)?

 

Spike pays them to have Impact on Spike, dont know how that works but thats what they do.

[Hyde Hill]

Why? Even though the numbers aren't from TNA themselves its worth talking about. If its even close to what's being reported then they're still not even getting 1% of the weekly viewing audience to purchase the monthly show. Why should that be ignored in a thread specifically made for discussion on all things TNA?

 

Because it has been discussed to death multiple times already.

[Hyde Hill]

How much does TNA make from TV? Did they gain more money by acquiring the big marquee names (e.g. RVD, Jeff Hardy, Hogan, Flair, etc.)?

 

Not from Spike directly, although possibely they pay part of the wages, but having those names onboard good possibely been a factor in signing the new Middle East deal which is pure money. Those same names are also the top merchandise sellers.

 

And according the the reports I have heard and trust all numbers, including ppv, are up. As much up as TNA had hoped? Nope. Are they back in the red? Maybe, and even if they are they have a big safety net. After the move back to Thursday/ post sacrifice the booking has been good and we have been seeing good matches on Impact. This is probabely the best I have seen TNA in a long time so lets enjoy it.

[Slagaholic]

Lets start discussing who you think the "They" are that Abyss is talking about?

 

I am of the opinion that it has to do with Sting's recent weirdness. I have an idea of the direction I'd take it but it would never happen in a million years.

[BurningHamster]

If you look at a weekly TV show with an evolving storyline for the first time in 3-6 months and expect it to blow your mind, you will always be confused and disappointed.

 

That may be true, but in TNA's case probably not as confused as disappointed as I would be if I watched it regularly.

[Slagaholic]

It's easy to say that about a show you don't watch. Try watching it without nitpicking it to death.

[Stennick]

Impact is better than RAW right now.

[Hitman23]

Impact is better than RAW right now.

Agreed and has been for the last month or two.

[Stennick]

I'd say they were neck and neck about two months ago during the Nexus debut, things truly felt different for about three weeks or so of the Nexus stuff. Then again Impact has lost a few points for the ECW stuff since it interests me less than zero percent. Its still close but if TNA finally gets this ECW stuff out of their system at Hard Justice and focuses on more interesting things like Fortune, "They", Lethal, Wolfe, etc. I'll be very happy.

 

Raven is by FAR my favorite ECW "icon". Sabu, Sandman, Dreamer all did nothing for me. Taz was ok but the minute he got truly big he left, RVD was pretty good but really the guy has never been that great on the mic. I've enjoyed his matches but I enjoy Rey Mysterio matches just as much and he's not a favorite of mine. Raven was interesting to me in 1996-7 since then he's not been the character. Raven was at his best as an outcast, as an outsider, etc. I really enjoyed him sitting in the front row, no music, etc. Also his promos got less well less Raven like as the years went on. Raven was never about hardcore wrestling he was just about delivering punishment by any means possible. Then came his forgettable WWE run and aside from a good year in 03 I haven't been interested in him in TNA.

[Hitman23]

I'd say they were neck and neck about two months ago during the Nexus debut, things truly felt different for about three weeks or so of the Nexus stuff. Then again Impact has lost a few points for the ECW stuff since it interests me less than zero percent. Its still close but if TNA finally gets this ECW stuff out of their system at Hard Justice and focuses on more interesting things like Fortune, "They", Lethal, Wolfe, etc. I'll be very happy.

 

Raven is by FAR my favorite ECW "icon". Sabu, Sandman, Dreamer all did nothing for me. Taz was ok but the minute he got truly big he left, RVD was pretty good but really the guy has never been that great on the mic. I've enjoyed his matches but I enjoy Rey Mysterio matches just as much and he's not a favorite of mine. Raven was interesting to me in 1996-7 since then he's not been the character. Raven was at his best as an outcast, as an outsider, etc. I really enjoyed him sitting in the front row, no music, etc. Also his promos got less well less Raven like as the years went on. Raven was never about hardcore wrestling he was just about delivering punishment by any means possible. Then came his forgettable WWE run and aside from a good year in 03 I haven't been interested in him in TNA.

 

The promo by Dreamer got me into it, I never watched ECW on a weekly basis, but I enjoyed ONS 05 and the Dreamer promo was great on Impact imo he made you feel sorry for what had happened and excited about what was going to happen. Im going to give props to Dixe for giving Dreamer the book on this and letting this happen, because from what I read this was not the plan tha Dixie had but Dreamer Raven Rhyno and Stevie went and pitched the idea which see approved.

[Slagaholic]

Wolfe's apparently been garnering a lot of heat backstage which would explain why he's been made to look like a douche recently.