The Official TNA / Impact / GFW Discussion Thread

[Psycho Sam]

I remember I went to a WCW show at MGM back in the early 1990's and it was like being on a damn game show. They had one of those old applause signs that would light up every time they wanted the fans to react to something. Having never been to a TNA taping, I am not sure if they do that but a friend told me that they do have people urging the fans to react to stuff.

 

 

WCW did that so people wouldn't get confused... cheering for the heels &

booing the babyfaces, all trying to make it like it was real. But that was when they were not as popular as, say, the NWO era.

I also heard that they filtered out as much 'true' wrestling fans as possible for that reason.

[Jaysin]

I absolutely love the Robbies. I feel like Robbie E is one of the most umderrated guys out there.

 

If Garret would go to OVW and actually get some experience under his belt I think he could end up being a decent talent. I just hate the push and exposure he's gotten.

[Hyde Hill]

WCW did that so people wouldn't get confused... cheering for the heels &

booing the babyfaces, all trying to make it like it was real. But that was when they were not as popular as, say, the NWO era.

I also heard that they filtered out as much 'true' wrestling fans as possible for that reason.

 

That's their Disney era right? Yeah they did that because as well because they wanted to know what the general audience liked and disliked having them fill in question forms and stuff.

 

Standard staple for any wrestling show in the "dark time" to pump up the crowd and (semi) instruct them to boo the heels and cheer the faces. Hell TNA had separate entrances for a long while.

 

On the current hot chicks they probably pick em out of line and put em front and center, also standard fair. WWE has some of those as well, recent example the all green Cena family at both ppvs.

 

TNA has a mix of people that just visit the theme park and pop in and others that are on a sort of fan list that get early entry and they pay the Universal entrance price just for the show.

 

Still the best honest crowd reaction is going on the road and getting reactions from those crowds. That's THE best barometer for what does and doesn't work and why EB is pushing for it so hard.

[juggaloninjalee]

I would say ever since just after Bound for Glory they have been better. They were dumb with the way they handled the title picture right after BFG but now James Storm and Bobby Roode are legit main eventers for TNA. I have enjoyed what I have seen with Roode at the top.

 

The shows are better but most of the knockouts acting still sucks. Some of the angles are a little awkward and probably would be better served as leaving them off the show and just hyping the PPV or something at times. I'd say maybe 1 or 2 a week are just pointless.

 

Bully Ray is pretty good in the main event as well. I hope Jeff Hardy never gets the title again but don't mind him being at the top of the card. Hogan isn't really very interesting but meh he is Hulk Hogan. His name value gives his character a little bit of credibility.

 

Overall the shows are better for sure. They are more consistent and with a better emphasis on the top guys. The shows don't hop around as much where 1 week this guy is the best but the next week a new guy is the onstoppable guy. Things are flowing much better.

[Guest codey]

I was an avid viewer during the PPV days ( we got them for free) and when it first came on cable, but I just started watching again. One thing I hate is the loud, dramatic music during backstage segments. It takes me out of the show. Overall, though, and this is based off of two weeks, it's not bad.

[djthefunkchris]

I honestly don't care if they are "great", as long as they are watchable I'll start watching again. There for a while I couldn't sit through it at all... then When Hogan come on, I thought it might get a little old school (I believe he said something like that) and was looking forward to that. At first I felt it did, but then they did that "Immortals" thing, and I lost interest real quick after that.

 

I'm one of those people that never really liked Hogan back in the day, but as he aged I got to like him. I like him more now then back then (for example), but I only like it when he's being used as he should be... An older legend trying to help out the younger generation. At least that's how I see him being used at his best as. IF he is doing anything near that, then that's a huge improvement.

 

Hogan is the biggest name in wrestling, but everyone knows his "wrestling" days are over. The living legend, that shows the new guys the "light" is the best way to go with him. He gives them the rub, they get popular, they go on to be great stars or they drop the ball... Either way they get a chance to shine, and Hogan gets a chance to help, which is all he should ever look like he wants to do...

 

Don't get me wrong, he can be a Heel, but even as a heel he can do the same thing for the heels/or put unimaginable odd on the face's. Either way, him as a GM is the best way to go... Even if it's only part time, probably better that way...

 

He needs lackeys though, if he becomes a heel again.

[Blackman]

What I meant to say was that I haven't watched for months, but watched this week's show (or last week, whatever, the one with the 'qualifier matches').

 

Imo still not good but hey, I watched it till the finish, right?

[Hyde Hill]

Huh that was a good show what was lacking? Good main event, good promo's, good story progression. Only negative was GB showing up imho.

[Stennick]

Is Garrett Bischoff THAT bad? I don't know I've never seen the guy work the mic or wrestle but he can't be much worse than some of the other guys.

 

I might be off base here but I think people don't like GB as they see it as another indy guy not getting a spot because GB is there. GB can't be any worse than Rob Terry I can't imagine.

 

I used to be a big time Bischoff guy I thought the way he constructed things during the Nitro days giving away results, making sure he was on air when they were on commercial, he invented the over run, all brilliant things but these days I think he's mostly valuable as far as big business goes. He's got experiance running production and things of that nature.

[Arrows]

Is Garrett Bischoff THAT bad? I don't know I've never seen the guy work the mic or wrestle but he can't be much worse than some of the other guys.

 

I might be off base here but I think people don't like GB as they see it as another indy guy not getting a spot because GB is there. GB can't be any worse than Rob Terry I can't imagine.

 

I used to be a big time Bischoff guy I thought the way he constructed things during the Nitro days giving away results, making sure he was on air when they were on commercial, he invented the over run, all brilliant things but these days I think he's mostly valuable as far as big business goes. He's got experiance running production and things of that nature.

 

I've had no problems with Garrett so far. I get the annoyance in his push because of why he got it, but he's not the worst guy I've ever seen get pushed.

[BHK1978]

I might be off base here but I think people don't like GB as they see it as another indy guy not getting a spot because GB is there. GB can't be any worse than Rob Terry I can't imagine.

 

Nobody is as bad as Rob Terry...nobody.

 

Like Arrows said there have been worst people that have gotten pushed. I think for me it is just the nepotism that annoys me. I understand that this has been going on in wrestling since time immemorial but it still does not stop me being annoyed by it.

[Self]

Nepotism exists everywhere, and it's one of those things that genuinely annoys pretty much everyone. It's people getting things they don't deserve. Why on earth you wouldn't try to make a heel out of that, I don't know. Push the heel. Let the nepotism naturally annoy folks. If he becomes cool enough or good enough to turn the tide, so be it.

[cappyboy]

Nobody is as bad as Rob Terry...nobody.

 

Like Arrows said there have been worst people that have gotten pushed. I think for me it is just the nepotism that annoys me. I understand that this has been going on in wrestling since time immemorial but it still does not stop me being annoyed by it.

 

And before Vinnie Mac nationalized things, it happened with very good reason. You needed that safety net because your talent could be moving around all over the place. You had to have somebody you could count on to hold down the fort when the roster was in flux. Who more reliable to perform that duty than a member of the family?

 

But that's also part of what makes it so annoying now. If TNA's as big a deal as they like to pretend they are, they shouldn't need a Garrett Bischoff or a Jeff Jarrett to be a safety net. Ditto WWE leaning on Triple H. There are or should be so many people who want to be a part of the company that they should have outgrown the need for their nets. Ring Of Honor? Okay. CHIKARA? Fine. Name some other DVD-heavy indy. All well and good. At the indy level, I consider nepotism as a part of the charm. But the big boys should be able to rely on the fact they are the big boys.

[BHK1978]

And before Vinnie Mac nationalized things, it happened with very good reason. You needed that safety net because your talent could be moving around all over the place. You had to have somebody you could count on to hold down the fort when the roster was in flux. Who more reliable to perform that duty than a member of the family?

 

But that's also part of what makes it so annoying now. If TNA's as big a deal as they like to pretend they are, they shouldn't need a Garrett Bischoff or a Jeff Jarrett to be a safety net. Ditto WWE leaning on Triple H. There are or should be so many people who want to be a part of the company that they should have outgrown the need for their nets. Ring Of Honor? Okay. CHIKARA? Fine. Name some other DVD-heavy indy. All well and good. At the indy level, I consider nepotism as a part of the charm. But the big boys should be able to rely on the fact they are the big boys.

 

Very true and I still think to an extent that is why it still happens. Not so much in TNA but in the WWE.

 

I remember reading that the reason why HHH and the McMahon family came to the forefront of the WWE was for that very reason. Vince felt burned by what happened with the whole Bret Hart situation and so he started pushing himself and his family because he knew they would never leave (Well Shane did.).

[Stennick]

Yeah but Brother Cap its still a survival business. How much money did they pump into Brock Lesnar. He went over Angle, he went over Hogan, he went over Rob Van Dam, The Rock, they wanted him to go over Austin.

 

They pushed this guy to the moon. And two years after that he was gone. Brock Lesnar would have never gotten a million dollar UFC deal if he wasn't former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. He was certainly qualified to fight but nobody would have known who he is other than "hey he was a former NCAA wrestling champ" so are a ton of other guys. Anyone remember Rulan Gardner? So they put a LOT of money into Brock only for him to bail two years later. Then the UFC was able to take Brock and use the time and money the WWE put into him and turn a good sized profit.

 

Bobby Lashley another guy that they pushed to the moon. He was the feature player at Wrestlemania(not the main event), he feuded with the owner of the company and again the company spent tons of money in the promotion of this guy only for him to quit.

 

So although you don't have to "protect" the territory with guys like David Sammartino, Erik Watts, Gagne, Brian Lawler, etc. You still have a flaky business and guys that are around today having money poured into the promotion of them might not be around tomorrow. Who better to lean on then a guy like Triple H a proven, world wide talent, who also happens to not be going anywhere. Vince knows Trips isn't going to get caught with coke, he's not going to have a run in with the law. He knows these things because he's family and he sees the guy in a way that nobody else can. Same for Garrett Bischoff. Who's not going to jump ship to the WWE.

 

You don't get an AJ Styles who's incredibly loyal to a fault with the company no matter what direction it goes every day. No company should ever be content on staying where they are and if they're going to grow they need to grow home grown talent that not only has potential but has the loyalty to stay put once they become a big enough star.

 

So its still important to push guys that have a vested interest in the company beyond that of your every day worker. Pro Wrestling is big business and every business wants safe(er) investments.

[Hyde Hill]

It's not so much the nepotism stuff for me but he really is that bad. No look, no mic skills, no ring skills. Terry at least has a look and when given time similar level ring skills. I am not saying worst wrestler ever but he is in no way deserving to be on the roster.

 

Who in recent times has had such a strong bush and is this bad? And btw Jeff Jarrett and Trips are probably the best two "nepotism" workers out there so I don't mind them as much. More their time on top when they where not doing their product any favors.

[Stennick]

I wish Russo was in charge of the writing still. The Garrett Bischoff/Brooke Hogan wedding would have been fun. Is Prichard the "head writer" now days? Is it basically Hogan/Prichard/Bischoff writing the shows? Is Jarrett even involved in anything other than being a figure head for TNA anymore? Does he weild any legit, legal power in the company?

[Hyde Hill]

Zero creative power since 2009. Still involved with the house shows and outside projects though business and creative wise. Prichard is head writer with Conway as assistant, Hogan has an "advisory" role but that's strong advise, Bischoff executive producer also strong executive if ya know what I mean.

 

So based on job titles Prichard should be THE MAN, but yeah you still can't be sure who is responsible for what. If Prichard has the power to veto Bisch or Hogan then yeah he's responsible, but Russo didn't have that power so I don't think he has either.

 

Conway has been the mystery man in TNA for ages now, only description I have heard about him is that he is there as Dixie's liason/informant and is in training and is a writer. Also someone with strong influence within TNA is Kevin Sullivan as head of production. No not that Kevin Sullivan.

 

Officially Lagana is only for other projects then Impact Wrestling but he has been known to help some times.

 

And off course there is Dixie and her mom and dad, via purse strings, who is/are rumored to be involved with the creative end from time to time and outside forces like Spike.'

 

Nice and clear huh.

 

Personally I'd put Prichard in clear charge of creative what he says go then have 1 writer guy and 1 wrestling guy with the SAME vision as his assistants. Kind of like the Jarrett, Mantell, Russo, setup but then with the same vision. Not Russo and Mantell butting heads and Jarrett making the wrong choices. With Dixie's only power on the creative end being to fire the head guy if business really goes south like with Dusty.

[Stennick]

I think Eric would honestly be more useful without Hogan. He comes across as not having opinions of his own. When it comes to things like that.

[cappyboy]

And btw Jeff Jarrett and Trips are probably the best two "nepotism" workers out there so I don't mind them as much. More their time on top when they where not doing their product any favors.

 

Definitely agree. Didn't reference either guy because I have a problem with him. More a frame of reference thing. Heck, I'm one of the biggest Jarrett fans you're ever going to find. Have been since the Simply Irresistible days. Have loved Jeff longer than I've known of papa Jerry. And Trips was already a pretty solid superstar before he took up with Steph. So I can't fault him too much either. After all, he had to have quite a bit of talent to even get into sniffing distance of Daddy's Little Girl.

[Hyde Hill]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Very true and I still think to an extent that is why it still happens. Not so much in TNA but in the WWE.<p> </p><p> I remember reading that the reason why HHH and the McMahon family came to the forefront of the WWE was for that very reason. Vince felt burned by what happened with the whole Bret Hart situation and so he started pushing himself and his family because he knew they would never leave (Well Shane did.).</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> And to save money as they where losing it hand over fist at that time.</p>

[Jaysin]

I wouldn't say Conway is a mystery man. He was Russo and Ed Feferra's intern. According to Russo, the guy should have a super bright future in wrestling

[Hyde Hill]

Well that is about all we know about him and he was intern before that as well. We know a lot less about him then all the other guys formerly in creative or who worked as road agents.

 

On the non mystery man front Don West is apparently leaving TNA to focus on his website and become a manager for a Ice Hockey team in Washington state. The split has been totally amicable.

 

Don will be hard to replace and was a real part of TNA imho and will be missed but this is apparently something he really wanted to do himself and was a very good offer so all the best too him.

[Jaysin]

Don convinced me to spend $350 at a house show. That's after spending $75 on shirts two weeks before the show off their website.

 

It's a shame he's leaving. He's a great salesman. I swear that guy could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.

[BHK1978]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hyde Hill" data-cite="Hyde Hill" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Don will be hard to replace and was a real part of TNA imho and will be missed but this is apparently something he really wanted to do himself and was a very good offer so all the best too him.</div></blockquote><p> He will not be missed by me, I had to listen to him yell over the microphone, trying to sell some Jeff Hardy toy, for damn near thirty minutes straight when I went to a TNA house show.<img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p>