How to solve a problem like TNA? (contains spoilers from PPV)

How to solve a problem like TNA?

Last night saw possibly the lowest point in TNA history.

Sting defeating an ‘out of it’ Jeff Hardy in less than a minute and a half and the fans chanting ‘this is bull****’ as the credits rolled.

On all accounts it was painful to watch. Even the most diehard TNA fan would be hard pressed to pull anything positive out of the main event.
The problem though is that in recent times it’s become the norm rather than a one off.
Kurt Angle looks away with the fairies, his demons certainly looked like they have returned which is a tremendous shame.
Guys that should be pushed are falling by the wayside (Matt Morgan seriously???)
The once vibrant tag division is stale.
The X Division continues to be swept under the carpet as an afterthought yet often remains the best match on the card.
And then there’s the segments. Often pulling out my own nails with pliers could be considered more enjoyable.

But this isn’t about the negative.
This is about the positive.

For all TNA’s failings (of which there are many) there is still chance. The tools are in place, they just aren’t using them correctly (some of this is taken from an article I wrote on 606 back in January)

1. Clear good guys & bad guys. They alternate week on week. If you turn someone stick with it. The Dudleys are heel, face, split up, different names every show I see. Who’s a main event heel at the moment? Jeff Hardy???

2. Following on from point 1, think more than 2 weeks ahead. Currently ideas seem to come about which seem great initially but then are swept under the carpet when they realise they cannot continue them (ala the top ten title contenders, if Wolfe was top that means the fans want him to be in the title scene!).

3. Re-evaluate what were TNA’s unique selling points. For me these were the X Division, the tag teams and the females. As mentioned the tag division is stale especially with Alex Shelley’s absense. Whilst trying to attract new fans you have to ensure you retain older ones too.

4. Merchandise. People moan at the direction that WWE have gone in aiming at a younger demographic but who buys t-shirts, toys, posters? 10-15 year olds (or if not the parents of them). Any older than that and even if they are a fan they are less likely to want to buy stuff. Either tone the show down to appeal to a younger market (shudder) or look into what merchandise is appealing to an older fan, in the days of the Attitude era older fans wore 3:16 etc. Beer Money or Ken Anderson’s current catchphrase could easily be used more widely to sell products.

5. Make the show look more professional. Obviously the budget it runs on is small compared to WWE but it shows.

6. Think you’re the best. If you think you are number 2, then you’ll always remain number 2. Stop the constant name calling of WWE and concentrate on what’s going on in house.

7. Get some new blood in. Look at the main event guys in TNA. Name one that wasn’t main eventing or a big name in either TNA or WWE 2-3 years years ago. Matt Morgan is about it. Now look at WWE and there’s a plethora of guys pushed through. Plan for the long term TNA.

8. Wellness policy. Look at the roster of TNA at present. Half are recreational users, half are roid users. Firstly if they ever want to be getting headlines then they’ll only be bad ones and secondly it results in what was witnessed with Jeff Hardy at the PPV. This need to be clamped down on.

9. Better use of social media. WWE have their FB and Twitter feeds to a tee now, constantly probing their target audience for instant feedback, immediately after shows they’re sending out questionnaires to ask what views people had, if they ‘liked’ it etc. Every wrestler uses Twitter under WWE scrutiny and storylines are being created in RT which keeps people interested throughout the week not just when the shows are on. TNA use their FB account to show off pictures of Velvet Sky in a bunny outfit. Use FB to sell the gear that is mentioned in point 4!

10. Keep it simple. Actually have a few matches where it doesn’t involve run ins, swerves or gimmicks. Russo is a creative guy, when he comes up with something good then often it’s genius, but he needs someone to work with him to keep him on the straight and narrow at times.

There’s lot of other little things that could be mentioned (like the overuse of blading, constant uber-stables etc) but I wanted to focus more on the bigger picture of what could make TNA appeal.
UK wise they have a huge opportunity to clean up on ratings by the move to a channel that has a much wider catchment. WWE itself is hardly the best show on the planet right now, there are waves of disenfranchised WWE fans especially those that grew up on the Attitude era that could easily be pulled over by a different product but at present they are failing to get even the basics right.

Would like to hear your thoughts on this, am I steering TNA in the right direction? Or leading it into oblivion.
Do you think that there’s nothing wrong with TNA and that I’m talking gibberish?

Last year, I got back into wrestling after an approximately 5 year hiatus. Initially, I thought TNA was a far superior product to WWE. However, over this past year, that opinion has swung so far the other way it is unbelievable. TNA is borderline unwatchable - and really shouldn't be with the characters and wrestling talent available to them.

It looks like it's been written by someone on a mental breakdown.

WWE on the other hand, has improved massively since I started re-watching. Though I don't really like the reliance on The Rock, Stone Cold, and Undertaker vs Triple H to push Wrestlemania, because I think their new-breed is in a fantastic position to sky-rocket.

I like some of your suggestions Hero, but in my opinion, TNA has to start from scratch to be anywhere near being a competitor to WWE. Starting with a policy of, if a wrestler is not good enough for WWE, they're not good enough. TNA should be a breeding pool of fresh. new, exciting talent - as it formerly was. (Was it only a year or so ago that we had AJ vs Daniels vs Joe and Wolfe vs Angle on the same awesome PPV??) Not some retirement home for people who can hardly talk anymore, never mind wrestle.

And if that's how they choose to end a PPV (I've not seen it, I don't intend to) then they have real real problems

Have to say I watched a full TNA show for the first time ever on Saturday night and my first thought was WTF.

Seriously it was terrible. The whole Angle/Jarret thing was so ridiculous. It was almost as bad as when Cole cussed Lawler over his mum dying. Whta is the need you could clearly see the man was distraught and then give him an axe to smash the set up was crazy too!

Also whats with the back stage filming, is it supposed to be like a hidden camera peering into what happens?

Then there is Hogan & Flair...I mean come on now...seriously.

On the positive side I did like Beer Money, kinda like a poor man's Dudley Boys...their finisher was pretty sweet. Liked the look of Matt Morgan too.

I think its pretty safe to say that WWE's #1 spot is safe for a while!

Was it only a year or so ago that we had AJ vs Daniels vs Joe and Wolfe vs Angle on the same awesome PPV??

It was Turning Point 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Point_%282009%29

It was followed by the equally good Final Resolution:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Resolution_%282009%29

Then Hogan and Bischoff took over.
Coincidence?

All I have to say that I used to prefer TNA to WWE for awhile, between the years or 2007 - 2009 and like Hero has pointed out above that the reality is that TNA went downhill after Bischoff and Hogan took over. Last nights PPV was dreadful, bar the X Division match, every match was awful.

Why do Bischoff/Russo have to completely destroy this company?

They need to get rid of the likes of Steiner, The Hardy's, Hogan, Flair, Bischoff, Russo and any other washed up has been/junkie. Go back to their roots where it was all about the wrestling. Why has Samoa Joe been pushed down to a mid card feud when he should wrestling the likes of Styles and Kazarian again.

Morgan should be World Champ, and I seriously feel that Robert Roode has what it takes to be a brilliant world champion.

Please Hogan and Flair, crawl into a hole and retire for god sake.

I dont get all the hate towards Flair.

Okay so he still thinks he is a playboy whilst on tour but as for his role in the company, he has been immense for TNA.

He helped elevate Lethal (although they subsequently let him slip back into obscurity).

He did well for Styles for a while and has been very good leading Fourtune.

I think his work in TNA has eclipsed his last few years in WWE by a country mile - he gets others over.

The same cant be said about Hogan though.

It isn't that I dislike Flair Hobo but what really annoys me is how over the top he is in the promos, and the fact to why anyone would want to come back into wrestling after probably the best retirement match he could have asked for.

TNA just has so much problems. Russo needs to go as his wrestling his that on par with a 4 year old and the fact that they have people like Matt & Jeff Hardy wrestling when they are clearly no where near sane!

What are the qualifications to be a Wrestling Federation writer?

Dixie Carter has staunchly defended Russo in the past and I don't think has any intention of letting him go. If that is the case I don't think there is any hope of TNA improving on the scale it needs to in order to be anywhere near where WCW was during the monday night wars. And if Russo stays TNA will never get Heyman.

Some TNA diehards think getting Lesner or Jericho on board would improve the product or at least ratings, but it is a pipe dream that I am pretty certain will never happen. Look at the ex WWE talent that TNA have been unable to get the most out of - Hardy, RVD, now Angle. These names have hardly been the catalyst for enabling TNA to challenge WWE. It is not about the talent it is about storylines and how they market themselves.

TNA are caught between a rock and a hard place - on the one hand they need a second show for the size of their roster, but on the other hand they couldn't sustain a second show, neither financially or creatively.

I think you've hit the nail right on the head with that point talkingpoint.

TNA's downfall is undoubtedly due to their awful story lines. I mean, they must be pretty desperate if they have to use a real life storyline between Angle and Jarrett in their federation. I want to keep watching because I've always liked TNA but it is getting harder and harder.

tna's best times were before they became a threat to wwe. when they were at the asylum. x division was in the spotlight. main events were good and consistent actually had a storyline.


tna have the talent to be a very good company but they need to stop aiming for wwe levels so soon and get a decent creative team in.


their only 8 years old. its taken wwe years to get to where they are today.

maybe over time their get better but as much as it pains me to say tna may already have had their best days.