Scream if you want to go faster

Here is the start of my latest article for Wrestletalk TV:

Scream If You Want To Go Faster
By Adam Davey
16-10-2013 07:54 GMT



A friend recently asked me to defend TNA, as I have been a huge supporter and fan of the product over the last few years (for the record I still love it despite its problems at the moment).

The question posed to me was "who is TNA aimed at?"

Its actually a really good question but it got me flummoxed for a little while. As a diversionary tactic, I asked my WWE fanboy friend to tell me what WWE was (he loves the WWE version of RVD but slated the TNA RVD constantly - go figure).

Unfortunately, his answer was quick in coming back - WWE is aimed largely at kids, with simple storytelling, which is recapped repeatedly for those with short attention spans.

Not exactly a glowing review of the product but pretty apt and executed to their mission statement quite well.
Now obviously, there is a little more to WWE but as a soundbite, it fits well- "A children’s pantomime with a few adult diversions"

So what was TNA?

I fumbled around for a little while trying for an answer.... "An edgier product not aimed at kids" was my first attempt. But that really missed the mark, as it was pointed out. If you want hardcore stuff, it’s already out there (the likes of CZW) so it wasn’t that. And especially when the "edgiest" faction is supposed to be Aces and 8s featuring Garett Bischoff and Devon.

Continued here - http://wrestletalk.tv/development/Scream_If_You_Want_To_Go_Faster/

Great to get some feedback!

I can't believe you have referenced RVD in your article as well! If you seriously can't see the difference in the way he has been booked and his attitude then the rest is hard to take seriously.

Have only read the start, will read the rest later. Should be interesting to see what you come up with!

Can you not see the difference in RVD in WWE compared to TNA?

I'm not his biggest fan but I definitely see the value in him but in WWE, he seems to know his place, that place is or should be with the aim of making his opponents look like big deals, well his main opponent anyway, I remember when he won the World Title from AJ Styles, I was watching it live on a stream while I recorded RAW, it was brilliant but that was it, that was his peak, all he did after that was worry about RVD, I cant recall him putting anyone over in 3 years.

Fast forward to 2013 in WWE, I felt he worked within the system amd after a short run made Del Rio look a whole lot stronger than he was previously.

I think its quite easy to throw names about and look for some kind of hypocrisy, Wrestling is often filled with it anyway but I really think you have to look deeper into certain examples before you can justifiably use them, not everything is a TNA bash for the sake of it, its simply an acknowledgement that WWE do certainthings a whole lot better and wrestlers seem to know they cant get away with bad attitudes in WWE while it seems they can in TNA

I cant believe my little dig at Hero is being the main talking point!

Lets settle this once and for all.

ECW RVD > WWE RVD > TNA RVD

No problems with that, I was just trying to have a little dig at Richs comments on the podcast!

How about the rest of the article?

I didn't know it was a dig aimed anyone, I read the RVD bit because Enforcer mentioned it so I decided to have a snoop and see what that was all about

I've got to be honest the comparisons to Scream and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer went straight over my head. I've seen both movies too for the record. I admire your will to defend TNA but it was a strange analogy Adam.

Who is TNA aimed at? I genuinely don't think they even know. Which is why even as a die hard fan you struggled so much to answer the question.

Is that a fair comment?

It is!

The point I was trying to make is that Scream is a film that acknowledges the conventions of horror films and metaphorically winks at the in-the-know horror fans as it goes along.

I still know......tries to do that but is crap.

TNA tries to play to the IWC by dropping in smark comments but ultimately does it so poorly that its cr@p!

thanks for the non RVD feedback though  

good article adam d read a lot of your work.
tna is aimed at people who like wrestling but dont want
to pay for it i love free

I think instead of there being some grand plan to appeal to a certain section of Wrestlings fanbase I think TNA simply tried to appeal to fans who enjoyed the attitude era, they're looking to appeal to that 18-35 demograph, I don't think they're intentionally doing things differently, they're just fully aware of what their target audience actually wants

When TNA first started up it was to provide an alternative to the WWE in the hope of bringing back a large percentage of the viewers who stopped watching when Vince bought WCW (as well as provide Jeff Jarrett with a platform to be a 'main-eventer' seeing as WWE had no interest in him)


What's ironic now is that most of the things that made TNA a viable alternative to WWE (six sided ring, X-Division, Knockouts division, tag team division) have all fallen by the wayside or been completely watered down for one reason or another.


As for now I don't know if TNA is specifically aimed at anyone really, I think they're trying to be all things to all men but not quite getting it right.

theundisputedY2D2 wrote:
What's ironic now is that most of the things that made TNA a viable alternative to WWE (six sided ring, X-Division, Knockouts division, tag team division) have all fallen by the wayside or been completely watered down for one reason or another.

As for now I don't know if TNA is specifically aimed at anyone really, I think they're trying to be all things to all men but not quite getting it right.

Quite definitely correct. They've lost sight of what got them anywhere and become a bit nothing

At the time in late 2009 I said I felt that if TNA were trully serious about competing with WWE then they'd need to get rid of the 6 sided ring, I felt that in order to be taken seriously they'd need a more traditional ring, I think it was worthwhile trying it out but I'm happy to conceded I was wrong, when I first got into TNA around 07 I was genuinely interested in the whole concept, I loved the fact they had a heel and face entrance way too, 6 sided ring, Scott D'Amore
..the KnockOuts, the real X Division

I'm not sure if they could have maintained all that and went to the next level, I feel they could have but turning into a WWE-Lite was never going to do that

Just looking back to the build up of Hogan going there was utterly ridiculous, TNA had finally found consistancy after a dodgy 2008 and slow 2009 but they found a genuinely good product then when Hogan signed up the following couple of months just felt like a farewell tour, when Hogan rocked up TNA just hiy the re-set button and I don't think they've ever fully recovered.

DALLAS STYLE

If possible TNA should attempt to sign everyone they had in 2009 and when AJ wins the World Title at BFG just open up the next impact with him in his bed cuddling the title and saying "holy fudgecake I've just had the most horrific dream" then when we cut to the arena have everything as it was pre Hogan

Simples


Stupid Idea? Definitely but more logical than the original re-set button

Liking that idea KF


Failing that TNA should go back into the 'holding pattern' they had in late 2009 shortly before Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff's arrival in early 2010, only this time Hogan never actually shows up and we get more quality feuds like Kurt Angle v Desmond Wolfe.

And Robbie E with cookie vs Jay Lethal

Another good article Adam and once again I think I'd agree with most of your points.

I think if TNA can't manage to be Scream, they could at least try to be Gremlins (or was it Critters?) - while there is a certain level of gore and violence, there are certain parts that just make you laugh.

TNA does seem like its flailing around, still trying to define itself and decide what kind of product it wants to be. Consequently we have a mish-mash of ideas, like the Bellator link-up you mentioned, some potentially good ideas like Gut Check, the BFG series and the X Division title being given added value, thanks to Austin Aries' "Option C".

On the other hand its being held back, or indeed dragged down, by internal politics, resulting in the wrong people having undue influence over the company's direction, resulting in poorly-structured shows that don't given enough air time for their roster, poorly-written storylines that are subject to sudden changes or being dropped entirely...and thats before we even get to the General Manager who thinks the 80s never ended (though I do love the old Hulkster, gawd bless 'im).

I like the fact it doesn't take itself too seriously and acknowledges what it is, with the odd skit or comment and wouldn't want to see that disappear, but I would like to see it develop its supposedly edgier side and become a bit more adult-oriented. Not necessarily in the sex/violence/bad language sense, but just a bit more sophisticated with their storylines and crediting their audience with a certain level of intelligence.

Most importantly, under no circumstances must they let  Kazarian or Daniels go!

If WWE is Gremlins then TNA isn't even Critters or Ghoulies, it's Munchies at best.

WWE is Jaws. TNA is Sharknado.

Sharknado is popular.
It's not Sharknado.

It's piranhaconda  

Sand Sharks

Aww, come on people...I'd say TNA is Deep Blue, at least. Alternatively, I'd go with Tremors.

Come to think of it...imagine TNA with Samuel L Jackson as the GM!

dyrewolfe wrote:Aww, come on people...I'd say TNA is Deep Blue, at least. Alternatively, I'd go with Tremors.

Come to think of it...imagine TNA with Samuel L Jackson as the GM!

"Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherf**king Hogans on this motherf**king Impact! This match is now a motherf**king TAG MATCH PLAYA!"

theundisputedY2D2 wrote:

dyrewolfe wrote:Aww, come on people...I'd say TNA is Deep Blue, at least. Alternatively, I'd go with Tremors.

Come to think of it...imagine TNA with Samuel L Jackson as the GM!

"Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherf**king Hogans on this motherf**king Impact! This match is now a motherf**king TAG MATCH PLAYA!"

I always thought the 'L' in Samuel L Jackson stood for Long.

It might be a sign of how bad TNA is, but I would absolutely love it if AJ Styles woke up and the Hogan era was all a dream. I actually think that's one of the best things they could do!

On the podcast last night I put forward the suggestion that TNA are going to run with a rework of Wrestlemania 9 where AJ takes the part of Bret Hart up against Bully Ray as Yokozuna with Dixie in the corner as Mr Fuji. Bully gets the win but is then challenged by a returning geriatric Hulk Hogan playing the part of a slightly less geriatric Hulk Hogan to become champion.

I'm also hoping earlier on in the night Magnus wears a mansuit covered in fur and chloroforms Sting.

I'de go with the AJ Styles waking up and it was all a dream storyline, except when he's in the ring have Hogans hand bursts through the ring dragging Styles down ala Nightmare On Elm Street ending with Hogan laughing manically over the PA Freddy Krueger style.

You could then have 70+ sequals to this with Hogan constantly beating people for titles in their dreams, last storyline could be Brooke Hogan blowing up her dad with a CM Punk pipebomb.

Remember if you lose to Hogan in your dreams, you lose for real!

For those of you who have no idea what I'm on about, waste a weekend watching Nightmare On Elm Street and then 6 disappointing sequal films.

Could have Cena do a remake of it all in 20 years.