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TNA in serious financial trouble
Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 11/27/04 at 23:47:00It was the biggest week in TNA history, and now, from all signs, when it didn't pan out, the company is in critical condition.Source: Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer According to the above, TNA is expected by many to fold within 90 days. Here's hoping they can turn things around, but from the sound of it they're in way too deep at this point, losing money as fast as WCW did in 1999. Do you think they can turn things around with all the problems they're facing? How? If they *do* fold, who will emerge as competition to WWE's millions, and when? Which talent would you like to see acquired by WWE? Who would do better on the indie circuit? And do you have any other thoughts on the whole situation? Personally, I'm pessimistic about TNA's future. I'm not really a fan (being an ROH fan and a TNA fan at the same time is very hard), but I do appreciate that they're trying to make the business competitive again, which is good for wrestlers across the country. Short of Turner signing on as a backer for the company, I believe it's far too late for any changes to save the already sinking ship that is TNA... and it's a shame. From the sound of it, they've taken the book from Jarrett and have really been trying to put on an all around better product. Unfortunately, it would seem to be too little too late. As for who will compete with WWE... that's a mystery. Nobody can realistically do so without a good timeslot on a major network, and the chances of that happening are slim unless someone highly placed in the television industry takes a personal interest and pulls some major strings. Considering WWE's continually falling ratings, it might be interesting to see whether a real competitor emerges before WWE starts losing some of its B-Shows. At the moment, I doubt it. I can tell you in all honesty that I don't expect Ring of Honor to turn into major national competition. The people running the company are being extremely cautious financially with it, and after having a local TV show proved to be a huge money pit, they don't appear to be interested in having one, to say nothing of Pay Per Views, etc. At the rate they're going (emphasizing slow, cautious expansion), it'll take a decade for them to be promoting shows nationwide, but I can see them sticking around for quite some time. If TNA DOES fold, WWE will almost certainly grab Abyss (a hell of a big man by all accounts), Monty Brown (a future star with great charisma), and America's Most Wanted (possibly North America's best Tag Team at the moment). Maybe Trinity as well, if WWE decides to push Women's wrestling again. Aside from them, however, I don't think many of them would make it very far in WWE. WWE likes their wrestlers big, and most of TNA's (and the indies' in general) best talent is under 6'0" and 225 pounds, and WWE's continued disregard for their Cruiserweight Division tells me that most of them would be better served by trying to make waves in Japan. Thoughts? Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
Rick Garrard | Posted on 11/28/04 at 00:40:58 The big thing is when they fold will Vince McMahon offer the new WWE training program in Atlanta to Dutch Mantell? Dutch was one of the guys responsible for the USWA when WWE was using it as a developmental territory. And Dutch had a pretty decent relationship with WWE while being head booker for IWA-Puerto Rico. Given that Dutch seems to "get the business" better than just about any other booker not in the WWE right now, I'd venture that he'd be the obvious choice. Personally I think the ONLY way there will be any competition with WWE is another underground start-up similar to that of WWE. The problem is that almost NO ONE supports their local indy feds any more. And by not supporting the local indy, you are basically acknowledging that NO ONE should compete with WWE, which is a very unfortunate statement. I, for one, was VERY pleased to learn of a "new" local indy back in Indiana when I was home last week. Dick the Bruiser Jr (formerly the wrestler known as Tim the Golden Lion and in reality Bruiser's ex-son-in-law) runs the new indy. He is the headliner with Bobo Brazil Jr (formerly the wrestler known as Calypso Jim). And best of all... they have brought back evil heel of the old WWA-Indianapolis, in Dr. Jerry Graham Jr., who is the leader of his own "faction" called the WWO, a very nWo like faction. Graham is still a heat magnet like he always was in the 80's. And it was Bruiser's WWA where Scott Rechsteiner got his start while still in college. So to see a return of an indy fed to a majority of Indiana is very appreciated, as they even have a weekly 1/2 hour TV show that is VERY well produced for a LOCAL program. It's really a shame that more smaller indy feds don't go this route... buying a late night 1/2 time slot on a local TV station with rights to their own commericial revenues during the programs. Cause I'd have to think that while they wouldn't make much money, they'd at least have to break even... and breaking even, is better than losing money like Jarrett & Co. have done for the last two years. It was the move from the Nashville Fairgrounds that killed TNA. Hopefully, they do show the WWE footage on TV in the next couple weeks... just so WWE can squash Jeff Jarrett for the fool that he is one more time. I think Jerry Jarrett, while supposedly out of touch with "modern wrestling and modern fans" is actually smarter than given credit for. I think a proper re-education of the fans is what is needed. And to do that, one must give them an all around good card. Like the early days of ECW and NOT the drivel they put out once they got PPV. By well rounded I mean a match with a couple up and comers, a comedy match, a good solid tag team wrestling match, a brutally stiff hardcore/weapons filled brawl, an actual wrestling match with some good ground based mat action, a flippy-floppy highflyer match (or lucha match) (this could also be of the tag variety), and of course at least two heavyweight matches, with one being your heavyweight title match (or whichever match you are featuring). Too many times nowadays, a card will have the same type of match for EVERY match on the card. And this eventually burns out your fans. You have to get them to ride the roller coaster of emotion during the event buidling to the main event, which is something that is truly lacking in most wrestling cards for at least the last 5 years. Granted I was not a proponent of the WCW's on the fly booking, but looking back at the old Nitro episodes recently, they did use this well-rounded formula a LOT during the weeks they were killing WWE in the ratings war. Their biggest downfall was when WCW became a parody of itself. |
91 | Posted on 11/28/04 at 19:41:58 They may well pick up guys like A.J. based on name value garnered and, certainly in Styles case, undeniable talent, though whether they'd be used effectively is anybodies guess (I'd see him being pushed at the same level as Rey with the other small guys somewhere behind that, save for anyone who gets a random character that catches on). Otherwise, Americas Most Wanted is probably the best bet for a WWE move since they've already shown interest in the pair. It doesn't help that several TNA guys (Jarrett, Douglas, Kash etc) have done some nice bridge burning in one way or another. |
Snabbit888 | Posted on 11/28/04 at 22:23:57 Plus, they offered Styles a developmental contract a few years back, but AJ could make more money a week doing indy shows so he declined, so they've shown interest in him as well. |
91 | Posted on 11/28/04 at 22:54:43 Yeah, didn't he do some dark matches? |
Snabbit888 | Posted on 11/28/04 at 23:14:59 I think so. I know that the guys from Team Canada (not sure about Petey Williams, but the rest at least) have done a lot of dark matches too. That probably doesn't mean anything, but yeah. |
Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 11/28/04 at 23:16:53 I'd like to think that they'd utilize a cruiser with the reputation and skill of AJ Styles well, but I have a hard time believing they would. Look at how poorly they've used Ultimo Dragon, Spanky and Paul London, as an example. All three are roughly on par with Styles in ring ability, and Spanky at least is much more charismatic. Yet Ultimo Dragon was banished to HeAT after a huge buildup to his debut, Spanky came across as a huge future star against Cena and Angle for a month before dissappearing to Velocity and eventually quitting, and London got a brief run with the tag team titles before - you guessed it - having his feud with Kidman apparently dropped and returning to Velocity. I see no reason to expect Styles to be treated differently by WWE. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
Snabbit888 | Posted on 11/28/04 at 23:37:32 You fool! Ultimo Dragon was banished to Velocity, not Heat. Your credibility = shot |
Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 11/29/04 at 08:36:17 I had credibility? Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
Snabbit888 | Posted on 11/29/04 at 15:58:41 It's a moot point now, Mr. No Cred! |
Pulsar | Posted on 11/29/04 at 17:27:36 *Watches Heat, and waits for Ultimo Dragon.....then cries* |
rey619 | Posted on 11/30/04 at 00:27:12 Actually, London was injured.. so I don't think he is being de-pushed again. It's just that with all that nonsense on SD nowadays (Tough Enough, Thanksgiving shit), it just ain't room to build up feuds. All they can do is try to build up a 3-4 feuds per show, and it is usually the main event category (Eddie, Kurt, Big SHow, Taker, JBL, Booker), and then we have the "these-guys-draw-fans-but-we'll-never-appreciate-them" kinda people like RVD and Rey Mysterio who is put in various feuds just to let them do something. The Chavo and Billy feud is great, in my opinion, but last week (or maybe the week before that), they had a match that was cut from TV because they instead wanted to show reruns of what the tough enough idiots had done half an hour earlier. Yeah, this is off topic, just wanted to say that I don't think London is being buried just yet. |
Rick Garrard | Posted on 11/30/04 at 00:53:48 Ultimo's Shockmaster like entrance at WrestleMania was the most unfortunate thing in his WWE career. He was sliding all over the place on that plastic stage coating they had. And then he fell off the ropes in the ring doing a pose. He was obviously VERY nervous to be at WM20 and at MSG. Tis a shame, that when he comes back to WWE he will now be known as Asai (or Yoshihiro Asai), his real name and without the mask. |
AllPowerfulGARTH | Posted on 11/30/04 at 06:34:08 HAAAAHAHAHAHA that entrance was the greatest thing ever. Ultimo lost to the entrance ramp before he even entered the Cruiserweight Open match. Isn't the ramp over the weight limit? |
Rick Garrard | Posted on 11/30/04 at 07:29:12 it was so great that they have apparently cut it out of the DVD version of WM20. :) Thankfully I have a tape of it from the PPV. Which is worth it just for the Brock vs Goldberg with Austin as ref match where all three are just going through the motions knowing that they are all leaving soon. |
91 | Posted on 11/30/04 at 19:49:48On 11/30/04 at 07:29:12, Rick Garrard wrote:it was so great that they have apparently cut it out of the DVD version of WM20. :)Hmmm, my DVD doesn't have anything cut out of the Goldberg/Lesnar match, not even the chanting or Lawlers sarcastic commentary. Sadly Ultimo WAS cut, but the important thing is the above match was untouched, that was comedy gold. |
Rick Garrard | Posted on 12/01/04 at 01:22:24Hmmm, my DVD doesn't have anything cut out of the Goldberg/Lesnar match, not even the chanting or Lawlers sarcastic commentary. Sadly Ultimo WAS cut, but the important thing is the above match was untouched, that was comedy gold.Yes I realize that nothing was cut from the craptastic match that was Goldberg vs Lesnar. I didn't say that it was cut from the DVD. I only said that the Ultimo slippage was. And that the reason to actually watch the WM.. was the whole craptastic match showing what can happen when fans turn on the entire thing for as you said the comedy of it all. |
Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 04/13/05 at 15:25:05 And... here's the latest resport on the death of TNA, which amusingly seems to have been imminent for the past year or so. Frankly, if they've been losing as much money as I hear, I'm surprised they've been able to hold on this long. Meltzer reports more doom and gloom for TNA. They have no more ppv's planned at this point after June and also their year long contract with Universal Studio ends that month as well!....Monty Brown only has a few month left with his contract and will no doubt be headed to WWE...Dusty Rhodes continues to have major heat on him and Kevin Nash was outspoken against him in a recent Torch interview...Meltzer's opinion is Dusty is desperate, so he decided to make it all cage matches on the Lockdown ppv which is something "territories on last legs do."...The main event of that show is what they really are billing as a "lethal lottery" but actually instead of it being like the old WCW Battle Bowl, it will be like War Games where two will enter then they will do a coin toss where one team gets the advantage and it doesn't end until all 6 are in and weapons can also be used...The sense is, The Carter Family seems to be giving up more on the "project" as time goes by and recently some workers were shorted on pay while others were told to wait for pay day...Dusty was told by Dixie Carter and Jerry Jarrett to lose the pick up truck as his office on TV and to stop having Traci and Trinity as farmer's daughters type character and change them to a modern look.Source: The Observer Not good news for TNA. To me, it feels like the future of the company is hanging in the balance. If Spike TV decides to take a risk and put TNA on in RAW's old timeslot, TNA might have a chance of taking off due to the ongoing releases of solid talent by WWE and the Diva Search causing WWE Fans to channel surf. If the timing works out that way, which I'm not sure it will. If it doesn't... Panda Energy may finally pull the plug after a solid go at creating an alternative wrestling product. If TNA does go under... well, the industry will be in a very poor position, and it seems likely that wages for wrestlers will continue to decline due to the lack of competition at the top. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
Rick Garrard | Posted on 04/14/05 at 02:18:58 After this past Sunday's LIVE UFC show on Spike TV, I would have to say it looks like they may be the odds on favorite to replace RAW on the Monday night lineup with a two hour show each Monday. Former SportsChannel Chicago studio host Mike Goldberg and Fear Factor's Joe Rogan were the two announcers for the program and did a rather good job introducing everyone that may not be hardcore UFC fans to the product with their first ever live cable TV special. They showed the replay of this show immediately after RAW this past Monday as well which was mainly the blowoff show for The Ultimate Fighter reality show and a pre-PPV builder for this coming Sunday's showdown between Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. The best part of the whole show was watching Ken Shamrock get grounded and pounded in the main event. Speaking of losing money with programming, I'm pretty sure that SEG Inc., the former owners of the UFC in it's pre-sanctioned days, were losing money as badly as the claims on TNA are. The current owner of UFC seemingly has deep pockets and a good business sense when it comes to the UFC, which is going to help in making UFC the next big thing on cable TV. |
AllPowerfulGARTH | Posted on 04/14/05 at 23:55:12 Hahaha that main event was great. Shamrock falls over! ORTON WINS! |