After watching last week’s edition of Impact I was left in no doubt that if TNA moved away from the overexposed Impact Zone in Soundstage 21, that the product would both appear better to the viewing audience at home and would also allow wrestlers to step up their game in front of a rabid crowd who may not have seen a live TNA show.
Despite an obvious step in the right direction for the company in terms of storyline flow and a better concept of character development, the one major niggle remains with Impact and that is the failure of an audience who are mainly tourists to a theme park to react appropriately to the in-ring action or storyline developments.
When I rewatched my AJ Styles: Phenomenal DVD recently, the crowd at the Impact Zone circa 2005/2006 were still hungry for a relatively fresh product and provided enough noise to compensate for their lowly numbers (about 1100) when compared to the giant crowds that the WWE juggernaut attracts. Some fans may attribute this enthusiasm for the better overall in-ring wrestling that TNA provided during the earlier years but as a fan watching at home I wouldn’t say that TNA is any worse now for playing out matches on Impact at a slower pace. Sure the X Division is all but dead but the stars that propped up that jewel in TNA’s crown like AJ, Samoa Joe, Daniels, Kazarian et al are still in the company and all involved in major angles. They are also now supported by better writing (despite some smark opinions) and a more talented roster. However, we are now being treated to “pumped in” boos and cheers to compensate for the lack of vocality by the Impact Zone regulars and theme park visitors. This canned reaction is cheapening the product.
When TNA presented Impact from Fayetteville, NC recently it was abundantly obvious that a fresh on-the-road crowd provides a far better backdrop for TNA’s wrestlers and their respective storylines. The North Carolina crowd ate up the action with gusto and let the writers in the back know when ideas didn’t quite work. This is what is required for TNA to grow and develop successfully both in terms of TV audience and in terms of people on the street willing to invest in TNA merchandise. The only thing apparently stopping TNA from taking Impact around the US regularly is a lack of money, however with a lot of overpaid talent on the roster this problem could be solved with ease. The first few names I would cut/reduce salaries for would be Sting, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Rob Van Dam. Whilst these names do bring marquee value they have so far failed to produce a significant return for TNA’s sizeable investment.
If TNA is to finally shake off the label of a “second rate” wrestling company then they will need to make a bold step and leave the safety of Orlando to improve the product’s aesthetic appeal and finally grab the ratings that some of the better editions of Impact deserve. Ratings that touch the 2.0s instead of stagnating at the 1.1s.
You say you would cut people like Sting. But every time TNA go on the road it is the vets who get the biggest pops and they are the reason a lot of people go to watch the product.
I like your writing Scott, but I have to respectfully disagree. Cutting Sting, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Rob Van Dam would not make it more affordable for TNA to tour as these guys, save RVD rarely go on the tour shows anyways.I can also say from my personal experience at the Lockdown PPV 85% of the crowd came to see those guys Scott Steiner and Kurt Angle.
i agree with u that tna needs to move bigger arena but m disagree on rvd ric hogan’s matter
Loved the article, Scott. I’ve been saying for a long time now that the iMPACT! Zone needs to go. It was great while it lasted and I think it’s the perfect spot to tape a weekly “B” show (or international show – whatever), but the iMPACT! Zone isn’t helping the overall “feel” of TNA Wrestling.
I think my approach with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Rob Van Dam, etc. would be to offer them small ownership stakes in the company. Let me explain my perspective…
One of the things that really bothers me about Kevin Nash these days is that he chose to leave TNA Wrestling after however many years and now he takes somewhat harmless shots at the company and how it can’t draw a big crowd. Now, I’ve been at my current company for 5 years and was at my previous company for 6 years prior. After a year or two of working at these companies, I began to take some pride in the company and I wanted them to do well. I began to understand what the management of the company felt like when we succeeded and when we failed.
In wrestling, I think that core interaction/reaction may be a little different for a variety of reasons. So, why not offer some of the top dogs an ownership stake in the company? Of course, I still think I heard Hogan say on the Howard Stern Show that he owns a small portion of TNA Wrestling, but why not have Sting and Flair invest in 2% – 3% of the company each?
If these guys had a direct ownership stake in the company, then I think they would be willing to do more to help TNA Wrestling succeed. What does “do more” mean? I’m not sure. But I do know that if your company is the one struggling, you want to help pick it up.