Source: GQ, TNAStars.com
As we recently reported, TNA’s Impact Wrestling shattered it’s previous record in the United Kingdom with 321,000 estimated viewers by far eclipsing the UK’s showing of WWE RAW. Well now it seems TNA can put another feather in it’s cap with the viewership of their India brand Ring Ka King.
GQ recently reported, “Beyond a handful of WWE tours of the country, India has basically no pro-wrestling history or infrastructure. But it’s a vast and untapped market, and the people at TNA apparently just figured what the hell. Everything about the first Ring Ka King season seems geared toward making this ridiculous American art form intelligible to an audience that has no idea what it’s watching. And it appears to be working: According to some reports, the show’s first episode garnered 14 million viewers. If that’s true, it makes the Ring Ka King TV by far the most-watched pro wrestling program on the planet, with an audience several times larger than the American crowd who watches Monday Night Raw every week.”
Pretty impressive. Not only the ratings but the fact that GQ magazine dedicated an entire article to the venture shows TNA is making leaps and bounds in the mainstream awareness growth department. Feel free to check out the entire article at the link above, it’s a very informative read.
For more information on TNA Impact Wrestling’s US and UK ratings & viewership click here.
Holy crap. Way to go TNA!
Absolutely amazing.
Ive just finished watching the first two episodes of Ring Ka King on Youtube and I really like it. Most of it of course isn’t in English and I don’t speak the language (Hindi?), but most of the story is actually told in the ring and it’s not hard to follow along at all.
The first episode spectacularly opens up with an Indian pop star singing down the ramp with beautiful dancers and culminates in quite a sparkler show. They know how to kick off a show.
The second episode is better with a stand-out match from Chavo Guerrerro and Sonjay Dutt. There’s some interesting local talent in there–some of them seem a little less experienced, like the “Indian Superman” Veera, who none the less seems to have a lot of charisma, or there’s this Doctor character with a lethal injection theme who feels like he came right out of the early 90s.
But then there’s the Mumbai Cats (Puma and Leopard) who seemed pretty talented in their match against The Sheiks, and although it was basically a squash match Maxx B showed off some talent taking bumps quite well from Scott Steiner.
I also saw an interview in episode 2 from a tag-team called The Bollywood Boys, which had my nostalgia meter running high. They’re like if The Rockers took after the Hart Foundation, if that makes sense.
The main story seems to involve a conspiratorial alliance between Steiner, Magnus and Sonjay Dutt to win the championship title and dominate Ring Ka King. Veera and Matt Morgan seem to be their chief opposition.
It’s good stuff. Old school.
You can watch each episode in full on Youtube.