What TNA needs (IMO)

[ThePunisher]

I watched most of Impact and these are the actions I think TNA needs to take.

1) They need that 2nd hour. Badly.

They have a bunch of guys who just come out and perform. And while these performances are often pretty damn good, no one knows what the deal is with them because all the air-time goes to 9 or 10 wrestling has-beens. I think its time for TNA and WWE to focus on the new fans, rather than appeal to been there, done that people. I think Killings, Christian, Styles, Daniels, AMW, Team Canada, Senshi (Low Ki) and Samoa Joe need the attention. Even Shark Boy or Shelley should get some more air time. They need to get away from Sting, Double J (I know, unlikely do to his pull), 3D, the James Gang, Steiner, Nash, and maybe even Raven.

2) Go on the road.

That IMPACT arena or whatever they call it isn't doing anyone favors. The last thing I think I'd want at my wrestling show is a bunch of tourists or others who come every single week. None of the crowd reaction will ever make any sense, even if they can tell a better story. Where does TNA get the money to do this? From not paying all of those expensive names they use to top the card whenever they show. Does anyone else think that Team Canada is kind of a pointless thing to have exclusively in Florida?

3) Switch the focus.

TNA already has the fans it will have from the wrestling base. Some people will love it as competition to WWE and some people will hate it for various reasons. So the major idea is to focus on kids or other newcomers. These people won't be able to scrutinize some of the more unbelievable moves used by the X-Division. They are also much more susceptible to buy into both feds simultaneously rather than have an allegiance to one or the other.

I really think the belt needs to be put on someone new. I'd put my vote behind Styles or Killings. I think the story has been written for most of those "has-beens" and you need something like this to happen for a shockwave of popularity. (I'm thinking Hogan Vs. Sheik)

Ehh, maybe I'm just foolish but that's my synopsis after one show.

[thefamoustommyz]

1) I agree...the second hour is CRUCIAL because it feels like Crash TV right now (they rapid fire succession of things, at least) and no one is really benefiting from it. That said, the air-time is more spread out than people seem to want to admit. After all, it was a few weeks ago that it was the Alex Shelley show.

2) They're working on this, at least with house shows...but yeah, taking Impact on the road wouldn't hurt. I'd probably actually try go to an Impact taping if it were nearby. As far as money goes, the most expensive guy on the roster, to my knowledge (Sting), is having a large (all?) amount of his paycheck paid by Spike TV, not TNA.

3) I agree that the title should be on someone who isn't Christian or Jarrett. I don't want to see it on Sting or Steiner, either. That said, I don't think you'll get the Hogan v Sheik reaction from AJ, and I'm SURE you won't from Killings. Samoa Joe, though, maybe. Monty Brown? Sure...a year ago. I wish TNA had a non-X division secondary belt right now (TV time notwithstanding) because I would LOVE to see Bobby Roode with a title around his waist, but he's not X "style", and he's not World title calibre.

[pikemojo]

Honestly I think TNA is managing their time as well as they could be at this point. It is very rapid fire but we saw Rhino, The James Gang, Senshi, Bobby Roode, Steiner, Jarrett, Monty Brown, Ron Killings, Christian Cage, AJ & Daniels, AMW, Alex Shelley, Kevin Nash. I mean you have the storylines going. It would be better with another hour but they are at least getting face time with alot of these guys and it isn't just a face on tv. It is a story that they are involved in. Roode and Rhino are feuding. Nash has his whole deal with the x-division. Shelley has his whole deal with Nash. The James Gang and 3D have a decent feud going. AJ, Daniels and AMW have their deal going. Then you have all the top guys gunning for Christian. I say TNA is moving along pretty well. Much better than they have in the past.
Samoa Joe does seem to be TNA's future right now. Bobby Roode is starting to look like he may be their next chosen one as well. Did you see his fancy robe tonight?? Plus Roode is in a feud with one of the top guys in TNA. Abyss will also be in a 3rd World Title match in a row. You can say what you want about the old timers being there but the new guys are shining as well. Alex Shelley will never be a top contender but he sure can breath a new life into the x-division along with Senshi and Jay Lethal. After tonight's show I feel like TNA is in a better position than they have been in a long time.

[Splattercat]

What they NEED to do is find the joker working for Spike TV that's airing adds for Wreckless Intent during TNA, rip his heart out, and feed it to his kids...I said it before, the network will kill TNA before TNA management or the TNA fans do...See No Evil was allowed because it's a Lion's Gate Film and if Spike has to advertise for them, so be it...Why the hell is Spike advertising for WWE..? THAT pissed me off...Pretty sad when your network is p**sy whipped by the competition....

[floydthebarber]

my thoughts...

a) A 2nd hour would be nice...and would probably make it easier for TNA to book around. That being said, if not done right a 2 hour show could be a disaster...so I'd like to see them improve on the 1 hour shows before moving up. I do admit though, sometimes they try to pack the wrong things in just to give guys face time.

b) Yes...they need to go on the road.

c) The problem with Cage's character is that is hasn't been well defined yet. He won the Title soon after arriving, and has yet to really 'get into it' with anyone in particular. Sting probably stole his role at JJJ's top foil...but its as if they are just relying on the fact that Cage was a WWE wrestler to get him over. He needs a better 'wrestling' gimic. I totally could see him as a 'Miami Vice' type golden boy...you know, white suits, sunglasses...he can still be a good guy...but he needs something.

I don't agree that they need less Raven...in my mind, TNA have been holding him back a bit. Granted, he's has health problems etc., but this guy is at least a *** feud for whoever hooks up with him. I'm baised...so maybe he is just a bit player now...but I just think they are not using Raven to his full potential.

The good thing is there seems to be a lot to work with in terms of the roster...so there is hope!

[thefamoustommyz]

I would agree with you on Raven, but I'm biased, too.

With Cage, that's not a problem that's exclusive to him. They still haven't bothered to explain what Gail Kim's doing there...just that she's Gail Kim. It took them a six months to bother trying to develop Rhino. Same with Kip James. TNA takes WWE guys, even VERY minor ones (like Gail), and expects everyone to know who they are based off of that.

With Cage, they started off great, having him debut as being sick of the "same old, same old" WWE and wanting to be a part of the next big thing...but something seems to have been lost along the way.

[PureHatred]

The character development problem probably goes hand in hand with the problem of needing a second hour. I'm going t give TNA writers the benefit of the doubt and say that with two hours they'd do more to develop characters, which is something thy have a problem with from top to bottom. I mean, we could probably go on and on about character issues...what was on the Gayda tapes? Why would JJ bother to blackmail her in aporticular? Why was she aligned with Raven for those few weeks? Why is someone like Raven (who is an AMAZING character) doing nothing programs? Why are all the X guys cookie cutter copies of each other? Where was Monty Brown for the past two months?

Not nitpicking, just saying that my personal hope is that the storyline issues can be better esolved with a more time to work. They have to cram everytihng into the tapings in order for the PPV to make sense and it does seem forced at times.

[thefamoustommyz]

I think that, with the homegrown guys, it's a time constraint...after all, they have made the effort with Joe, AJ, Daniels, Abyss, AMW, Monty, Shelley, 3 Live Kru (who I consider TNA boys, because they have been there most of the companies existence), Team Canada...

But, at least since that dropped the 2 hour weekly PPVs, anytime they bring in a former WWE/WCW (Sting being the notable exception) they expect you to just make your assumptions based off their name.

They even did that with Sting at first, before they took the time to explain that he came back for his "Last Big Moment", then he was back for revenge after being stalked...and now he's making it his personal crusade to ensure that Sabin, AJ, etc., all have a place to wrestle at, and that Planet Jarrett doesn't kill it.

[mwjergs]

That's really the issue. If they have only 1 hour then they need to strip down and focus on a few things. It does come off as being rushed and trying to fit as many of these guys in within the time allowed. After watching the last episode I definately came away with that thought. That it was if they were trying to jam as many guys on camera before time expired.

[gatekeeper]

But they still need to resolve the storylines they start. The thing with Jackie Gayda was very poorly done. Even if you have only 1 hour, you need to take part of a show one week and resolve it.

It makes the viewers not care about present storylines because you might get interested in one and you never find out what happened.

[thefamoustommyz]

Yep. If you condition fans not to care about how a storyline plays out...

...then they won't care.