Some Random Thoughts on TNA

[Thin Lizzy]

I actually watch TNA much more than the WWE simply because TNA airs on Thursday which is my TV night and I'm usually not home on the nights of WWE shows.

Anyway, here goes:

AJ Styles - Awesome in ring performer but doesn't quite have that "It" quality that draws you to him. Doesn't say anything interesting on the mic. His gimmick seems to be his rough childhood. No one cares. We have our own problems.

Daniels - Good in ring performer. Tries to be an edgy character but doesn't succeed. I don't find him at all dangerous like I did Jake the Snake, in his prime. Not physically impressive.

Kevin Nash - Painful to watch. Wrestling should have mandatory retirement at age 50. A more successful real life version of the Mickey Rourke character in "The Wrestler."

Beer Money - Good team, but, I don't quite get the "Money" part. Robert Rude claims to be a Wall St. operator, but, you see no evidence of this. We're supposed to believe it just because he says so. James Storm, on the other hand, is great with a well-defined persona and a cool catch phrase. I think he should get a singles push.

Angelo Dinero - Good athlete but I don't quite get his gimmick. Is he supposed to be an evangelist who also has a lot of money?

The Beautiful People - TNA should've ended this gimmick when Angelina Love left. The current incarnation seems forced. Let Velvet Sky go it alone. She's a so-so wrestler, but has the "It" quality in spades. You can't take your eyes off her.

Bobby Lashley - Incredible athlete/specimen. Leave the wife at home.

Samoa Joe - Excellent Old School style wrestler with real looking offense. His persona needs a makeover. You don't really know who he is.

Scott Steiner, Sting - See Kevin Nash.

Desmond Wolfe - Charismatic young wrestler who definitely has "it." His physique could used some work.

Black Machismo - Good comic relief, although I don't see this gimmick lasting for much longer.

The World Elite - A bunch of non-american wrestlers no one cares about led by a mid-card wrestler no one cares about. Ironically, the one entertaining guy in the group, Homocide, is from Brooklyn. This group won't last.

Lauren - Gorgeous. Does a good job, backstage. An asset.

Jeff Jarrett - Props for founding TNA, but, I never liked him. A mid-card wrestler billed as a main eventer.

Overall, the show is borderline watchable, but, I find myself doing a lot of channel surfing during the two hours.

[Montague]

Interesting comparison between Nash & The Wrestler.


Good point about Rude.
Reminds me of when Van Hammer & Honky Tonk used to come to the ring with a guitar. They never played the damn thing.
You really should lend at least a little bit of credibility to a character if you expect the fans to get into it.

Honky drew heat because he was an asshole.
Although, he would often blast people over the head w/ the guitar, so I guess using it as a weapon still counts as "using it."


As far as Jarrett, I've always felt this way (your way) about him.
I really don't know what people always saw in/expected from him.
Vince once said in an interview that he was disappointed because he thought Double J would have gone over much better than he did.
Why?

Of course, Vince didn't help any when he brought him in and right away stuck him in a cowboy hat with neon lights.
I guess Bret got the better end of that deal.

[Playboy]

TNA is a fresh change to what I now call a very "boring" WWE. I love their X division. They have some great talants there and from what I have heard they have a great locker room attitude. The locker room is everything in pro wrestling.

I also agree with the retiring at age 50. Too many guys are painful to watch. I don't care who it is. Problem is on getbig, everyone seems to think that age is not a factor. On the gossip forum, people expect arnold now at age 60+ to look like what he did when he won his string of olympia titles  . Same with Wrestling. What a Ric Flair match from 1986 and what a Flair match from 2006. HUGE difference. Age is something we all have to deal with but we all need to learn how to gracefully bow out when its time.

[leonp1981]

I don't follow TNA that closely, if it's on I'll watch it, but that's about it.  I'm actually looking forward to Hogan taking over, I think I'll start watching more when that happens, purely for curiosity's sake.  I get what you mean about some of the guys being too old now.  Last time I flicked on, Angle looked like he had some kind of muscle wasting disease and Sting was still trying to hide the grey hair and wrinkles behind dye and face paint.

Like a lot of the others, I'm hoping we get another Monday night ratings battle to improve both shows.

[Playboy]

I don't follow TNA that closely, if it's on I'll watch it, but that's about it.  I'm actually looking forward to Hogan taking over, I think I'll start watching more when that happens, purely for curiosity's sake.  I get what you mean about some of the guys being too old now.  Last time I flicked on, Angle looked like he had some kind of muscle wasting disease and Sting was still trying to hide the grey hair and wrinkles behind dye and face paint.

Like a lot of the others, I'm hoping we get another Monday night ratings battle to improve both shows.

What concerns me is what happens when these guys do call it quites? Who will fill there shoes? In either TNA or WWE? There is no one with star potential whatsoever.

[Thin Lizzy]

As far as Jarrett, I've always felt this way (your way) about him.
I really don't know what people always saw in/expected from him.
Vince once said in an interview that he was disappointed because he thought Double J would have gone over much better than he did.
Why?

I guess that because he had so much success with wrestlers from wrestling families: Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Macho Man; Vince figured Jarrett would go over, too.

It just shows, that, in the end, the fans decide the stars. I remember Goldberg's first match. He had no hype or fanfare; yet, before long, he was the biggest star in WCW.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was a wrestler named "Glacier" who was hyped to no end, literally for months. When he finally showed up, he went nowhere.

[Playboy]

I've been watching wrestling my entire life. I'm gonna have to say Cena. He is super stardom. Maybe he's not the in ring Wrestler Bret was? But Cena is definitely at his level of stardom. Possibly has even surpassed The Hitman. Cenas entrance will always make the audience pop. It's the music. His promos are always funny and motivating. As long as he doesn't get hurt? Lets hope never. Cena is the IT guy of what? The last five years or longer? No one will ever be as big as the Hulkster. But I think Cena is giving Bret a run for his money with star power and earnings.

Cena for sure. He is the perfect poster boy for the WWE right now.

Did any of you catch Raw last night? It was the single WORST show I have ever seen. "Little People's Court" Santino Clause??? Fake santas sitting on the big show's knees??? Another dumbass guest GM and to top it off a Gm who played for the New York Yankees and is hated in Tampa??? Is Vince for real with this shitty product? Man that was very painful to watch. TNA Impact won't have any issues beating Raw in the ratings if Vince keeps pushing this kind of PG pruduct out.

[leonp1981]

Cena for sure. He is the perfect poster boy for the WWE right now.

Did any of you catch Raw last night? It was the single WORST show I have ever seen. "Little People's Court" Santino Clause??? Fake santas sitting on the big show's knees??? Another dumbass guest GM and to top it off a Gm who played for the New York Yankees and is hated in Tampa??? Is Vince for real with this shitty product? Man that was very painful to watch. TNA Impact won't have any issues beating Raw in the ratings if Vince keeps pushing this kind of PG pruduct out.

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with last night at all.  The Little Peoples Court was ridiculous, it's like they're only playing to the under 12 demographic now, and forgetting the people who've watched for the past 20 years.  Midgets should be fired out of cannons and beat up.  End of.

[funk51]

Cena for sure. He is the perfect poster boy for the WWE right now.

Did any of you catch Raw last night? It was the single WORST show I have ever seen. "Little People's Court" Santino Clause??? Fake santas sitting on the big show's knees??? Another dumbass guest GM and to top it off a Gm who played for the New York Yankees and is hated in Tampa??? Is Vince for real with this shitty product? Man that was very painful to watch. TNA Impact won't have any issues beating Raw in the ratings if Vince keeps pushing this kind of PG pruduct out.

    wwe is getting worse by the minute, makes me wonder if linda mac wasn't the brains behind the show now that she's off and trying to get elected.

[funk51]

I actually watch TNA much more than the WWE simply because TNA airs on Thursday which is my TV night and I'm usually not home on the nights of WWE shows.

Anyway, here goes:

AJ Styles - Awesome in ring performer but doesn't quite have that "It" quality that draws you to him. Doesn't say anything interesting on the mic. His gimmick seems to be his rough childhood. No one cares. We have our own problems.

Daniels - Good in ring performer. Tries to be an edgy character but doesn't succeed. I don't find him at all dangerous like I did Jake the Snake, in his prime. Not physically impressive.

Kevin Nash - Painful to watch. Wrestling should have mandatory retirement at age 50. A more successful real life version of the Mickey Rourke character in "The Wrestler."

Beer Money - Good team, but, I don't quite get the "Money" part. Robert Rude claims to be a Wall St. operator, but, you see no evidence of this. We're supposed to believe it just because he says so. James Storm, on the other hand, is great with a well-defined persona and a cool catch phrase. I think he should get a singles push.

Angelo Dinero - Good athlete but I don't quite get his gimmick. Is he supposed to be an evangelist who also has a lot of money?

The Beautiful People - TNA should've ended this gimmick when Angelina Love left. The current incarnation seems forced. Let Velvet Sky go it alone. She's a so-so wrestler, but has the "It" quality in spades. You can't take your eyes off her.

Bobby Lashley - Incredible athlete/specimen. Leave the wife at home.

Samoa Joe - Excellent Old School style wrestler with real looking offense. His persona needs a makeover. You don't really know who he is.

Scott Steiner, Sting - See Kevin Nash.

Desmond Wolfe - Charismatic young wrestler who definitely has "it." His physique could used some work.

Black Machismo - Good comic relief, although I don't see this gimmick lasting for much longer.

The World Elite - A bunch of non-american wrestlers no one cares about led by a mid-card wrestler no one cares about. Ironically, the one entertaining guy in the group, Homocide, is from Brooklyn. This group won't last.

Lauren - Gorgeous. Does a good job, backstage. An asset.

Jeff Jarrett - Props for founding TNA, but, I never liked him. A mid-card wrestler billed as a main eventer.

Overall, the show is borderline watchable, but, I find myself doing a lot of channel surfing during the two hours.

good job you pretty much nailed it.

[Playboy]

    wwe is getting worse by the minute, makes me wonder if linda mac wasn't the brains behind the show now that she's off and trying to get elected.

The problem is with Vince's creative team. They stink. Before he had Haymen, Cornette, Russo, guys like that conjuring up the story lines. He got rid of them all and now he's in a row boat with no paddles in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

[Thin Lizzy]

The problem is with Vince's creative team. They stink. Before he had Haymen, Cornette, Russo, guys like that conjuring up the story lines. He got rid of them all and now he's in a row boat with no paddles in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

It sounds like he hired a bunch of ex-SNL writers with all the television parodies they're doing. Does it eventually reach a point where there isn't any wrestling at all?

In that worked shoot I posted, Paul E. laid it out to Vince, "Your father ran a wrestling company, but you made wrestling a dirty word."

[Montague]

Deviating from what wrestling used to be (something reserved for carnival sideshows) is what lead to the development of territories and a televised product on the old DuMont Network.

Deviating from the old territory mentality is what propelled VKM Jr.’s WWF to never before seen heights.

Further deviation from the simplistic “good guy vs. bad guy” paradigm skyrocketed WWF ratings during the Attitude Era.

***********************************************************

Continually adding bricks to the tower will make it higher & higher – until it’s eventually the highest in the world.
 
But, eventually that tower will become too tall and unstable.
Then it crumbles, and you’re left with nothing but a pile of worthless rubble.

[Playboy]

Deviating from what wrestling used to be (something reserved for carnival sideshows) is what lead to the development of territories and a televised product on the old DuMont Network.

Deviating from the old territory mentality is what propelled VKM Jr.’s WWF to never before seen heights.

Further deviation from the simplistic “good guy vs. bad guy” paradigm skyrocketed WWF ratings during the Attitude Era.

***********************************************************

Continually adding bricks to the tower will make it higher & higher – until it’s eventually the highest in the world.
 
But, eventually that tower will become too tall and unstable.
Then it crumbles, and you’re left with nothing but a pile of worthless rubble.

And that's exactly what happens. As of write now, TNA is opening up their wallets and signing plenty of new talant along with older talant. Scott Hall, although way past his prime and Sean Waltman are said to have signed along with Ric Flair. Although these guys are old now they can still pop a crowd and for ratings purposes and generating more money, the fans will change the channel to watch them instead of a dumb guest host and no crowd reaction with ridiculous DX skits on WWE channels.

[Montague]

...they can still pop a crowd and for ratings purposes and generating more money, the fans will change the channel to watch them...

At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

There are lots of good mat workers out there who couldn't draw heat with a 55 gallon drum of anthrax.
Then there are guys who know only 3 moves, but draw record breaking attendance numbers & PPV buyrates because of their ability to WORK a crowd.

[G.O.A.T.]

I actually watch TNA much more than the WWE simply because TNA airs on Thursday which is my TV night and I'm usually not home on the nights of WWE shows.

Anyway, here goes:

AJ Styles - Awesome in ring performer but doesn't quite have that "It" quality that draws you to him. Doesn't say anything interesting on the mic. His gimmick seems to be his rough childhood. No one cares. We have our own problems.

Daniels - Good in ring performer. Tries to be an edgy character but doesn't succeed. I don't find him at all dangerous like I did Jake the Snake, in his prime. Not physically impressive.

Kevin Nash - Painful to watch. Wrestling should have mandatory retirement at age 50. A more successful real life version of the Mickey Rourke character in "The Wrestler."

Beer Money - Good team, but, I don't quite get the "Money" part. Robert Rude claims to be a Wall St. operator, but, you see no evidence of this. We're supposed to believe it just because he says so. James Storm, on the other hand, is great with a well-defined persona and a cool catch phrase. I think he should get a singles push.

Angelo Dinero - Good athlete but I don't quite get his gimmick. Is he supposed to be an evangelist who also has a lot of money?

The Beautiful People - TNA should've ended this gimmick when Angelina Love left. The current incarnation seems forced. Let Velvet Sky go it alone. She's a so-so wrestler, but has the "It" quality in spades. You can't take your eyes off her.

Bobby Lashley - Incredible athlete/specimen. Leave the wife at home.

Samoa Joe - Excellent Old School style wrestler with real looking offense. His persona needs a makeover. You don't really know who he is.

Scott Steiner, Sting - See Kevin Nash.

Desmond Wolfe - Charismatic young wrestler who definitely has "it." His physique could used some work.

Black Machismo - Good comic relief, although I don't see this gimmick lasting for much longer.

The World Elite - A bunch of non-american wrestlers no one cares about led by a mid-card wrestler no one cares about. Ironically, the one entertaining guy in the group, Homocide, is from Brooklyn. This group won't last.

Lauren - Gorgeous. Does a good job, backstage. An asset.

Jeff Jarrett - Props for founding TNA, but, I never liked him. A mid-card wrestler billed as a main eventer.

Overall, the show is borderline watchable, but, I find myself doing a lot of channel surfing during the two hours.

I Agree wit you, AJ is super talented but just always comes of as a kid to me. Hell of a performer, so he holds his own. He could just never carry the company. They have done a good job giving him some status with the battles with Angle and others..
Daniels just plain sucks, his image , attitude and everything. I have never liked him.
I like Beer Money but I think they need to be singles. They both have talent. I do agree they need to put some validity to where Rudes money comes from but I think they can go a long way. I do think them becoming a tag team has helped them get the fan base they need but it's time to separate.
I like Dinero, they just need to pin point what exactly his character is. I thought he was the next big thing when he was in WWE, I think he has the "IT" factor nad charisma, it's up to TNA to tap into it.
Evrything else is right on the head, The Beautiful People aren't the same without Angelina and Velvet Sky should be single, she is carrying the team on  her shoulders right now. The old timers need to stay out of the ring, I think they should be brought in for guest pops but that's it. It's hard watching thier cripple asses in there. Jeff Jarrett has always been an over rated mid carder, I have tried to accept him but just can't. I think Desmond has it too but they are building him too fast. I don't think he has earned his right to come in and go straight to taking out Angle weekly. I am stoked about Hulk coming, I hope he is in the ring on a minimum basis but looking forward to the contriversy.

[Playboy]

I Agree wit you, AJ is super talented but just always comes of as a kid to me. Hell of a performer, so he holds his own. He could just never carry the company. They have done a good job giving him some status with the battles with Angle and others..
Daniels just plain sucks, his image , attitude and everything. I have never liked him.
I like Beer Money but I think they need to be singles. They both have talent. I do agree they need to put some validity to where Rudes money comes from but I think they can go a long way. I do think them becoming a tag team has helped them get the fan base they need but it's time to separate.
I like Dinero, they just need to pin point what exactly his character is. I thought he was the next big thing when he was in WWE, I think he has the "IT" factor nad charisma, it's up to TNA to tap into it.
Evrything else is right on the head, The Beautiful People aren't the same without Angelina and Velvet Sky should be single, she is carrying the team on  her shoulders right now. The old timers need to stay out of the ring, I think they should be brought in for guest pops but that's it. It's hard watching thier cripple asses in there. Jeff Jarrett has always been an over rated mid carder, I have tried to accept him but just can't. I think Desmond has it too but they are building him too fast. I don't think he has earned his right to come in and go straight to taking out Angle weekly. I am stoked about Hulk coming, I hope he is in the ring on a minimum basis but looking forward to the contriversy.

I agree with you on Jeff Jerratt. He was never a main eventer let alone a mid carder. I just can't accept him either although I have tried. His guitar slams are a blatenet immitation of the Honky Tonk Man. He just doesn't do it for me. But because he played his cards right he's the vice president of TNA making $750,000 per year. Sometimes you just gotta be in the right place at the right time and he was.

[Montague]

Explain to me what happened with NWA/TNA over the last few years.
Last time I spoke with some of the guys from down south, they talked about working for Jerry Jarrett.

When & how did this rather hot Dixie "chick" take command of things?
Does Jerry still have a hand in anything?

[Playboy]

Explain to me what happened with NWA/TNA over the last few years.
Last time I spoke with some of the guys from down south, they talked about working for Jerry Jarrett.

When & how did this rather hot Dixie "chick" take command of things?
Does Jerry still have a hand in anything?

From what i've read, Jerry Jarrett (Jeff Jarrett's father) owned the company. When he got into a heated arguement with his son Jeff, he left the company and Dixie Carter took over as President making Jeff Jarrett as vice president. Jerry Jarrett was in talks with working backstage for WWE but it went no where. Have you ever seen pics of Dixie Carter? She is one hot milf. 

[Montague]

What do we know about her?
Is she a self-made entrepreneur?
Did she marry into money?

I seem to remember someone on here mentioning that her father may have provided some of her TNA funding.

[Thin Lizzy]

Have you ever seen pics of Dixie Carter? She is one hot milf. 

If there's a reason not to bang her, hard and fast, I don't see it.

[Montague]

Pictured here with Double "J" Sr.
Looks like she's had a bit of work done for 45 y.o. - which makes her just right!

[Montague]

credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Carter_(professional_wrestling)

In 2002, the president of Monterey Peninsula Talent (a booking agency) contacted Carter and informed her that Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, a fledgling professional wrestling promotion, required a marketing and publicity outlet. Carter began working with TNA, but, two months later, was informed by Jeff Jarrett (a part-owner of TNA) that a key financial backer (HealthSouth Corporation, which was having financial problems due to its being investigated for accounting irregularities) had withdrawn support from TNA, and that the company was in dire straits as a result.[4]

Carter, claiming to "[See] the potential in a marketplace that had one company with a $900 million USD market cap and no competitor", contacted her parents, the owners of Panda Energy International, a Dallas-based energy company. In October 2002, Panda Energy purchased 71% of TNA from the HealthSouth Corporation for $250,000 USD. On October 31, 2002, TNA (which originally traded as "J Sports and Entertainment") was renamed "TNA Entertainment". [7][4][5] Carter was appointed president of TNA Entertainment in spring 2003. [2]

[funk51]

did you watch the match last night with chris daniels somoa joe and a j styles. great match, halfway thru the fans started chanting screw hul hogan  over and over. i guess they want to leave the product the way it is.

[G.O.A.T.]

did you watch the match last night with chris daniels somoa joe and a j styles. great match, halfway thru the fans started chanting screw hul hogan  over and over. i guess they want to leave the product the way it is.

You could be right. I am very surprised at the Wrestlers saying they are welcoming his arrival. It has always been know that most wrestlers don't like Hogan because of his politics and that he holds the younger talent down. Hopefully he will stay out of the ring and just stir some stuff up and produce interest. I am looking forward to him coming in hope of kicking TNA up a notch or at least making Vince do the same.