MrRant 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 New kid in town NWA-TNA holding its own By Scott Williams The Daily News Published October 12, 2003 The deaths of World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2001 left World Wrestling Entertainment as the only major wrestling powerhouse in the United States. In summer 2002, a new kid showed up to the national wrestling dance when NWA-TNA debuted its bold plan for marketing mat action to the masses in a new way. Instead of the WWE’s (and WCW’s, during its lifespan) time-proven formula of using hourly free TV shows to sell its pay-per-view matches, TNA would put on weekly pay-per-views at a much lower price than the monthly WWE offerings. When the company started, there were a few questions. Did “TNA” really stand for “Total Nonstop Action,” or was it just a vulgar acronym? Was shlock-wrestling writer Vince Russo’s involvement going to allow TNA to be any kind of real alternative to the often-raunchy WWE? Would the company be able to come up with a formula that would make enough people order a weekly $9.95 pay-per-view to make it a profitable venture? To its credit, TNA has tried to create its own niche by making smaller, more dynamic wrestlers a featured aspect of their shows. The smaller guys, who would never get treated as much more than cannon fodder in WWE, really got a chance to shine in TNA’s “X Division.” TNA has not been without its problems. Russo-driven efforts to shock viewers at the expense of presenting compelling feuds that make sense have hurt, as have the portrayal of WWE castoffs as world-beaters in TNA (a notable exception being Raven, who has been used better in TNA than at any time since his original ECW stint, which ended in 1997). However, the biggest obstacle to TNA prospering has been that its only exposure to fans has been on the very weekly shows it seeks to sell. The company does have a weekly, free, syndicated show airing on some stations, but the market penetration is minimal. Recently, TNA produced a one-cent pay-per-view designed to introduce viewers to the company and its stars, but with no way to advertise the show, I’d doubt that many checked it out who hadn’t already seen at least one show. More recently, TNA has taken steps to combat its problems. Move No. 1 was securing a timeslot for a weekly pre-pay-per-view show. The more viewers get a taste for free, the more they might see something that could entice them to buy. No. 2 was the apparent phasing out of Russo, in favor of booker Dutch Mantel. The booking of Mantel, profiled in this column a few weeks back, is steady, somewhat predictable and has made Puerto Rico’s IWA into one of the most successful wrestling companies in the world. No. 3 might have been the biggie, at least in terms of drawing in an audience that does not already know about TNA. The company signed Hulk Hogan, one of the top pay-per-view wrestling draws ever, to a one-match deal. Hogan, estranged for months now from WWE and boss Vince McMahon, will appear on some TNA shows in the next few weeks to set up a match with Jeff Jarrett. The match is set for a late-November pay-per-view to be held on a Sunday night, as opposed to the group’s regular 7 p.m. (U.S. central time). The keys to TNA’s success could be in whether they deliver a strong enough show that people who ordered to see Hogan would order another show without him, and whether they can use Hogan’s marketable image to let currently unaware people know about the show. I hear from a lot of wrestling fans who bemoan the lack of an alternative to the garish, cartoonish and sometimes-vulgar WWE. Well, your alternative airs every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Speaking of fans I hear from, we’ll have some reader comments next week, so feel free to e-mail any comment or question about wrestling to the e-mail address below. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I will at least toss you a pithy reply. Scott E. Williams is a Daily News reporter and a longtime wrestling fan. His e-mail address is [email protected]. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BUTT 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 Is that from the New York Daily News, or some other Daily News? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 I believe it was a Dallas newspaper. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoboBrazil 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 It isn't a Dallas paper. It is a newspaper for Galveston, Texas. You can read about it on galvnews.com The Hogan deal is already working to get TNA more exposure. This article probably wouldn't have happened if Hogan hadn't come in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syxx2001 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 WOW. Galveston? I live in Houston. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jay Z. Hollywood Report post Posted October 14, 2003 The thing with Hogan is, although he's not necessarily a "draw" anymore, his involvement in anything wrestling-related makes network execs take notice. (Read the chapter in his book about the XWF) So bravo to TNA- future's looking pretty damn bright. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eirejmcmahon 0 Report post Posted October 14, 2003 Obviously written by someone who knows what he's talking about, good article. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JudasSault Report post Posted October 15, 2003 It isn't a Dallas paper. It is a newspaper for Galveston, Texas. You can read about it on galvnews.com The Hogan deal is already working to get TNA more exposure. This article probably wouldn't have happened if Hogan hadn't come in. I dunno, the guy said he profiled Dutch Mantell a few weeks back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
