TNA News From December 4th Torch

[BoboBrazil 0]

·The hot rumor in the locker room is that Jerry Jarrett took control of the company by assuring Bob Carter that he could turn a profit within a matter of months or find a buyer for the company. Several people within the company believe that Carter has threatened to sell or shut down the company by March if they don't have a profitable month before then or find someone to purchase the company. In other words, our report two weeks ago about Bob Carter asking during a conference call about a timeline for turning a profit may have the first sign of Carter losing patience with TNA. The shift of power toward Jerry Jarrett is no surprise all things considered, since Jarrett is best known for two things - cutting corners and finding investors/buyers for wrestling companies. "Jerry plays the earnest, tobacco chewin', Southerner gimmick to the max at business meetings," says one industry source. "He really knows how to sell himself and a concept to someone. He is good at controlling a situation while at the same time giving the other party the impression they're in charge. When he's being underestimated is when he's most dangerous. If the Carters bail, he'll probably rope someone else into buying the company and losing another $20 million on the company for two more years."

 

·Regarding Jerry Jarrett, Paul Heyman said on Byte This on Nov. 17: "I think Jerry Jarrett is the single most brilliant businessman - Vince McMahon included - that I have ever met in my entire life and I'll tell you why. They have put a spin on this situation that they have, the likes of which I've never seen. When ECW filed for bankruptcy, we were owed millions of dollars by pay-per-view, we were owed so much money in pay-per-view revenue it was sickening. We couldn't get our pay-per-view money because we had lost the network and the pay-per-view industry's decision was, 'We'll deal with the bankruptcy court, we'll settle for forty or fifty cents on the dollar at the most, maybe even less.' Even including the money that was owed to us, considering that debt, we were [still in debt] 7 to 8 million dollars at the end... TNA has lost far more than that already, and [ECW] was in business for seven years, and in a much more competitive environment because we had WWE, WCW - it was like the dot.com industry, this was the bubble, this was at the height. I don't even know how much TNA has lost - ten million, twelve million, there were reports that they lost fifteen million. There are reports now, I mean, I don't know how much they've lost. And yet Jerry Jarrett goes down in history - when it's not even their money, it's Panda Energy's money - but Jerry Jarrett goes down in history as "the brilliant businessman" and he is because he hasn't lost a dime of his own money. I lost my ass. I mean I lost my ass. I filed for personal bankruptcy, and I'm not ashamed of it because I put my whole life into that company, I never took a paycheck from the company in seven years. And I don't regret that either. Jerry Jarrett is making money, or did make money, I don't know how much involved he still is, [but he did make] money with Panda Energy, Panda Energy is just sinking money and sinking money. Everybody sits there and goes 'Ooooh, they're going to compete with WWE.' They're losing their ass, too! But they have so much money, so they can afford to lose it, so they're brilliant but I'm the dumbass who destroyed ECW. I think Jerry Jarrett is a brilliant guy I think he deserves so much credit for his spin on this that I think he should be hired as a spin-meister by anybody who does business with him." He added: "(TNA is) not competition to anybody. And I wish they were competition, by the way, I wish that somebody were competition today. I think that it would be the best thing for the industry. I really really do. But they're not."

 

TNA NOTEBOOK

 

Wrestlers say that the attendance at Universal Studios has improved since Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Randy Savage debuted... Billy Gunn is expected to sign a TNA contract once his 90-day no-compete clause expires. There has been talk of having him feud or team with B.G. James... The non-main eventers have been chuckling privately about how unoriginal they consider the Kings of Wrestling name to be...

 

The meeting held prior to the November 23 Impact tapings almost didn't take place. The office originally posted a note in the locker room detailing the new schedule. The note did not explain why the tapings were be reduced from weekly to bi-weekly, whether the wrestlers would be paid by the taping or by the booking, or that Dusty Rhodes had taken over the booking duties. Several wrestlers weren't shy about mentioning that they have to find out news about their company by reading the internet. Eventually, management decided to hold the meeting at which Rhodes was introduced by Jerry Jarrett and the new schedule was explained by Bob Ryder...

 

Wrestlers are upset by rumors that the company might move the Impact tapings from Tuesday to Saturdays because it would take away one of their prime nights for working independent shows. "If they expect guys to stay under contract for three bookings per month, there's just no way," said one frustrated wrestler. A number of wrestlers say they stopped asking for the office's blessing to work indy shows months ago. It's well known in the locker room that the company will not allow wrestlers to work Ring of Honor shows, but they have been open to letting the talent work for other promoters. However, the office would still like to draw a commission when the wrestlers work outside the company. By not following the proper channels, the wrestlers are technically violating their contracts...

 

Although the wrestlers are happy to see Jeff Jarrett turn over the book to Dusty Rhodes, not everyone is so happy that Jerry Jarrett has more power. "If Jerry Jarrett is more involved, everybody will take a pay cut," predicted one wrestler. Other wrestlers still recall hearing Jerry tell his son that most of the wrestlers would have paid the company just to appear on the Wednesday night pay-per-views, which has a number of wrestlers concerned about whether future budget cuts might affect them...

 

One observer predicts that Dutch Mantel and Jeremy Borash won't last long in their current roles as Rhodes' booking assistants. The observer noted that Rhodes has been leery of allowing non-wrestlers to be involved in booking matters, which may not bode well for Borash. "Dusty is old school like that," said the observer, who also believes Mantel will choose to leave if he has any alternative options. "Dutch won't stick around now that he's been minimized." There are reports that Rhodes and Mantel are not on good terms, but other sources say they've never noticed any friction between them...

 

Rhodes may have given Scott Hall and Kevin Nash a vote of confidence in front of the wrestlers, but one source says Dusty understands Nash's limitations. The source went so far as to say that Rhodes doesn't believe in Nash, and predicts that they will BUTT heads in the future when Rhodes inevitably wants to use Nash's star power to help elevate another wrestler... Rhodes didn't make many friends via his first meeting with the wrestlers. A number of wrestlers were insulted by the way Rhodes put over Hall, Nash, and Randy Savage as the reasons viewers ordered they pay-per-view. One wrestler pointed out that Savage wasn't even advertised the for the pay-per-view, and noted that wrestlers such as Jeff Hardy, Raven, B.G. James, and other members of the roster have also sold their share of pay-per-views. Rhodes also rubbed some wrestlers the wrong way by saying that complaining would no longer be tolerated. These wrestlers rightfully point out that Rhodes might not have a job if it wasn't for all of the complaining they did about Jarrett's booking failures...

[Guest LooneyTune]

R.I.P.

 

NWA-TNA

June 19, 2002 - March __, 2005

 

I'm quite shocked it's lasted this long. The way the company has been, it should've closed in March this year when it was last entertaining to me on a normal basis.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Wow, I have been predicting NWA-TNA would fold in April, 2005 for a hell of a long time now.

 

Looks like I have them a month too much.

 

YAY. The company that went from "low budget stuff that'll amaze you" to "big but still 2nd rate looking budget that'll give you a watered-down 2nd rate WWE product" is going to die.

[Adam 0]

The questiuon now has to be asked - will there ever be a viable 2nd option to WWE that will be at least in the same league? Will there ever be a national company that is broadcast all over American and internationally that will be able to compete with Vince? There is the star power and talent out there to do it, but it needs to be the right owner, booker, and roster. I don't see it happening in the next five years, even ten.

[2GOLD 0]

The questiuon now has to be asked - will there ever be a viable 2nd option to WWE that will be at least in the same league? Will there ever be a national company that is broadcast all over American and internationally that will be able to compete with Vince? There is the star power and talent out there to do it, but it needs to be the right owner, booker, and roster. I don't see it happening in the next five years, even ten.

 

Vince has to create another wrestling boom, he needs another Hogan, Austin or Rock that makes wrestling seem cool again.

 

Wrestling seeming cool and a company with a smart business model could grow.

 

Right now, wrestling has been reduced to the shadows once again. I don't see another boom for ten years.

 

The wrestling landscape is once again about to be reduced to just the boring WWE style.

[SamoaRowe 0]

When I think about how much I was enjoying TNA in 2003, this saddens me. Then I think back to the product throughout most of this year... and I say good riddance.

[Eclipse 0]

It's amazing what a year or two can do to TNA.

 

I remember watching TNA enough to immediately come to the conclusion that TNA was actually a bit better than WWE. The X Division is what caught me. The X Division shined at Victory Road as well. Plus, since the WWE style isn't there, it made TNA flow better. Hell, I watch independent wrestling every Friday around where I live. I feel privileged, since most of the big indy stars of the Northeast are beginning to wrestle there. THAT style of wrestling is more believable, flows better, and makes wrestling entertaining to watch again!

 

There is NO WAY that a second alternative will ever appear. People will expect TOO MUCH, and will expect a WWE like performance.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Best advice to other wrestling fans: Support your rinky-dink Independent promotions, because if you want a competitor to McMahon, you'll be waiting until Evolution turns us into Super-Smart Aliens.

[Guest Donners]

The death of TNA will be the death of any interest I have in wrestling, I think. I'm really struggling to care about it at all ATM, and the end of any hope of a challenge to WWE will be the final straw.

[Guest JJW]

In the new observer they talk about panda wanting out and major costing coming,plus the Feb. PPV is the last one they have booked at this time, so them folding in march sounds about right.