News that's as positive as it is shocking

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

- Early projections are that TNA will be "significantly profitable" in 2008. TNA has many revenue streams coming in, including rights fees for Impact, the increase in demand for their talent, the upcoming Midway Video Game, overseas TV rights sales and house shows. With these taken into consideration TNA is expected to turn the corner financially, even with their PPV buy rates being lower than they were.

 

- Panda Energy has not had to put any money into the promotion for over a year, which means that TNA has actually become a self-sufficient company. The feeling is that the company either broke even or made a small profit in 2007.

 

- Jeff Jarrett wants to take the TNA product in a more serious direction, ala the Angle vs. Joe build. Jarrett wants more in ring time and the serious edge, while Vince Russo likes doing more pre-tapes and promos, and adding cute lines to them. Dutch Mantell wants what ever Jeff Jarrett wants.

 

- The World X-Cup is set for May, but nothing official has been announced for a Team Mexico or Japan yet.

 

Credit: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

 

[Guest LuckyLopez]

I have long thought that TNA's very gradual approach has been a good thing. I know people have focused on their public proclamations and their ratings and such and I do not blame them. But TNA seems to have for the last few years take a steady approach to their growth. PPV, TV, House Shows, expansion. I've been HOPING for a long time that they were making the right calls. If its true that they have gained some financial security and growth God bless. Because I admit as something of a TNA mark I have been skeptical.

 

It is far from a perfect product. But without a doubt what I truly love about TNA is that it is a product that seems to be trying to become more than it is. And for a long time I've felt that a reasoned approach to that was best and that they should not get too "big for their britches." I know there has been much criticism of TNA over the years and much of it is deserved but my interests have always been (a) my own enjoyment and (b) the long term strength of the company. The first is my own road to take, if the second is going well I am very happy.

 

 

EDIT: Also I love the idea of the World X Cup, I built up 100 ideas for the last one that failed to pay off, and I refuse to build up my hopes for what I believe can be an amazing thing for a company like TNA.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

- Early projections are that TNA will be "significantly profitable" in 2008. TNA has many revenue streams coming in, including rights fees for Impact, the increase in demand for their talent, the upcoming Midway Video Game, overseas TV rights sales and house shows. With these taken into consideration TNA is expected to turn the corner financially, even with their PPV buy rates being lower than they were.

 

- Panda Energy has not had to put any money into the promotion for over a year, which means that TNA has actually become a self-sufficient company. The feeling is that the company either broke even or made a small profit in 2007.

GUFFAW?!

- Jeff Jarrett wants to take the TNA product in a more serious direction, ala the Angle vs. Joe build. Jarrett wants more in ring time and the serious edge, while Vince Russo likes doing more pre-tapes and promos, and adding cute lines to them. Dutch Mantell wants what ever Jeff Jarrett wants.

Combine Jarrett's urge to want a more serious, in-ring product with Russo's love for wacky antics and forward-movement, and we'll get something similar to the awesome first year of TNA. Go for it.

[Chazz 0]

At least this news will shut those up who keep bitching about how TNA's current creative direction isn't working.(Or at least quiet them for a moment.)

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

World X Cup

 

It used to be one of my favorite things about TNA, mainly as I'd get to see talent I had never seen before and its something I've never seen in any promotion I've seen before. Plus, the year that the UK had a team, that was nice.

 

A thumbs up to Jarrett if he's trying to push TNA into a more 'serious' direction, wonder if that means the Southern Style they kinda had in the early days and similar to WCW.

[dubq 0]

I'm all for that! (serious direction, that is)

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

The move to a more serious product excites me. It seemed before that only Angle was really pushing for it...and now that Jarrett is seemingly on board (and just looking at Angle/Joe for Lockdown they're doing some of it) that's pretty much everyone who's say matters. Russo can't beat the coowner and the top star.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

- Early projections are that TNA will be "significantly profitable" in 2008. TNA has many revenue streams coming in, including rights fees for Impact, the increase in demand for their talent, the upcoming Midway Video Game, overseas TV rights sales and house shows. With these taken into consideration TNA is expected to turn the corner financially, even with their PPV buy rates being lower than they were.

For those who get overly defensive about the valid criticisms of TNA's creative team, it's worth realizing that TNA's growth in revenue was despite the creative team not because of them, It's great that TNA are slowly starting to grow, and it will hopefully give them the time needed to fully turn things around. But to use this news as some kind of validation of TNA's direction would be absurd. They've started to make the long needed changes, at least with the main events, with the more serious build to Joe and Angle, and hopefully they'll persevere with this direction for as long as it takes to find out whether it will work or not, and then we can give creative some kudos they will have earned.

 

As for the World X-Cup, I would look forward to it more if they handed the booking of it over to someone other than Jarrett, Russo or Mantell, and gave that person the creative freedom required to make the best of use of the talent they will bring in.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Clearly any financial success is due to smart business decisions and not the product. Buyrates are down. Ratings don't move. But the company itself keeps expanding. House shows, more tv clearance, better tv deal, video game, etc...

 

It's awesome that Panda isn't having to bail the company out...because there's no real reason to fear them pulling the plug on TNA anymore.

 

[cd213 0]

HTQ, I agree with what you said about doing well inspite of, not because of the booking. Being the TNA mark that I am, even I realize that somethings they do are rediculous, and they need to get more serious. That being said, I think they can still do some comedy (see: Eric Young).

 

If they are going to have anyone book the X Cup, it should be D'Amore.

[luke-o 0]

Is D'amore still with the company?

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

He books the Knockouts.

 

...

 

Which is also the best thing on the show and their best ratings grabber...

 

 

[Nate 0]

thinking about the World X Cup, here's what I would like to see as the teams:

 

Team TNA: Shelley/Sabin/Lethal/Petey, with D'Amore as the coach

Team Japan: Tanahashi, Kaz Hayashi, CIMA, KENTA, with Great Muta as their coach

 

I cant really think of a team for Mexico and UK

[The Truthiness 0]

He books the Knockouts....

 

Which is also the best thing on the show and their best ratings grabber...

 

Dutch Mantell does also.

 

[Guest Shylock]

I think someone's jerking Meltzer around. Wasn't it reported a few months ago that Angle was pushing for a serious direction, clean finishes and wrestling matches, while Jarrett and Dutch were more for the Russo-esque ridiculous Crash TV and Russo was siding with Angle due to not liking to deal with Jeff and Dutch?

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Yes.

 

But then they wen't ahead and changed Angle's character anyway and have done the serious build to Joe/Angle.

 

So maybe the fact that people have generally liked that move has swayed Jarrett to think differently on it.

[Chazz 0]

- Early projections are that TNA will be "significantly profitable" in 2008. TNA has many revenue streams coming in, including rights fees for Impact, the increase in demand for their talent, the upcoming Midway Video Game, overseas TV rights sales and house shows. With these taken into consideration TNA is expected to turn the corner financially, even with their PPV buy rates being lower than they were.

For those who get overly defensive about the valid criticisms of TNA's creative team, it's worth realizing that TNA's growth in revenue was despite the creative team not because of them, It's great that TNA are slowly starting to grow, and it will hopefully give them the time needed to fully turn things around. But to use this news as some kind of validation of TNA's direction would be absurd. They've started to make the long needed changes, at least with the main events, with the more serious build to Joe and Angle, and hopefully they'll persevere with this direction for as long as it takes to find out whether it will work or not, and then we can give creative some kudos they will have earned.

 

As for the World X-Cup, I would look forward to it more if they handed the booking of it over to someone other than Jarrett, Russo or Mantell, and gave that person the creative freedom required to make the best of use of the talent they will bring in.

 

 

Wouldn't it stand to reason,though, that business overall would not be on the upswing if people weren't interested or watching the shows to begin with? Is Creative responsible for all of TNA's recent financial success? No. But they deserve some level of credit. You can't just blame them for all the bad things in TNA.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Well, considering it's well-known that the TNA roster is extremely talented in spite of the creative direction, I'd say we can disregard that belief. You are right, though: you can't blame the TNA creative team for everything that's wrong with TNA. But you can blame them for the bulk of it, considering they're the ones to blame for the bulk of TNA's problems.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

- Early projections are that TNA will be "significantly profitable" in 2008. TNA has many revenue streams coming in, including rights fees for Impact, the increase in demand for their talent, the upcoming Midway Video Game, overseas TV rights sales and house shows. With these taken into consideration TNA is expected to turn the corner financially, even with their PPV buy rates being lower than they were.

For those who get overly defensive about the valid criticisms of TNA's creative team, it's worth realizing that TNA's growth in revenue was despite the creative team not because of them, It's great that TNA are slowly starting to grow, and it will hopefully give them the time needed to fully turn things around. But to use this news as some kind of validation of TNA's direction would be absurd. They've started to make the long needed changes, at least with the main events, with the more serious build to Joe and Angle, and hopefully they'll persevere with this direction for as long as it takes to find out whether it will work or not, and then we can give creative some kudos they will have earned.

 

As for the World X-Cup, I would look forward to it more if they handed the booking of it over to someone other than Jarrett, Russo or Mantell, and gave that person the creative freedom required to make the best of use of the talent they will bring in.

 

 

Wouldn't it stand to reason,though, that business overall would not be on the upswing if people weren't interested or watching the shows to begin with? Is Creative responsible for all of TNA's recent financial success? No. But they deserve some level of credit. You can't just blame them for all the bad things in TNA.

 

No, because ratings and buy rates are down. Those are the two things creative can take credit for. TNA is making money through their business decisions... Video games, contracts, etc. Stuff that creative has nothing to do with.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I love TNA apologists. I really do. So many of them are so oblivious to the real facts (decrease in live attendance during the initial Mantell reign even though the tickets were FREE, the so-low-they're-not-reported PPV buyrates, fans bribed to cheer with free merchandise rather than out of legitimate care, etc.) that they eat up anything Carter and Jarrett say, and lap up every bit of Russo's crap on TV.

[iggymcfly 0]

I don't care what the ratings or the buyrates are. I just know that I enjoy the current TNA product much more than the WWE and much more than when they first got their TV contract and Monty Brown was their big star. Whoever's responsible, I salute them.

 

One thing I really really like about their booking is that it's unpredictable. If I turn on Raw or Smackdown and I've been paying any attention to the product at all, I'll be able to tell the winner ahead of time with 99% certainty in maybe 6 out of 7 matches. On TNA, they'll occasionally telegraph finishes, but most of the matches can legitimately go either way. They're not afraid to do a title change the night after a PPV, they're not afraid to put a midcard guy over a star, and they don't just randomly put stars against jobbers to fill space. I guess that doesn't matter if you read spoilers, but it does a lot for my enjoyment of the show.

[cabbageboy 0]

I think TNA might start making money because they are becoming a real promotion at long last. Let's face it, you can't just run PPVs and do TV tapings and be a legit promotion that is making money. You have to actually run shows, take it all over the country, build a fanbase. The house show I went to was excellent, probably better than the overbooked TV. These house shows are likely doing strong word of mouth so if they go back to a town more people might show up.

 

Personally I think the next step they need to take is get the hell out of Orlando. Take the Impact tapings all around the country and get people truly interested in the product.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I would agree with that.

 

I have yet to see a response to a house show that wasn't a thumbs up.

 

I took a couple nonwrestling friends to BFG in Detroit and they both had a blast, and one of them asked me not that long ago if they were coming around at any point because he wanted to go again. Me...I'd go even if I had a bad experience...because I can pretty much sit through anything...but getting a guy who likes to joke on me because I look forward to watching wrestling to have a good time...that's how you make some money.

 

Of course...they haven't come anywhere near Buffalo...and they haven't returned to Detriot either.

[The Dames 0]

At the Impact Zone, they still bribe the fans to cheer. They give away free shit and tell the audience that the loudest fans get to go to the back and meet the wrestlers. So you can't tell who's really over in Orlando. Most of the fans don't know most of the wrestlers anyway.

 

Dames

[BruiserKC 0]

TNA's not perfect...but I'm seeing the improvements from week to week. There's no question TNA has some great stars in Cage, Angle, Joe, Roode, Booker, Styles, Tomko, etc. Plus, they have clearly managed to avoid the pressure of jumping right in and competing with WWE. That would have been a disaster.

 

For the announcing team...I'd go with Scott Hudson and Jarrett or Shane Douglas. Jarrett would make a good heel commentator. I suppose you could do a three-man booth and have Jarrett the face commentator and Douglas the heel. Tenay's good for his knowledge of the business, he'd make a good interviewer. West just screams to garner attention.

 

The move to in-ring action could be a very smart one. With Flair's retirement, one of the last great true pro wrestlers is gone, he was a link to the era of wrestling on TV that came with mostly in-ring action. There might be a few of those that watched WWE only to see Flair that will stop watching now. TNA could be perfect for them.

 

Plus...it's time for TNA to develop its own identity and go with one of their own. Nothing against Angle, but with guys like him, Cage, Rhino, Sting, etc competing for the World title, it made the true TNA non-WWE talent seem as if they weren't worth running the show. If you put the title on Samoa Joe now (and there are plenty of potential battles to choose from for him) it sends a strong message that it's time to turn the page. While guys like Cage, Angle, and Booker T bring attention from the WWE fans, long-term growth depends on their finding future stars and growing their own.

[Steviekick 0]

At the Impact Zone, they still bribe the fans to cheer. They give away free shit and tell the audience that the loudest fans get to go to the back and meet the wrestlers. So you can't tell who's really over in Orlando. Most of the fans don't know most of the wrestlers anyway.

 

Dames

 

That's the same thing I noticed to when I was at a TNA taping in August of 2008. I'd say about 2/3 of the audience were people who were at Universal Studios and happened to stumble on a wrestling taping, not having a clue what was going on.

[Silence 0]

That's the same thing I noticed to when I was at a TNA taping in August of 2008. I'd say about 2/3 of the audience were people who were at Universal Studios and happened to stumble on a wrestling taping, not having a clue what was going on.

 

Someone's looking into the future.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Well, I can't look into the future, but that's exactly what it was like at Destination X last month.