Saw a few news-site blurbs about it yesterday, and a friend told me that apparently this morning Bubba (of the Love Sponge) leaked that yes, TNA will be having a new Monday night show on Spike shortly. I can't confirm this myself (in terms of what exactly Bubba said or leaked), but the rumors seem to be heating up. Thoughts? This a good thing or bad thing? According to the news sites it'd be 8-10, overlapping in the second hour. That, of course, should not be taken as gospel.
Originally posted by HokienauticThoughts? This a good thing or bad thing? According to the news sites it'd be 8-10, overlapping in the second hour. That, of course, should not be taken as gospel.
Bad thing. They'll get killed killed killed killed killed. WWE ran a nothing-happening taped Raw in the normal Impact timeslot one week (they were pre-empted on USA for whatever reason), and Raw still destroyed Impact in the ratings. Trying to move TNA into the traditional Raw timeslot will result in a massacre, Hogan or no Hogan (and when the ratings tank, it will be "no Hogan" in a big ol' hurry). Unless they have more surprises up their sleeve - and I'm talking Steve Austin and Shane McMahon level surprises - this will be over before it begins.
They'd get SLAUGHTERED. And as an added bonus, they'd probably piss Vince off enough to actively seek their destruction. Talent raids, frontloading shows, and so on.
Not that I think this Monday show will happen, as for every report saying it's on the table there's another two saying that it's not even being discussed.
I'm not the first to suggest this, but instead of counter-programming a Monday stalwart like RAW, TNA should offer live Clash of Champions free shows against the WWE PPVs.
Give the performers longer match times in front of paying wrestling fans instead of amusement park tourists, and the company could gather some steam before making any changes to the weekday schedules.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by Amos CochranThey'd get SLAUGHTERED. And as an added bonus, they'd probably piss Vince off enough to actively seek their destruction. Talent raids, frontloading shows, and so on.
This. Without question, this. You grab the bull by the horns, you better be ready. The people involved with TNA at this time have already pissed off Vince enough in the past. But Russo? Uncle Eric? Hogan?
Yeah right.
But like James said, short term it'd be great to watch the train wreck :)
You know, I really don't know what to put here. Close your eyes and thank of something funny!
I'd like to think it's a good idea, but as stated, it'll get hammered in the ratings ... but maybe it would at least allow WWE to become more original or fresh (at least for a while).
If Spike TV makes a real commitment to a Monday night show -- which means live weekly broadcasts, extra money & resources, plus full support from Viacom -- I think it's an incredibly smart move.
The McMahons are distracted. Shane is gone, Linda is running for the Senate. "Raw" is tired and stale, and I suspect a large portion of its audience is watching by default. Y'know, it wasn't so long ago when there was a large number of hardcore WWE, WCW and ECW fans; now, it seems like the support for the WWE brand is the softest it's been in memory.
You telling me that if Spike TV & Viacom really gets behind TNA and starts plugging the crap outa Angle, Hogan, Joe, Foley, Sting, etc. on "Ultimate Fighter" and other shows, the WWE brand is so bulletproof that TNA is destined to fail?
I think they'd be surprisingly competitive. Especially if the shows don't suck.
(edited by rv581 on 29.10.09 1049) "Who ate my sandwich???"
But Vince always seems to build up great things when he has competition, and I think a TNA Monday night show would bring out some good story lines again.
I agree they(NWATNA) will get their butt kicked in ratings, then the only person that will want to buy them when TNA goes in the financial hole would probably be McMahon.
Originally posted by rv581Y'know, it wasn't so long ago when there was a large number of hardcore WWE, WCW and ECW fans; now, it seems like the support for the WWE brand is the softest it's been in memory.
No, it really isn't. WWE has spent the last four years growing their audience. They labeled them the WWE Universe. Note, I said THEIR audience. Young kids, teenage boys and girls. What WWE considers their core audience now aren't "wrestling fans", they're "WWE fans."
Adults and the IWC love to think that WWE is on dying legs because they're no longer supporting WWE like they were 10 years ago. No, WWE casually invited us to leave when they refocused their company into a PG promotion. For every disgruntled smark bitching of the Internet, there are a half a dozen kids on the playground who love WWE, whose friends love WWE, whose parents will take them to WWE, and who aren't even thinking about the SATs in 5-7 years.
WWE is not hurting by any means for an audience. They have their audience. TNA wishes they had an audience the size and devotion of the WWE Universe.
What TNA needs to do is refocus their promotion into the kind of company that the WWE Universe will look at in 2-5 years, when they're a little older and bored of PG sports entertainment, and find as a more exciting, interesting alternative to WWE. Bischoff is as good a guy as any to figure out how to that and implement a plan of action. They need to grow TNA fandom the way WCW did, where people were throwing Nitro parties in the late 90's, preferred Nitro to RAW, and/or only watched Nitro.
Hogan would best be served, as I've read him to be quoted, to be the face of TNA to entice the curiosity of the older fans who have spent any of the last 25 years as Hulkamaniacs to look at TNA, while backstage working with the talent to develop their ability to connect with the fans.
Whether any of that happens, who knows?
Regardless, in my opinion, going head to head on Monday night anytime soon isn't going to happen.
Originally posted by John OrquiolaWhat TNA needs to do is refocus their promotion into the kind of company that the WWE Universe will look at in 2-5 years, when they're a little older and bored of PG sports entertainment, and find as a more exciting, interesting alternative to WWE. Bischoff is as good a guy as any to figure out how to that and implement a plan of action. They need to grow TNA fandom the way WCW did, where people were throwing Nitro parties in the late 90's, preferred Nitro to RAW, and/or only watched Nitro.
Moving TNA into closer toward the UFC presentation of competition (dropping the backstage skits in favor of fighter promos, for one) and combining the two for a Monday line-up might be Spike's best bet. TNA can't beat the WWE be replicating the WWE. It has to move in a new direction of presenting the product, but signing Hogan suggests they'll stay rooted in in-ring contract signings and [whatever]-on-a-pole matches.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by rv581You telling me that if Spike TV & Viacom really gets behind TNA and starts plugging the crap outa Angle, Hogan, Joe, Foley, Sting, etc. on "Ultimate Fighter" and other shows, the WWE brand is so bulletproof that TNA is destined to fail?
I think they'd be surprisingly competitive. Especially if the shows don't suck.
That last line is the key. Spike can plug the sh!t out of them all they want, but if the show still sucks it will all be for naught.
I agree with DJ mainly for having my favorite player NBA player of all time as his avatar. Never the less, if the show sucks then it will tank. WCW was winning, because they had better wrestlers in and out of the ring. I am not sure if TNA has as many good wrestlers as WWE. They would have to make changes and the way they film that ring will be on of them. That thing is such a disaster. Also, the production needs to move out of the Impactzone every once and awhile. Sure, it has a quasi-ECW feel to it, but they need to expand more into the east coast instead of the mid-west and south. You want to hit Vince where it counts start doing more bookings in Pa, NY and Maryland.
UFC is Spike's best counter right now or maybe ever to WWE, hell they beat them a few weeks ago. They should lead in with TNA then go to Spike at the 10 p.m. Even if they did a one hour X-Division/Knockout show as a commercial for Impact it would help. I don't think they can go head to head with them, but it won't shock me to see UFC eventually start beating them on a regular basis in the next few years. TNA would be the icing on the cake for Spike to knock down Vince.
I do agree with the WWE Universe kid friendly to a point. Eventually, like all kids they are going to figure out its not real then what? Are they still going to watch for the storylines or just up and leave. Same problem with the 80s will happen again once this generation grows up in 3 to 5 years. TNA will lose if they go the ECW route. They need to find away to fun without pissing off to many parents. They have the young talent for kids to relate to, but they don't push them hard enough. Most kids get sick of Superman and go to Batman, MCMG can be Batman to Cena's Superman or even Joe or AJ in that regard. They just need to find a way to balance out the old way of doing things with the young talent. Hogan being there will give them exposure, but they have to use it right and that means not jobbing out everyone for a .5 rating increase.
Of course TNA is going to get stomped in the ratings and if they think otherwise they are crazy. But I would hope their goal isn't to be competitive yet, but to simply have a show on "wrestling night". It's a good step for them if they don't expect too much and as rv581 said now is as good a time as ever. If they think Hogan and Bischoff are going to make an impact, which obviously they do, then why wouldn't you take the shot now?
Having a second show can do a lot of good. More time for MCMG, Consequences Creed, Homicide, Suicide, The Pope and others. That should improve their show. A lot of people are worried about it becoming the Hogan show but whatever amount of airtime Hogan gets isn't going to equal to having an additional 2 hours and they probably had to have Hogan/Bischoff to get the show.
It also means 8 shows to promote a PPV instead of 4. That's pretty huge because we know TNA's PPVs do awful. Now that they have the proper amount of time between PPVs maybe they will do a better job of promoting them.
As for their talent, maybe they don't have as much talent as WWE but they also don't have their talent split three ways. Maybe Smackdown has as much talent as a TNA program but personally I like their roster better than any of the individual WWE brands.
Originally posted by QuezzyIt also means 8 shows to promote a PPV instead of 4. That's pretty huge because we know TNA's PPVs do awful. Now that they have the proper amount of time between PPVs maybe they will do a better job of promoting them.
This same argument was used when Impact went from a one to a two-hour show. TNA then filled that extra hour with pointless promos, ridiculous skits, and cheap nonsense for the better part of a year. Their track record doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence.
Bubba the Love Sponge is also the main guy pushing the story that Hogan is the big boss of TNA now and will be running everything, which has been steadfastly denied by everyone else. I think Bubba talks a lot of shit.
----- ***EDIT: Although apparently Hogan is now saying the same thing: "Regardless of what is being said publicly, Hogan is telling his friends, and the wrestlers he is recruiting, that he is now in charge of TNA and that nobody is above him except Bob Carter (Dixie Carter's father who funds the promotion)."
This is from 411, who cite Wrestling Observer, although I can't find it on the WO site yet. -----
Impact, quality-wise, right now is consistently stronger than it's been in years. Even given that (and assuming that doesn't change with the arrival of Hogan, which is a HUGE assumption -- or even that it doesn't just change randomly anyway, which TNA has a strong tendency to do), my gut reaction is that Monday nights is a bad move. I think they'd be better off getting a Knockouts and/or X Division show on Tuesdays or Wednesdays or something.
On the other hand, after thinking about it, I'm not really sure what the downside actually is, other than "losing face" with poor ratings or "incurring the wrath of Vince McMahon," the latter of which I doubt is something that (rightly or wrongly) is a motivating factor right now -- if anything, I think they want to do that.
--K
(edited by Karlos the Jackal on 29.10.09 1720) Last 5 movies seen: Medicine for Melancholy *** - Zombieland **** - Monsters vs. Aliens ***1/2 - Away We Go *** - Inglourious Basterds **1/2
If they decide to do this, they are in far better position than WCW was going through the year prior to Nitro. If ever a company was stagnant, it was WCW in that time period.
Originally posted by redsoxnationIf they decide to do this, they are in far better position than WCW was going through the year prior to Nitro. If ever a company was stagnant, it was WCW in that time period.
Yeah but. Hulk Hogan in 1995 was drawing 1.0 buyrates with Vader. Hulk Hogan in 2008 was drawing a .4 Nielsen on Country Music Television.
Originally posted by redsoxnationIf they decide to do this, they are in far better position than WCW was going through the year prior to Nitro. If ever a company was stagnant, it was WCW in that time period.
Yeah but. Hulk Hogan in 1995 was drawing 1.0 buyrates with Vader. Hulk Hogan in 2008 was drawing a .4 Nielsen on Country Music Television.
Hogan also buried the title for 6 months between SuperBrawl and the opening of Nitro, the Infamous Baywatch at the Beach PPV being the lone defense. WCW went from Alex Wright and Marcus Alexander Bagwell being the future stars of wrestling to Benoit, Guerrero and Malenko overnight. Plus, TNA would have one important thing going for them that WCW didn't have going into Labor Day 1995: The knowledge that someone has been successful going head to head with RAW. If it can be done before, it could be done again, especially if Vince is distracted. Now, if it becomes the craptacular battle of egos, then it would have no chance.
Another nice image to put into peoples heads - Bret Hart always claimed that there was more evidence of a homosexual relationship between Vince and Shawn than him and Sunny. So Vince -> Shawn -> HHH -> Steph.