As part of TNA's ongoing efforts to impress the SpikeTV executives at the New York taping, it looks like starting next week TNA will be returning to their former six-sided ring format. The move is nominally dependent on the internet fans voting for Six Sides, but it is hard for me to imagine them proposing such a change if they were not confident of what the vote result would be.
This will mark the roll-back of yet another piece of the Hogan-Bischoff Era's changes. My understanding is that Bischoff or Hogan felt that the four-sided ring would come across better on TV to the WWE (or former WCW) fans whom they were trying to attract. It was a reasonable idea to try out.
I recall reading interviews with wrestlers who found the six-sided ring to be less safe than the four-sided version due to the six-sided one having less give. Hopefully the agents have resolved that safety problem if it was significant.
The six-sided ring makes them appear more visually distinct from other wrestling promotions. This could help them grow more of a unique audience.
It's what's IN the ring...not how many sides it has. (The previous sentence is so obvious that it boggles the mind how the TNA brain trust fails to grasp it and book accordingly. We shouldn't even have to SAY it at this point, but...well, how many years has it been?)
As part of TNA's ongoing efforts to impress the SpikeTV executives
I am not a high powered SpikeTV executive, but I can't imagine they would give a hoot how many sides there are on the ring.
What they NEED is the NY fans not spending three tapings turning on the show (see: the WWE ECW show in the same exact venue) and if six sides is going to help, fine. But I'm thinking the people who are voting for six over four are not the people who are coming to their shows (because, outside the PPV, hardly anyone is coming to their shows.)
It seems like TNA is a bit like MySpace - it's been obvious for some time that world has moved on and it's time to close up shop, but someone continues to insist on spending money on keeping it up and running anyway.
The argument at least used to be that it provided decent ratings for Spike. But seeing as how episodes of Cops are providing better numbers in the 18-45 demo for Spike than Impact does I wonder how much longer they'll want to invest any cash into it or give it a chunk of prime time. What kind of financial exposure does Spike have with Impact at this point? I know supposedly some of the big salaries were being paid by Spike instead of TNA (Hogan, Flair, etc.) but most of them are gone now.
Never liked the 6 sided ring. Looks cheap and looks like they're into full desperation mode trying to bring it back to get some kind of bump in ratings.
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Originally posted by DionysusThe six-sided ring makes them appear more visually distinct from other wrestling promotions. This could help them grow more of a unique audience.
Doesn't someone actually have to watch the show to notice that the ring has changed?
I never got the six-sided ring. I guess it might mean something live, but on television, those extra sides are completely wasted. It doesn't even really look distinct - you can't see it properly. And, if somebody does a spot on one of the angle sides, the camera doesn't really pick it up well.
Well, if they do wind up bringing back the six sided ring, perhaps that means they'll also bring back that giant red cage that I presume Homicide is *still* trying to climb out of.
The ring was a gimmick, any way, and does it really even matter now that the X-Division - the division that benefited most from it - has been so marginalised it might as well not even exist anymore.
Meh, I doubt TNA will even be around this time next year any way.
PS: Austin Aries seems to have some strongopinions about it.
Count me as another who loved the six sided ring. Yeah, it was a gimmick, but it made TNA different. Hogan and Bischoff tried to make TNA into another WWE - and it didn't work. Lets have TNA be their own show, not try to be something else.
From the outbursts on social media since this was announced, talent from both TNA's past and the present uniformly hate the thing. Austin Aries has flipped his lid about it possibly being brought back.
Personally, I kind of like it, but if the people who actually have to work with the thing are that opposed, then they shouldn't bring it back.
The idea of doing more to differentiate themselves from WWE is a good one, but there are other ways to do it. (They can start by having a champion who isn't the Gillberg version of a top WWE star. B^)
Originally posted by Peter The HegemonThe idea of doing more to differentiate themselves from WWE is a good one, but there are other ways to do it. (They can start by having a champion who isn't the Gillberg version of a top WWE star. B^)
Good news! Their version of Daniel Bryan isn't champ anymore.
Bryan lost his title, so Young had to as well. To TNA's version of Batista (or Orton, who knows) with the rest of the TNA Authority outside to help.
Originally posted by Peter The HegemonThe idea of doing more to differentiate themselves from WWE is a good one, but there are other ways to do it. (They can start by having a champion who isn't the Gillberg version of a top WWE star. B^)
Good news! Their version of Daniel Bryan isn't champ anymore.
Bryan lost his title, so Young had to as well. To TNA's version of Batista (or Orton, who knows) with the rest of the TNA Authority outside to help.
(edited by Tribal Prophet on 20.6.14 1019)
Failed MMA Fighter? He's more like their Lesnar.
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This may be old news(I'm sure it is) but, I had to rub my eyes when I saw Dustin Rhodes on the 12/17 Impact. I knew it had to happen..but, why? Not that I have anything against the guy, oh, he's most defintely paid his dues...