They did a good job with the lighting, then. It didn't look that bad on TV. Figured Wolstein Center would be a good venue for TNA because it's smaller than NBA/NHL arenas. Would only need about 4,000 to look full. So it wasn't even close to that?
It's more depressing, than anything. I don't watch TNA, but some people do enjoy it, and it's sad to see that picture is barely a step up from a gymnasium featuring a main event of Jim Duggan and Bongo the Clown.
Ouch. But its just a TV show at this point anyways. Not like anyone thought or expected them to draw on the road anyways. They made a huge mistake leaving the impact zone.
I would suggest that the beyond stale Aces & Eights storyline has done far more harm than good for the promotion. It's made part of the roster look like losers and much like the nWo, it's gone past it's expiration date. I think the storyline has been so bad, that it's sucked most of the life out of TNA. It's apparent the crowds don't care about it or anything else TNA does (I'm looking at you heel Dixie Carter).
At this point, TNA might as well hit the reset button.
Looks about what I saw in St. Louis - about 2500 people or so. Maybe Vegas is the way to go - there is a fight infrastructure there so they can hire locally for production crew, as well as casinos that are always looking for entertainment. Hell, hook up with those airlines that do cheap Vegas flights. I've always wanted to see how wrestling would look if the HBO or Showtime guys got hold of it.
I'd guess like...600 maybe? God it's such a shame, they almost kind of had something when Roode and Aries were the main focus and now between leaving the Impact Zone and treading water on Aces and Eights for more than a year it's just...over.
Aren't they basically rebooting after BfG? I mean A&8's are down to Bully, Garrett Bischoff, Mike Knox, Taz, and Brook so for all intents and purposes it's dead already. Which is a problem itself since it robbed the faces of ending the group with a big match ala the NWO. Hell, ROH ended S.C.U.M. properly despite all the issues with that storyline.
Wow. I wonder if that fan-free TV studio that the AWA used in its last days is still available. It's a shame, since TNA has had its moments over the years, and for a while here & there, it looked like it had found its footing, only to slide back again and again.
Bingo. Lighting was the key. Nobody was in the upper deck and nobody was on the hard camera side. Literally. It was pretty much all floor and the side opposite the camera (where I was). The side opposite the ramp looked okay, though.
Sorry for the newbie question -- just started watching TNA this year -- but when people talk about TNA "leaving the Impact Zone," what is that about? And why was it bad for business?
Originally they taped all their TV from a studio in Orlando. However they were convinced by certain people that the only way they could grow was to take the shows on the road ala WWE but that has turned out to be a financial disaster for them.
TNA would tape Impact from Universal Studios in Orlando every week, starting in 2005, up through, I don't know, a couple of years ago, and all tickets were free.
Did Brown ever has a true desire to make it big in wrestling though? The guy's personal trainer career made (and still makes I'm assuming) him a shit load of money without killing his body every week.
in fairness, the building in which RAW was held in Biloxi, MS a couple weeks ago was almost *just* like this. No one in the upper deck, no one on the same side as the hard camera. WWE personnel were ushering people from one side of the arena to the other. Lighting tricks and clever camera work can work wonders.
TNA never really doesn't get more than 1000 people so this is typical. What SHOULD be the issue is having events in arenas they know they can't fill (especially with the lack of advertisement). They should be in places like the Hammerstein or the old ECW arena.
Now that I think about it, it would be hilarious if they didn't. "Let's spend thousands of dollars to transport our ring, ramp, and knock-off Titantron video and not charge anyone for tickets! I'm sure we'll make up for it in concessions alone!"
I mis-read the original comment, I thought you meant they were charging people to get into the Impact Zone. Obviously they're charging people when they go on the road.
Apart from a few beat downs and Bully using them, a bit, to protect his title all A&8's ever did was lose every match. I think The Flock would be a better comparison then the NWO.
That looks about right. I went to the Impact tapings in Cleveland on August 29th of this year and it looked exactly like that.
ReplyDeletelol.
ReplyDeleteI think ROH might even be drawing better, and that company has been the shits for a while now
ReplyDeleteThey did a good job with the lighting, then. It didn't look that bad on TV. Figured Wolstein Center would be a good venue for TNA because it's smaller than NBA/NHL arenas. Would only need about 4,000 to look full. So it wasn't even close to that?
ReplyDeleteWith ROH you know that you'll more likely then not see at least 1 ****+ match, even if creative is lacking.
ReplyDeleteTNA has no guarantee of match quality OR decent story telling. Seems like a no brainer which one to go to if you have the choice.
So, they're doing TV on the road to do two of those gates a month. Everything's ok, nothing to see here.
ReplyDeleteThe signing of Derek Bateman will fix this.
ReplyDeleteCant wait for Percy Watson!!
Oh please.
ReplyDeleteGuys, lets buy the promotion.
ReplyDeleteIt's more depressing, than anything. I don't watch TNA, but some people do enjoy it, and it's sad to see that picture is barely a step up from a gymnasium featuring a main event of Jim Duggan and Bongo the Clown.
ReplyDeleteOuch. But its just a TV show at this point anyways. Not like anyone thought or expected them to draw on the road anyways. They made a huge mistake leaving the impact zone.
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING IS FINE.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that the beyond stale Aces & Eights storyline has done far more harm than good for the promotion. It's made part of the roster look like losers and much like the nWo, it's gone past it's expiration date. I think the storyline has been so bad, that it's sucked most of the life out of TNA. It's apparent the crowds don't care about it or anything else TNA does (I'm looking at you heel Dixie Carter).
ReplyDeleteAt this point, TNA might as well hit the reset button.
This pic is gaining ground on Sunny stories for the most depressing thing Ive sen on this blog.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, early WCW had some small crowds.
ReplyDeleteLooks about what I saw in St. Louis - about 2500 people or so. Maybe Vegas is the way to go - there is a fight infrastructure there so they can hire locally for production crew, as well as casinos that are always looking for entertainment. Hell, hook up with those airlines that do cheap Vegas flights. I've always wanted to see how wrestling would look if the HBO or Showtime guys got hold of it.
ReplyDeleteI'd guess like...600 maybe? God it's such a shame, they almost kind of had something when Roode and Aries were the main focus and now between leaving the Impact Zone and treading water on Aces and Eights for more than a year it's just...over.
ReplyDelete...so did late WCW. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteAren't they basically rebooting after BfG? I mean A&8's are down to Bully, Garrett Bischoff, Mike Knox, Taz, and Brook so for all intents and purposes it's dead already. Which is a problem itself since it robbed the faces of ending the group with a big match ala the NWO. Hell, ROH ended S.C.U.M. properly despite all the issues with that storyline.
ReplyDeleteI always thought a wrestling promotion being on HBO or Showtime instead of monthly PPV's would be cool.
ReplyDeleteAlways such a valuable addition to the conversation.
ReplyDeleteThanks mom!
ReplyDeleteI'd buy that for a dollar.
ReplyDeleteIt honestly looks like maybe 300 people
ReplyDeletemaybe 500
ReplyDeletei claim odb
ReplyDeleteI attracted more people too my last house party... and barely anybody likes me.
ReplyDeleteThanks dad!
ReplyDeleteI'm a little skeptical if that would work out given some of the fantasy booking that comes up on here.
ReplyDeleteCan we get a kickstarter going for the blog to buy tna and put Jesse Baker in charge of the books?
ReplyDeleteThey were doing better than that at the end, in live attendance, ratings and buyrates. TNA has never pulled a better rating than any Nitro.
ReplyDeleteWow. I wonder if that fan-free TV studio that the AWA used in its last days is still available. It's a shame, since TNA has had its moments over the years, and for a while here & there, it looked like it had found its footing, only to slide back again and again.
ReplyDelete"They did a good job with the lighting, then."
ReplyDeleteBingo. Lighting was the key. Nobody was in the upper deck and nobody was on the hard camera side. Literally. It was pretty much all floor and the side opposite the camera (where I was). The side opposite the ramp looked okay, though.
*clap clap clap-clap-clap*
ReplyDeleteIMO - TNA had it's big superstar with Monty Brown and didn't capitalize.
ReplyDeleteEverything is perfectly adequate!
ReplyDeleteI'm on it.
ReplyDeleteOf those 500 people, 300 thought it was a bar mitzvah, and 150 were comped.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you want to go there? I don't think any network is looking for a show with a pitch of "There's more rape than Oz!"
ReplyDeleteSorry for the newbie question -- just started watching TNA this year -- but when people talk about TNA "leaving the Impact Zone," what is that about? And why was it bad for business?
ReplyDeleteOriginally they taped all their TV from a studio in Orlando. However they were convinced by certain people that the only way they could grow was to take the shows on the road ala WWE but that has turned out to be a financial disaster for them.
ReplyDeleteTNA would tape Impact from Universal Studios in Orlando every week, starting in 2005, up through, I don't know, a couple of years ago, and all tickets were free.
ReplyDeleteWe only have Jeff Jarrett to blame there
ReplyDeleteDid Brown ever has a true desire to make it big in wrestling though? The guy's personal trainer career made (and still makes I'm assuming) him a shit load of money without killing his body every week.
ReplyDeleteNot defending this soon-to-be-dead company by any means, but WWE tapes Smackdown! and some RAWs with arenas that are half-empty.
ReplyDeletein fairness, the building in which RAW was held in Biloxi, MS a couple weeks ago was almost *just* like this. No one in the upper deck, no one on the same side as the hard camera. WWE personnel were ushering people from one side of the arena to the other. Lighting tricks and clever camera work can work wonders.
ReplyDeleteI went to an NWA promoted show in the same auditorium where I graduated from college the month before.
ReplyDeleteWait, they started charging people to attend Impact? I never heard that.
ReplyDeleteI claim Ghostface Killah.
ReplyDeleteJust from that picture, it looks like a nice set.
ReplyDeleteTNA never really doesn't get more than 1000 people so this is typical. What SHOULD be the issue is having events in arenas they know they can't fill (especially with the lack of advertisement). They should be in places like the Hammerstein or the old ECW arena.
ReplyDeleteCan I rent Tessmacher for a few hours a week?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah!!
ReplyDeleteNo they don't. I've been to plenty of RAWs and Smackdown's. They never have been half empty. House shows on the other hand, I understand.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, it would be hilarious if they didn't. "Let's spend thousands of dollars to transport our ring, ramp, and knock-off Titantron video and not charge anyone for tickets! I'm sure we'll make up for it in concessions alone!"
ReplyDeleteI mis-read the original comment, I thought you meant they were charging people to get into the Impact Zone. Obviously they're charging people when they go on the road.
ReplyDeleteApart from a few beat downs and Bully using them, a bit, to protect his title all A&8's ever did was lose every match. I think The Flock would be a better comparison then the NWO.
ReplyDeleteGiven the choice I would pick a TNA house show over a TV taping. AJ, Roode, Aries, Joe and Bad Influence wrestling > Dixie Carter in ring promo
ReplyDelete