Hey Scott,
I have to admit, I thought you were completely exaggerating about the state of TNA Wrestling in your blog. I think it's because there's been rumors since its inception that TNA is going out of business. However, after reading recent reports that the Carters are potentially looking to sell the company to get something out of it, I stand corrected.So if these reports are accurate and if you were a betting man, what would be the chances of Vince buying the company? I would think between the video library and the Thursday night timeslot on Spike, there would be interest in buying it, eh?I'm curious if you agree but I have a weird feeling there's going to be NXT on Thursday nights sometime in the next 6-8 months.....
The company would have zero value, and WWE already burned their bridges with Spike, so really I could only see them waiting for the company to die and then buying the tape library. They'd probably make more profit on a "Rise and fall of TNA" DVD than the company ever has in a year.
WWE has enough trouble writing for 1.5 shows. What the fuck are they gonna do with the TNA roster?
ReplyDeleteI assume WWE would love to grab the tape library and couldn't care less about anything else.
ReplyDeleteHere's a question. If you were Vince, how much money would you give them, to avoid the Carters or TNA "upper management" doing something stupid, or losing a court case, that has a negative impact on WWE's business via precedent?
ReplyDeleteWith how inept they are you'd kinda have to think about it, even if it means having to take on the guys/gals who have contracts.
1.5 shows? Raw, Smackdown, Superstars, Main Event, NXT. I count five.
ReplyDeleteYou never know; Turner's not dead yet, and according to sources he's a mark for wrestling still to this day.
ReplyDeleteI reckon Vince would watch only 1.5 of those shows per week. At most.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what DVDs/matches they could wring out of the TNA Library? I guess it could be used for extensive Sting and Kurt Angle DVDs. A 3-disc Angle collection with his best matches from WWE and TNA would be a classic. An X-Division DVD might sell decently, I guess?
ReplyDeleteOther than that I can just imagine the Rise & Fall DVD and depending on Vince's whims, I could imagine that playing out like the Ultimate Warrior DVD.
Plan a separate show for the roster, introduce them poorly, botch a silver platter invasion angle, bury the brand, and eventually fire everybody they brought over with the purchase of the company. But above all else, they'd make WWE buying TNA a feud among the McMahons.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think spike would just buy them for really cheap.
ReplyDeleteThey only write for Raw and half of Smackdown.
ReplyDeleteIt's a joke.
His problem would be finding a network. How much pull does Billionaire Ted have nowadays?
ReplyDeleteThat takes work dude.
ReplyDeleteAnd TNA is not WCW. What dream feuds do they? Punk/Styles? Cena/Joe? Bryan/Roode? I dunno...TNA gets worse ratings than Total Divas.
I think you just insulted Total Divas.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wouldn't mind seeing Punk/Joe again, on a much bigger stage.
Did TNA have a Rise? They just kinda..existed.
ReplyDeleteThey never hit Vince-level numbers, but they were doing very well until Hogan showed up.
ReplyDelete"Rise and Fall" is a catchier title than the more honest "TNA: The Ten-Year Treadmill."
ReplyDeleteWhat DID they do to burn their bridges with Spike? I wasn't watching during the last switch, so I was surprised to suddenly find them on USA Network again- being Canadian, the difference never was apparent.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Mediocrity: The Endless Fucking Pushes of Jeff Fucking Jarrett.
ReplyDeleteIf Hulk and Eric are so sure that they need ‘the keys to the car’ and more resources to make TNA a success, they should put their money where their mouth is and try teaming up with some investors to buy the company out if it becomes available.
ReplyDeleteIf TNA really is going down, then I guess I'd be quite happy to watch it blow up in front of those egotistical bastards first.
Punk/Joe would be fun...but while I think Punk could bring it...I'm not so sure about Joe.
ReplyDeleteAnd Nikki Bella is a bigger draw than Sting and Hogan, just want to remind people of that.
1.5 was their peak right? But I think wrestling just dropped off in 09'/10'.
ReplyDeleteLet's look at the workers under contract, do you really think WWE want's to bring them in?
ReplyDeleteThey are made up of guys that WWE really doesn't want back due to drug/alcohol problems. Workers that are past their prime and WWE already has guys in similar roles who are already over with the WWE fanbase, Ex-WWE guys who have already done pretty much everything their talent will allow in WWE. The rest are total no names who would be on more money than a guy brought up from NXT.
I can't think of a single wrestler that WWE will WANT to bring into the company.
Roode and Magnus seem the obvious two to me. I'm still surprised Roode didn't end up in WWE when his contract expired earlier this year. He wrestles close to their Main Event style, can cut a promo and has the look they like. Seems like he'd be right up their alley?
ReplyDeleteBrooke Tessmacher, Jessie Godderz and Lei'D Tapa are the only other three I could imagine the WWE hiring. In a just world, Aries would get picked up and put on Main Event clinics with Punk and Bryan but if they wouldn't even take him for Tough Enough, I doubt they'd ever consider him for their main roster.
Short of TNA trying to recreate the Benoit murders live on air (Angle, put the fucking Bible down...), I doubt anything TNA could do would affect WWE.
ReplyDeleteThere's two, maybe three guys that WWE might put in Developmental for a little while to see what they've got, and maybe bring in Jeff Hardy for a Wrestlemania appearance (one more match with CM Punk?).
ReplyDeleteOthen than the tape library to fill out some more DVD sets, I can't think of anything else WWE would want from this ragtag group of misfits, castaways, and never-will-bes.
I could see that happening. And when Hogan and Bischoff and Friends show up on the first Impact, and squash any of the actual talent, I could walk away for good. After aiming a few curses (profane and voodoo) at those two, of course.
ReplyDelete"And WWE is a bigger draw than Sting and Hogan, just want to remind people of that."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure any set of "Divas" could pull that rating.
Tessmachers ass is worth every dime Vince woild potentially pay for the company. Get those cheeks on Raw and Smackdown.
ReplyDeleteVince had them before.
ReplyDeleteWas she a tv regular? I have zero recollection
ReplyDeleteBrooke Adams, ECW Extreme Expose. With Kelly (X2) and Layla.
ReplyDeleteVince no sold TNA's entire existence. I'm sure he would buy TNA for tape library only. The talented guys (Aries, Roode, Styles) would get thrown in the Floridia performance center and given names like "Jacob Cole" and "Dylan Murphy".
ReplyDeleteAnd they'd become more well-known there than they have ever been...
ReplyDeleteIf I was Vince, I'd buy Bad Influence and Double AA's contracts and push them Daniel Bryan style. That would be a GOOD business move that he'd never think of. Other than the video library it wouldn't be worth his time of day buying TNA.
ReplyDelete"Rise and Fall of TNA" doesn't sound like a particularly relevant DVD title.
ReplyDeleteHow about "The Insignificant Existance of TNA"?
TNA: The company dumb enough to turn Jeff HArdy heel
ReplyDeleteDaniels is damn near 50.
ReplyDeleteKaz has been there already and fired.
Aries got cut from tough enough and he is short as shit.
The problem with a DVD like "the Rise and Fall of TNA" is most people would think it's about Test and Albert.
ReplyDeleteHe's friggin' Ted Turner, plenty of people/companies would love to work with him.
ReplyDeleteHe's so into wrestling, he mentioned it zero times in his autobiography. Ted Turner's not getting back into wrestling.
ReplyDeleteNot much.
ReplyDeleteAs stupid as it was to turn him heel, Jeff himself did a fantastic job in the role.
ReplyDeleteIt was kind of like Austin's turn.
On their own, a lot of their home-grown stars probably aren't big enough deals where just showing up and announcing their arrivals would be a major event, but there are certainly ways to go about it.
ReplyDeleteSuch as, oh, some new "Paul Heyman Guys"? I so badly want to see AJ Styles brought in as "The REAL Best in the World".
The Dudleys could go on a legends contract. Or Bully...err...Bubba could have one actual run with the WHC.
ReplyDeleteInsert Jeff Vinson gif below...
ReplyDelete(Binky the Clown voice)
ReplyDeleteHEEEEEEYYYYYY NETFLIX!!!
the idea was cool, it was piss poor execution
ReplyDelete.... So is Daniel Bryan. Just because someone got fired or cut from a shitty program doesn't mean they aren't talented. Besides I advise if ever do watch TNA to watch those three as they are outstanding... Bad Influence are the funniest duo in wrestling and Aries is possibly the best wrestler in the world right now outside DB, the dude is a machine, over and gives killer promo's too. Don't be so narrowminded.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see some of the TNA guys come in as Paul Heyman Guys. You know he'd get them over immediately as big time free agent acquisitions on his part.
ReplyDeleteVince wouldn't need to buy the company. He can just wait until they are out of business, hire whoever he wants, and buy the library.
Yeah but they'd just blame it on the talent not being good enough or something. I don't think there's any way they'd wind up being humbled.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Celebrity Net Worth, he's still worth $2 billion... not terrible by any means.
ReplyDeleteJarrett's awesome... so I'd buy that.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Joe could get himself back to 2003 shape by spending some good time in the WWE Performance Center?
ReplyDeleteEven if he hadn't burned any bridges with Spike, the WWE's contract with USA/SfyFy/NBCUniversal probably prohibits them from having shows on another network.
ReplyDeletelol... I know what they can do, I have been watching them wrestle probably longer than you have.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me to not be narrow-minded, tell that to Vince.
If WWE wanted them, they would have had them already. (in Kaz/Aries case, they had them already... they cut them.)
What are they gonna do hire those three, put them on the main roster and rush them up the card in 3-6 months?
Nope.
"Big time free agent acquisitions' implies that most WWE fans would actually have heard of anyone on the TNA roster. Other than a small handful they haven't.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Main Event show on a network that's outside of the NBCUniversal "family" of networks?
ReplyDeleteWe've still never seen that Punk/Angle dream match. Even if he's off his rocker now, he can still go in the ring
ReplyDeleteWhich is why you pair them with Paul Heyman. He makes everyone he's paired with a bigger deal.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly would the "rise" be, anyway?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few nice things that would happen if TNA folded: Sting and Angle getting nice send off matches in WWE, some fun DVDs, and guys like Kaz, Daniels, Aries getting to put on awesome matches in ROH and PWG. Expecting any type of invasion angle or huge talent acquisition by WWE is absurd. They could already have any of those guys they wanted.
ReplyDeleteThat rape-y midget in the trashcan angle?
ReplyDeleteExcept Axel, whom no one cares about. And Ryback, whom people only barely care about. Punk and Brock would be over with or without him.
ReplyDeleteNope. ion is the old Pax network.
ReplyDeleteHe may have been (or still is) a mark for the old-school southern wrestling that aired on his network and that helped make the SuperStation a success. That doesn't automatically mean he'd be interested in TNA or the current product.
ReplyDeletePlus he's a smart enough businessman to probably recognize how second or third rate Impact is. He may have been a wrestling mark, but he wouldn't have bought out JCP if he also didn't think it would have been a good investment.
Yeah, but it's boring as fuck. If that's the type of show NBCUnviersal will allow the WWE to air on another network, do we really need another one? Or will we as fans really be better served if Main Event moves from Ion to Spike? Would Spike want a show that dull on their network in prime time?
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that some of those guys couldn't get over with Heyman (although as splapdabass said, that didn't help Axel any) - I'm just saying you can't really take guys that nobody has heard of and push them as 'big time free agents'.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea, if only because it would include lots of footage of Trish Stratus's cleavage.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair (and realistic), it's not like Vince can't change his mind. There are plenty of guys that he initially passed on, then rehired and pushed later.
ReplyDelete..OK, but only because you said so:
ReplyDeletehttp://i.imgur.com/6dgvzSY.gif
Ha, thats what I needed!
ReplyDeleteWell if you read my original post "That would be a GOOD business move that he'd never think of". So yeah you basically just repeated what I initially said.
ReplyDelete... as narrated by Werner Herzog.
ReplyDeleteKaz quit after a month. He wasn't fired.
ReplyDeleteI could see Aries REALLY getting over as a Heyman guy, being sold as the "better younger" CM Punk.
ReplyDeleteJoe could as be over as a Heyman guy but only if they play up his history with Punk and could be Samoa Joe and not a McMahon gimmick like Agamu, the Samoan Savage.
AJ would never be given a chance. Kevin Dunn hates the south and he has heat with Punk.
And wasn't he trained by Michaels? Don't discount the value of that.
ReplyDeleteTV PG makes that worthless.
ReplyDeleteTrue but I don't WANT TNA to die and don't understand why anyone who isn't a complete WWE homer would. TNA, as bad as they are, at least has a national TV deal and it took them 10 years to get there. If TNA dies, then you are gonna have to spend another decade just to get a promotion to the exposure they have as a distant second place.
ReplyDeleteHere's a question: Who would you like to see buy TNA if they sold out?
ReplyDeleteTNA should hire Jesse Baker to book Impact. It at least would be entertaining as hell.
ReplyDeleteActually their treatment of injured wrestlers, and those wrestlers taking them to court, could have a very negative impact on WWE. WWE is never going to lose a case off their "independent contractor" status they give employees. TNA, on the other hand, can probably find a way.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much what I was talking about. Would you throw the Carters a couple of million of dollars to insure they can't fuck up your style of employment?
WWE would be insane to ever let Kurt Angle near their promotion again. Dude is a walking murder/suicide/hotel-heart-attack/drunk-driving-accident waiting to happen. If I'm them I don't even put together a DVD on him just to put as much distance between him and the company as possible.
ReplyDeleteI've always said this. And if he dies, you just know the sports media would be all over the story of "All American Olympic Hero becomes a Pro Wrestler and it destroys him"
ReplyDeleteYou mean the same company that doesn't hesitate to profit off of Snuka (probable murderer), Hall (junkie, multiple DUI), X Pac (junkie, suicide attemtpt, awful porn movie), Jeff Hardy (convicted drug dealer), Austin (domestic abuse), Jake Roberts (super junkie), etc... If he can test clean, no reason to hold his past against him. They never have anyone else.
ReplyDeleteVivid Entertainment so Tessmacher can star in some "movies."
ReplyDeleteyeah, he was featured nicely on velocity for that month, but what broke him was when he went to either an agent or a producer to talk to them after that month and whoever he talked to was all like 'who are you?' so he was like 'church!'
ReplyDeleteI don't either, what I mean is that if it has to, I'd at least like to see them throw some of their own money in the pot if their ideas are so good.
ReplyDeleteIt would only be entertaining if you enjoy rape, dom, S and M, and Cena heel turns
ReplyDeleteSnuka: the case seemed buried back in 85 or whenever. Now that it's back in the spotlight, no way Snuka is ever used again. Also, when was last time we saw Snuka?
ReplyDeleteHall: hasn't been on WWE TV in what, 10 years? Even more time for Roberts.
Austin: nowhere near the risk case that Angle is, not even close. Same for x-PAC. Again, Angle is a front page death waiting to happen. For a company as image conscious as they have become, Angle is nowhere near worth the risk. Especially after 6 years of being devalued as a TNA guy.
You think E is getting die-hard WWE guys?
ReplyDeleteWhat was the ratings drop when they were on the same Sunday as SummerSlam?
Yeah, but he's just another TALENT, not a STAR.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, WWE has plenty of guys that fit the WWE style and look that aren't getting pushed because they have just that many dudes.
AJ Styles does not fit in WWE. He can't talk, he looks like a hick, he wrestles like a Poru guy. He is not what they want.
I disagree completely.
ReplyDeleteBut I am not an Angle fan, and I want the man to retire anyway.
I love Jarrett in TNA.
ReplyDeleteI've heard from basically every source that Aries is a total asshole.
ReplyDeleteAries is shorter than Bryan. And around the exact same age as Punk.
ReplyDeleteDo I ever!
ReplyDeleteThe Rise and Fall of TNA? Did I miss a rise somewhere?
ReplyDeleteThe DVD would be called: "TNA: It Existed"
Punk was at least socially adept enough to hold a job in WWE. Aries was so big of an asshole, RoH fired him.
ReplyDeleteI am not an Aries fan. I'd rather WWE invest in a guy that wasn't in his mid-30s and has "History".
ReplyDeleteHire AR Fox or somebody like that.
I don't really care, but I'm pretty damn sure Viacom the parent company of Spike will buy them if the Carters sell.
ReplyDeleteBecause TNA is still the highest rated show on the network more of the time.
Yeah, but I think WWE's contract with USA is up soon. Like maybe next year. Dave Meltzer seems to think Fox Sports 1 will (or should) make a big play to get exclusive rights to air RAW away from USA.
ReplyDeleteLets face it, WWE Main Event would likely get close to or maybe even better ratings than Impact.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure AR Fox's history as a gay porn star (seriously, you can Google it) hurts his chances of signing with WWE.
ReplyDeleteHell, I would rather watch a DVD dedicated to Trish's tits and ass than a "failure of TNA" documentary anyway.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think the story was that WWE wanted him to cut his hair and he quit rather than give in. Then he cut his hair shortly after that anyway.
ReplyDelete"he has heat with Punk."
ReplyDeleteWait, what?
"He and Punk, much as I enjoy their performances, come across like pretty horrid people."
ReplyDeleteYet, Punk truly has a cult of personality about him that he has plenty of fans who think of him as their best friend when he would probably hate them should they ever meet face-to-face.
I'm aware of his supposed history. I don't think it should matter (considering the...exotic background of their female) and I don't think that would restrict WWE from hiring a guy with talent and charisma. Especially with the increasing liberality of social norms.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure WWE wouldn't even hire a female wrestler who had done hardcore porn. It has nothing to do with the changing norms of society or gay rights. Porn is still viewed negatively by most people, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteWas Fox's alleged pr0n of the hardcore variety?
ReplyDeleteCause if WWE gives a shit if their talent did softcore...uh...they ADVERTISE their women doing Playboy shoots.
And I'll have to take your word on the porn being viewed badly thing. I'm living in LA County and we're down with getting down.