What doe TNA have to do to get to the next level?

Jackie Pies

the audio is really bad. and those cheap remakes of songs they have. like ddp's awful nirvan ripoff. i know they dont' want to pay for the rights, but come on.
i'm teling you guys they replay it, don't you have vcr's or something?

also, they really need a new champ, and championship matches where you believe the other guy has a chance against JJ... nash, ddp, comeon, who believes they'd win?

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

He used that in WCW. Probably just carried it over with him

WCW was the king of knock-off songs for entrance music. I remember Vince Russo coming out to "Ironman"

Y2J The King Of The World

1) Better writing. TNA has the talent to build a successful company already, but the storylines they book aren't compelling or original, nor do they make you want to watch the product. The reason why TNA has any following right now is either (a) nostalgic wrestling fans watching their favorites of the past or (b) for the new guys who put on visually spectacular matches. I'm definitely category b here. I could care less about watching BG James, "The Outlaw", Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, DDP, or any of those washed-up guys taking up precious TV time. They've done nothing to freshen up their characters since their WWE/WCW days, aside from an occasional goofy Elvis suit (worst costume idea ever). I'd rather watch the new breed of guys like Styles, Daniels, Williams, Skipper, and Alpha Male go out there, do their thing in the ring, and build storylines around that than see the guys who can't work any more take up TV time in non-wrestling promo roles only to deliver pure crap when PPV time comes.

2) Production values has been another big kicker here. More than anything, they need to realize that they don't have to hang with WWE. If you can't afford the big-budget pyro, go without pyro altogether. The sparse, chintzy pyro they have makes them look second rate. Again, the company's strong suit is its ringwork, not its ability to hang with WWE in presentation.

3) No more past-their-prime guys coming and going. WWE made this mistake when HHH was champion 2 years ago, facing Scott Steiner for a few months only to have him forgotten, and then facing Kevin Nash and having the same happen. Don't push the guys that aren't going to stick around. Nobody wants to see Randy Savage main event in 2005, so don't pay him huge money to be a flash-in-the-pan way of getting Jeff Jarrett over.

4) More TV time. I don't know that they necessarily need a 2-hour broadcast, but maybe two, one-hour broadcasts. They have too many guys to try to squeeze into an hour, so the storylines don't get developed properly. Get another time slot, let the product get some breathing room, and start developing stuff that makes people want to buy PPV's.

5) Lose Dusty Rhodes as the "Commissioner" or whatever he's supposed to be. I never liked Dusty on the mic, and to listen to him mutter through his authoritative role makes me not want to watch. It's a rehash role that carries zero clout. Plus, I think he found two women who are even less talented than the girls WWE hired in the Diva Search to be his eye candy. Simply second-rate through and through.

Those are my big gripes about TNA. I love the X-Division, love the clock for the matches - makes it seem more like a sport, and I think the six-sided ring is a great way to visually differentiate them from WWE. What the company lacks is direction from a competent booker/creative team. Sure, WWE's not always good, but Stephanie McMahon is turning out better product than TNA is creatively. But, the upside is that if TNA got a great booker, Stephanie couldn't compete, and TNA could gain some steam that way. Food for thought...

AudioSavior

Dusty Rhodes really is running things at TNA so he would have to get rid of himself.

THat is a great list of things but they still can't do ANY of it with out more money. I don't care what you thinnk needs to change. The bottom line is they need more money end of story. ECW had it all and more, except money.