Why TNA May Win The Ratings War
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 12/11/2006
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Guest Column By Alex Regimbald
Lately it seems wrestling is not what it used to be. The WWF we all grew up with and loved is gone. In its place, a new brand name: WWE. A name has never suited a company more than this one has. If you look close, that's all it is: mindless entertainment. Gone are the days of intriguing storylines, exhilarating, & shocking matches and memorable superstars. Now we have a man with a major race issue as champion while talented individuals such as Shelton Benjamin and Tommy Dreamer are given mid to low-card positions in the company despite their history and talent. WWE's answer to upper card wrestling is a depressing reincarnation of DX, which would make even the most tight assed of tight asses wish for X-Pac and the Outlaws to return and make DX at least semi-bearable. While it seems RAW may be in jeopardy, SmackDown! is in a much more troubling situation. On this show, feuds never end and athletes who had genuinely good characters and storylines are given embarrassing and ridiculous people to portray, Booker T being a prime example. No longer is he the street talking spin dancing athlete he was, but now he's a ridiculous blowhard who believes he is king. The only possible reason I can see for him being given this role is that somewhere in his past he pissed off Mr. McMahon and this is his punishment. For wrestling fans, it seems there is no hope. WWE controls all major promotions and seems intent to keep their product at an all time low. But there is some relief for those who want it.
The relief is in the form of a little known promotion called TNA.
At first glance, it seems TNA doesn't stand a chance. Their roster is a good three times smaller than that of WWE's and their only true TV time is their TV show iMPACT!!, a small one hour show every 9:00 pm on Thursdays. One could even say they're the minor leagues of wrestling. But, for starters, let's take a closer look at their roster. Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Rhino, Raven, and the Dudleys. That small handful of superstars has more talent and more legendary reputation than most of WWE's locker room. Samoa Joe, a legend from ROH. Kurt Angle, a gold medalist and
actual wrestler from the Olympics who was, in my eyes, never given a good role in WWE. Rhino, Raven, and the Dudleys are all ECW alumni that would make any fan squeal with joy. Now add in their amazing X-division and their roster begins looking fairly good.
Now another problem may be their TV show iMPACT! While iMPACT! is meant to showcase the talents of their roster, it is only one hour long and its ratings are around a consistent 1.0. However, let's look at one thing. A year ago during their 2005 season, iMPACT! did not hit 1.0 once. Not even once. Then 2006 rolls around and, while there are still many times when they hit below 1.0, the ratings have increased significantly. While RAW's ratings are around a 4.0 or less, consider that they used to rank around anywhere from 6.0 to an astonishing 8.0. Now consider this; if ratings are dropping dramatically, it means viewers are tuning onto other stations. Now say some of those fans give up wrestling, that's fine; but for those who don't, where do they turn to? WCW and ECW are long absorbed into WWE and the only other widely famous promotion is TNA. So if those fans were to change their TVs to Spike at 9 on Thursdays, they would find a lovely alternative to the repetitiveness of WWE. Now, then TNA begins to gain a fan base that steadily grows. They build their talent, slowly, and begin pulling off interesting feuds & astonishing matches. People begin to take note & switch channels and soon, WWE is forced to stop slacking & really try and compete. Before people say it will never happen, refer back to my note about the ratings. A steady increase in ratings and the fact that TNA has been moved to a secure timeslot can mean nothing but good for the promotion. Soon maybe we'll see TNA for two hours instead of just the one and then things would get really interesting. If they play their cards right, a slot against Monday Night RAW might even be in their future and then fans, the beauty of another Monday Night War and more of the amazing wrestling we all loved.
The point here is simple: TNA has the talent, the management, and the potential to make it all happen. Their job now is to really find a way to get their names out there and to be noticed by the casual wrestling fan because once you have them hooked, more cash flows and more power to the company. With WWE slipping down the ratings tube, does it really seem that impossible that his holiness Mr. McMahon could be dethroned? I think it's not only possible, but that it's being built to just that. Unless something significant happens to change the course, all TNA needs to do is better manage their time, continue to pull off an excellent show week after week, and
get their message out there! If no one knows about the product, no matter how good it is, no one will watch it and they'll lose in no time. So remember, if in a while from now you see TNA moved to Monday night, keep in mind how good the Monday Night War was and expect to see much more of the same.
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