TNA To Make Major Set Changes & Other Related News and Opinions

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Mr.Enigma

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Over the last few weeks I've been hearing about a major overhaul of the TNA 'iMPACT! Zone' in Orlando, FL. I have been holding off on reporting anything until I could get further confirmation.

I've been told that Eric Bischoff's production company
is the contractor logged in to oversee the overhaul. TNA has to notify lease agents, insurers and park officials of any construction activities because they can interrupt the filming of other productions on the lot.

I wonder what all this will mean for the impact zone. I also heard that they are going to start using some 20 x 20 ring and do away with the 6 sided ring because Hogan is not a fan of it at all.

On other related news, AOL and Time Warner have split as AOL wants to go at it own their own and stocks dropped immediately as Time Warner went up. I mention this because if I was TNA, and being affiliated with Hogan and Bishoff, I would take a second TNA show with TNT or TBS which has a much bigger share of TV viewers.

Also, if Dixie is smart, now would be a good time to get in touch with Ted Turner and with her fathers money and Ted's together, that would give TNA all the financial backing they need to be bigger and even more competition as WCW was to WWE/F. Just my opinion, but I think that would work.
 

phantomgerald

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Please don't get rid of the six sided ring. I hate it when it was first introduced but it has now become one of the things you recognize as uniquely TNA.
 

Mr.Enigma

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Yeah, I thought the same. It is just another one of those things that makes TNA unique and truly different from everyone else.
 

Airfixx

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If they change the ring back to a traditional one, in a few years looking back, on DVDS, retrospective's and such the 6-sided ring is gonna look SO stupid.

Anyone remember hexagonal and L-shaped pool tables? HAHAHAHA


As for TNA getting in bed with Turner.... Ya'll really think he'd be prepared to get involved in wrestling again? I'm sure all the US-peeps on here are better placed to appropriate the news about AOL/TIME, but it sound like an interesting development when you consider their alleged involvement in pulling the plug on WCW.
 

Mr.Enigma

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I will say this, if TNA is seriously considering a real run with RAW, they better go all out, but doing so wisely and with every bit of consideration to actually doing the job and with as much financial power as possible.

Also, TNA needs to look at whether SpikeTV is the right place to wage that kind of campaign. Just look back at when WWE was there. Some of their highest ratings were in the high 2's and low 3's. TNA if anything might want to consider TNT, TBS, or at least another major national circuit because I just don't think SpikeTV is exactly the grounds to wage that kind of ratings war considering what happened to WWE. Just look at the difference WWE got once they went back to USA.
 

monkeystyle

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TNT, TBS won't take any wrestling programs. If they wanted wrestling they could've had it when they had WCW. However when AOL purchased Time Warner they decided they wanted nothing to do with pro wrestling any longer. TNA could really use a bigger network that everyone gets but it's not going to happen because I cannot think of a single larger network that will take a chance on pro wrestling.
 

Mr.Enigma

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Well, if SpikeTV is the little of options they have, then as for a ratings war, WWE might just have that rapped up before it even begins. Then again, the only way I think TNA can still have a viable chance is that they increase their advertising to lure more unknowns to SpikeTV to tune in. Otherwise, again, they can rap that "war" concept up because as I said before, the highest WWE got while on spike was the low 3's. With WWE's presence in the world, that was still considered as low and partly why I believe they moved back to USA or at the time were seeking alternate options themselves.
 

Airfixx

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TNT, TBS won't take any wrestling programs. If they wanted wrestling they could've had it when they had WCW. However when AOL purchased Time Warner they decided they wanted nothing to do with pro wrestling any longer. TNA could really use a bigger network that everyone gets but it's not going to happen because I cannot think of a single larger network that will take a chance on pro wrestling.


So would TBS remain a part of AOL or Time Warner?

'Cos it was the AOL buy out that pulled the plug on WCW wasn't it? ...If Time Warner retain TBS and were cool with them having a wrestling show all along, maybe a deal could be reached?

(Could be off the mark here... Struggling to recall some of the finer details of that situ. Plus I have no other insight into US TV networks besides my interest in wrestling.)
 

Quintastic One

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Ted Turner pretty much held onto WCW for dear life for better or for worse. Even through their darker hours in the beginning when they lost several million in the early 90's, he pulled through it because he believed that wrestling is what made his TBS Super Station what it is today. But then when the deal came with AOL and Time Warner, Ted Turner lost his power pretty much. The board saw the massive sinkhole that WCW had become in 2001 and decided to fold it because it wasn't a good investment for them.

So Ted Turner calling the shots individually, IF he still has control of TBS, would probably jump at the chance to get back into wrestling.
 

monkeystyle

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Okay, so the AOL-Time Warner merger tanked huge, right? And earlier this year Time Warner spun off AOL and now AOL is an independent company again. Problem is the guy who always wanted wrestling on Turner networks was Ted Turner, obviously. Ted Turner is no longer in charge of Time Warner, therefore no wrestling.

WCW was always looked down on even when they were making money. The belonged to the same company as CNN. They were the definitive red headed step child who didn't fit in with the serious, legitimate programming.

Without Ted Turner there is no wrestling on TBS or TNT or any other Time Warner owned station.
 

Airfixx

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So where's Turner at these days? ...He have no power what-so-ever?

I still think any potential (however unlikely) TBS deal would revolve around who retained control over the TBS network after the split; AOL or Time Warner.
 

monkeystyle

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From what I was able to read Turner lost like seven billion in the merger and retired from vice-chairman in 06. The article also mentioned that he was asked whether he had any interest in buying his shares in Time Warner back to which he replied he doesn't have that kind of money anymore.

And yeah TBS is still owned by Time Warner.
 

monkeystyle

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But again, Ted Turner was still like, the only person in the Time Warner corp who wanted wrestling in the first place. But you are right, theoretically it could happen, logically though it won't because if they dropped WCW because they started having a few bad years, they would never take a risk on TNA who has yet to prove anything to anyone.
 

Mr.Enigma

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Actually, TNA has proven something in that they actually have begun to turn a profit as of late last year or early this year. As for Ted Turner, from what I read online earlier today, he is no longer over anything with Turner Networks and they are now headed by some other guy.

The article also did not say anything to the new owner being of any interest in a wrestling promotion or not.

My thing was, even if Ted Turner is not affiliated with the networks any longer, maybe he could at least help out and invest in TNA financially to add to their already deep pockets ala Panda Energy (Dixie's Family). I just think that together, it only makes them stronger financially and able to possibly lure some other bigger names to TNA that might actually pay off. The only thing they have going for them right now to lure anyone is their ease of schedule. And as Gail Kim proved along with others (i.e. Christian), when you look at the downside and retirement, money still counts to some degree.