Dixie Carter answered fan questions from Facebook and Twitter on ImpactWrestling.com and here are some of the highlights...
Why they decided to change the name to Impact Wrestling: "The show has always been called Impact. But as we grew the TNA corporate brand beyond Impact, we felt it was important (and the time) to let Impact stand on its own. It's still under the TNA banner, it's still the TNA World Heavyweight Title, but the show name is Impact Wrestling."
On whether Impact being live every week would help ratings and spoilers leaking out: "I would love Impact to be live each week, but it's a matter of economics. As far as wrestling news sites are concerned, if you want to be surprised then people should not read them. If people choose to, they certainly shouldn't judge anything based upon one person's opinion, good or bad. The few times I have seen a spoiler, they always tell a limited, one-dimensional side of a story, and usually a very biased one at that."
Are the younger talent allowed to do media work so they can become household names: "We work very hard to get as many of the younger talent doing media as possible. If I had to guess, Hulk Hogan has done tens of thousands of interviews and of course, everyone in the media always wants to talk to him. It is a top priority to expose the younger talent in mainstream media and in outside film/tv projects. The more they do, the bigger their profile."
Impact going on the road permanently: "It is our top priority to take the show on the road on a permanent basis. Hopefully we will announce more live event Impact taping dates soon."
Bringing back the 6-sided ring: "I liked us using the 6-sided ring for our X Division Pay-Per-View, Destination X, this year. We should do that every year, but at this time, there are no plans to bring it back as our permanent ring."
Dealing with all the heat: "I think you meant haters. If so, you grow tough skin and know you will never please everyone all the time. You work to please the most people as much of the time as you can."
Rebranding the X-Division: "I am a huge X Division fan. In the beginning, we had great talent representing that division, but those top guys have moved on to other opportunities on the roster. Today, we have the best crop of new and upcoming X Division stars and we are going to give them time on the show each week."
How she feels about a company that uses a "Wrestling Matters" slogan having a total of 7 minutes of wrestling (on the 10/20 show): "Very rarely does Impact have that little wrestling, but on occasion, there is a need for that. It was necessary for the 10/20 show to have the focus it did and to bring forward our wrestling stories, and I’m happy to say it was our most viewed Impact Wrestling episode to-date."
How she feels about the direction of the company: "I’ve never felt better about every aspect of the company. I think Impact Wrestling is better than it has ever been. So many of the younger talent have stepped up and are earning the spotlight. We are having tremendous international success, and are growing the corporation in many new areas, which are critical to our overall growth. I’m very excited about the upcoming year."
