Is Russo to blame for TNA's Downfalls?

[gashface]

I don't think I really need to explain myself here, to generalise, Russo has been writing for TNA since 2006, around this time the product began to suffer and has only recently began to improve again (imo) around the same time that some releases were made and Dixie has started to more directly control the direction of TNA. Russo is now completely in charge of writing and since this we have seen great improvements in the product, however these changes are largely due to Dixies influence.

So what is your opinion, has Russo single handedly destroyed a lot of TNA's built up divisions (X-Division!) since he has been there, or were the other people to blame? Do you think TNA can ever succeed with Vince Russo as head writer.

Debate

 

[Rell]

When did this "downfall" occur?? Business is as successful as its ever been, which is all that matters. I mean, they watered the product down to reach a broader audience, but that's expected.

 

[Quintastic One]

I think its pretty obvious the man who's been holding down TNA is none other than Jeff Jarrett. Ever since he got that TNA deal the product went to shit and the X Division and Tag Team Divisions all floundered from under him. Main Event Mafia have been pushed above all other logical choices.

However, now that Jarrett is gone? The product is the BEST 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see. Guaranteed. More talented knockouts, more focus on the X Division *Daniels got 10 minutes of uncontested hype time for the X Title match!* Hernandez, Eric Young, Matt Morgan & AJ Styles are all riding high on tremendously increased TV time and upper mid card to main event pushes. TNA is great right now. Because Jarrett is gone and Dixie Carter has an eye on Russo to make sure she's the necessary filter for some of his crappier ideas.

 

[He who knows more than Nation]

^^^^Wow. I haven't watched any of this weeks episode but saw ALL of last weeks and can honestly say I disagree with almost everything being sold in that statement. The best two hours or wrestling I'll EVER see??? Guaranteed?? I know fanboyism has no limits but Jesus Christ is that overselling. The only thing that has truthfully improved is the effort in trying to push fresh talent to the forefront. And the X-division? Pfft, yah they are trying to re-invigorate that division but they are doing it while taking three steps backwards. Joe and Daniels are skirmishing over that belt? Again??That was like three years ago. If they were serious about the fresh talent initiative then Joe would be in line for the top strap and Daniels would be in a program with someone in the MEM he didn't battle with two and a half years ago. Those guys should be where the heatless spares like Young and Morgan are.What the fuck does Vince Russo know about pushing fresh talent successfully? That dude killed WCW trying to force "fresh" talent like Jeff Jarrett down the viewers throats.

I don't know what your talking about "more talented knockouts", I think adding two good solid hands hardly counts as making the division much better, as it was the only thing TNA did really well. Not much has really changed in the past month, it's still a terrible product (Dixie Carter and Lashley anyone?) with no identity and the hasbeens and washups are still the focus. You are entitled to your opinion, but to call it the best two hours of wrestling anyone will ever watch is a flat out lie. It's not even better than ECW. You can't minimally polish a turd and call it something other than shit. You gotta flush it.

To answer the question at hand, it is vastly Russo's fault. But the blame really lies on the fucking idiots who gave that fucking idiot any power whatsoever. Good job Jeff, you gave the top creative spot to your circle jerk friend with the track record that is wrestling's equivalent to Hitler's and he has piss poor book making abilities that essentially got YOU exiled from the company YOU founded while he still has a job. Good work, bucko.

 

[Quintastic One]

Considering the horrible horrible crapfest we've been getting from all FOUR WWE shows for the past month. I stand by my statement that TNA is the best 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see guaranteed. Last thursdays edition of iMPACT was so amazingly good in the quality of the wrestling that I can forgive any and all minor discrepencies of the product. Did Dixie or Lashley even make a single appearance on Thursday night 3 days ago? No. No Mick Foley either, no Kevin Nash. Kurt Angle, Booker T & Scott Steiner didn't even wrestle in any matches. Focus still on the veterans? That's why Hernandez and Eric Young got a great amount of face time and Young got heat for attacking Sting. Right? That's why AJ Styles had two excellent matches with Chris Sabin and Doug Williams respectfully, right? That's why Doug Williams also put on a great match with Suicide, right? Because this is all just one giant turd thats slightly polished, right?

Seriously, you call me a blind mark. But you're just as blind if not more so of a generic TNA hater because you can't realize that hating TNA was soooo six months ago in the Smark Community. But hey, if Chavo Vs. Horny is your cup of tea, I suppose your entitled to that opinion. But honestly? Don't knock the product when you don't even pay a lick of attention to it live but rather just listen to the opinions of others about the spoilers.

Educate yourself, go watch an episode of iMPACT, and realize that it's a wrestling company with its flaws, but at least it's getting its shit right nowadays.


P.S. AJ Styles is the one in line for a main event push right now. He's got a world title shot at No Surrender, was put over like a million bucks by Sting, which is what the veterans are supposed to be doing. It's heavily rumored that AJ Styles will be Stings retirement match to put him over for the strap in the first place. Yet you want to see Joe Vs. Angle? Why would they book Joe Vs. Angle when Angle is the leader of the main event mafia faction, while Joe is a member of said stable. Secondly they are both riding heel pushes at the moment, so why in the world would they be having Angle Vs. Joe after the failboat that was Joes whiny babyface title reign?

Also, Daniels and Joe are needed right now to re-establish the X Division after Jeff Jarretts virtual burial of the very division he created. You may not like that they are bringing up the X Division back to where it was in 2005, but you wouldn't be getting these kind of results from an Alex Shelley, from Suicide, from Amazing Red or even Jay Lethal. They just don't have the star power that Joe and Daniels do that is going to give the X Division that much needed boost it needs.

Then again the fact that you make such an insulting statement that it's not even better than ECW, which the highlight of that program is Goldust Vs. Sheamus this past week, shows your obvious lack of wrestling knowledge.

 

[gashface]

Considering the horrible horrible crapfest we've been getting from all FOUR WWE shows for the past month. I stand by my statement that TNA is the best 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see guaranteed. Last thursdays edition of iMPACT was so amazingly good in the quality of the wrestling that I can forgive any and all minor discrepencies of the product. Did Dixie or Lashley even make a single appearance on Thursday night 3 days ago? No. No Mick Foley either, no Kevin Nash. Kurt Angle, Booker T & Scott Steiner didn't even wrestle in any matches. Focus still on the veterans? That's why Hernandez and Eric Young got a great amount of face time and Young got heat for attacking Sting. Right? That's why AJ Styles had two excellent matches with Chris Sabin and Doug Williams respectfully, right? That's why Doug Williams also put on a great match with Suicide, right? Because this is all just one giant turd thats slightly polished, right?

Seriously, you call me a blind mark. But you're just as blind if not more so of a generic TNA hater because you can't realize that hating TNA was soooo six months ago in the Smark Community. But hey, if Chavo Vs. Horny is your cup of tea, I suppose your entitled to that opinion. But honestly? Don't knock the product when you don't even pay a lick of attention to it live but rather just listen to the opinions of others about the spoilers.

Educate yourself, go watch an episode of iMPACT, and realize that it's a wrestling company with its flaws, but at least it's getting its shit right nowadays.


P.S. AJ Styles is the one in line for a main event push right now. He's got a world title shot at No Surrender, was put over like a million bucks by Sting, which is what the veterans are supposed to be doing. It's heavily rumored that AJ Styles will be Stings retirement match to put him over for the strap in the first place. Yet you want to see Joe Vs. Angle? Why would they book Joe Vs. Angle when Angle is the leader of the main event mafia faction, while Joe is a member of said stable. Secondly they are both riding heel pushes at the moment, so why in the world would they be having Angle Vs. Joe after the failboat that was Joes whiny babyface title reign?

Also, Daniels and Joe are needed right now to re-establish the X Division after Jeff Jarretts virtual burial of the very division he created. You may not like that they are bringing up the X Division back to where it was in 2005, but you wouldn't be getting these kind of results from an Alex Shelley, from Suicide, from Amazing Red or even Jay Lethal. They just don't have the star power that Joe and Daniels do that is going to give the X Division that much needed boost it needs.

Then again the fact that you make such an insulting statement that it's not even better than ECW, which the highlight of that program is Goldust Vs. Sheamus this past week, shows your obvious lack of wrestling knowledge.

OWNED.

Anyway back on topic... RUSSO!

 

[Axis]

WWE Smackdown consistently rapes TNA Impact. I'm talkin' rape. Like fucked in the fucking ass. Big black man on scrawny white woman kind of shit. It ain't pretty.

 

[gashface]

Since when did this become a post about WWE Vs. TNA. Smackdown is a good show but Raw and ECW sure aint.

As I said to the above, this is about VINCE RUSSO AND TNA. Back on topic please.

 

[The Rated R CMStar]

Seriously, you call me a blind mark. But you're just as blind if not more so of a generic TNA hater because you can't realize that hating TNA was soooo six months ago in the Smark Community. But hey, if Chavo Vs. Horny is your cup of tea, I suppose your entitled to that opinion. But honestly? Don't knock the product when you don't even pay a lick of attention to it live but rather just listen to the opinions of others about the spoilers

Your rant was going OK until this statement. You just cant say TNA is good or better than WWE via comparing it to the worse angle or feud they have, which doesn't take more than 6 minutes of the 6 hours of wrestling they give us.

P.S. AJ Styles is the one in line for a main event push right now. He's got a world title shot at No Surrender, was put over like a million bucks by Sting, which is what the veterans are supposed to be doing. It's heavily rumored that AJ Styles will be Stings retirement match to put him over for the strap in the first place. Yet you want to see Joe Vs. Angle? Why would they book Joe Vs. Angle when Angle is the leader of the main event mafia faction, while Joe is a member of said stable. Secondly they are both riding heel pushes at the moment, so why in the world would they be having Angle Vs. Joe after the failboat that was Joes whiny babyface title reign?

I am missing the part when somebody wants to see Angle vs Joe (I agree with you on that one, that makes no sense), but, on the other hand, the way you justified is wrong. You give Joe's horrible face run as a reason. Hey, guess who booked that shit.

Then again the fact that you make such an insulting statement that it's not even better than ECW, which the highlight of that program is Goldust Vs. Sheamus this past week, shows your obvious lack of wrestling knowledge.

Oh yeah, God forbid us than the focus of the show is in a rookie beating a veteran and trying to get over. But hey, this is coming from a guy supporting a company that is trying to push a guy like AJ Styles as an up and coming guy and future superstar, when before all the WWE rejects came in, he was already one.

 

[Axis]

Since when did this become a post about WWE Vs. TNA. Smackdown is a good show but Raw and ECW sure aint.

As I said to the above, this is about VINCE RUSSO AND TNA. Back on topic please.

I was responding to the same post that you responded to. Please stay on topic.

 

[Chuck Taylor's Grenade]

Back to the original topic. The only things I will blame Russo for is the overuse of stupid swerve endings, stupid promo segments and the burial of the TNA babyfaces. I wouldn't really say that Dixie Carter is the catalyst for TNA improvements since she doesn't really have the wrestling background that a Vince McMahon or Paul Heyman has. The only thing she has is marketing experience which is a good thing don't get me wrong but she doesn't have any experience judging what angles work and what angles suck. Here's what I think the main problem is-Jeff Jarrett was surrounded by a bunch of yes men who weren't willing to say "this angle is stupid" or "why aren't we doing more to push this person or that person". In every place there needs to be somebody willing to play devil's advocate and actually say no this doesn't work or this isn't a good idea. Now that certain members of the TNA creative staff have been let go some good ideas are actually getting through and the product is actually watchable.

 

[Quintastic One]

Oh yeah, God forbid us than the focus of the show is in a rookie beating a veteran and trying to get over. But hey, this is coming from a guy supporting a company that is trying to push a guy like AJ Styles as an up and coming guy and future superstar, when before all the WWE rejects came in, he was already one.

Calling Goldust being a veteran putting over Sheamus is like saying Randy Ortons RKO victory over Val Venis on an episode of RAW is a veteran putting over a young star. Goldy and Val, as much as I love those guys *Goldust sig anyone?* are/were jobbers. Sheamus will gain nothing from this.



Anyways, I already posted my opinion on this topic, until Enzo tried to make comparisons to WWE saying ECW was better. So I've really got nothing left to add.

It's pretty obvious Russo booking > Jarrett at this point.

 

[Mike Chaos]

When Val debuted he was great, they were doing good things with him and then dropped the ball. He had a lot of potential in the beginning he AND Goldust weren't jobbers. Just as time goes on and the whole "creative has nothing for you" then they just float around losing momentum.

 

[He who knows more than Nation]

Calling Goldust being a veteran putting over Sheamus is like saying Randy Ortons RKO victory over Val Venis on an episode of RAW is a veteran putting over a young star. Goldy and Val, as much as I love those guys *Goldust sig anyone?* are/were jobbers. Sheamus will gain nothing from this.



Anyways, I already posted my opinion on this topic, until Enzo tried to make comparisons to WWE saying ECW was better. So I've really got nothing left to add.
It's pretty obvious Russo booking > Jarrett at this point.

Well no need to address some of the stuff thanks to CMStar. Appreciate it, pal.


ECW is better. It accomplishes two things TNA doesn't, 1. It creates fresh faces and prepares them for the BIG time (Kofi, Hart Dynasty and Evan Bourne are all perfect examples) and it gives some better placement for stale veterans to help establish and familiarize fans with the new faces.And they have *SURPRISE SURPRISE* coherent and linear storylines. Regal's heel group is booked better in one hour than the MEM is booked for two. TNA doesn't do either and they really should since they don't have the fanbase that the E provides for ECW. So what if Goldust and Sheamus headlined ECW, the right booking went over and you know what we got? Progress. ECW at least leads to progress, TNA leads you in a fucking circle.

Get off your little soap box fella, just because they started pushing a guy to a world title means squat if he's a former multiple time champ anyways. It's not progress if your looking to the past to try and kick start the present, it's TNA going full fucking circle again. See a pattern? And don't try and generalize me as a "trendy" TNA hater, I hate what I find terrible. I'm not hating with blind hate like you seemingly do with WWE with your minute generalizations and trying to sum up Raw as sucking because of Chavo-Hornswoggle again. Yah, you might not like it, nor do I, but I'll tell you this, that fuckin midget is far more over and gets more heat than anyone on the TNA roster, so what's that say for your precious TNA?

Your just a blind fanboy more than I am a "trendy" hater. Your all joyed that TNA is finally more "watchable" now that the money has told the shitty booking to fix this broken product of hers or his ass will be on the street with his ol buddy Double J. Just because a promotion becomes a little more bearable because they start doing things that make a little sense doesn't make it :

The product is the BEST 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see. Guaranteed.

Nothing goes from being the absolute worst wrestling program to what your lying about in a few weeks, especially if what's making sense is something that has already been done before. It's still going in circles and if YOU'VE watched it before you will have known that AJ's been world champ before, that Joe has been X-champ before and battled Chris Daniels for that strap before and that no matter how the Sting-retirement angle goes it wont matter since only less than 1.5 million people watch this damn thing. You'd think you know this since you watch it so much. Not to mention while this has been what you claim to be :

the BEST 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see. Guaranteed.

the ratings have gone down. You should educate yourself a little bit before you show your obvious lack of wrestling knowledge.

So to sum it up ECW fulfills it's purpose and is booked much more coherently than TNA is and it has forward progress. So in that sense ECW IS better than TNA has ever been, plus it doesn't insult my fucking intelligence everytime I watch it. I'm glad your enjoying the first "watchable" episodes TNA has produces in three and a half years, but don't fucking insult my intelligence with really oversold remarks like this dandy:

The product is the BEST 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see. Guaranteed.

Because unless you like watching shit that books in circles than this is a flat out lie.

 

[Quintastic One]

Honestly the only thing I'm getting out of your rebuttals anymore is that "Wah, you're a liar, wah".


For me to lie, I would have to knowingly tell myself that TNA is a crappy product and try to sell it as a great product anyway.

On the other hand, I fully am of the opinion that TNA is the best 2 hours of wrestling you will ever see. Guaranteed. And I'll keep shilling that since you seem to be so bothered by the truth.

I think its time you shut up and stayed on topic. This isn't about WWE, and it's not about whether WWE is better than TNA. It's about whether TNA is better with or without Jarrett.


Soooo