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Morale has been way up regarding the product, in the sense they’ve done the live television with no glitches. A positive nobody
talks about is that going live, they can’t sound sweeten, which sounds like a negative because you only do that to enhance a
dead crowd. But the way TNA does it, it comes across fake. It’s also been noted there has been a difference in the crowds at
the last two TVs. Before, you had your wrestling fan regulars in the first few rows and then a lot of park goers from around the
U.S. and Europe who would come because Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kurt Angle, etc. were there. It was different on PPV nights but
they used to complain because that was the hardcore audience that had seen so much and was sometimes hard to get a
response from. There are a few differences. A crowd itself, knowing it is airing live, seems to have more energy. Another
change is that before, a lot of the pre-tape segments that made things “make sense” would not air in front of the live crowd, just
to save time, or at times, keep aspects of the show from getting on the Internet early. But going live, the people in the Impact
Zone are seeing everything as it happens. The longer arching storylines is a philosophical change. Apparently, the Dixie Carter
angle has a long way to go with a lot more twists coming. The shows have really turned around as far as being enjoyable to
watch and the change does stem from Bruce Prichard being put in the charge of overseeing creative. So no matter what you
think of him personally, it’s hard not to tie the two together. In addition, while some may say this is picking on Vince Russo, the
show also improved another step when he was gone. I still think the Russo written segments with Sting and the Jarretts on the
Jarretts last night were TNA’s best segments in months, but you can’t help but see a big picture difference.
Chris Masters and Trina Michaels were both at the 6/7 Impact tapings. Masters worked a dark match before the show, losing to
Robbie E when Robbie T interfered in about 5:00. He got a good reaction, but whenever a former WWE guy shows up the first
time at the Impact Zone the crowd is hot for them. Masters had worked for Ring Ka King and Jeff Jarrett was very high on him.
However, Jarrett has no decision making power right now when it comes to talent. He did fine but we have no indication one
way or another whether theywill sign him. Michaels didn’t perform but had a meeting trying to push the idea of a feud with
Brooke Hogan as a Hogan vs. Michaels feud.
The feeling on all the Scott Steiner twitter stuff (he incessantly rips on Hogan and Bischoff for ruining TNA by pushing friends
and family and has been on the case of what a waste Brooke Hogan is), besides hating them, he’s trying to get Jeff Jarrett, who
he’s tight with, back in power. The feeling is also that he was going about it in a way that Carter would never respond to, even if
Bischoff and Hogan were bringing nothing, given how she protected Russo for years. And now his timing is bad since almost
everyone in the company thinks creative is going in the right direction.
Regarding Gut Check, it’s pretty clear at least part of this was an attempt to work the boys, since they showed Al Snow and Joey
Ryan in character leaving the building after the show and it’s obvious Ryan will be back. Ryan being on Twitter complaining is
also clearly part of the work. As far as what Ryan knew in the ring, it’s still being said while the voting was pre-planned and
Snow, Bruce Prichard and Taz all prettymuch knew their roles, that Ryan wasn’t in on it and the Taz-Ryan stuff as it happened
was not planned. It’s wrestling, and live television, and it’s Eric Bischoff, so you should be skeptical. Plus, you can do it a few
times and it’s good, but when you keep doing it,WCWis what you get. That isn’t necessarily good long-term. But there is
definitely a mentality of trying to bring a legit feeling to get people talking, and not overdone, that is a good thing.
On the second show, they did nothing interactive, which surprised me, and really didn’t push Twitter trending and all that. I’d
want one interactive segment per show for at least a few weeks just to judge interest. It requires you to have multiple ideas
depending on how the vote goes, and like everything, will get old if it’s overdone.
In the U.K., when it comes to total viewers of Raw vs. Impact for the first airing of each show, the Raw numbers were 168,000
on 5/7, 197,000 on 5/14, 119,000 on 5/21 and 150,000 on 5/28. Keep in mind this is live at 2 or 3 a.m. on a station (Sky) with
limited penetration. Impact airs in prime time on a mostly game show station, but it’s a station that is a free station that almost
everyone gets, but the show also airs five days after it’s U.S. airing. It’s numbers were 123,000 on 5/1, 67,000 on 5/8, 118,000
on 5/15, 124,000 on 5/22 and 194,000 on 5/29. Smackdown, which airs in a better time slot on Friday nights in prime time
instead of middle of the night, did 83,000 viewers on 5/4, 98,000 on 5/11, 95,000 on 5/18, 87,000 on 5/25 and 130,000 on 6/1.
TNA is going to produce video on demand content for PPVs similar to whatWWE does with its home-video releases. Theywill
debut shortlywith a three-hour special called “TNA’s Greatest Moments.” Julywill have a one-hour special on the Roode vs.
Storm feud.
_________________ Drop In wrote: I'm picturing a 12 year old Bob Loblaw bitching out a Randy Savage Wrestling Buddy for botching his finisher. Also envisioning Bob Loblaw getting bitched at for lighting the living room table on fire for said finisher.
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