The speculation continues. Despite continuous denials by Panda Energy and Dixie Carter, it’s pretty clear that TNA Wrestling is at its lowest point financially since 2002. It was in 2002 when Panda Energy purchased controlling interest from Jerry Jarrett. Panda has not received any significant return from TNA, especially financial. At times in TNA’s history, the company has lost in upwards of a million dollars a year. In 2013, the company attempted to leave the Impact Zone, which cost them millions to go on the road. Due to this, TNA has let a lot of talent go, at the top being Hulk Hogan. It’s pretty clear that Panda is tired of investing the energy profit they make from oil and gas into the energy deficit that is TNA Wrestling.
While many have speculated on who could potentially purchase TNA, it’s a better question to ask why? Why would you spend money on a sinking investment? The answer comes in pro wrestling’s strengths. The one thing TNA turns a return on more than anything is their television deals. Wrestling is cheap programming that is religiously watched. Despite all of TNA’s ridiculous decisions they always turn out on television, with a million viewers tuning in every week. It’s hard to get that number beyond a million, but that million is always tuning into Spike TV. That’s not counting the millions more who watch across the globe, and those international TV deals are crucial to TNA. There’s a reason why companies like Sinclair Broadcasting will purchase Ring of Honor. It’s guaranteed programming people will watch. So there is a reason to buy TNA, but there’s a lot TNA has done in its history that has cost them. To purchase TNA Wrestling, there are a few things the future owner should look towards doing in order to make the third attempt (first attempt being the weekly PPV show run by the Jarretts) a success:
STEP ONE: CHANGE THE NAME
TNA flirted with changing the name to Impact Wrestling back when they decided to have Mick Foley lazy about before his next WWE appearance. However, they never went all the way. It was really just a ploy to put “Wrestling” in the title of Impact in order to emphasize they were the wrestling product unlike WWE. The problem is the company is still called TNA. The whole reason it was called TNA originally (NWA:TNA) was to confuse a PPV purchaser into thinking it was a Wednesday night porno for $9.99 and instead getting them to buy a wrestling show, in the meager hope they become hooked. This is also why TNA had cage dancers. No I’m serious.
If you purchase TNA, you’re purchasing television time slots, talent and a video library. The name means little. It’s negative value, really. Change it. There are plenty of names you could go with. Impact Wrestling is right there. You could also try purchasing Major League Wrestling from Court Bauer, still one of the best wrestling names one could go for. You could also connect back with the NWA and use their traditional title. Whatever you call it, don’t call it TNA. The name needs to die.
STEP TWO: THERE IS NO ONE WRESTLER FIX
We just need Sting. We just need Jeff Hardy. We just need Hulk Hogan. We just need Kurt Angle. We just need Booker T. We just need Christian. We just need Ric Flair. Name after name has entered TNA and none of them have been able to double the audiences coming. More merchandise gets sold but that’s about it. Star power is important, don’t get me wrong. Spike TV is always on TNA’s ass about what names are on the card. It’s good to have some stars but if those stars are not helping grow the homegrown talent’s own star power, it isn’t going to do anyone good. The other problem is that the people who do buy into the homegrown talents, they reject the “star power” into just being TNA trying to become WWE. Too much of another company’s talent can saturate everything. It’s better to hit a balance between stars made elsewhere and stars made in house. You also save a lot more money creating stars in house. Pin point the guys not being used right by WWE or have gone as far as they can by ROH and Japan and bring those guys in to become your new stars.
STEP THREE: BE THE ALTERNATIVE
I touched upon it with step two. If you become WWE lite, why should anyone watch? TNA’s strongest era was when they felt like a true alternative to the WWE. They had a strong women’s division that was about wrestling and not just eye candy. You had the X-Division rolling with some of the most talented stars in the business. The World title picture had independent wrestlers like Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels competing. There were homegrown stars like Beer Money and a strong tag division to boot. The six sided ring also ensured that when you turned on TNA and were a casual wrestling viewer, you knew immediately it wasn’t the WWE. This is what you need to do. Be an alternative. Feel like something the WWE either can’t provide you or won’t provide you.
STEP FOUR: BUILD FOR THE FUTURE
WWE is being quite smart with their performance centre. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for TNA to do the same. Right now the only homegrown talent not in his 30s with main event potential seems to be Magnus. All of the other homegrown stars are in their mid to late 30s and have already exhausted potential match ups. You need new stars. The older guys? They could become road agents. Pay for Kurt Angle to open up his own wrestling school. Train guy’s right. Invest in the company’s future before you go spending money on a Hulkster again.
STEP FIVE: END THE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUS
There’s one sticking point in pro wrestling that has gone by Vince McMahon’s word. Nobody, not even WCW tried to fight him on this point. It’ll cost more money than any performance centre would but it would truly create a situation to decide between WWE or the company you purchase. It’s called ending the independent contractor. Make your wrestlers employees. Deny the athletic commissions by stating you are not a sport and you should instead be under the same rules and regulations as actors. Let your wrestlers sign SAG cards. Promise insurance and retirement benefits to those who sign. Wrestlers will now have to decide between big money opportunities with the WWE or financial security with your company. It would create a huge amount of publicity and make your company the respectable choice. The company that does not treat wrestlers like cattle. After the bad publicity from the Daffney Unger lawsuit, Zema Ion’s surgery and the release of Jesse Sorensen, TNA could use some positives.
In the end, none of this promises to defeat the WWE. The truth is, the biggest step and the biggest point is to stop trying to fight the WWE head on. You won’t win. They’ve become too big. Being number two isn’t a bad thing. Your focus should be on making a profit and maximizing your viewing potential. Creating a roster people want to see with storylines they want to watch. Allowing people to see your product live without being in an embarrassing 60,000 seat stadium with only 20,000 seats filled. Be the discount brand. Become fan friendly and establish a positive relationship with your talent. By doing this, it’s about the long term growth. When Vince McMahon is dead and buried while Stephanie McMahon gets bored failing to fill her father’s shoes, that’s when you can rise to being more than just number two. Until then, buying TNA isn’t about buying a WWE competitor. It’s about purchasing one of the most embarrassing wrestling companies to operate in North America and taking the little bit of good still there and turning it into something great.
Oh, and don’t hire Vince Russo. Seriously.
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