TNA has squandered their latest big opportunity | Opinion
It’s time to talk about TNA.
After years of staying afloat by running their television on parent company-owned AXS TV, the long-struggling company finally got a big break, premiering this past January on AMC. But after months of television, specials, and pay-per-views, one thing is starting to become clear: it’s not visibility that’s keeping the company from further success, it’s their current creative process. The new timeslot on a new network should have been the adrenaline shot that the company needed, but five months later, it doesn’t seem like anyone is talking about TNA, and when they do talk, it usually isn’t anything good.
Since their debut in January, TNA has been doing roughly 200,000 viewers and a 0.05 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. It’s better than what they were doing on AXS, but not much better. And in the time since the AMC debut, the numbers have only been marginally up or marginally down, with no real growth over time. In other words, TNA is in a better spot than they were last year, but there isn’t any evidence to suggest there’s been any meaningful popularity change since the network switch.
Truth is, there simply isn’t anything to get excited about when it comes to TNA right now. The first episode of Impact on AMC was notable for being a complete disaster, but the product in the months since hasn’t exactly been stellar either. One of the big storylines since the move to AMC is the introduction of Daria Rae, who has been appointed as a new authority figure to counter Santino Marella, who was doing just fine as the babyface authority figure.
Not that the idea of a heel GM is bad, but after WWE spent years doing the same concept over and over ad naseum, I was fine not seeing the concept for a good, long time. When the company finally dropped the concept, it felt like a breath of fresh air. So of course, TNA has not only revived it, but has added virtually nothing new to the idea. This isn’t a knock on Daria Rae, but rather a shot at TNA reviving a concept that has been done to death.
Their big program in the World title scene has Steve Maclin turning heel and go after Santana, which sounds fine on paper. But those watching TNA may remember that Maclin was fired in the Feast or Fired match months ago. Maclin’s response was to turn heel, show up unannounced for weeks, and repeatedly beat up Santana. Instead of being arrested, Maclin was not only rehired but given a World title match. None of that makes any sense. While one could shrug and just go “well it’s wrestling,” I think we can do better than having that kind of mindset when it comes to booking and making things make sense.
TNA’s creative lately has been questionable, but some of their business practices have to be called out as well. A big match between Leon Slater and Ricochet was made for WrestleMania weekend, only for Carlos Silva to pull the match days later, apparently because AEW Collision aired on a Thursday head-to-head with Impact. It didn’t matter that AEW likely didn’t have a choice in a matter, as WBD frequently moves AEW for sports coverage.
When you’re the number three or four promotion in the United States, I think you need to be building goodwill towards fans, not the opposite. Pulling talent for matches already announced for something that seems so petty only disappoints and upsets people who were looking forward to their matches.
I will not advocate for anyone losing their job, but I feel like TNA creative needs to completely rethink where they are going here because copying and pasting WWE ideas from 10 years ago, both in terms of talent and storylines, isn’t going to cut it these days. Embracing change and going with new faces and talent is the best way forward, and always has in professional wrestling. But when your mindset is stuck in the past, things are going to be tough.
I want TNA to be successful as there needs to be more promotions out there for wrestlers to get reps. And it’s hard to stand out when WWE and AEW command so much attention. There’s a path here, but in order for it to work, TNA needs to make a dramatic change for the better in terms of how they tell their stories and who they use to tell them. Otherwise, they’re just going to be in the same place they’re at. And maybe that’s what they want, a promotion and product that simply just exists for the sake of it. It just sucks that after being given such a big opportunity, TNA seems intent on squandering it rather than trying to break out from the pack, as hard as that may be these days.
Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.