Why TNA Should Worry About How to Improve Than Competing with WWE

TNA or Total Non Stop Action Wrestling as it is also known as has been around for 5 years and counting. They are just coming off Slammiversary and are currently on TV with Spike TV with their show called Impact. 3 Titles are involved and now just use their own belts instead of using the NWA Titles like they had done in the beginning. Some notable stars have gone over there with the biggest being Kurt Angle from the WWE in an effort to draw in WWE fans but it has not done the trick. They also have Sting who is perhaps the biggest active name that has never been involved with WWE to try to draw WCW fans but that hasn't worked either. Even a team like Team 3D, who is known now as one of the top tag teams of this generation hasn't worked to get them ratings or ECW fans.

Why hasn't it worked? Well, maybe it is because there really isn't anyone who used to be in the mainstream that could bring some star power to the company. I actually believe that because right now you would think with having a roster of some recognized names like Angle, Christian Cage, Sting, Jarrett, and many other names, they would do better with the ratings but the highest rating that TNA has ever received is a 1.2. I believe that was a 2-hour special that was on a Monday when Raw was not on because of the Dog Show. The conclusion is that the organization is so determined to challenge WWE in their current state but there's a long way to go before that can happen. Not even WCW challenged them right away as it took them some time to establish themselves with their 1-hour time slot before going in the Monday Night Wars. The times have changed and those fans for the most part are either watching WWE or mostly not wrestling period.

Don't take it the wrong way; I like TNA the company and I have watched since 2004 when it 1^st got on TV with Fox Sports Net. I would seriously like to see this company get further and keep establishing themselves becoming an alternate. I like to watch wrestling and I like variety a bit. I do think there are some ideas that could seriously help them out.

Create a new fan base is something I would consider. Instead of worrying about how to attract old WWE, WCW, ECW, or even NWA fans for that matter, just try to create some new fans and find a guy that people could seriously get behind. Base it on the guy who can get the best reaction and could lead in a more long-term role. It's fine to get stars from the past to come in but only if it will help for the future like establish new Main Event talent to take over because we all know no one can stay on top forever. What TNA is doing by touring a little bit is actually helping them out and getting them more known little by little that should keep going.

Promotion is something that needs to be done. I don't know if that is something TNA can control or not but Spike I don't think has really done enough to help them get better ratings. I rarely ever see a TNA commercial or an advertisement at all. It's a situation that unless you have the Internet and know what time it's on and what channel, you won't be able to see it. That could be a factor as to why the ratings haven't exactly been getting as high as probably as it could. Without promotion, it will actually harm the company and won't let them expand upon there audience.

I stress that not having to worry about every mainstream star coming in and getting a Main Event unless deserved is not going to work right away. The only real one that actually succeeded with it would be Christian Cage, who was a WWE mid-card performer and never thought to be a World Champion. The gimmick matches need to be toned down though it is slowly doing so for PPVs and that is a good thing so that way when they are used, it will have a special feel. I like gimmick matches but I think having too much can be a bad thing.

The company has potential to have guys like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels to name a few as future Main Event talent but they need to be used for that purpose. I think that is going to happen with Daniels after his feud with Sting is over. I believe that feud is continuing still and it would be disappointing to end it just like that. Joe was established but needs that extra push to give him that chance to be one of the leaders of the company. Styles has proven he can compete with any division, he just hasn't been made to be a serious champion since as of late, whenever he has held a title, it's like he's holding it for someone else.

The booking of course has to make sense as well so that no one is left wondering what's going on exactly and not be so confused. For instance, that feud with Sting and Abyss was done poorly and didn't really establish anything. That one I thought could have been done better as it was made to be more of a one-sided feud. I think if Abyss had won a couple more bouts instead of looking like a loser in the feud, it might have worked and the whole Abyss/James Mitchell story got confusing as a control bit. All in all, the company has potential but it needs to use it if they desire to succeed. They just have to worry about that and not constantly bring up WWE as it doesn't do them any good whatsoever.