Zitat:Original von Nefercheperur
Auch auf der Website von TNAW, findet sich nun der Hinweiss auf den Deal mit Spike TV
http://www.tnawrestling.com/

Zitat:Todd Martin looks at what TNA must do when it gets on Spike


Points of Impact

By Todd Martin

For over three years, TNA has been attempting to break into the radar of the
average wrestling fan. With a time slot on Spike TV in the fall, the stakes
are extremely high. If the promotion can draw strong ratings and boost PPV
buy rates, TNA could finally approach its long term goals. However, if the
new show is a failure, Panda is likely to pull the plug on the whole
venture. It is imperative for the good of the wrestling business that this
show succeeds. Here are some simple keys for the show.

1. Now is the Time

TNA cannot approach this show as just another opportunity. This is the best
chance TNA is going to get, and it has to take advantage. While the
promotion shouldn’t sacrifice the importance of PPVs, the shows on Spike
have to be a big deal. TNA has produced a high quality product for much of
the year, and now it needs to get people’s attention. They need to draw high
enough ratings from the beginning that Spike is forced to open its eyes. TNA
can then parlay that success and Spike hostility towards WWE to net the time
slot and financial deal that will finally give TNA legitimate stability. In
order to do that, TNA should be planning out the first month of shows minute
by minute, right now.

2. Tune in Next Week

Every week TNA needs to have a strong reason to get viewers to tune in the
next week. TNA tried to do this early in its weekly PPV format by using
surprises. That can help, and TNA should use surprises frequently early on
to build interest. However, the promotion also needs to promote compelling
future matchups every week. It should be like the early days of Raw, where
the end of the show features a package about the next week’s main event. WWE
has turned its back on long term booking, and TNA can capitalize on all the
benefits that long term booking offers.

3. We’re All in This Together

At this point in time, it is very important that TNA performers view
themselves as part of a team. Selfish individuals more concerned with
getting themselves over for a future WWE gig need to be pushed to the side.
The wrestlers need to sacrifice and work as hard as possible to ensure the
team does well. If collectively the promotion can put itself in a better
position, then all the individual wrestlers can be better taken care of.
This is not a time for egos.

4. Credibility is King

There are a lot of wrestling fans disillusioned with the product WWE has put
forth in recent years. One of the biggest problems is that WWE doesn’t show
respect for its audience. TNA needs to go to great measures to at no point
and in no way insult its audience. This was a problem for TNA in its early
days, but it has been largely corrected. That has to continue. Storylines
need to make complete sense, wrestlers’ motivation needs to be clear, and
match results have to matter. Sizzle can be offered without compromising the
steak.

5. Fanaticism is a Good Thing

In the recent wrestling business, few promotions have succeeded without
developing a strongly devoted legion of fans. This was true for UWF, NJPW,
AJPW, WWF, ECW and WCW (although some of those fans identified themselves
with NWO rather than WCW). TNA hasn’t been able to get that type of a
following, outside of a small collection of fans in the southeast. TNA needs
to develop that base, and use that passion to spread amongst the larger
audience. TNA presently doesn’t have the negative connotation it did at one
time. The next step is to create an audience not of wrestling fans that like
TNA, but of TNA fans. TNA needs an affirmative identity, not a responsive
one.

6. The Promotion of the Transcendent Star

Any wrestling promotion needs a bankable main eventer or main eventers in
order to succeed. TNA isn’t going to sign away WWE’s top stars, so it is
crucial that it create its own. The fans need to perceive those stars as
being the best in the world. While there is a temptation to try to give time
and emphasis to everyone on the card, it makes better business sense to
focus on a few. It’s also best these wrestlers not have the taint of being
an undercard wrestler in WWE. Christopher Daniels, Monty Brown, A.J. Styles,
and Samoa Joe fit this bill. Regardless of who TNA chooses, they should be
emphasizing the wrestler or wrestlers from the beginning of the show to the
end. In the middle of the first match, Mike Tenay should be telling the fans
that they need to stick around in order to see A.J. Styles, because there is
no one else like him in the world. More of an ensemble cast might work down
the road, but right now there should be a chosen few.

7. The In-Ring Product

An easy way to add extra excitement to the show is to let loose in the ring.
WWE style is so static that it is easy for a more free wielding style to
impress. The in-ring matches have made TNA 3 hour PPVs a big success. Now
TNA needs to add the same emphasis to these one hour shows. The Spike show
needs to be very strong as a stand-alone, featuring at least one “can’t
miss” match a week. The wrestlers should have the green light to do pretty
much whatever they can conceive of and execute.

8. Build Buzz

There is no guarantee Spike is going to promote TNA with any enthusiasm
whatsoever. As such, TNA needs to do everything it can to try to build buzz
on its own. They should lobby Spike for advertisements on Raw in the weeks
prior to Impact’s Spike debut. The right type of national promo played two
times on Raw for four weeks could make a sizeable difference. From there,
TNA should be aggressive in trying to get any mainstream publicity they can.
It might be best to market it TNA as if it is essentially a new promotion
that is going to take WWE’s place on Spike and take the sport to a different
level. The perception of the promotion is often times more important than
the reality. TNA should use every angle it has to get mainstream coverage.

9. You Can’t Build Around Jarrett

If Jeff Jarrett is featured in the main event slot of the first few Impact
shows, the show is doomed for failure. Jarrett is viewed as a midcard
performer by the vast majority of the wrestling public, and he doesn’t have
the charisma to convince the audience otherwise. It’s fine to have Jarrett
around, because he is overall a good performer. But fans will not take
seriously a wrestling alternative built around Jeff Jarrett. The Jarretts
should understand this, and realize that long term they will profit more
from being a valuable performer in a successful promotion than the main
eventer in an independent show in Tennessee.

10. Attack, Attack, Attack

The single most important thing for TNA to do early on is to attack. It
needs to convey that it believes in itself as better than any other
wrestling available on American television today. As such, it needs to go
after the many faults of WWE. Even the fans of WWE likely realize these
faults. If TNA boisterously criticizes WWE in a way that feels legitimate
and not petty, fans will rally behind TNA. TNA should draw up a list of ten
things that it will unquestionably do better than WWE, and beat those points
home on the television show.

The ideal opening segment for the first TV show would be to have the Dudleyz
cut a vicious anti-WWE promo reminiscent of their heated promos at the end
of ECW. They have the credibility to get casual fans to listen. If they
won’t agree, I would try to get someone else to do it, making all the points
about what’s wrong with WWE that fans know. Christopher Daniels could do an
excellent job as well, and tie it to his own career. Hopefully
advertisements on Raw will draw in casual fans to watch TNA after UFC. The
beginning of the Impact show should completely blow them away, and provide a
strong opening shot against WWE’s vision of pro wrestling in 2005. TNA then
needs to establish an affirmative identity of its own, that stands in strong
contrast to the flawed alternative.

We have wrestling matches with more than five moves. The results of our
matches matter. We settle things in the ring, not behind the scenes. We have
Traci Brooks, while they have an endless parade of talentless bimbos. We
have Chris Sabin and Petey Williams, while they have Viscera and Gene
Snitsky. We have AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, while they have JBL and
HHH. They think you’re the biggest idiots on the face of the Earth, while we
treat you with respect. If TNA is successful in getting across these points,
it can get WWE to work for TNA. When those same fans go back to watching Raw
and Smackdown and are confronted with the same problems that already bug
them, they will think of TNA and look forward to a better product on
Saturday.

These points also need to be emphasized in the commentary. Mike Tenay has
credibility, and can get away with strongly backing TNA and criticizing WWE.
If he is uncomfortable with the role, they might want to consider bringing a
third person into the booth to do it, with Don Callis coming to mind if
available. Channeling hostility can be a powerful tool in rallying people to
your cause.

There is no one right way to promote Impact on Spike TV. There are a number
of possibilities that could work, and the key may be finding the one
creative angle that really grabs people’s attention. But regardless of the
specific path TNA takes, it needs to develop a compelling marketing strategy
for Impact. The moment is coming when TNA will sink or swim. It’s time to go
all out.

Feedback: MartinT2007@lawnet.ucla.edu