Every week, I watch TNA Impact. When Saturday night rolls around, I am either watching Impact or at least taping it for later viewing if I am out. Every week I watch and every week I think the same thing. "That sure went by fast." Is it because Impact is only an hour? Not entirely. It is because everything in this promotion, from Impact to Pay-Per-View, from the matches to the feuds -- everything -- is rushed.
Some of this is out of TNA's hands. The decision to keep Impact at one hour rather than two hours (or even 90 minutes) was all Spike TV. Not TNA. Spike wants to keep TNA at a certain level right now, despite the fact that it is one of their highest rated original shows and has the most potential for even more growth next to UFC programming. However, a lot of the blame lays on TNA for how they utilize that one hour a week for Impact and three hours a month for Pay-Per-View. You know the saying. Life is partly what happens to you and partly how you react to it.
TNA likes short matches on Impact. Very short matches. Generally one minute for a squash, a few minutes for the middle matches and slightly more for the main event. This leads to barely passable matches, neglect of certain talent and very little focus on their tag team division. After all, if everything is rushed, maintaining three divisions can be difficult. TNA does two out of three instead. I remember watching a Christopher Daniels shoot interview in which he discussed TNA in its early days in 2002. He believed everything was being rushed, and the reason given to him was because they had to do everything quick and make their mark. Grab viewers in a hurry instead of building matches and feuds. That was an excuse four years ago. What about now?
Another aspect of TNA's rush-rush-rush format and attitude is the choice of their programming. That is, what they choose to use in their one hour of television a week and their three hours of Pay-Per-View. One of the most annoying and mind-bogglingly out-of-date features on Impact is the use of jobbers. Outsiders not under contract called in to lose to TNA stars. Call them "enhancement talent" all you like, but at the end of the day, these are jobbers we're watching. We have vanished and emerged in the 80's on WWF Superstars. TNA only has an hour a week on Impact, and they are using jobbers? One might say that TNA is giving some wrestlers try-out matches. Fine. It worked for Jay Lethal. However, that can be done on the syndicated TNA Xplosion program instead or even as dark matches. Not Impact. Also, one might argue that TNA does not want certain wrestlers on their roster doing the job. Since when do the Impact Zone fans care about win/loss records besides Samoa Joe? For example, some members of Team Canada can get jobber duty, and they will still be massively over as heels.
My main concern with the jobbers is that I don't think TNA realizes how precious little time they have to showcase their massive roster. This is a symptom of a greater problem. It's time to look at said bloated roster. When is a roster "bloated" and not "stacked"? When there is only an hour to get everything done and when management tries to put everyone on television. That's a big reason for the short matches and the rush in general. Let's compare TNA to Raw and Smackdown. Strictly counting wrestlers, divas, valets, managers and characters with prominent roles. Not announcers.
Raw's Roster:
Ashley, Big Show, Candice Michelle, Carlito, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters, Danny Basham, Edge, Eugene, Gene Snitsky, Goldust, John Cena, Johnny Parisi, Kane, Lance Cade, Lita, Maria, Matt Striker, Mick Foley, Mickie James, Rene Dupree, Ric Flair, Rob Conway, Rob Van Dam, Rosey, Shane McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Shelton Benjamin, Spirit Squad (5), Torrie Wilson, Trevor Murdoch, Triple H, Trish Stratus, Tyson Tomko, Val Venis, Victoria, Vince McMahon, and Viscera. Spirit Squad barely counts as more than one wrestler right now when you consider they all are in the same match. Still, I'll go five. Final tabulation...
42
Smackdown's Roster:
Bobby Lashley, Boogeyman, Booker T, Brian Kendrick, Chris Benoit, Daivari, Doug Basham, Finlay, Funaki, Gregory Helms, Gymini (2), Hardcore Holly, Jamie Noble, JBL, Jillian Hall, Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro, Kid Kash, Krtistal, Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Melina, Nunzio, Orlando Jordan, Paul Burchill, Paul London, Psicosis, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Road Warrior Animal, Scotty 2 Hotty, Sharmell, Simon Dean, Super Crazy, Sylvan, Tatanka, Theodore Long, Undertaker, Vito, and William Regal. Batista, Steven Richards, and Ken Kennedy have been out for months. Kennedy hasn't even appeared in a speaking role in weeks. Not on the list. Smackdown comes in at...
42
TNA's Roster:
A1, Abyss, AJ Styles, Alex Shelley, Alpha Male, Andy Douglas, Austin Aries, BG James, Bob Armstrong, Bobby Roode, Brother Ray, Brother Devon, Cassidy Riley, Chase Stevens, Chris Harris, Chris Sabin, Christian Cage, Christopher Daniels, David Young, Eric Young, Gail Kim, Homicide, Jackie Gayda, James Mitchell, James Storm, Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Kip James, Konnan, Lance Hoyt, Larry Zybyzsko, Machete, Matt Bentley, Norman Smiley, Petey Williams, Primetime, Rhino, Roderick Strong, Ron Killings, Samoa Joe, Scott D'Amore, Scott Steiner, Shark Boy, Simon Diamond, Sonjay Dutt, Sting, and Traci. Not counting Jerry Lynn, Sabu or Jeff Hardy because they have been off television for months. Not counting Shannon Moore, despite being on Impact two days ago, because he is now gone from the company. Also not counting the entire roster of the White Sox that have once again popped up on TNA television. So, at the lowest number, they are at...
47
Think about this simply by the math. TNA's roster is even bigger than Raw's or Smackdown's. Impact is only one hour. Smackdown is two hours. Raw is two hours and some change. Something looks wrong. Very wrong. Is TNA contracting so many wrestlers simply so they can sell them on the independents? To keep them out of WWE? Whatever the reason, TNA tries to get too many wrestlers on television, which often gives their programming a rushed feeling. Not just on Impact, though. At Bound for Glory, TNA's biggest Pay-Per-View event of the year, it was said that TNA tried to get nearly everyone on the roster into the Pay-Per-View as a thank you for staying with the company so long. Nice sentiment except that it hurt the overall quality of the event.
This leads me to TNA's three-hour Pay-Per-View events in general. TNA loves to stuff nearly all of their wrestlers into a Pay-Per-View. Two matches on the pre-show and usually eight or nine on the PPV itself. Here are the stats for the last four TNA Pay-Per-Views:
Destination X: 8 matches plus lots of time for Sting's return and Scott Steiner's debut
Against All Odds: 8 matches plus a very long post-match celebration for Christian Cage
Final Resolution: 9 matches
Turning Point: 9 matches
In general, this leads to two problems. First, much of the undercard gets less than ten minutes for their match. This is not a good way to blow off a feud. Hell, this is not a good way to do Pay-Per-View matches at all. Second, and perhaps more importantly, almost no matches go over twenty minutes. Meaning almost no matches have that "classic" feel to it. Almost every time, only one match reaches that twenty-minute point and sometimes none do it at all. The great feud between Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe was blown off too quickly. All three Samoa Joe/Christoper Daniels/AJ Styles X-Division Championship three-ways were under twenty minutes as well. Practically all the main events too. At the last Pay-Per-View, Destination X, the only match that reached twenty minutes (exactly) was an eight-man tag.
What can be done? Let's make some realistic suggestions and not just "Fire one quarter of the roster!" or something like that. They may need the roster if Spike TV ever gives them more time.
1) Stop using the jobbers. They clutter up Impact, which is already cluttered as it is. If TNA wants to give wrestlers try-outs, do them as dark matches.
2) Use the WWE model for PPVs. Meaning seven matches on the card.
3) Don't be afraid to leave a few wrestlers off the show. It won't kill their careers. Especially with the "We love everything!" Impact Zone fans.
It's time for a change. TNA has been rushing everything since day one. Some might say they need to move quickly in everything they do to keep viewers' attention. However, if something isn't that good, no matter how fast-paced it is, the viewers won't stay. Go for quality. Not quantity.
