Confirmed on PWInsider.

It's gonna be cool to see RVD in the ring again.

I read TNA management were furious with Hogan as he let the cat out of the bag on a radio talk show.

Can't wait for this Monday. Let the war begin.

Which is so stupid of them. They should WANT to announce it. They obviously can't keep up the surprises forever, and even the stupidest fans know that. By announcing it ahead of time, you'll get some people who otherwise wouldn't have watched saying "Hey, maybe I should check it out". Then you build a really great show for March 8th that those people will see and want to keep watching.

But unfortunately, no, they'll just do "CRAZY SURPRISE" and then not build to a great storyline/show that makes people really want to keep watching, most likely, because that's Russo for you.

I use the last Monday Impact as an example. I was excited for it and I watched it, and I even enjoyed it mostly while it was on, but it didn't make me think "I really want to keep watching". I didn't find any of the storylines compelling and a lot of it had Russo's fingerprints all over it. The only reason I was interested to watch the next week was because I really liked the Angle/Styles match, but I've since stopped again. And I'll probably watch on Monday, but if all they give me is crazy surprises and attitude era booking, I may enjoy it but I won't keep watching in all likelihood, because I know the surprises can't maintain themselves.

I usually like to be surprised and I wish WWE would do it a little more often, because some of my favorite wrestling memories involve things like Rock, or Flair, or Austin, or someone like that showing up unexpectedly after an absence. But TNA is not in that position, they're in a position where they need to get as many people as they can to watch, then put on a compelling show to make those people stay. Announcing RVD ahead of time helps that.

I know people will prob say I don't care for TNA so my opinion is impartial, but the more guys like (rvd, Goldberg was even rumored) etc they bring in who are way past their prime just take away from the younger stars who can build your company. It's the same reason WCW died, they had no young stars on the uprise and when all the big names went down at once to injuries they were pretty much up shits creek.

Um...RVD is still capable of wrestling good matches and they don't take away from the time for other stars. You don't know what you are talking about because you A) Don't like TNA and Don't know much about how to book a wrestling show to begin with.



That has nothing to do with why WCW died fool.

I'd dispute the idea that bringing in guys like RVD shows there are no stars on the uprise. How about Styles just for starters? I think this storyline with him is really dumb, but how about Abyss? He's getting a big push. Wolfe's been pushed decently. Dineiro's getting a big push. WCW, with the exception of Goldberg, had a definitive glass ceiling for a long time where guys COULD NOT rise above it. Russo got rid of that but Russo brought with him other problems, and by then the writing was on the wall anyway.

I think RVD is the perfect signing for them. He's got a great personality, people love him, he can presumably still wrestle (unlike a lot of guys from the era RVD was part of or just before it, who are either still working for WWE or washed up and really can't wrestle anymore, which despite what Russo thinks, does turn people off). He's really probably the only big name out there right now (aside from Jeff and I'm not even counting him, who the fuck knows what his story is) that is available, can do more than stumble around the ring and put on a shitty match, and is actually over. It doesn't stop them from building up other guys.

I remember really enjoying watching the first Impact on Monday Night, but it was only because of all the surprises showing up and knew it wouldn't last because of that.

In this case they were definitely right to announce it. You can't surprise people who aren't watching in the first place. Most people are going to be watching Raw. Announcing RVD can only help draw viewers to TNA. I'll be watching Raw and DVR'ing TNA.

Right, and this time there's no Bret Hart. If I'm home I'll flip between both, if I'm not I'll have Raw DVRed and I'll skip Impact, but since I'm DVRing Raw regardless, if they really grab me, I'll stick with Impact. Last time I flipped the channels because Bret was on Raw, this time, whatever, I'm enjoying Raw but not so much that I can't wait til the next morning. But they have to grab me. Announcing RVD makes me more likely to peek in so I can see him debut, but they need a compelling storyline to keep me, not the same crap.

I dunno what'll happen tonight, but I do know Raw is a way better show than Impac is. Its not even close. I'm expecting TNA to get their asses torn up in the ratings.

I'm sure RVD is capable of still wrestling good matches, How won't it take time from other stars if you continue to bring in old guys who USED (yes used to be) ratings getters? The more guys TNA tries to bring in for ratings, yes that will give the other guys even less time because they will want to make them intricial part of the shows so people might care for them. Maybe RVD will actually bring in ratings, beause if you haven't noticed they've pretty much been going down the shitter since Impact was live that one Monday night (this includes HOGAN segments, FLAIR segments etc).

The Abyss storyline having the power of Hulkmania (Abyssmania?) is so stupid that no one even cares for it but I will give them at least they are trying to push Abyss. Did you even watch the last Impact? other than AJ getting the segment to start the show and the main event it was mainly about showing that everyone believes that Hogan can't wrestle, Jarrett being embarassed by Bischoff, more Hogan promos about how people don't want him to wrestle, 3 stupid segments witH Foley etc.. Yes, I get it they want to build up the match for Monday I get that. However, bottom line is ratings have not only been going down each week they have been going down at the END of shows in Hogan, Hall, Nash, Flair whoever segments (even this week with AJ and Pope).

It's like Jim Cornette said they would start to watch it for the nostalgia and then they will no longer want anything to do with it. Also, BRET FREAKING HART didn't even change the ratings for the WWE that much and people haven't seen him in 13 years in the WWE and everyone thought would never happen again. The bottomn line is this, it's a new time in Wrestling, no one really cares for the nostalgia anymore. I'll even go on and say Austin won't even bring in that much more ratings for WWE when he hosts. People want to see the guys around NOW (Cena, Orton, Batista, Jericho, Edge, Punk, AJ, Pope, Joe, etc). The only two exceptions right now of old timers who still bring in ratings are the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels but that's because they are also still wrestling. I'll say it again, no one in this day in age wants to see or cares for the nostalgia of wrestling anymore

This post has been edited by Wang+Hughes: Mar 8 2010, 10:20 AM

And it will continue to be that way until they realize that no one cares for the nostalgia of wrestling very much anymore.

WWE is just an all around better run company than TNA is. Plus even if TNA was run better WWE has more money, a bigger stage, etc...so TNA has not choice but to take the old guys that WWE no longer finds useful, and the younger guys that can wrestle but WWE doesn't want cause they lack charisma.

WH, you are just being stupid man.

AJ Styles, Dinero, Wolfe are getting a ton of air time. TNA has basically been doing nothing but building to the move to Monday Night. The Abyss storyline is absolutely idiotic I agree.

And look, I love Jim Cornette, but he is a cranky bitter old man who has never been able to achieve success on a large scale with the book.

Nostalgia still has it's place, even though TNA is sucking at utilizing it right now.

No, you are just living in the past man, Bret Hart freaking came back to the WWE for a feud with Vince going into WRESTLEMANIA and the ratings have been no different or just a few points higher (nothing of an impact). Hogan and flair's ending segments on TNA are doing 0.9 which is absolutely horrible for 2 people who according to TNA "the world is dying to see step into the ring again". Nostalgia can be used here and there, but it can't be used on EVERY show and also it can't be an INTRICAL part of the show. I would say even though the WWE has Bret/Vince in a big storyline on Raw they have not made it overshadow Edge vs Jericho, Cena vs Batista or Taker vs HBK II at Wrestlemania. Nostalgia really has no place in wrestling anymore though because the modern day fans (mostly kids now) just don't really care for them anymore.

Yes, Cornette is cranky but so far he's been exactly right on TNA. the ratings went from 1.5 (first live impact) all the way down to 1.04 so so far he is right that many people have left in droves.

I was a huge supporter of WCW (even over WWF at one point) but what we are seeing with TNA is a piss poor attempt at recreating WCW because let's face it, that's pretty much what TNA is. A weak version of WCW. Hell even the WCW when it was dying was a hell of a lot more interesting than TNA is right now. Once Hogan, Hall, Nash, Flair, etc step outta the spotlight (like that will ever happen with their egos), then maybe it will become somewhat interesting. You simply can not build a promotion based around past stars. Yes, I agree they are using AJ right (well he's their champion, so I hope they use him right), and maybe Wolfe etc have gotten SOME air time (I hightly disagre with a lot) the big feuds right now are Hogan/Flair, Bischoff/Jarrett, Nastys/Dudleys, Band/Nash.. And thats the problem. Unlike the WWE none of the feuds right now are overshadowing Cena/batista as they are always mentioning that match last on the WM rundown which makes it seem more important than any other match on the card. TNA IS overshadowing AJ being champion because now it seems like the feud is all about Hogan and Flair now and where the hell did Abyss even come from. Bischoff puts him down and threatens his job so Hogan goes and turns him into superman? This match tonight is not about AJ or Abyss, it's about HOgan and Flair.

The problem with what your saying is that TNA was no better off before the old guys like Hogan and Flair got there. I started watching TNA when they started doing PPV's, and the matches were incredible, but they had shows on FSN at 3:00 in the afternoon and then lost that spot and spent a few months broadcasting shows from their web site. People don't care about most of TNA's young guys cause alot of them are missing that star power. Lets be honest AJ is with Flair now to do the talking for him cause AJ's personality makes Daniel Bryon's seem magnetic.

This post has been edited by Vic Mackey: Mar 8 2010, 05:36 PM

Also, the ratings are what they are. What exactly did you expect from Bret? That millions of people who stopped watching wrestling would come running? There was a slight ratings boost because the ratings are what they are. You don't increase ratings long terms with one night of surprises or a brief storyline, you do it with long term planning and long term storylines, combined with a few surprises and things like that to give people a reason to watch in the first place.

And I'm not a huge TNA fan, but WCW when it was dying was shit. You're misremembering it because you want to bash TNA. You're remembering the couple of good things that happened and ignoring the hour and forty five minutes of shit every single night. At least TNA will toss a Styles VS Angle match occasionally, or something along those lines.

And yes, the match tonight is about Hogan and Flair, because with all due respect to them, who gives a shit about a Styles VS Abyss match right now? If they announced Styles VS Abyss, you think that's going to get any viewers? But put Hogan and Flair returning to the ring, and you're going to get some interested people. If the long term plan is to build to Hogan winning the title and defending against Flair, then yes, they're wrong. But that's not going to be the case. Trying to draw in viewers on their very first Monday Night Impact (not including the special, since this is the first one with the official move to Mondays) doesn't equal building the whole promotion LONG TERM around Hogan and Flair.

The fact that Styles is the world champion at all already shows it's different from WCW was in the time period you're talking about.

Vic: I think a couple don't have the star power, but I think some do. The issue is a combination of poor booking and, frankly, poor production values. Take a guy like Styles...does he suck on the mic, yes. But if he was in WWE and WWE wanted him over, he'd be way over. RVD isn't good on the mic either but people love him, and I think Styles would totally be over in WWE as an RVD type. Samoa Joe could be over as well. Doesn't mean they'd be on a Cena or HHH level, but they could absolutely be on a Mysterio/Punk/Jericho level, the guys who'll win a couple big titles and can comfortably slot into the upper mid card when necessary, guys you can slot into a PPV main event but won't exactly be the top guy in the company long term. But they have to be booked right, and I think the company needs much better production values. WWE understands that simple things like the videos and music can go a LONG way toward helping a guy get over, and TNA either doesn't or doesn't have anyone capable of doing it.

You can't compare AJ to RVD. RVD in ECW had amazing charisma. He was so cocky. He sucked on the mic in WWE cause Vince wouldn't let him say anything and as a result never reached his full potential there. You can't compare AJ to Jericho either cause Jericho actually has a personality. I don't think AJ would do anything special in WWE cause they'd cramp his wrestling style and thats what people watch him for.

I only compared him to Jericho in the level of performer I think he could reach...I'm a huge fan of Jericho and like him much more than Styles. Jericho's a top guy and main eventer, but he generally isn't on the same level as a Cena or HHH.

As for RVD, I know he was better on the mic in ECW, but he wasn't in WWE. Regardless of the reasoning, he wasn't good there, and his wrestling was somewhat cramped as well, but he was still really over. I do agree he wouldn't be as good in WWE because they'd cramp his wrestling style, but he's still a good wrestler, he still has in ring charisma, and he does have a really good finisher that I think would be over with any crowd.

Vince would bury AJ much like he did RVD, cause Vince only likes to use his own guys, or guys he made stars, but assuming he was given a fair shot I think he could be a guy who occasionally fought in main events, but never became a huge star. He's a huge star in TNA though and the fans love him. That'll always be the best place for him.

Yup, I agree with all that.