| Revision as of 02:53, 4 December 2006 view sourceTJ Spyke (talk | contribs)93,344 edits Rv vandalism← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:32, 4 December 2006 view source Aaru Bui (talk | contribs)9,012 editsmNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| TNA is the first American promotion to exclusively use a ] ] as opposed to the more conventional four-sided ring (the ] ] promotion also frequently utilizes a six-sided ring). The organization also employs the unconventional rule that a title can change hands as the result of a ]. In addition, two separate entrances are used for ] and ]. | TNA is the first American promotion to exclusively use a ] ] as opposed to the more conventional four-sided ring (the ] ] promotion also frequently utilizes a six-sided ring). The organization also employs the unconventional rule that a title can change hands as the result of a ]. In addition, two separate entrances are used for ] and ]. | ||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Weekly pay-per-views=== | |||
| The original TNA business model was different from that employed by ] in several key ways. By not touring like other major federations have done, TNA was able to keep costs down. TNA's original system of programming comprised of weekly ] ]s until the introduction of ] in late 2002. | |||
| While most major promotions have aired monthly PPVs, not having a weekly network, a ], or cable show from the outset was a radical departure from the norm. The weekly TNA PPVs were priced at $9.95 ] per week, much less than the monthly WWE PPVs, which were $34.95 at the time. The weekly events were also transmitted free—albeit with a six-month delay—on ] starting March 2004, this being the company's first foray into the international market. | |||
| Initial estimates by TNA showed that about 50,000 PPV buys would be needed each week for TNA to break even. Actual buys, according to ] of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, ranged from 5,000-15,000 on a weekly basis. After 111 weeks, TNA ceased their weekly PPVs on ], ]. On Sunday, ], ], TNA Wrestling held its first three hour PPV, '']'', with buys for the PPV estimated to be in the low 10,000s. | |||
| ===''iMPACT!''=== | |||
| TNA began airing '']'' on ], ] on ]. ''iMPACT!'' was taped on Thursdays (and later Tuesdays) in Soundstage 21 at ] in ] and then broadcast between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Fridays on FSN in most markets (''iMPACT!'' was also syndicated throughout ] and ]). TNA purchased the one-hour time slot from FSN at the cost of $30,000 a week, with the weekly PPV earnings being their main source of revenue. | |||
| On ], ], TNA aired its final episode of ''iMPACT!'' on Fox Sports Net. ''iMPACT!'' averaged a 0.2 household rating over the course of its existence. This left TNA with no television deal other than the monthly PPVs, so on ] TNA turned to ] ''iMPACT!'' from their official website and offering ] through ]. At the same time, TNA began seeking a more profitable television outlet. On ], TNA announced that they had secured a deal with Spike TV to air ''iMPACT!'' as part of Spike TV's "Slammin' Saturday Night" block, beginning in the autumn of 2005. | |||
| From ], ] until ], ], TNA taped two episodes of ''iMPACT!'' every second Tuesday, with the first episode airing on ], ]. Unlike the Fox Sports deal, TNA is not paying for the time slot; instead, Spike TV controls advertising revenue. Until March 2006, the primary ] of TNA was the health drink manufacturer Morphoplex, which paid TNA $200,000 USD per month. | |||
| On ], ], it was confirmed that TNA had a ] deal with ]. In the past, video games have been a major source of revenue for other wrestling promotions. The game, tentatively titled '']'', is currently scheduled to be released in 2007 for the ], ], ], ] and ].<ref></ref> | |||
| On ], ], Spike TV announced that ''iMPACT!'' would be upgraded to a weeknight primetime slot Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ], starting on ], ]. However, ''iMPACT!'' would instead be moved to 11 p.m. ET Thursdays. Encore broadcasts would be moved to Saturdays at 11 p.m. ET. As a result, episodes were taped every second Monday starting on ], ]. The penultimate Saturday episode of ''iMPACT!'' on ], ] was televised opposite the ] ceremony on the ], marking the first time that TNA and WWE programs aired head-to-head. This episode of ''iMPACT!'' scored their lowest rating since November 2005. | |||
| TNA held their first ] at the ] in ] on ], ]. They have come to an agreement with the ] to promote a series of TNA-branded house shows throughout the ] and ], the majority of which have been based in ]. | |||
| In April 2006, TNA announced a partnership with ] that would see TNA supply YouTube with exclusive video content in exchange for ]. In the same month, TNA also announced the debut of '']'', a weekly thirty-minute online video show to be hosted by ] and ]. The first episode of ''Global iMPACT!'' aired on ], ]. | |||
| In July 2006, TNA announced they would be going on the road for their October pay-per-view '']'', which was broadcast live from the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan. This was the first time TNA held a monthly pay-per-view outside of their central filming location. TNA is looking at running more PPVs outside of Universal Studios in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/headlines/166254952.shtml |title=Major Update On TNA PPV's Moving To Various States |accessdate=2006-11-24 |date=2006-11-22 }}</ref> | |||
| ==Booking committee== | ==Booking committee== | ||
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| {{TNA Wrestling}} | {{TNA Wrestling}} | ||
| ==References== | |||
| <references /> | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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Revision as of 09:32, 4 December 2006
TNA redirects here. For other uses of the acronym, see TNA (disambiguation).
| File:TNAlogo.jpg | |
| Company type | Privately held limited liability company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional wrestling Sports entertainment |
| Founded | May 10, 2002 |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
| Key people | Dixie Carter, President Jeff Jarrett, Vice President Chris Sobol, Vice President of Operations |
| Number of employees | 85+ |
| Parent | Panda Energy International |
| Website | TNAWrestling.com |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett in May 2002.The current majority share owner is Panda Energy International. The company, which trades as TNA Entertainment, LLC, operates out of Nashville, Tennessee, with an office in Orlando, Florida.
TNA was originally a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, with the company known as NWA-TNA, but withdrew from the NWA in 2004, in the process acquiring the rights to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship until the year 2014.
TNA is the first American promotion to exclusively use a hexagonal ring as opposed to the more conventional four-sided ring (the Mexican Asistencia Asesoría y Administración promotion also frequently utilizes a six-sided ring). The organization also employs the unconventional rule that a title can change hands as the result of a disqualification. In addition, two separate entrances are used for heels and faces.
History
Weekly pay-per-views
The original TNA business model was different from that employed by WWE in several key ways. By not touring like other major federations have done, TNA was able to keep costs down. TNA's original system of programming comprised of weekly cable pay-per-views until the introduction of TNA Xplosion in late 2002.
While most major promotions have aired monthly PPVs, not having a weekly network, a syndicated, or cable show from the outset was a radical departure from the norm. The weekly TNA PPVs were priced at $9.95 USD per week, much less than the monthly WWE PPVs, which were $34.95 at the time. The weekly events were also transmitted free—albeit with a six-month delay—on The Wrestling Channel starting March 2004, this being the company's first foray into the international market.
Initial estimates by TNA showed that about 50,000 PPV buys would be needed each week for TNA to break even. Actual buys, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, ranged from 5,000-15,000 on a weekly basis. After 111 weeks, TNA ceased their weekly PPVs on September 8, 2004. On Sunday, November 7, 2004, TNA Wrestling held its first three hour PPV, TNA Victory Road 2004, with buys for the PPV estimated to be in the low 10,000s.
iMPACT!
TNA began airing TNA iMPACT! on June 4, 2004 on Fox Sports Net. iMPACT! was taped on Thursdays (and later Tuesdays) in Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and then broadcast between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Fridays on FSN in most markets (iMPACT! was also syndicated throughout Europe and Asia). TNA purchased the one-hour time slot from FSN at the cost of $30,000 a week, with the weekly PPV earnings being their main source of revenue.
On May 27, 2005, TNA aired its final episode of iMPACT! on Fox Sports Net. iMPACT! averaged a 0.2 household rating over the course of its existence. This left TNA with no television deal other than the monthly PPVs, so on July 1 TNA turned to streaming iMPACT! from their official website and offering downloading through BitTorrent. At the same time, TNA began seeking a more profitable television outlet. On July 21, TNA announced that they had secured a deal with Spike TV to air iMPACT! as part of Spike TV's "Slammin' Saturday Night" block, beginning in the autumn of 2005.
From September 27, 2005 until March 28, 2006, TNA taped two episodes of iMPACT! every second Tuesday, with the first episode airing on October 1, 2005. Unlike the Fox Sports deal, TNA is not paying for the time slot; instead, Spike TV controls advertising revenue. Until March 2006, the primary sponsor of TNA was the health drink manufacturer Morphoplex, which paid TNA $200,000 USD per month.
On November 7, 2005, it was confirmed that TNA had a video game deal with Midway Games. In the past, video games have been a major source of revenue for other wrestling promotions. The game, tentatively titled TNA iMPACT!, is currently scheduled to be released in 2007 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii.
On February 6, 2006, Spike TV announced that iMPACT! would be upgraded to a weeknight primetime slot Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET, starting on April 13, 2006. However, iMPACT! would instead be moved to 11 p.m. ET Thursdays. Encore broadcasts would be moved to Saturdays at 11 p.m. ET. As a result, episodes were taped every second Monday starting on April 10, 2006. The penultimate Saturday episode of iMPACT! on April 1, 2006 was televised opposite the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on the USA Network, marking the first time that TNA and WWE programs aired head-to-head. This episode of iMPACT! scored their lowest rating since November 2005.
TNA held their first house show at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan on March 17, 2006. They have come to an agreement with the United Wrestling Federation to promote a series of TNA-branded house shows throughout the Mid-Atlantic States and southeastern United States, the majority of which have been based in Virginia.
In April 2006, TNA announced a partnership with YouTube that would see TNA supply YouTube with exclusive video content in exchange for hosting. In the same month, TNA also announced the debut of TNA Global iMPACT!, a weekly thirty-minute online video show to be hosted by Jeremy Borash and Christy Hemme. The first episode of Global iMPACT! aired on May 3, 2006.
In July 2006, TNA announced they would be going on the road for their October pay-per-view TNA Bound for Glory 2006, which was broadcast live from the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan. This was the first time TNA held a monthly pay-per-view outside of their central filming location. TNA is looking at running more PPVs outside of Universal Studios in the future.
Booking committee
Episodes of iMPACT! and pay-per-views are booked by a committee headed by Vince Russo and containing Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantell. As President and Vice President of TNA Entertainment respectively, Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett hold veto power over any decision. Prior to the creation of the committee, booking power was typically vested in the hands of a small number of people. Jeff and Jerry Jarrett were initially responsible for booking, followed by Russo, and then by Dusty Rhodes. At times, the position of booker has been coterminous with the on-screen position of Director of Authority.
X Division
Main article: X DivisionThe high-flying, high risk style of wrestling had been one of the key reasons that viewers tuned in to WCW and ECW. Rather than emphasizing the fact that most wrestlers who perform this style are under 220 lb (100 kg) by calling it a cruiserweight division, TNA Wrestling decided to emphasize the high risk nature of the moves that these wrestlers perform (there is no upper weight limit on the X Division title, though in practice most of the champions have been cruiserweights). To further emphasize this point, the slogan "It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits", coined by TNA commentator Mike Tenay during the company's first broadcast, is used to describe the division. Although it was de-emphasized throughout 2004, the X Division is generally regarded as one of the key attractions of TNA and was replicated in several independent promotions. It was featured in the October 4, 2005 DVD release The Best of the X Division, Volume 1.
Authority figures
National Wrestling Alliance
When TNA first launched, the on-air authority figure was a representative appointed by the National Wrestling Alliance. Notable figures include NWA Vice President Bill Behrens, Ricky Steamboat and Bob Armstrong.
Director of Authority
Between July 23, 2003 and June 16, 2005, the on-screen authority figure within TNA was the "Director of Authority". Three people held the position: Erik Watts, Vince Russo and Dusty Rhodes. The position was effectively abandoned after Rhodes resigned from the company.
- Erik Watts (July 23, 2003 - January 28, 2004)
- Vince Russo (February 18, 2004 - November 7, 2004)
- Dusty Rhodes (November 7, 2004 - June 16, 2005)
NWA Championship Committee
The NWA Championship Committee was a group of wrestling veterans who acted as arbitrators, determining a winner in the event of a time limit draw. The committee consisted of Harley Race, Jim Cornette, and Terry Funk, with Funk later being replaced by Roddy Piper without ever having appeared on TNA television. After Race and Piper left TNA, the Committee essentially ceased to exist as a physical on-screen body, although it is still referenced for purposes of angles.
TNA Management
In October 2005, Larry Zbyszko began repeatedly referencing an ambiguous authority within TNA known only as "TNA Management". "TNA Management" has in the past been represented by "special referee" Earl Hebner, "consultant" Dave Hebner, and "messenger" Christy Hemme. The newest face of "TNA Management" was revealed at TNA Slammiversary 2006 as Jim Cornette, who has been called the "Management Director" in press releases following that pay-per-view.
Tournaments
Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament
The Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament was a tag team tournament held to commemorate the memory of the late Chris Candido. As per Candido's role in TNA (prior to his death) of being the veteran who mentored young rising stars, teams were composed of established veterans pairing up with young rising stars. The tournament was won by Sean Waltman and Alex Shelley in 2005, its only year of existence.
Super X Cup Tournament
The Super X Cup Tournament is an annual tournament to determine the best wrestler in the X-Division and to determine a number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship. The tournament consists of eight superstars in standard single-elimination format competing for the trophy and title shot. The 2003 Tournament was won by Chris Sabin, and the 2005 Tournament was won by Samoa Joe.
The 2004 Super X Cup Tournament was a twenty man gauntlet match held at TNA Victory Road 2004 that was won by Héctor Garza. However, Garza would later be deported back to Mexico due to drug possession charges and therefore never got his title shot.
America's X Cup Tournament
The America's X Cup Tournament was a series of international competitions held in early 2004. Tournament rounds consisted of two teams of four X-Division stars (each from a different country) facing off in a series of matches. Points were awarded to teams based on victories attained by their members. The tournaments included Team USA, Team Canada, Team Mexico, and Team Britain. Team Mexico enjoyed the most success, winning the America's X Cup and defending it against the other teams for a long period until finally losing it to Team USA in the World X Cup Tournament.
World X Cup Tournament
The World X Cup Tournament is an international tournament consisting of four teams of four X-Division superstars competing for the World X Cup trophy and worldwide X-Division dominance. Points are awarded to each team based on match victories, but formats and point levels change from year to year.
The inaugural event, the 2004 World X Cup, featured Team USA defeating Team Canada, Team Mexico, and Team Japan to win the tournament. After skipping a year in 2005, it was revived in 2006. The 2006 World X Cup saw Team Canada and Team USA tie for first place at TNA Sacrifice 2006, prompting a sudden death final on the next TNA iMPACT! in which Chris Sabin defeated Petey Williams to win the World X Cup for Team USA once more.
Current champions
TNA recognizes the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Championship as their top titles. Traditionally, NWA world champions regularly defended their titles against local contenders in the various NWA territories. This has rarely been the case since TNA began using the titles in 2002, but TNA has leased the titles from the NWA until 2014, removing these obligations from the champion. The X Division Championship is the only championship created and owned exclusively by TNA. Wrestlers who win all three titles are said to have won the TNA Triple Crown.
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Date won | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWA World Heavyweight Championship | Abyss | November 19, 2006 | November 19, 2006 |
| NWA World Tag Team Championship | Latin American Exchange (Homicide & Hernandez) |
October 22, 2006 | October 22, 2006 |
| TNA X Division Championship | Christopher Daniels | November 6, 2006 | November 16, 2006 |
See also
- TNA iMPACT!
- List of TNA pay-per-view events
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alumni
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling programs
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling roster
- TNA X Cup
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling television ratings
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References
- TNA News: New group makes offer to buy controlling interest in TNA from Panda Energy
- TNA Announces Video Game Deal With Midway
- "Major Update On TNA PPV's Moving To Various States". 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
External links
- TNAWrestlingUK.com (TNA on TWC Fight!)
- TNAEurope.com (TNA Europe fansite)
- WrestlingWorldOrder.it - TNA (TNA on an Italian site)
- TNA action figures database