As wrestlings fans we have all thought about what we would do if in charge. I decided to share with the world 10 ideas on how to take Impact Wrestling from a joke to a legitimate second company.1. No more rapid fire heel/face turns. It is hard for a casual fan that doesn't tune in every week to follow if wrestlers are turning too often. As fans we want to know who is the face and who is the heel.
2. Do not hire wrestlers just based on previous fame. Look I am a huge fan of Mick Foley, Team 3D, Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair, and Sting but they are all past their primes. Can they be valuable assets of coarse, but it is hard to suspend disbelief and have someone like Sting who looks terrible as the world champion.
3. Less talk more action. The catch phrase they are using is "Wrestling Matters" yet the show is filled with segments that don't involve wrestling. I understand that promos, interviews, and things of that nature are needed to build feuds and fan interest, however the mix should be 70% wrestling to 30% other if you want fans to believe "Wrestling Matters"
4. Get rid of the blue motif. To me the overall look of Impact Wrestling seems too much like WWE Smackdown. Do something totally different. I would suggest a retro look with red, white, and blue ropes and some simple yet effective graphics and logos.
5. Cut the fat. Right now there are 42 male wrestlers on the roster. Way too many wrestlers for just one show. Trim the roster down to about 24-30 male wrestlers. This way it is easier to follow feuds and story lines.
6. Shock value only works if you don't do it to death. This kind of goes hand and hand with number 1. Run ins, swerves, surprise appearances, and gimmick matches can equal huge ratings and pay per view buys, but the more you see hardcore matches with no reason behind it or the monthly biggest surprise ever the more it becomes like the boy who cried wolf.
7. Recognize the talent and utilize it. The one thing that really successful promotions and bookers have is a knack for putting the right people in the right position. To quote Brock Lesnar "Make chicken salad out of chicken shit" Paul Heyman was the master of this.
8. Stop trying to beat the WWE. At this point the WWE is the only wrestling organization that most Americans know. It is ok to be the number 2 company, if you build your fan base and give fans a product they can believe in the word of mouth will eventually put you exactly where you want to be. Throwing rocks at the tank that is WWE only gets you killed.
9. Make the championships mean something. You really want to be revolutionary in 2011 have long title runs with only serious contenders going for the belts. Ring Of Honor does an excellent job of this concept. In ROH all the titles are extremely important because they don't change hands that often.
10. Feature tag team wrestling. The one thing that could really set them apart from the WWE is featuring the tag team division. Wrestling fans enjoy tag team wrestling. There are some excellent teams in Impact Wrestling and making them a focal point would help bring in some of the long time fans that miss that style of action.
3. Less talk more action. The catch phrase they are using is "Wrestling Matters" yet the show is filled with segments that don't involve wrestling. I understand that promos, interviews, and things of that nature are needed to build feuds and fan interest, however the mix should be 70% wrestling to 30% other if you want fans to believe "Wrestling Matters"
4. Get rid of the blue motif. To me the overall look of Impact Wrestling seems too much like WWE Smackdown. Do something totally different. I would suggest a retro look with red, white, and blue ropes and some simple yet effective graphics and logos.
5. Cut the fat. Right now there are 42 male wrestlers on the roster. Way too many wrestlers for just one show. Trim the roster down to about 24-30 male wrestlers. This way it is easier to follow feuds and story lines.
6. Shock value only works if you don't do it to death. This kind of goes hand and hand with number 1. Run ins, swerves, surprise appearances, and gimmick matches can equal huge ratings and pay per view buys, but the more you see hardcore matches with no reason behind it or the monthly biggest surprise ever the more it becomes like the boy who cried wolf.
7. Recognize the talent and utilize it. The one thing that really successful promotions and bookers have is a knack for putting the right people in the right position. To quote Brock Lesnar "Make chicken salad out of chicken shit" Paul Heyman was the master of this.
8. Stop trying to beat the WWE. At this point the WWE is the only wrestling organization that most Americans know. It is ok to be the number 2 company, if you build your fan base and give fans a product they can believe in the word of mouth will eventually put you exactly where you want to be. Throwing rocks at the tank that is WWE only gets you killed.
9. Make the championships mean something. You really want to be revolutionary in 2011 have long title runs with only serious contenders going for the belts. Ring Of Honor does an excellent job of this concept. In ROH all the titles are extremely important because they don't change hands that often.
10. Feature tag team wrestling. The one thing that could really set them apart from the WWE is featuring the tag team division. Wrestling fans enjoy tag team wrestling. There are some excellent teams in Impact Wrestling and making them a focal point would help bring in some of the long time fans that miss that style of action.
