Drama At TNA Tapings
If you haven’t read the wrestling news wires over the course of the last 24 hours, you’ve missed a lot of drama with TNA, their fans, and their hired talent.
1) Cram This has a video from someone’s cell phone of a pre-production meeting between TNA Director of Production, Steve Small, and the “cast members.” Well, turns out those “cast member” are the audience. The video was pulled off of Youtube originally at the request of TNA, but thanks to Cram This it’s still up and running. The video shows Small and two other people in the ring telling the crowd that they can’t swear, can’t flip the bird or gang signs, which is reasonable. Now I know that you don’t have to officially purchase a ticket to go to the Impact taping, but you do have to pay to get into the Universal park, so they are paying for the show indirectly. As a paying fan, there are rules, however having this “meeting” with the “cast members” who are the fans is absolutely ridiculous. The fans are there for the show. They cheer for the guys they like and boo the guys they hate. You CANNOT consider fans “cast members” because they’re paying for a show, and you CANNOT tell them how and when to react as part of the story. They have their own opinions and you write the story for us and in turn we give you ratings!
It also talks about the future demographics and he talks about his young child who’s watching and doesn’t need to hear the language. Wait a second… Isn’t that why people watch TNA… because it’s not TV-PG? One fan even mentions that in the video. I can understand you being a live event company not wanting to have your crowd swear, but using your child being in the arena as an excuse. I have a good idea, don’t bring your child to work with you! If this is true and the idea for the future of TNA is to go to a younger demographic, they are F****D! They will not be able to compete with WWE trying to use the same product, not to mention they’re going to alienate their loyal fan base they’ve had since it’s inception!
2) If you’ve been living under a rock, you may not know that there was a huge earthquake in the country of Haiti last week. Well, many people are trying to raise money to help those who are struggling in the aftermath. One person who’s NOT convinced about the crisis in Haiti was new TNA personality and Sirius radio host, Bubba The Love Sponge. This schmuck had the audacity to say “F**K Haiti” on his Twitter account and bad mouth the situation there. He has since back peddled, but that didn’t prevent him from getting some strong heat backstage with the TNA talent. One person in particular took exception and physically attacked Bubba, that person was Awesome Kong. She is there in the Impact Zone for the taping tonight, and Bubba is not. I hope that’s a sign.
Personally from day one when Bubba the Love Sponge was announced in TNA and made his first appearance on the Live Impact, I didn’t care for him. I knew he was a Hulk Hogan crony and he didn’t deserve to be there. In the days following he spit in the face of pro wrestling when he responded to comments made by Jim Cornette saying that he “takes pro wrestling too seriously.” I hope that TNA looks at this whole situation and fires his ass! I have personally sent a message to TNA President Dixie Carter to fire that jackass! He doesn’t deserve the position, the money or the airtime. He’s a shock jock who needs a reality check! Wrestling is life for some people and the ignorant comments about Haiti were the straw that broke the camel’s back for some people. From what keeps coming out over the news wires, it sounds like the TNA talent are backing Awesome Kong. Good for them! If they don’t band together now, Hogan and Eric Bischoff might lead them off the cliff.