TNA at Wembley Area

Anyone watch or get tickets? If so, what did you make of it? Were you the lucky winner who got to have dinner with Velvet Sky?

I quite enjoyed it. Looked like the biggest venue they've been to so far and it was nice to see it looking full. Wasn't sure there would be that many TNA fans over here.

Quite enjoyed the tag team match. Was very amused that the fans actually cheered Magnus and Joe, rather than Crimson and Morgan. Loved Sting's reception when he made his entrance. The black cricket bat was a nice touch I thought.

Also liked Aries' match against our "homegrown up-and-comer". Can't remember his name but he put on a pretty good show.

To be honest the Roode & Bully Ray vs Storm matches didn't really do anything for me...possibly because they're getting a little over-familiar now.

Managed to completely miss the Gail Kim / Tara match. Anyone know how that went?

TNA looked like an actual Wrestling promotion when I watched it, brilliant venue and I'm a big fan of the old school entrance they used, I'm not a big fan of the tron and the big ramp and the fans being so far away from the wrestlers, for look I thought TNA nailed it

I managed to watch bits of it on Sunday Night. It did look full from where the they were shooting it from. It was a little strange that they filmed it from where the entrance is though. The numbers were really good at Wembly & Manchester. The Nottingham show as a little lower but that may have done with the capacity of the venue.

They've been trying to get their shows on the road for a number of years now on and off. I watched a PPV from 2008 the other night and that was wasn't in the iMPACT zone and that was full. They should look into getting a PPV over here at Wembly because the tickets well sell. I'm planning on getting tickets when they come back in 2013.

The tag match was pretty good. Strange rule but it works to Magnus/Joe's advantage going into Against All Odds next week. They were so over because Magnus is from the UK, and the UK fans love Joe, always have and always will. I've heard that the Boody Roode/James Storm match was decent but didn't see it. I also missed the knockouts match but I'm sure they but on a half decent match. The Austin Aries match was against a local called Mark Haskins. He has appeard on TNA before but also works for Dragon Gate USA & UK. His botch of the shooting star press from the top rope looked a lot more painfull that R-Truth last night.

Overall I want TNA to succeed. Not for the sake of getting at WWE but for the wresltling fans so they get a choice of good shows. I've seen the tour dates for the 2013 tour. I just hope they get a few more names across the pond next year. It would be well worth watching Jeff Hardy & MCMG's in action

Getting a PPV over here would be an idiotic move from a business prespective which means we might see one soon

TNA get poor numbers as it is for PPV sales, they don't do PPV sales in the UK so they rely on their American buy-rate, moving it to the UK means it would be on delay in the States which makes it even less likely people will buy it, the idea has to encourage people to buy PPV's not give them more reason not to

Well it's not an idotic move really. The business needs to try and attempt to spand into wider markets and needs to make attemps into making it to the next step. If they fail, then its a lesson learnt. But I think it could be a success. Look at Ring Ka King. That seems to be working really well

For starters they would actually make money by selling tickets. At the minute I don't even think they charge to get into the iMAPCT zone as its apart of the resort where they are located. They could open up even more of the arena, wheather that being MEN, or Wembly and offer even more tickets and reduce the prices slightly for the nose bleed seating. They could promote it over here and in europe and try and get somewhere to show the PPV live, perhaps Challenge TV could even get involved. The american buy rate might drop a little, but then again it might not. Don't forget there will always be a hardcore fan base of TNA Fans who would still buy the PPV with them being all over the world.

So you don't think it's an idiotic move? Hmmm ok, North America is the only place it can get a buy-rate and you think taking it away from North America and airing it at a time when the results will already be online by the time it airs in North America is a good idea? I'm sorry but as far as ideas go that's a terrible one

You thinking a full house in the UK will counter balance all the short falls from people not ordering the PPV just doesn't add up, you have far far more overheads to deal with as well, I'm all for forward progressive thinking but making drastic moves just for the sake of trying something different is what cripples TNA, they should be doing more PPV's outside of the iMPACT! Zone but not out of the country, if a big time player like WWE won't do it then you know how very little benefit there is to any such idea

The reason they didn't have an entrance set was they apparently sold too many tickets and didn't want to turn people away so scrapped the stage. I haven't watched Impact in a over a month as I've gradually grown bored with it, but this UK invasion hooked my interest again. I imagine that was the case for a few others so hopefully for TNA's sake the numbers will be up a bit and hopefully the publicity earned them a few new fans too.

Haskins didn't have a good night did he.. I wonder what hurt more, landing on his head or having his 'home' english crowd chant for the american heel facing him. Last time I saw him on TNA he fell off the ropes and had to climb the turnbuckle again to boos, this time he had to be carried to the back. Game over, son.

Apparently the crowd at Wembley wasn't even half that in Saint Louis for the Rumble but it still looked WWE sized and helped impact so much more professional and 'big time'.

Star Wars theme next week...

..What?

I watched Impact for the first time in a long time because it was held in London. It was a much better show with a large audience who made a noise all the way through it and not with people dead on their feet in Orlando watching the umpteenth Impact taping in one sitting.

Will probably watch it again and the PPV.

the-gaffer wrote:
You thinking a full house in the UK will counter balance all the short falls from people not ordering the PPV just doesn't add up, you have far far more overheads to deal with as well, I'm all for forward progressive thinking but making drastic moves just for the sake of trying something different is what cripples TNA, they should be doing more PPV's outside of the iMPACT! Zone but not out of the country, if a big time player like WWE won't do it then you know how very little benefit there is to any such idea

It's a step in the right direction holding tapings out side the iMPACT Zone, we both agree on that. Perhaps they should try this at least once a month now and tape 2 nights worth of 2 weeks tapings. I'm sure all the staff on part time contracts couldn't moan at being away 2 nights in a month. Then look at moving the PPV's out of the iMPACT Zone too. Look for places like New York, Chicargo, Phily, you know wrestling towns. WWE did hold PPV's in the UK, infact they used to hold 1 a year which was then bumbed up to 2 this went on for a good few years because I attended one. Maybe it is too soon to hold a PPV in the UK right now. But they should look into growing as a company and who knows maybe in a few years time they might just hold a PPV outside US. I know I'd like to see it

They held SummerSlam here but that was in a very different time, pre Internet or pre common Internet I should say, as for Rebellion, was that even on PPV in the States? Was that not on a Saturday evening our time?

I thought they just did that to kick off their winter tour of the UK and nothing more than glorified house shows, like the UK Rapgages in 92 and 93 when they'd come over and do a live 2 hour UK show after Mania

Well, the fact TNA are touring over here has to be a positive step. While the company may not be as big as WWE, they do have a few household names and seem to have sold a fair few tickets during the UK Invasion.

I think Gaffer's idea seems pretty sound. You need to learn to walk before you run. Expanding their US operations and putting some more events together there would seem a prudent first move.

I'd like to see how their Indian venture pans out. From the initial reports they've been lapping it up over there.


Anyway, back to the Invasion tour - I can't wait to see the Star Wars themed show. What they heck are they planning? Bobby Roode coming out dressed as Darth Vader?

Now I think about it, Ric Flair would make a great Emperor Palpatine.

dyrewolfe wrote: Now I think about it, Ric Flair would make a great Emperor Palpatine.

There has to a kendo stick light sabre battle at some point!

With this taping having been done straight after the last episode, I wonder if the Wembley crowd will still be as loud and into it. Or will they be completely puzzled as to why a Star Wars theme has just been introduced..