To begin 2012, we're starting a new Roundtable feature with PWTorch specialists/contributors answering a Question of the Day on a hot topic in the news or from a recent TV/PPV event. Check back throughout the week for our panel of PWTorch contributors offering their thoughts on the topic of the day.

Question of the Day 1/20: What do you believe is TNA's #1 area of improvement/need/change/missing piece of the puzzle to help TNA be consistent or, beyond consistency, reach the next level?

Justin James, PWTorch contributor

TNA has a major issue with what seems to be a revolving door of cast members and the lack of a consistent push for anyone. People who were at the top a few months ago are nowhere to be found, with no mention of them or explanation. Where is Mr. Anderson, for example, who was in the top tier for most of the summer? Others like A.J. Styles are in a Heavyweight Championship bout one month and then completely off the PPV next month. And, when they resurface, it is in a feud with someone who hasn’t been seriously in the title hunt in years.

What happened to Winter and Angelina Love? They just fell off the face of the earth, despite receiving tons of airtime last year. And, on and on and on. Others, like Abyss, get airtime on a regular basis, but never seem to be anywhere near “main event” level. In other words, TNA treats their entire roster the way WWE treats their mid-card. It’s very difficult to invest in characters or stories when, in back of your head, you're thinking that you may not see the person for weeks or months after their current story wraps up. (Read James's weekly reports on WWE NXT and Superstars.)

Matt Baxendell, PWTorch contributor

I believe TNA has two key flaws that need changed. (1) A creative team that needs to be completely overhauled. Bring in a new group that understands storytelling instead of blowing through six months of stories in or episode like Storm-Roode.

(2) A more consistent departure from the soul-sucking atmosphere of the Impact Zone. Once they hit the road and went in front of real fans, the soundstage made the show tough to watch. When they go to London and perform in front of 9,000 people, any Impact or PPV not on the road is going to seem minor league by comparison.

Ben Tucker, PWTorch specialist

At the forefront of TNA's issues is their creative department. While TNA's stories have improved from last year, they're still filled with over-booking, too many face/heel turns, etc. Before TNA can even think about broadening their audience, they need to continue the direction they've been heading in the past few months and highlight more of their homegrown talent, while at the same time differentiating themselves more from WWE.

By lowering instances of hotshot booking, matches given away (especially gimmick matches) without proper hype, and other issues, they would solve a lot of their issues. Instead, they should be providing more developed and interesting characters with feuds that aren't from 1998, Oh, and let's not have pole matches for the next, oh, ten years or so? Wonderful. Thanks, guys. Changes like these would, in time, help them reach that next level. (Read Tucker's Instant Reaction to each week's Raw, Impact, and Smackdown episodes.)

George Chiverton, PWTorch specialist

Personally, I think TNA really needs to step back and have a look at their assets to see that, despite having some of the best wrestlers in the world, they are producing, at times, an unwatchable product. TNA has to exploit its comparative advantage over WWE with the few divisions it has that are unique or significantly better than WWE's product. So, move the X Division Title alongside the World Title, stop pushing Sting, Hogan, and Angle (all of whom are listed for the U.K. tour as the main attraction) and rediscover the tag division from the dying embers of what used to be.

One change TNA could make - this is radical - would be to move their entire set-up to the U.K. This may sound ludicrous, but without much competition in the U.K., TNA could steal a decent timeslot and I believe they could make a huge profit by exploiting the void. The demand is there (just look at the crowds that WWE draws) and with the star power they have, they could dominate a hungry market. (Read Chiverton's weekly NXT Rankings & Evaluation column.)

Brian Leahy, PWTorch specialist

There is one thing that could easily be done. It’s nothing magical, nothing outside the box, and certainly shouldn’t be a new concept to anyone in wrestling: give the fans timely pay-offs for watching and following the TNA product.

Time and time again, despite their own investment of time and effort in wrestlers, storylines, and matches, TNA cuts the legs out from under themselves either by hot-shotting or not giving a pay-off. The Bound for Glory Series and subsequent World Title fall-out are prime examples. The Bound for Glory Series (poorly defined as it was) was good in concept. When the final two matches took place at No Surrender, TNA could have decided to play the tie-breaker match out on TV, with build, but opted to run it on the same PPV. Following from there, the story of Bobby Roode’s title win being changed on a whim just before Bound for Glory and the subsequent hot-potato title switches have been well-documented. Roode's unsatisfying title retentions, rarely delivering a decisive result on PPV or TV, highlight a serious problem.

Any of these examples in isolation would be excusable, but TNA seems to refuse to follow anyone’s beat but their own. How can fans possibly be attracted to investing their time and money in a product that seemingly never delivers on its promises? TNA can provide a simple solution: follow story arcs as they are set out, focus and build on key plot points on minor arcs, and when they feel like cutting straight to the point and hot-shotting a major match, think again. In summary, all TNA need to do is curb their enthusiasm and stay the course; they have the tools to tell good stories, but not the discipline. (Read Leahy's regular independent DVD reviews and listen to Leahy on Sean Radican's VIP Audio Updates.)

Check back for Part 2 of the Roundtable on Sunday!

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt

CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE PW.NET HEADLINES

CLICK TO EMAIL THIS ARTICLE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING