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?

Nathan Kyght, PWTorch specialist

Oh, TNA. I think their roster is fantastic, and that the potential of the company is pretty great. Having said that, they just seem insistent on shooting themselves in the foot, so to speak. The company seems to make the most bizarre decisions: the last two pay-per-views have ended in non-finishes, and then the follow-up happened on free television. Where's the logic in that? Also, please, TNA, slow down. The programs seem to barrel on from one segment to the next, with no time to let anything sink in or settle. In fact, the shows move at such a breakneck pace that often I'll have to go back and read a recap after the show is over. Wrestling, at its core, is storytelling. So, let the moments breathe. Let them happen and let them sink in with your audience.

Also, dear TNA creative: Not every woman needs to be screaming at each other all the time. It's annoying. Also? Not every single tag team has to hate one another. Wrestling is supposed to be fun, and entertaining. Not this non-stop collection of everything going wrong. TNA did an awesome job a few weeks ago with the Jarrett/Karen-Sting backstage skits. They were superb. Also, the in-ring is more often than not terrific, as they have assembled a roster featuring some outstanding talent.

I genuinely think TNA could be outstanding, and at times it is. But, they have to stay consistent. Let the moments happen, let them engage the imagination of the audience. Let the storylines play out over time. Stop giving away everything for free; it's counter productive. There is without a doubt a vast array of talent in the company. Let them do what they do best, and wrestle. (Read Kyght's PPV Evaluation & Rankings column after each major wrestling PPV.)

Jimmy Eaton, "Retrospective of the Common Fan" specialist

I think the area TNA needs the most improvement in is character development. They have a really good roster of talent and, I think shockingly at times, they do value their championships compared to WWE (not in every case, but you get my point). One of my biggest problems watching TNA is that I just don't care about the characters. I love Robert Roode in the ring, I enjoyed the heck out of the Beer Money-Machine Guns feud what seems like 10 years ago, and when they actually give a women's match time, those are typically good, too. But, despite the strong talent and fantastic wrestlers on that roster, it's just not a watchable show to me without characters to care about.

An example of a good character in TNA is Bully Ray. He's been fantastic, but between the face/heel changes, thrown together storylines, and hot-shot booking, a lot of the roster is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. I'm truly under the impression that improved characters and solid stances for each being a heel or a face will greatly improve how the audience relates to them, thus leading fans to spend the time and money on the product.

I have no intention of dropping $30 when I can see the same thing on TV the following week, but even more important than that, I see wrestlers turn so frequently that I have no clue who's a face, a heel, in-between, etc. Why are there so many odd tag teams? Why are they together? What's their agenda? These are just a few questions that I think TNA fails to answer. Until the wrestlers I see in the ring every week have some consistency, I'll continue to have the mindset of "I can skim through Impact!" instead of the more desired "I HAVE to watch Impact!" response that I'm sure TNA management and Creative ultimately want to hear. (Agree? Disagree? Follow @TheCommonFan to start the debate.)

Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist

I have tried to like TNA...I remember around late 2006 there was a window when WWE's program was completely stale and Kurt Angle had just switched companies. Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles were rising stars, and it looked like the company was on the rise. Then, Joe tapped out to Angle and lost his aura, and, of course, the company made one mistake after another. Then, in early 2010, after signing Hulk Hogan and other stars, it looked like the company had another shot at an increased audience, as evidenced by a high rating up against Bret Hart's return to television. Unfortunately, that was botched in the upcoming months, too.

The first thing that needs to be addressed should be a complete overhaul of the booking team and "creative" division. The company has plenty of talent, but the way they are showcased minimizes their skills and appeal. TNA seems to go through a year's worth of storylines in a few weeks, and nothing really catches on. I do not know who is the man to do the job, but I do know that the current team is not working. Hopefully, this year they finally realize that they have spent millions on all kinds of former top-name talent, but have not received a return on their investment. Someone has to be held accountable, and I believe the first step is to make serious changes in the creative division. (Read Valentino's regular Magic, Memories, and Mania columns.)

Shane McKinley, PWTorch Absurdity specialist

TNA reaches that "next level," in my mind, by being a viable and credible wrestling organization that has its own dependable product. That also requires not being known as that place in Florida where old WWE wrestlers go to retire or go to be involved in a Devon storyline or become a ghost (Mr. Anderson? Anderson?). To their credit, TNA stopped rolling out relics like The Nasty Boys and Sean Morley and instead are going with guys like Austin Aries and James Storm. If they could string together strong storylines, they would be cooking with gas.

Secondly, they can't depend on another WWE star coming in. (WWE's super mega-stars, though, are another story.) When Kurt Angle came in, ratings were around 1.0, but people were giddy with excitement that TNA had landed Kurt Friggin' Angle. "This move puts TNA on the map!" A year later, the ratings stayed the same. Third, presentation of the characters is also key. Abyss bleeds, screams, and dies, and in return, gets my apathy. At times, it feels like the fans are not really part of TNA's gameplan.

Lastly, have a strong management team that don't take chickens--- ways out. We can point to last year's TNA Victory Road as one of the most embarrassing spectacles in the history of wrestling, and I can't say with certainty that something similar won't happen again this year. No one will be shocked if Against All Odds's main event is cut short by a Direct Auto Insurance Commercial. (You know, Morgan and Crimson do a jumping high-five in a freezeshot.) And, just throwing it out there, how about ending TNA PPVs on a hot note instead of a cold downer?

I'll end this post with how TNA PPVs typically end: So long! By the way, your taxes are due and they killed the Internet. What's this? James Storm is going to win the World Heavyweight Championship! He's going for the pin! 1...2...

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