TNA President Dixie Carter recently took part in a Q and A with some wrestling fans answering a variety of questions. Here are some of the highlights.
If TNA plans to add a second show anytime soon:
“At this time there are no plans to create a second brand to iMPACT! (a la Smackdown), but we are developing two new shows. Look for updates in the near future.”
On any plans to take TNA Impact on the road outside of Orlando:
“In 2007, TNA toured 12 shows on the road. In 2010, we are scheduled to tour approximately 90 dates domestically and internationally. TNA is just starting to establish our live events business; however, we are just not in a position to tour iMPACT! at this point. Touring a television production is very expensive and we must grow our brand significantly before we would consider this business decision.”
On comparisons of the current TNA product to the dying days of WCW:
“I think there has been more of a solid focus on new talent in the last few months than we have seen in the past. The Pope, AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe, Abyss, Matt Morgan, Beer Money, Jay Lethal, Doug Williams, Kazarian, Rob Terry, Beautiful People, Angelina Love, Daffney and so many more. I think the young talents that are featured on the show have really stepped up and I am very proud of them. These guys are the “New” TNA. With the exception of Sting, I think every WCW talent we have has also worked for WWE. The only resemblance to WCW would be the guys from The Band who ran together there. Hogan and Flair appear in very different capacities. We are using established brands like Hogan to get mainstream media attention and help build new talent. It’s about balance, and we will continue to provide you with a good balance of established brands and new talent.”