Wrestling: What’s Next? Destination America – TNA & Ring Of Honor

From The Live Audio Wrestling Crew:

• Rockstar Spud was going to be on the show today, Spud is now *not* available.
• 8pm EST Ring of Honor will be leading into 9pm EST TNA.
• TNA – Everyone was blindsided by the news of ROH being signed.
• TNA – Destination America probably wanted to stay in Wrestling. TNA wasn’t working and they could afford the product so they went with ROH.
• Looks like a big “F you” to TNA from DA, after the alleged Email from Dixie to the Executives.
• TNA hosted a conference call today (See notes below).
• ROH – “Over the air” deal with Sinclair remains. Should be able to use the same show.
• ROH’s PPV buisness will really be helped by this.
• ROH – More money to play with now.
• ROH already has great revenue. TNA needed Destination America more than Destination America needed TNA.
• DA isn’t in many homes but is on cable. Sinclair is in a lot of homes.
• DA approached ROH.
• “This now is a better package than WWE, with broadcast deal being National and “Over The Air” with Sinclair”.
• No idea on the prices for rights.

Wrestling Observer News & Live

• Bryan Alvarez received a text from someone in ROH simply saying “Destination America, funny how stuff works out” before anything was announced.
• Press Release – National Broadcast Deal with Ring Of Honor
• ROH will lead into TNA
• Deal worked out over the course of “months of discussions”
• ROH Show on Sinclair affiliate will be aired first (Friday/Saturday)
• ROH TV will be ONE WEEK AFTER on DA. (Wednesday)
  
• TNA gets great ratings. The problem is advertisers don’t want to spend money on DA. Not financially viable.
• DA opting out with TNA is due to the advertisers.
• DA wants wrestling.
• ROH syndicating to DA gives them money.
• DA paying significantly less for ROH than they did for TNA.
• TNA might still do great and stay on Destination America. It’s all down to the ratings. Basically whoever does best stays.
• “Likely” TNA is done on DA, and ROH will replace them.
• Discussions happened between ROH & SpikeTV earlier this year, there would’ve been special events. Negotiations broke down.
• Sinclair show is on many markets, this expands them into New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco. Most of the “Bigger Top 10 Markets”
• ROH can now be seen on more TV’s in the markets where Sinclair wasn’t in.
• No working relationship between TNA & ROH.
• TNA didn’t tell the talent, because they didn’t know themselves.
• ROH planned for May 27th to announce this. Everything else is coincidence.
• ROH deal – DA have ZERO say in the creative process (Unlike in TNA).
• ROH does have a new lighting grid, so they are improving the production values.
• DA are paying the license fee, so ROH have an influx of cash that they wouldn’t have.
• DA & ROH are “getting along great”. Unlike TNA & DA.
• Regarding negative stories about TNA & DA: Certain stories are true.
• New Japan Pro Wrestling will now be on both networks also since ROH & NJPW are doing great together.
• ROH is probably now the Number 2 American promotion due to the number of eyes on the product.
• ROH TV will still be on ROHWrestling.com
• Virtually nobody knew about any of this.
• ROH & WWE’s “relationship” might fracture. Not by design but because of contracts.
• DA is in 45% of USA homes, and you need to buy the “tier” that is in. Similar to Sky Sports in the UK.
• No current deal for additional programming with ROH.
• TNA had “no right of first refusal” on the ROH deal, regarding exclusivity. So even if they did know about it in advance they couldn’t do anything about it.

Dixie Carter – TNA Talent Meeting Audio (Wrestling Observer)

• Dixie couldn’t address the questions about DA & ROH.
• Talent are very upset about the lack of communication.
• The Story is in play – which means it’s constantly developing.
• ROH Deal looks like it will be used as a cheaper alternative to TNA.
• TNA/Dixie hasn’t told its talent that they have not been renewed.
• Everything with ROH & DA is a big “coincidence”. This was planned. Just great timing.
• ROH was talking to other networks, including New England Sports Network.
• TNA will be in trouble if ROH ratings are great. If ROH ratings are bad, then they might stick with TNA.
• ROH deal is through the end of the year.
• ROH TV may air after Impact as well as before
• ROH PPV – Moving to Fridays, so that the TV leads into PPV and no confusion.
  • Previously
    • Sinclair TV (Sat)
      
    • ROH PPV  (Sun)
  • Future
    • Sinclair TV (Sat)
    • DA (Weds)
    • ROH PPV (Fri)

Samoa Joe

• Rhyno/Joe can work ROH due to his WWE deal, Joe can work anywhere so long as it wasn’t a National TV company.
  • E.g. TNA, Lucha Undergound. ROH now has National TV Network so it’s likely Joe will be pulled from ROH TV tapings.
• If Samoa Joe’s deal only references TNA then he might be able to work ROH regardless.
• ROH feels that they will be told that they can’t use Joe, but they don’t know yet. They have a plan, either way.

LUCHA/NXT/ROH/TNA = All National on Wednesdays until September (Smackdown in Canada)

#WCW – Wrestling Chaos Wednesday.