TNA’s Dixie Carter Talks TV Deal, CM Punk and More
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Dixie Carter commented that Destination America are cancelling the promotion at the end of this year.
“We’re contracted to Destination America through the end of the year, and we are in discussions going on for 2016.”
In all actuality, the article then goes on to quote Dixie later on saying that they’re done at the end of February next year. It looks like that Destination America are going the same way as Spike last year, and giving Dixie and company time to find another network.
SI talk about the all important mega star to showcase the promotion and the lack thereof. Dixie replies about ex-WWE and current UFC star CM Punk.
“We haven’t talked, but I’d love to. He’s someone who worked with us very early on. I think he’s finished with pro wrestling, but if he wasn’t finished, I’d love to talk to him.”
To finish the interview, Dixie stresses that with WWE airing 5 hours of content every week, Ring Of Honor staying on Destination America, and Global Force Wrestling airing this autumn, TNA was and is a viable alternative to the industry and basically begs wrestling fans to tune in and give the product another chance.
“If you haven’t watched our product in a while, it’s worth finding Destination America on your cable network,” said Carter. “This is a story twelve years in the making, and it’s as real as it gets. The talent that have chosen to stay and fight for the company are loyal, and they’ve chosen to stay because this is where they want to be.”
Ski’s Take – Wow TNA really can’t catch a break can they? At the beginning of the year their product was about as hot as it’s been for a long time. The TV tapings in the UK were outstanding (although how much of that was because of the rabid fans?), excellent matches, storyline progression made sense, a network that was behind them. Then all of a sudden it went downhill, and it went downhill FAST!
Stories and reports of talent not being paid on time or not being paid at all, the network seeing that the time and money invested in the promotion wasn’t bringing in the ratings, the booking left a lot to be desired. It seems that for every good one step forward they take 5 bad steps back.
Maybe this is the death knell of the company. When Dixie was shopping TNA around as Spike were letting them go, there wasn’t a lot of takers. Destination America took a chance on TNA as did Dixie taking a chance on them. It hasn’t worked out for a variety of reasons. But is this the opportunity that Double J Jeff Jarrett has been waiting for? With GFW airing this autumn, he could amalgamate TNA into his company. Therefore making his decidedly shoddy roster a lot more appealing, not just to the paying public, but to other networks.
What do you folks think? Hit me up in the comments and let me know. I always reply to keep the conversation going!