Dark Side of the Ring

Dixie still reportedly has a minority stake in TNA.

There were rumors that she had an affair or two with some wrestlers. I wonder if that played a part in her not participating.


Only two?? I would've thought she'd tried to run thru that whole roster.
 
Always wondered how they lost the Spike TV deal


Interesting




Reporting by Mike Johnson later revealed that as part of the negotiations, TNA had solicited a rights fee of $26 million, whereas Spike - in what represented quite the differential - countered with an offer between $14-16 million. "That seems true," posits Kay. "I'm going to [estimate] that [$26 million] would have been almost double the rights fee that we were paying them at the time.. somewhere in that ballpark.

"And that was never going to happen. If we were going to renew it, it probably would have been at the same price - no more - or [even] less. [Again], my decision...and our decision as a company was like, 'The ratings aren't going up. Cutting money isn't going to help. So it's time to move on."

***
Ignoring that in September 2014, I had David Schwarz, the head of SpikeTV Communications at the time ON RECORD on PWInsider.com stating the two sides were still in negotiations, I REALLY don't know what more needs to be said when the man who ran the network and made the decision to cancel the show is literally responding to my reporting and saying it's correct. If anyone is going to know, it's Kevin Kay.
 
Always wondered how they lost the Spike TV deal


Interesting




Reporting by Mike Johnson later revealed that as part of the negotiations, TNA had solicited a rights fee of $26 million, whereas Spike - in what represented quite the differential - countered with an offer between $14-16 million. "That seems true," posits Kay. "I'm going to [estimate] that [$26 million] would have been almost double the rights fee that we were paying them at the time.. somewhere in that ballpark.

"And that was never going to happen. If we were going to renew it, it probably would have been at the same price - no more - or [even] less. [Again], my decision...and our decision as a company was like, 'The ratings aren't going up. Cutting money isn't going to help. So it's time to move on."

***
Ignoring that in September 2014, I had David Schwarz, the head of SpikeTV Communications at the time ON RECORD on PWInsider.com stating the two sides were still in negotiations, I REALLY don't know what more needs to be said when the man who ran the network and made the decision to cancel the show is literally responding to my reporting and saying it's correct. If anyone is going to know, it's Kevin Kay.




Spike hated Russo, thought he was a fraud. Dixie for whatever reason was convinced he was this creative genius who created Rock & Austin and kept hiring him. She secretly hired him and everyone was sworn to secrecy, then he emailed notes for the announcers for a show to Mike Johnson instread of Mike Tenay. Johnson wrote about it. There were hours of total chaos in the office because they knew they were screwed. A few days later I was told Spike had canceled the show but would let it run until the end of the contract, but I couldn't report it because nobody knew. Then it came out, that was the reason, but publicly people claimed it wasn't canceled because they still had months left and didn't want it official until much later.
 
I mean I kinda had some basic spark notes knowledge of these early TNA days but my goodness. The entire Double J - Dixie Carter mess and THEN the Double J / Kurt / Karen angle even tho they all claim they were all ok with it. Throw in Jeff Hardy being too smacked to perform in the Sting match. And that’s just all they covered lmao

Very unserious company even to this day.
 
Finally getting around to watching the TNA episode now. Man are the memories of them early days flooding back. Watching it late night on Fox Sports Net of all places lol.
 
Finishing up part 2. Man… Vince Russo anytime he has no leash just knows how to take something good and make it a hot mess. Dixie Carter was an idiot.
 
Man, I got so much more respect for Jeff Jarrett now. These 3 episodes are up there with the best Dark Side of the Ring has ever done.
 
Back
Top