Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
TNA’s U.K Tour A Success, TNA Star Graduates College, More
TNA’s recent UK tour was considered a big success for the company. They drew 1,600 fans in Liverpool at the Olympia on 6/12 just shy of a sellout, on 6/13 in the same arena they drew a sellout of 1,650, on 6/14 in Coventry they drew 3,000 fans in a 3,200 seat arena and on 6/15 in Essex they drew 2,000.
According to reports, many of the younger TNA talents considered it a tour of a lifetime because the crowd was so hot and into the product. Samoa Joe and AJ Styles were really said to have enjoyed the shows since they were treated as huge stars along with the more established talent. Many felt they should have taped another Global Impact special for the tour considering how exciting the crowds were every night, although they did tape some footage.
In regards to some statements by TNA that they had interest in returning to the UK for a Pay Per View, while the crowds would be hot, many don’t see it as a good idea. A PPV would have to begin at 1:00 a.m. in the UK to air in the US unless they did it on a tape delay. The costs of sending a crew overseas is very expensive (with one report saying they were going to be lucky to break even on the most recent tour), so using a local crew is out of the question and especially for a PPV broadcast. As a comparison, buyrates for UFC PPV’s held overseas have not done well and WWE has completely avoided running a PPV overseas as well with the exception of TV tapings on a delay.
TNA wrestler Consequences Creed real name Austin Watson graduated from Furman University two weekends ago with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in philosophy. The speaker at the graduation was President George W. Bush. Creed has plans to work with autistic children if pro wrestling doesn’t work out for him. He has since moved back to his native Georgia.
