Pruett's Quick Blog: Dixie Carter teases Bound for Glory in the round - What would that look and feel like?

By Will Pruett

Saturday, July 21 - 3:05 P.M. (CT)

On Tuesday's TNA Today web show, Dixie Carter made some very interesting comments about TNA's Bound for Glory show, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona this year. She said they were strongly leaning towards producing the show in the round to take advantage of the environment in Phoenix.

What exactly does it mean to produce a wrestling show in the round? Isn't the ring surrounded by fans anyways? How does this mark a change in production? It does so by eliminating one of the scenic tropes of modern wrestling; the stage.

This is exciting to me. I've called for TNA to change up their production values quite a few times. Wrestling has fallen into a rut. Without the giant stage, the lighting rig, the big screen, and the full crowd on the hard camera side, wrestling would hardly be recognizable. There is a setting that fans expect wrestling to occur in, and TNA has a chance to change it.

What if TNA does produce this show in the round? Will a major pay-per-view without a stage or a big screen look different to the viewing public? Will it feel different? Look at how UFC produces their shows: fans are all over the building, with a small aisle leading to the octagon. While I don't think TNA should copy this exactly, as it has become quite boring over time, but they should look at how this visual presentation could help them.

Wrestling shouldn't be trying to look like MMA. The fun in the presentation of wrestling comes from the spectacle. How does TNA bring that same spectacle when presenting wrestling itself in the round? Arenas today have screens all over them. Graphics for wrestlers can surround the ring and be among the fans. Perhaps some other large screens can hang around the building, especially if it is not sold out.

TNA just figured out how to make their shows on the road feel major league with Slammiversary. Hopefully they don't lose that with Bound for Glory. I'm happy to see them unafraid to experiment with their production values. It is time for wrestling to evolve.

Let's do some good old fashioned talking about this blog and TNA! Feel free to email me at itswilltime@gmail.com or to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/itswilltime.