The Rise & Fall Of TNA | Wrestling Timelines

29. November 29, 2004 | Defeat Road

As promising as the iMPACT debut was, things do not look good. 

Held on November 7, Victory Road is an improbable commercial and critical success - but it’s not enough. Sting, rumoured to make his debut, does not appear. He is replaced by Randy Savage, who quits the promotion immediately after just one match. He cites an unsafe working environment; in a story that sounds like a typical lie but actually isn’t, a visiting Hulk Hogan takes up Savage’s longstanding offer for a fight, which Savage declines. Savage also knows that he’s finished, regrets tarnishing his legacy, and Dusty Rhodes allows him the dignity of hassle-free exit. 

Vince Russo leaves the promotion, and if you believe a report in the November 29 issue of the Observer, the reason is almost hilariously misogynistic: Russo “confides to friends” that Dixie Carter becoming pregnant will scupper the whole thing, since she’ll stop caring about it. Russo leaving could be classified as good news, in that he is considered an impediment to the company’s growth, but TNA has more to be concerned about than terrible feuds pitting warring security teams against one another. 

Within two years of the purchase, Panda Energy has lost $15 million keeping TNA afloat. As of November 2004, it is losing $250,000 per week. If TNA fails to secure a decent TV deal, its demise is inevitable.