10 People Most Responsible For TNA's Failure
1. Dixie Carter
Everyone included on this list has played a huge role in TNA’s demise, but there’s ultimately one person tying them all together, and that’s Dixie Carter.
Dixie initially started working or the company shortly after the Jarretts had started the company in 2002. A few months later, her parents’ Panda Energy International Company paid just $250,000 for a 72% stake, and in spring 2003, Dixie was appointed TNA president. She’d occupy the role until ceding to Billy Corgan earlier this year, and it’s impossible to downplay her negative impact on the company.
Carter has willingly thrown her money at pretty much every ex-WWE talent that came her way, and while some of them worked out (Christian, Kurt Angle), most were disasters (Jeff Hardy, Booker T). Carter has continually flooded the roster with outdated veterans instead of promoting the younger talents that helped put the company on the map, and her over reliance on celebrities saw TNA toss thousands upon thousands of dollars down the drain.
Bringing Bischoff and Hogan to the company effectively spelled the end, and TNA’s been dying a long, slow death ever since. On top of all this, Dixie has a terrible record when it comes to handling injuries (Jesse Sorensen was promised a job for life after neck surgery, but was then fired before the company had paid his medical fees), and for someone with a marketing background, her PR skills are sorely lacking.
When people expressed concern over Hogan & Bischoff’s involvement, Carter opened an episode of Impact with a bitter, defensive “my way or the highway” speech that confirmed her stubbornness. Hogan & Bischoff were in her ear, but Dixie Carter empowered them and everyone else on this list in the first place, making her ultimately responsible for TNA’s long-term failure.