The following are highlights of a new What Culture interview with TNA President Dixie Carter:
If TNA could ever challenge WWE like WCW did: “Absolutely, I think we can be in that position or we wouldn’t be in business today. We’ve got some exciting things on the horizon and our television partners worldwide are really stepping up and are committed to growing our brand, and that’s a big part of it.
In the United States, we have one, two hour television show every week and we want to be developing the programming and doing some exciting new strategic things to grow our company in ways that we’ve never even had the opportunity to do in the past. So 2015 and beyond looks very bright for us.”
If she regrets losing AJ Styles from TNA: “Of course, I regret [it] and I miss a lot of people who are no longer a part of our roster, but I think that’s what so great about our company is that hopefully, at some point, he will be back, and so will others. I look at this past year with Matt Hardy returning and Low Ki returning, and Rhino and so many others.
I think it makes for great TV and when they came back, all the characters were so fresh, and besides, AJ was so synonymous with TNA, and to me, he’ll always be a part of our family.”
Her gender being an advantage or disadvantage in the industry: “To me, it’s been an absolute advantage. I think, in the first several years, people didn’t know quite what to make of me. I’m a very positive person and a very different personality to what they had experienced in the industry before. You know, I really care about them and I care deeply for this group of people who work for us and for the fans of the show and I think it’s an absolute advantage in corporate meetings and behind the scenes with the talent.
There’s just a different perspective, I think sometimes. I mean, I can deal with a man, I have no problem, I’ve done that my entire career. It just gives you a unique perspective, it’s helped me and played to my advantage many times.”
Her thoughts as she was about to go through a table: “My head was a complete blank, honestly! It was very surreal. I was in Los Angeles last week and I was watching a video highlight reel that Discovery had put together for Destination America. I was watching all the different episodes and the crazy things that I had done last year, and, you know, I was looking at that person going “Who is that?” [laughs], and then I see her about to be powerbombed from the top rope through a table….to me today, it’s so very surreal.
I just tried not to think about it and tried not to worry about it and just do it. I felt like, every single day, I’d sit behind the cameras and watch…and to our company and our fans and our television show, I just felt like it’s the least I could have done, to show them how much I respect what they do and just a small way of saying thank you. I don’t think I expected to break my back, but at least it makes for a good story now!”
The one thing she would change from her past in TNA: “Oh wow, I’ve never been asked that question before! I think the thing I would change would be to realise that just because someone’s been in this business a long time, doesn’t mean that they have the magic silver bullet that’s going to change everything. People who’ve been doing this successfully in the past, and their experience, doesn’t necessarily mean that that will work today.
Times have changed, viewing habits have changed, social media has changed so much about the world we live in today, and how we experience life. I think I would have not put so much stock in that, and would have looked beyond for fresher outside ideas earlier.”
Check out the complete interview at WhatCulture.com.