Dixie Carter became a polarizing on-air character for TNA programming and one veteran believes that it was detrimental to the product.
Angelina Love, who was an established talent in TNA’s Knockout Division, expressed her love for the family-oriented locker room dynamic in a new interview with WrestlingNews.co. However, that dynamic turned gray when someone influenced Carter to put herself in front of the camera more often.
“No one liked it. She definitely had the wrong people in her ear giving her very bad advice, and well, we see where that took them. She went off in her own world. She wanted to be Stephanie McMahon so bad. 80% of the Knockouts ended up getting pushed off the show because Dixie had to have 11 segments every show. She put herself all over the show, and it’s like, that’s not what people want. It’s not what people are tuning in for.”
What Else Besides An On-Air Dixie Carter Led To TNA Going Downhill?
Angelina Love, who now currently works for Billy Corgan in NWA, doesn’t completely put the blame on Dixie Carter’s change of demeanor. She shoulders a good deal of her distaste for the change in managment, calling out Bruce Prichard and Eric Bischoff specifically after Vince Russo was pushed out.
“A lot of it was just was real negative and went downhill. I ended up quitting in July 2012. Hogan gets a lot of flack. I really liked Hulk. I put it all on Prichard and Bischoff.”
Not everyone was negative on the influence of Bischoff backstage in TNA. On the latest episode of “The Kurt Angle Show,” special guest Frankie Kazarian gave major creative credit to Bischoff as someone who was easy to work with. Back in 2021 in an exclusive interview with Inside The Ropes, Love made mention as to how Carter ultimately cost TNA’s network deal with Spike TV.