Burd:

I agree completely about lowering ticket and PPV prices, especially the latter. With the number of PPVs they produce, it's ridiculous to expect people to plop down so much money for each show. They do 13 $40 shows each year, plus WrestleMania at $50. That's $570 over the course of the year, way too much to ask when most of your PPVs are only marginally better than what you put on free TV each week. I'd charge $35 for Mania, $30 for SummerSlam, the Rumble and Survivor Series, and $25 for the rest. That's a far more realistic $375 a year. They also should reward regular buyers by doing some sort of package deal - buy 5 consecutive PPVs and get the 6th free, or something like that.

I also agree about ending the brand split. It was a well-intentioned idea in the beginning, trying to manufacture competition in the business after they bought WCW. But that isn't necessary anymore, with TNA firmly on the map. I'm not saying TNA is a threat to Vince's stranglehold on the top spot, but TNA *is* a viable #2 with a strong TV deal and growing national presence. Thus, Vince should stop splintering his own product and work on solidifying his overall production. At the very least, combine Raw and SmackDown (and their comparable title belts), leaving ECW as somewhat of a stand-alone "minor league" that focuses on developing newer talent.

Regarding the McMahons, I think the best thing to do would be a combination of your idea and Ped's. Bring back Vince as the crazy asshole owner, but also feature Shane as his babyface counterpart. (Work it into storyline by explaining that the Board of Directors doesn't trust Vince, so they're awarding Shane equal power.) I've always liked the chemistry they have together on screen, and I think it could play well with the wrestlers picking sides in the battle for power. You could eventually have Shane take over completely, and maybe turn heel.


Ped:

I agree that TNA has become WAY too talk-heavy. Seems like damn near every segment, even one with a match, starts and ends with a talking bit. And in the rare instance that we do get a halfway-long match, it's usually split up by a commercial break. So yes, they absolutely need to restore the focus on the actual wrestling, which is what differentiated them from the WWE in the first place.

As for the X Division, I have no idea how the buyrates have been since the focus went largely away from the X guys, but I think the de-emphasization of the division has been a product of the talent level involved. It really lost something when AJ and Daniels and Joe moved on to other programs outside the division. Also hasn't helped that Sabin and Shelley are too busy fucking around in tag matches and now the Frontline/Mafia crap, Senshi left the company, Kazarian isn't involved in the X Division anymore, and Petey Williams has been horribly booked since Team Canada broke up. What's left? There's still some talent, but when your premiere guys are Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, Daivari and Consequences Creed, well...it's just not the same. Kinda like when WCW's Cruiserweight Division went from Eddie/Jericho/Malenko/Mysterio to guys like Kidman and Disco Inferno.