Predictably, WWE RAW dominated TNA iMPACT! in the first regular running of the Monday Night Wars last night. Also predictably, TNA’s number came in especially low, cementing the fact that the company failed in properly hyping the magnitude of the March 8 Monday premiere.
RAW drew a 3.42 cable broadcast rating, topping the 0.99 for iMPACT!. From an hourly perspective, RAW averaged 3.26 and 3.56; TNA’s hours averaged 1.01 and 0.96.
Among adults 18-49, RAW averaged a 1.95, off hours of 1.8 and 2.1. The total viewership average was 5.09 million viewers. TNA, on the other hand, averaged 1.40 million viewers.
WWE RAW’s high rating mark came in the overrun with a 3.98. The bottom was a 3.15 for both the second and fourth quarter hours–the second featured the Divas tag match and a Criss Angel appearance, while the fourth involved the Randy Orton-Legacy match.
TNA iMPACT! peaked with a 1.07 for both the fourth and fifth quarters, which included the final moments of The Beautiful People’s victory, the Sting/RVD/Hulk Hogan confrontations and some moments with Kevin Nash, Eric Young, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall. The bottom was a 0.76 for the eighth quarter hour, which marked the beginning of the main event.
As a wrestling fan who greatly enjoyed the early years of the first Monday Night Wars in the mid-’90s, I am not so enthused about this time around. TNA seems to be positioning itself to be WCW part 2. Too many of the same characters are in TNA: Hogan, Hall, Nash, Flair, Waltman, etc. TNA’s cast of ex-WWE and ex-WCW performers is like those thrown overboard trying to stage a mutiny of the ship! Not enough new characters in the show, carrying the show to distinguish it from the old WCW.
The switch from the six-sided ring to a four-sided ring makes TNA kinda ordinary as a wrestling promotion.
Abyss is an awful gimmick, looking like a weird cross between Mankind and the first Kane. Why he is getting the push from Hogan is beyond me.
The release of Awesome Kong is another blow to the TNA brand.
TNA is lackluster at best, but will be an default alternative on those nights when the WWE’s matches and/or storylines just don’t cut it.
Interesting post I must say.. Simple but really entertaining and interesting.. Keep up the good work!