The Sun's wrestling journalist Phil Allely has reported that TNA Wrestling will indeed battle WWE in a weekly ratings war starting Monday, March 8, 2010.TNA President Dixie Carter and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan made the announcement this past Monday (February 15), with a press conference streamed live with TNA Wrestling.Com and You Tube.
In a return of the historic WCW/ WWF "Monday Night War" from the late 1990's, TNA will be broadcasting their flagship show "IMPACT!" at the exact same time as WWE's main programme, Monday Night Raw. TNA's show will remain a 2-hour feature but will now air live every other Monday, and the company will also tape a show to air the following week (Raw usually goes live every week).
Dixie Carter cited the improved ratings and impressive performance of the live 3-hour special on January 4 as the main reason behind the decision to move the show to Monday nights:
[Credit: The Sun Online/ TNA Wrestling.Com):
"On January 4 wrestling fans showed us they're ready for a new professional wrestling alternative on Monday nights, and we're answering that call.
"Bringing Impact to Mondays is our most exciting move yet in a year that's already been filled with huge milestones for TNA."
Hogan added:
[Credit: The Sun Online/ TNA Wrestling.Com]:
"From this day on, things are going to change like they have never changed before.
"This change is great for the business and all fans of professional wrestling will benefit because of it."
Viewing figures for wrestling in general peaked at the height of the original "Monday Night War" but were never the same following the sale of WCW (World Championship Wrestling) to the WWF (WWE). It appeared that a large number of the WCW audience "tuned out" following the company's closure, which means that there's a substantial potential audience for wrestling still out there waiting to be "won back."
However, WWE aren't worried; at least according to their spokesman Robert Zimmerman. When asked about TNA's decision, he told Variety magazine:
[Credit: The Sun Online]:
"It's somewhat of a different audience. On Monday nights we're one of the top cable shows.
"We're focusing on our new show for Syfy, NXT and Wrestlemania XXIV. We're not too concerned as we're in good shape."
But according to Hogan:
[Credit: The Sun Online/ TNA Wrestling.Com]:
"They don't acknowledge their competition. Their talent will be cheering us on though, it gives them an option."
The full press conference can be viewed at TNA Wrestling.Com.
Please note that no announcement has been made in regards to TNA IMPACT! airing live in the UK. The show is currently broadcast on a Saturday night on Bravo, and I would expect this to remain the same for the foreseeable future. WWE Raw airs live in the UK on Sky Sports, which means that if the TNA UK TV schedule remains the same, fans won't have to choose which show to watch.
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Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/2854006/TNA-wages-war-on-WWE-by-pitting-Imact-against-Raw.html
