It's Official: The Monday Night Wars are back

[Xero]

From PWInsider:

In tomorrow's edition of Variety, the entertainment trade publication confirmed that the Monday Night Wars will return again starting Monday 3/8.

On that date, SpikeTV will move Impact to Mondays at 9 PM Eastern, putting the series permanently head to head with WWE's Monday Night War. The show will air live one week and taped the next.

We've always wanted to go on Monday nights," TNA president Dixie Carter commented to Variety. "That's where the wrestling viewing audience is accustomed to being."

WWE's Robert Zimmerman shot down the move. "We're not too concerned. We're in good shape."

[DAMN iNATOR]

LOL, wow. It should be interesting to see how long they can survive before either being forced out of business or to go back to Thursdays.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>lol only live every other week. Gonna tank.</font>

[screech]

Straight up head to head? I don't like that a bit.

8-10 or 8-11 (if they could manage) would be much better IMO.

[James Steele]

Sweet, this is the day after my 21st birthday so I'll be able to DVR both while I recover from my hangover.

[Fignuts]

lol "War"

Poor choice of words right there.

[James Steele]

They are dumbasses for going head-to-head from 8-10 CST. They'd be smarter to go from 7-9 CST.

[Droford]

They should have gone to war with NXT first.

[James Steele]

TNA0 is doing great against WWE Superstars. TNA iMPACT! is what caused ECW to fold and turn into NXT. [/Dixie]

[Droford]

TNA Tuesday ImpacT

they would do better vs NXT and probably boost their ratings over Thursdays and they could still do a live show.

[Lock Jaw]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6eL3huAk5Qk/Sb5uWYTrEWI/AAAAAAAAA7A/VrC4BW2JFAE/s400/suicide+x+champ.bmp

[Xero]

lol "War"

Poor choice of words right there.

"The Monday Night Fails"?

[James Steele]

I just have a feeling Hogan, Bischoff, Dixie, and TNA are trying too hard to capture lightning twice. The world is completely different than it was in 1996.

[TheHart]

"The Monday Night Fails"?

LOL:lol:

The most we can hope to come from this is WWE potentially stepping their game up a small bit for a few months before they decimate TNA for good.

Hey, maybe we could finally see Styles, Angle, Pope, and some others in WWE after it's all over!

[Lock Jaw]

I will admit that it gives me something to switch to when RAW is doing something ridiculous. Though there would be a high chance that TNA would be doing something even more ridiculous at the time.

Should have waited until after Mania at least, because the buildup is usually when RAW is actually good for a change.

[Xero]

Yeah, doing it before Mania is a huge mistake. This is WWE's strongest time.

But really, what does Hogan and Bischoff care? Not their money.

[jskinnyg]

Yeah, doing it before Mania is a huge mistake. This is WWE's strongest time.

But really, what does Hogan and Bischoff care? Not their money.

AGREED... Should wait until AFTER WM...

[FourFifty]

Why am I picturing MadTV trying to move to Saturday Nights next?

[FourFifty]

...Is MadTV still on anymore?

[The One]

"Monday Night War"...

Sounds more like "Monday Night Meet Me At The Flag Pole At 8:00 So I Can Beat You Up And Steal Your Lunch Money Kid."

Their arrogance is astonishing here. You're going to move your program to a DIRECT time slot competition with the company who has been #1 for the last 13 years, and who week after week pulls in top 10 highest cable numbers for any demo? You couldn't atleast start yours an hour earlier? Gives you the first hour to build to the final hour that you can hype as "can't miss" while WWE farts around and gives us Chavo vs. a Midget for the 20th week in a row on their first hour. NO. That's not the way to do it BROTHER! Let's not even address the fact that RAW is live and Impact will be alternating to taped and live events. Then you think, well, we're taking the fight to a much stronger program, and totally playing into their hands already...what the hell, why not begin this venture during what is historically their strongest part of the year. It's like have a pair of deuces and going all in with your last couple of chips.

The fact is, from what little I have seen of either TNA or WWE recently, I'd personally most likely take TNA to RAW, and even IF they have the better show, it doesn't much matter if the majority of the audience has already decided they want WWE. When Nitro did it, they went live vs. RAW's taped schedule. They gave away results...can't be done here. WCW had Ted Turner not only pump money in, but OWN the network the show was running on - there was some wiggle room for the company (not for Eric, his ass was on the line, but on a whole, the company wasn't at risk). Not this time in TNA.

It's not the nail in the coffin, cause they can always move back to a timeslot that is more profitable for Spike. And as a fan, this is exciting if only because even marginally pulling audiences from RAW might make McMahon pay attention - we all know McMahon is a fighter and doesn't like to lose an inch. This is a good thing for wrestling fans, but I have a feeling ultimately a VERY foolish plan for TNA.

TOVO Fact: Tovo use to have two VCRs record both Raw and Nitro back in the mid 90s.

[TrentDRUGFREE]

I live in Australia so due to time differences we've never experianced two rival shows on at the same time, RAW is on wednesdays and Impact is on saturdays...that's an f'in 3 day gap between the two shows.

[el bobbo]

I thought that one side had to be properly armed and ready for combat to instigate a war...

[The MAC]

TNA should invade Wrestlemania :shifty:

[Rammsteinmad]

Is this what TNA's 'Major Announcement' was?

[VSG]

The major announcement is due tonight, but then this was spoiled by dumb Brooke Hogan a long time ago!

Oh well, its like the 90-day no compete clause only in a different manner- TNA files for bankruptcy 90 days after the death of ECW!

[Anybody Thrilla]

I thought Mad TV was always on Saturday night.

[KIRA]

TNA:"go back in time"

[kareru]

its a 'war' over here in the uk, not a head to head one, but the ratings numbers keeps fluctuating

[The Pope]

LOL:lol:

The most we can hope to come from this is WWE potentially stepping their game up a small bit for a few months before they decimate TNA for good.



WWE can't kill TNA because it wouldn't be very PG of them

[Xero]

They'll intensely dislike it, though.

[The Pope]

Yeah, they can't hate it because it's too strong of a word

[Jeritron]

TNA should do what Bischoff did with WCW, and strive to be the alternative to WWE, rather than the imitation.

I heard Bischoff say in an interview that he literally listed all the defining traits and practices of WWF, and then listed ways to do the exact opposite.

TNA is no doubt closer to the attitude era than the PG stuff, but it should go all the way with it.
It should provide fans with an alternative rather than a low rent knockoff. There's also a lot more they could do to be different.
I think screwjob angles, GM office meetings, and other old tricks are a mistake.

What are some things they can offer that WWE doesn't?

Realism.

Tag Team Wrestling.

Highlight the X-division as a real unique thing. Make it an equal to the other divisions, and not a lesser entity. It seems to be treated the same way WWE treated it's light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles, or at best the European belt. It should be a major feature like the WCW cruiserweights once were, or the TV title in ECW. Even the Hardcore title in WWF was special for a while.

Stables. They occasionally have stables but they never do anything with them, or they're usually retreads of old stables. MEM and Frontline was a rehash of New Blood and Millionaires Club. The Band is clearly just NWO, and so on.
There should be more stables, with more original ideas. They should be taken seriously and pushed. They shouldn't give up on them.

Unscripted promos, and personas developed by the talent themselves.

[kareru]

the guest hosts around that time are
Criss Angel March 8, 2010
Steve Austin March 15, 2010

you have to admit, it takes balls to go head to head with the wwe with stone cold guest hosting.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I doubt they thought about who was guest hosting.

[Jeritron]

Well they should when it's Stone Cold.

[Xero]

the guest hosts around that time are
Criss Angel March 8, 2010
Steve Austin March 15, 2010

you have to admit, it takes balls to go head to head with the wwe with stone cold guest hosting.

Shows balls or lack of brains?

If anything, it's the Mania build they should be worried about, not Austin.

[The Pope]

Stone Cold audience?

[The Pope]

Lara Emily is my hero.

[Jeritron]

I wouldn't be suprised if Stone Cold returning to guest host had more of an impact on ratings than Bret did. Not a huge boost, but probably something. As far as I saw in reports, the ratings Bret's return has been bringing in are nearly the same as they were before.

Even though Austin's only been off WWE television for a year, I still think he brings in more interest.
Bret returning after 12 years was exciting to the small group of existing fan who know/care about what happened all those years ago. The average person probably has no clue how "big of a deal" Bret being back is. They probably just react to it by thinking "that's cool" and it stirs up a bit of nostalgia.

[Jeritron]

Of course, this requires the realization that in the grand scheme of things, Austin is the bigger star.

Now it's just the waiting game until Zen comes in here and tells me off for not realizing that Bret drew more money than Austin, Hogan, Rock, Flair, and Andre combined.

[McLegend]

I really think them going from 9-11 is the best thing for them. Going to get the highest rating during those times.

[The Show Off]

The following is an excerpt from an article on Variety.com:

WWE execs said they didn't see the TNA move to Monday as competition.

"We're not too concerned," WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said. "We're in good shape."

According to Zimmerman, WWE's "Raw" household ratings were up 12% in the third and fourth quarter of 2009 after implementing a regular series of guest hosts -- such as Snoop Dogg, the Osbournes and Shaquille O'Neal.


Intresting how the WWE can tell the truth and then lie in and 8 word statement.

[GD]

The Monday Night Oh Brother :roll:

[Loose Cannon]

fuck, it might be a huge epic fail, but I like thier boldness here. come on, I know a lot of you have asked for a Monday Night War again and here it is. yea, it may be one sided right now, but let TNA worry about the business part of things. Obviously, they have to have some business sense. They must of done thier reserach and homework if they are about to go head to head with WWE. TNA has lasted longer than most of us expected them to. I expected them to fold within the first five years and here they are about to put a wreslting show on at the biggest wrestling timeslot you could have.


I am behind them on this. they are going for it and I applaud them. If they put on shit, I'm going to stop watching and I'M sure fans will to. They've worked for this since 2002 and they've got it. Now the ball is in thier court. they can make a lot of money or go down in flames. Wrestling is not in 1998 anymore, so they have a lot of work to do. But then again WCW went live in 95 and wrestling was in one of the shittiest periods ever.

I wish them luck

[Loose Cannon]

TNA should do what Bischoff did with WCW, and strive to be the alternative to WWE, rather than the imitation.

I heard Bischoff say in an interview that he literally listed all the defining traits and practices of WWF, and then listed ways to do the exact opposite.

TNA is no doubt closer to the attitude era than the PG stuff, but it should go all the way with it.
It should provide fans with an alternative rather than a low rent knockoff. There's also a lot more they could do to be different.
I think screwjob angles, GM office meetings, and other old tricks are a mistake.

What are some things they can offer that WWE doesn't?

Realism.

Tag Team Wrestling.

Highlight the X-division as a real unique thing. Make it an equal to the other divisions, and not a lesser entity. It seems to be treated the same way WWE treated it's light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles, or at best the European belt. It should be a major feature like the WCW cruiserweights once were, or the TV title in ECW. Even the Hardcore title in WWF was special for a while.

Stables. They occasionally have stables but they never do anything with them, or they're usually retreads of old stables. MEM and Frontline was a rehash of New Blood and Millionaires Club. The Band is clearly just NWO, and so on.
There should be more stables, with more original ideas. They should be taken seriously and pushed. They shouldn't give up on them.

Unscripted promos, and personas developed by the talent themselves.


:y:

[kareru]

the day that 'round 2' starts will be the build up to the destination x ppv (all x div) so i would expect the x div to get feuds and storylines building up to the ppv, so hopefully the first night on monday will be an x division heavy show on tna maybe an ultimate x match just to showcase them better ( better than the steel asylum anyways), and on wwe criss angel will be the host which isn't too big of a draw so people will keep turning back to tna to watch the high flight spot monkey matches which people like, and stick around till the destination x ppv maybe longer.


that's my theory anyway

[Londoner]

fuck, it might be a huge epic fail, but I like thier boldness here. come on, I know a lot of you have asked for a Monday Night War again and here it is. yea, it may be one sided right now, but let TNA worry about the business part of things. Obviously, they have to have some business sense. They must of done thier reserach and homework if they are about to go head to head with WWE. TNA has lasted longer than most of us expected them to. I expected them to fold within the first five years and here they are about to put a wreslting show on at the biggest wrestling timeslot you could have.


I am behind them on this. they are going for it and I applaud them. If they put on shit, I'm going to stop watching and I'M sure fans will to. They've worked for this since 2002 and they've got it. Now the ball is in thier court. they can make a lot of money or go down in flames. Wrestling is not in 1998 anymore, so they have a lot of work to do. But then again WCW went live in 95 and wrestling was in one of the shittiest periods ever.

I wish them luck

:y:

[Kane Knight]

Finally, two shitty companies will go head to head! I can't wait for them to magically get better!

[Lock Jaw]

I'll still be watching 24 over the first hour of both of these anyways.

[Splaya]

Who hosts Raw the 8th?

[kareru]

Who hosts Raw the 8th?

Criss Angel March 8, 2010
Steve Austin March 15, 2010

[Calamondin]

They won't get killed. Considering last time they went to Monday they actually managed to do their best rating ever (up against one of the biggest RAWs in recent memory), I'd say they stand a good chance of not being murdered.

WWE's ratings aren't as amazing as they were and the gap between RAW and iMPACT isn't that big.

RAW for 1/4 was a 3.6
iMPACT for 1/4 was a 1.5

[Splaya]

I would switch Austin and Angel to be honest. Austin will go against a taped RAW which is what TNA wants.

I would do it like this. Roberts is in the ring and goes "Due to illness Criss Angel will not be here tonight. However, McMahon has found a special Guest Host. Cue Glass shattering. I would hype it up all week on WWE.com and leak it to the wrestling websites.

[kareru]

I would switch Austin and Angel to be honest. Austin will go against a taped RAW which is what TNA wants.

I would do it like this. Roberts is in the ring and goes "Due to illness Criss Angel will not be here tonight. However, McMahon has found a special Guest Host. Cue Glass shattering. I would hype it up all week on WWE.com and leak it to the wrestling websites.

or angel turns up and does one of his magic tricks and magically turns into austin

[Lock Jaw]

I would probably turn the channel from RAW whenever Austin is on, so its all the same to me.

[RatedGSuperstar]

One week live, one week taped, eh?

Can't wait for the moment Cole says "Elijah Burke is winning the TNA title tonight? That'll put asses in the seats..."

:shifty:

[Kane Knight]

Criss Angel March 8, 2010

And he will make the viewers vanish like....Magic!

They won't get killed. Considering last time they went to Monday they actually managed to do their best rating ever (up against one of the biggest RAWs in recent memory), I'd say they stand a good chance of not being murdered.

WWE's ratings aren't as amazing as they were and the gap between RAW and iMPACT isn't that big.

RAW for 1/4 was a 3.6
iMPACT for 1/4 was a 1.5

Raw was 3.2 or 3.0. I forget. Nielsen Media Research confirmed it.

The last time they went against Raw, they pulled out "all the stops," and expectations were high. Remember how RVD was supposed to be debuting? Paul Heyman? About fifty guys who didn't show up?

Not saying they will get killed, but you need to keep things in an accurate perspective if you're going to project based on past performances.

[jettson80]

LOL:lol:

Hey, maybe we could finally see Styles, Angle, Pope, and some others in WWE after it's all over!

With the exception of maybe Angle, everyone on this list would more than likely get buried, which would be a shame.

[Mr. Nerfect]

fuck, it might be a huge epic fail, but I like thier boldness here. come on, I know a lot of you have asked for a Monday Night War again and here it is. yea, it may be one sided right now, but let TNA worry about the business part of things. Obviously, they have to have some business sense. They must of done thier reserach and homework if they are about to go head to head with WWE. TNA has lasted longer than most of us expected them to. I expected them to fold within the first five years and here they are about to put a wreslting show on at the biggest wrestling timeslot you could have.


I am behind them on this. they are going for it and I applaud them. If they put on shit, I'm going to stop watching and I'M sure fans will to. They've worked for this since 2002 and they've got it. Now the ball is in thier court. they can make a lot of money or go down in flames. Wrestling is not in 1998 anymore, so they have a lot of work to do. But then again WCW went live in 95 and wrestling was in one of the shittiest periods ever.

I wish them luck

I agree with this. It may not be Hogan or Bischoff's money, but you know they want to succeed with this. If they fail, they will look pretty fucking stupid for taking on Vince in the first place. I don't think TNA is instantly expecting to slaughter the WWE or anything. If they can keep their ratings consistent, and Spike TV is happy, then they have got the time to gradually close the gap.

The alternating live/taped thing is a bit weird -- and I could see that sort of floundering for them. I can understand why they would do it, but iMPACT! is one of those shows that plays better than it sounds. The tapings might turn a lot of people off. But then again, there is a live iMPACT! the next week, and I guess TNA is counting on the IWC to shit on them anyway, and to please fans that only see "live" as a buzz word.

The timeslot is a double-edged sword. On one hand, starting an hour earlier could be see as advantageous, but when iMPACT! finishes, people will just flick over to RAW and see the main event stuff -- which is where the WWE puts most of their (stale) efforts. On the other hand, TNA actually needs to get viewers in, but I guess they are hoping for people to flick over when they seem something they aren't interested in on RAW (like a crappy "comedy" segment) and stick with TNA, which does have far more momentum going through their shows start-to-finish than the WWE does.

I'm interested. Especially if TNA ups their game a little more, or if it makes Vince do the same thing. I mean, Vinnie Mac once sweated Carlito signing with TNA. You can also see some TNA-influenced stuff in the WWE recently. We got heel vs. heel at the Royal Rumble, as well as face vs. face (both are much rarer in the WWE than in TNA), and we've seen some guys that the WWE has "lost hope in" sort of get renewed focus (MVP, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and even Evan Bourne come to mind).

And then you've got the guys that apparently aren't happy in TNA. Christopher Daniels is reportedly not happy; I don't know what's going on with that. Alissa Flash left the company recently, and Kong gave them a scare. You could see some shifts in talent that would be interesting.

If this just makes Vince up his game, and use some mid-card guys a little better, stop doing the same main events over and over, and actually let a few wrestling matches onto RAW; as well as putting forth some compelling storylines, this can only be a good thing for a wrestling fan. I seriously doubt that either product will be getting worse.