As reported over the weekend, TNA Wrestling has announced that a live three-hour iMPACT! special will air on Monday 1/4 from Orlando, FL. It will be the first time TNA goes head-to-head with WWE Raw on a Monday night.
Testing the waters on a Monday night has been on TNA’s radar for quite some time. When TNA met with Spike TV and a Monday night show was discussed, original plans called for a live 2-hour broadcast from 8-10PM, with only the second hour opposing WWE Raw. TNA and Spike liked the idea of getting a 1-hour unopposed lead-in and then competing with Raw’s first hour. It was then thought that WWE would counter TNA by asking the USA Network for a third hour to combat TNA, so the decision was made to make iMPACT! a 3-hour show.
At this time, January 4th is a one-time experiment with a lot riding on it. Should TNA hold their own and get their usual 1.0 rating or better, we could see iMPACT! move to Monday nights permanently in 2010.
It’s also worth noting that Spike TV is going head-to-head with WWE Raw the following week after Monday Night iMPACT! with a live UFC Fight Night special. You can be sure all parties involved (Spike, USA, WWE, TNA, UFC) will be watching to see how TNA and UFC stack up against WWE Raw in early January.
(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for some of the information used in this report)
