Should TNA put iMPACT against Smackdown first and then go up against Raw?

[Ruthless-RKO]

So the question is pretty simple, do you think iMPACT should try to defeat Smackdown in the ratings war first and then challenge Raw.

At the moment iMPACT is nowhere near Raw and are more closer to Smackdown,

TNA iMPACT, average weekly rating since the switch to mondays = 0.9 approx.

WWE Raw, average weekly rating for past few months = 3.5 approx.

WWE Smackdown, average weekly rating for the past few months = 1.8 approx.

Seriously, who are they more closer to?

My answer would be go against Smackdown first, prove they can beat the "B" show first, because they are not getting far with going up against Raw at the moment.

 

[Ferbian]

No, putting TNA against Smackdown wouldn't change much, people would most likely still tune in to watch Smackdown as they do RAW.

I don't see why TNA shouldn't be trying to go against RAW, we all know they'll never beat them (as it looks now) but TNA will get more recognition and put themselves out there more firmly if they try to go head to head against RAW, the flagship, rather than the taped B-show.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Not really. As far as overall content goes, Smackdown is considered by many to be the superior show. What's holding Smackdown back are factors such as being on an extremely lousy network that a LOT of WWE viewers don't have as part of their tv package and it's on Friday nights. More people go out on Friday than any other night of the week. When Smackdown was on UPN, later changed to the CW Network, and airing on Thursday nights, it was routinely drawing close to a 3.0 Nielsen Rating. It's been announced in the past few days that Smackdown is going to be moving to Syfy on October 1st, though the night it airs isn't known right now.

TNA's problems have more to do with how the company is being run and how TNA Creative is booking iMPACT! than anything else. TNA was unable to sustain interest in its product after the debut of Hulk Hogan. The numbers were good for about a month and then they started to slowly slide to well under the 1.0 mark. That means that not only did the new viewers they briefly attracted stopped watching, but a significant portion of their fanbase stopped watching as well. A 1.2 was roughly average for TNA and now they're drawing 0.8. TNA iMPACT! is regularly outdrawn by WWE NXT, so there's no proof that TNA would be able to do bette than Smackdown. Given the fact that Smackdown has been on a channel that a lot of fans don't get, however, I think it's possible that TNA would certainly stand a better chance against them. I don't think they'd beat Smackdown, but it wouldn't be as much of an uphill battle as it is against Raw.

 

[CH David]

No, no, no, no, no. Why the hell do people think that going up against the B-show is going to do wonders for TNA? When you go after something, you go big or go home. Why go after Smackdown, a show many people miss because they go out on Friday? So TNA can probably get a lower rating than they are getting now? Go after Raw, if you fail, you went out fighting. You win, you took down the top dog of Professional Wrestling in the US.

 

[Jeff]

No just because Friday is a bad night for TV. However I don't think TNA should be on Mondays anyways.