By Rick Gardner, Torch specialist

On January 4, TNA will take on WWE at its own game, bringing a live version of Impact head-to-head with Raw on Spike TV. The main selling point will be Hulk Hogan, who made the announcement along with Dixie Carter and Eric Bischoff during UFC's Fight Night last Saturday.

Despite that, making a profit is obviously not a pressing concern in TNA. Even with some truly horrible Pay-Per-View buyrates recently, TNA's approach to television has remained the same. While there are some things that TNA is doing better than WWE at the moment, such as catering towards a more traditional wrestling audience by creating issues between the wrestlers and attempting to give back stories to new characters, turning television viewers into Pay-Per-View customers isn't one of them. Impact moves at a pace akin to a four-hour wrestling show on fast forward.

While the collaboration between Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan may evoke familiar memories, any comparisons to the first episode of Nitro should be avoided. WCW was not only a far more established brand than TNA is today, but it also had a superior roster. Maybe not in terms of potential match quality, but TNA does not have a roster full of household names as WCW did in 1995. Familiar names will attract WWE viewers to Spike TV, but TNA will not be stealing anyone in the way WCW did with Lex Luger. Anyone with unrealistic expectations that Impact will be close to Raw straight away is likely to be disappointed.

But what is success for TNA in this endeavor? A similar rating to Thursday nights? Closer to 2.0? It is difficult to quantify what success is. Whether the January 4 edition of Impact will be considered a triumph or a failure will be determined by the expectations of Spike TV executives, TNA management, and Hulk Hogan himself. Yet even a smaller rating than usually garnered on a Thursday night should not be seen as a failure.

If TNA is serious about moving to Monday nights on a regular basis, then there should not be panic if the January 4 show draws a low rating. They cannot build an audience to rival Raw's overnight, but over time the upside of a move to Mondays is huge. Monday night is wrestling night. On March 21, 2001 - the night of last Nitro - WCW and WWF drew a combined 7.7 rating. Today, Raw draws ratings in the low-to-mid 3.0's, indicating that there are a significant number of people who used to watch wrestling on Monday nights when the wrestling genre was at its absolute peak audience. It is highly unlikely that TNA will draw a rating equating to even half of what Raw gets every week. Yet in the long-term, Monday could prove to be a better fit for Impact.

TNA must try to snare the wrestling fans who are disillusioned with the current direction of Raw. The fans who have no interest in the antics of Hornswoggle or celebrity guest hosts. Presenting a serious wrestling show aimed at an older audience would be the best approach. Slowing down the pace of Impact would be another welcome change, as it would allow new viewers to familiarize themselves with TNA's stars.

Hulk Hogan could be the hook to draw in viewers for the first show. Yet building around him is not sustainable. Even if he were in perfect health, Hogan's drawing power has been called into question in recent years. His match against The Big Show in 2007 did disappointing business, and there were some disappointing crowds during the recent tour of Australia. Who Hogan brings with him could prove equally important. If he can convince the likes of Rob Van Dam and Ric Flair to join him in TNA, then the star power of the company will increase dramatically. But if the Nasty Boys and Brutus Beefcake turn up, then the credibility of the company will be severely undermined.

The most important factor is that TNA grows as a business. It could be argued that the move to Monday night will help to achieve this aim, as it is traditionally a wrestling night, and TNA could gradually pick up viewers who are losing interest in Raw. But if all resources are put into winning a ratings war that is unwinnable in the short term while building the company around the aging Hulk Hogan, then a permanent move would be an unmitigated disaster.

If TNA becomes essentially a Hulk Hogan vanity project, then the promotion could be in serious trouble. Nevertheless, a permanent move to Monday nights should not be dismissed simply because it is doubtful that Impact will draw an audience close to the one that Raw gets every week. Solid Monday night ratings could be the basis for the often-promised expansion, and if TNA shows sustained growth, then it could be the catalyst for the next wrestling war.

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