We have some major news that has the possibility of changing the landscape of pro wrestling as we know it. In a press statement released this week, SpikeTV announced, “After several months of negotiations, we have decided to end our discussions about extending our relationship with WWE beyond September 2005. Moving forward, Spike TV will expand its investments in original programming and new acquisitions for its core audience.”
Wherever RAW winds up, With WWE leaving SpikeTV in September, that leaves a HUGE opening in Spike’s Monday night primetime slot. There is a lot of speculation that TNA representatives will be meeting with SpikeTV and Viacom very shortly about the possibility of TNA taking over RAW’s timeslot.
At this time, it is unknown whether or not WWE and SpikeTV have a no-complete clause whereas SpikeTV could not air another wrestling program in RAW’s timeslot for a certain period of time. If this is not the case, SpikeTV can begin airing a weekly Monday night TNA show immediately and steal the momentum left behind from RAW. As hard as WWE would try to alert their fans that they were switching networks, there would still be a large portion of their audience that would tune into SpikeTV the week after RAW was gone out of habit.
Theoretically, if WWE’s contract with Spike ended immediately following the end of the last RAW broad cast, TNA could air “Monday Night Impact” RIGHT AFTER RAW was over. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for TNA to seize that opportunity and reignite the Monday Night Wars. We will have more on this blockbuster story as it develops.
