It's hard to put a positive spin on the 0.8 rating that TNA Impact – headlined by a match between Jeff Hardy and TNA world champion A.J. Styles – did on Monday, but with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin returning for one night on Raw, the number really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
Raw, which was headlined by a contract signing with Bret Hart and Vince McMahon (moderated by Austin) and three main event-level matchups from past WrestleManias, did a 3.7, up from last week's 3.4.
TNA president Dixie Carter commented on the Impact rating Tuesday on Twitter, saying, "Although its classic David v Goliath, 1 stone will not bring down our giant, its a different day. It'll take time & commitment, we have both."
I agree with her that trying to compete with and possibly surpass WWE in a head-to-head battle is an arduous task, and having a vision and the patience necessary to see it through are essential, but at some point you have to assess whether the goal is truly attainable. If the ratings continue at the current level or get worse in the coming weeks and months, TNA should strongly consider either moving Impact's start time up an hour or moving back to Thursdays.