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The ratings breakdown came out for both the WWE and TNA.  But I think what everyone is interested in is how TNA is doing.  The results: AWFUL.  TNA has been progressively getting murdered week after week since moving to Monday nights.  As I mentioned previously, the move was a terrible one.  You have to ask yourself why?

To be honest, Vince McMahon himself answered it the other day.  While, as typical of McMahon, he disparagingly knocked TNA, he did have one clear point: TNA has been attempting to aim at the wrasslin' audience while WWE focuses on entertainment.  There's a very clear distinction here.  McMahon's business model of the WWE centers around a much larger paradign, compared with the more limited pro-wrestling audience.  McMahon, as well documented, is a marketing genius...meaning, he understands the market he has ventured into and has substantial experience in that market.  He has been able to define a market for his company and well establish a brand name, which is why people will continue to watch the WWE no matter who he puts in front of the camera.

However, TNA has not defined themselves, or rather had lost themselves after they hired Vince Russo as the writer (which is why they need to fire him immediately).  Their target has always been "Not WWE," which simply encompasses a far smaller fraction of what the WWE promotes.  The WWE, as Vince has mentioned, is not focused on putting on good matches.  The good matches are simply a segment of the show, but not the ultimate business plan.  They can be a consequence if the performers in the ring follow the idealisms McMahon sees, but they aren't a real requirement.

But here's where TNA has simply missed the boat.  If you ever watch any Bobby Heenan video on his views of pro-wrestling, Heenan nails the real reason why pro-wrestling, as was known previously, is dead: the trick has been revealed.  Kayfabe died in three different spots: 1) When Bret Hart was "screwed" by McMahon; 2) When Nash pinned Goldberg and ended his winning streak; 3) When David Arquette was awarded the WCW title.  Wrestling still had some plausibility of being real when the NWO occurred.  That was the last and probably final time people could believe in a pro-wrestling angle.  However, the numerous non-sensical swerves and stupidity instilled in the late 90's simply had killed any remaining credibility with pro-wrestling for the mainstream audience.

I read another person's comment how UFC has become the food to satisfy that appetite of violence.  And it's true.  UFC has that credibility of realism, a ground that neither the WWE nor TNA can venture into.  WWE's brand is safe because McMahon has stated from day one his area is in entertainment and they have well established the type of brand he wants.  TNA has no brand since Vince Russo joined.  The X-Division and Knockout Division were the only remaining things that gave TNA a semblance of identity, but TNA has squandered both in favor of pursuing McMahon's universe.  But the problem is that most WWE fans are fans of the brand name of the WWE.  The best analogy for this is Coke vs a generic copy at your local super market.  That is the perception of TNA right now.

TNA simply has to do two things: fire Vince Russo and focus strictly on the X-Division and Knockout Divisions.  No more lengthy talk segments that lead to no where.  No more stupid swerves.  No more storylines that are impossibly convoluted and lead to no where.  Just get the guys out there and doing insane things.  If TNA wants to appeal to hardcore pro-wrestling fans and maybe grab the occasional casual viewer, it needs to show the train wrecks.  The interview segments and storylines are simply boring.  They've made more sense than usual recently, but they're boring and should be left to the WWE since that's their bread and butter.

The only other thing TNA can do is introduce a game changer, like my audience doing the three count idea.  Going head-to-head against the WWE at this stage is purely suicidal.  Trying to copy the style the WWE presents is suicidal.  People in TNA need to get into their heads that there is no ratings war.  The people watching the WWE aren't going to switch.  The fans of the WWE are fans of the brand, not the product, if that makes any sense.