Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending September 4th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending September 4th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2102)	180,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	153,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2200)	72,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 119,000
5	WWE LATE NIGHT SUPERSTARS (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 2301)	38,000
6	WWE LATE NIGHT BOTTOM LINE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2202)	35,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland. The show garnered 180,000 viewers (down 14,000 viewers from last week) for the Sunday September 4th episode (Originally aired Thursday Sep 1st on Spike in the USA) which saw IMPACT Wrestling on the road in Huntsville, AL and a show headlined by a huge Sting vs. Kurt Angle World Heavyweight Title match.

WWE RAW rebounded from last weeks big viewership drop, drawing 153,000 viewers (up 52,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 29th "RAW Supershow" episode which featured John Cena & Sheamus vs. Christian and Mark Henry as well as the revelation that Triple H would face CM Punk at the Night of Champions PPV.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 72,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday September 2nd edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Christian Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Title.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 26
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 28th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 28th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	209,000
2	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2100)	194,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	101,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2100)	97,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 160,000
6	WWE AFTERBURN (Wed, Sky Sports 4, 1800)	19,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland but garners more viewers this week than WWE RAW and Smackdown combined! The show garnered 209,000 viewers (down 9,000 viewers from last week) for the Tuesday August 23rd episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 18th on Spike in the USA) headlined by Mexican America's World Tag-Team title victory over Beer Money.

IMPACT Wrestling also debuted in it's new Sunday night at 9pm slot with the Sunday August 28th episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 25th on Spike in the USA) headlined by a hotly anticipated Crimson vs. Kurt Angle main event. The show garnered 197,000 viewers on the night, which despite being down is a very impressive showing given the move to a new timeslot which naturally usually sees a slight drop in viewership initially.

WWE RAW drew 101,000 viewers (down a whopping 35,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 22nd episode which featured John Cena defeating CM Punk to become Number 1 contender in the main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 97,000 viewers (down 23,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday August 26th edition which saw Bret Hart as GM for the night and Sheamus defeat Mark Henry in the main event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 25
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of September 6th 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following a Super edition of Smackdown, a thrilling IMPACT Wrestling on the Road and a very exciting RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 21st 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 21st 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2201)	218,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	136,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2200)	120,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 136,000
5	WWE AFTERBURN (Sun, Sky Sport 3, 1900)	54,000
6	WWE VINTAGE COLLECTION (Sun, Sky Sport 3, 1800)	31,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, a position it has held now for 20 consecutive weeks. The show garnered 218,000 viewers (down 23,000 viewers [9.5%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 16th episode (Originally aired Aug 11th on Spike in the USA) headlined by a four way bout pitting Crimson against Scott Steiner, Gunner and Bully Ray of Immortal and the subsequent post-match attack on Crimson from Kurt Angle.

WWE RAW drew 136,000 viewers (up 7,000 viewers [5.4%] from last week) for it's Monday August 15th episode which featured an Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 120,000 viewers (up 19,000 viewers [18.8%] from last week, ending a two week ratings slide.) for the Friday August 12th edition which saw Mark Henry win a 20-Man Battle Royal to become Number 1 contender to the World Title.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 24
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 30th 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following thrilling episodes of IMPACT Wrestling, Smackdown and RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 23rd 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following thrilling episodes of IMPACT Wrestling, Smackdown and RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 14th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 14th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	241,000
2	TNA HARDCORE JUSTICE PPV (Wed, Challenge, 2201)	214,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	129,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2233)	101,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 177,000
6	WWE EXPERIENCE (Sun, Sky Sports 4, 1730)	25,000

Despite a drop from last week's all time high viewership record, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, but once again outdraws the competition with more viewers than WWE Raw and Smackdown COMBINED. The show garnered 241,000 viewers (down 56,000 viewers [18.9%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 9th episode headlined by an RVD/Crimson vs. Scott Steiner/Gunner main event and the contract signing for Kurt Angle vs. Sting at Hardcore Justice.

Speaking of the Pay-Per View, TNA Hardcore Justice, which featured a highly anticipated World Title bout between Sting and Kurt Angle, garnered 214,000 viewers for it's airing on Wednesday the 10th. This was a rise of 34,000 viewers [18.9%] from last months pay-per view, TNA Destination X and up 10,000 viewers from the previous most watched pay-per view - Sacrifice. This means Hardcore Justice becomes the most watched TNA pay-per view event ever broadcast on UK television.

WWE RAW drew 129,000 viewers, equalling last weeks numbers, for it's Monday August 8th episode which featured the CM Punk/John Cena contract signing for their Summerslam bout as well as an R-Truth vs. John Morrison main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 101,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers [19.8%] from last week and the second consecutive ratings drop for the show.) for the Friday August 12th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Great Khali Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 23
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 16th 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following the thrilling conclusion to Summerslam, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 7th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 7th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	297,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	129,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 3, 2216)	126,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 160,000
5	WWE EXPERIENCE (Sun, Challenge, 1701)	34,000
6	WWE NXT (Thu, Sky Sports 4, 2400)	28,000
7	WWE BOTTOM LINE  (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 1331)	25,000

It's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, but breaks it's all time viewership record with a whopping 297,000 viewers, breaking the previous record of 282,000 set just two weeks ago. The show garnered 297,000 viewers (Up 63,000 viewers [21.2%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 2nd episode headlined by a superb Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson steel cage match.

WWE RAW drew 129,000 viewers (Down 27,000 viewers [17.3%] from last week 156,000) for it's Monday August 1st episode which featured CM Punk's re-signing with WWE, the announcement of the Undisputed WWE Title match for Summerslam and an Alberto Del Rio vs. Evan Bourne main event.

Both IMPACT Wrestling and RAW remain the most watched shows on their respective channels.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered (Down 2,000 viewers [1.56%] from last week 128,000) 126,000 viewers for the Friday August 5th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton & John Morrison vs. Christian & R-Truth Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 22
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending July 31st 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending July 31st 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2202)	234,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	156,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2201)	128,000
4	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sat, Challenge, 2100)	122,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 122,000
6	WWE BOTTOM LINE (Sat, Sky Sports 3, 1200)	53,000
7	WWE SUPERSTARS (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 2200)	15,000

Despite being down from it's all time high viewership record last week (282,000 viewers), it's IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge that remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland. The show garnered 234,000 viewers for the Tuesday July 26th episode headlined by a Sting & Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson & Bully Ray Tag-Team bout.

WWE RAW drew 156,000 viewers for it's Monday July 25th episode which featured a John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio Main Event and the highly anticipated return of CM Punk. There were no figures released last week for the Sky Sports channels so I am unable to determine whether or not this was a rise in viewership but the number does seem larger than RAW's usual numbers so I would suspect this was a rise in viewers this week, sparked largely by the interest of CM Punk's impending return and Triple H's first complete RAW as COO.

Both IMPACT Wrestling and RAW remain the most watched shows on their respective channels.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 128,000 viewers for it's Friday July 29th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. R-Truth Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 21
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 9th 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. After a thrilling conclusion to TNA Hardcore Justice and as we approach WWE Summerslam this Sunday, find out where your favourite wrestlers have ranked this week…

WWE News: Two Superstars injured, Major Internal Changes and More.

Photo Courtesy WWE.com

- Dolph Ziggler suffered a abdominal muscle at Friday’s RAW House Show in Salt Lake City, Utah. On the same night, Rey Mysterio suffered a knee injury, leading to the early stoppage of a bout with Alberto Del Rio. He limped to the back afterward.

Mysterio participated in an injury angle at last night’s RAW live event in Fresno, California as he was attacked by Alberto Del Rio and R-Truth prior to his match with the second generation Mexican wrestler. Del Rio put the cross arm-breaker on Mysterio, and was subsequently assisted to the back by personnel.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 2nd 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Find out where your favourite wrestler's ranked this week...

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending July 24th 2011

The Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) have released the UK TV ratings for the week ending July 24th 2011. And the figures should certainly please everyone associated with IMPACT Wrestling as it's flagship show on Challenge TV set yet another UK viewership record, garnering 282,000 viewers for the Tuesday July 19th episode headlined by Sting's World Heavyweight Title win over Mr. Anderson.

This is a viewership increase of 71,000 viewers (33.7%) from last week alone, a truly staggering figure! This means the episode was the most watched TNA/IMPACT Wrestling program ever broadcast in the UK, beating the previous record high of 244,000 set by the Tuesday 3rd May episode. Interestingly, this show was also headlined by Sting and Mr. Anderson (in a three way bout against Bully Ray), looks like IMPACT Wrestling have made a smart move in having the Stinger headline their upcoming UK Maximum Impact Tour!

Strangely there are no viewership figures provided by BARB for any of the Sky Sports channels this week so I'm unable to draw comparisons with WWE's RAW and Smackdown this week, but it's pretty safe to say that IMPACT Wrestling won the week. Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's debut on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 20
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Colt Cabana backstage at WWE RAW, Huge ROH match confirmed and more!

– Zack Ryder indicated on Twitter that Colt Cabana was backstage at last night’s RAW event in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cabana previously competed in WWE as Scotty Goldman.

WWE News: Backstage Update on CM Punk & Vince McMahon plus Who will announce RAW tonight?

Photo: Tribal Wrestling / WWE

- WWE reportedly offered CM Punk a five-year deal at one point, however no-one has been able to confirm whether this was the actual deal he ended up signing. Punk obviously put himself in a strong position for negotiations and supposedly was rewarded with a very favourable deal, he was even able to convince McMahon to pay royalties for the use of his new "Cult of Personality" theme tune, something Vince has rarely done in the past.

Regarding Punk and McMahon, it's said that Punk now has Vince's ear when it comes to ideas. It appears McMahon is keeping him close in a relationship similar to Shawn Michaels as he was moving up in the company. Ken Anderson also alluded in shoot interviews to Vince attempting to foster this kind of relationship with him at one point aswell. Vince likes to bounce ideas off Punk and vice versa which should bode well for Punk's WWE career going forward.

- Current plans for tonight's RAW have Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler slated to call the show in it's entirety. Ross is back full-time and will be calling Pay-Per Views and upcoming international tours where WWE will be taping shows. Unless things change, RAW will continue with a three-man commentary team.

Thoughts on WWE RAW: July 25th 2011

Photo Courtesy The Bleacher Report

THIS WEEK ON WWE RAW:

• Rey Mysterio d. The Miz in the title tournament final to become WWE Champion
• Alberto Del Rio tried to attack Mysterio post match and cash in his MITB briefcase. Mysterio fought of Del Rio who then decided against cashing in his shot.
• Dolph Ziggler d. Evan Bourne via submission
• Eve Torres & Kelly Kelly d. Melina & Maryse
• Triple H made his first address as COO. Announced the return of Jim Ross and booked Mysterio vs. Cena for the title in the Main Event.
• Triple H was interrupted by R-Truth, who was subsequently taken out by a returning John Morrison.
• Zach Ryder d. Michael Cole via Rough Ryder
• Alberto Del Rio d. Kofi Kingston via Cross Arm Breaker
• John Cena d. Rey Mysterio via Attitude Adjustment to win the WWE Title
• CM Punk made his return as he and Cena held their titles aloft as the show closed.

July 9th 2000, the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. Jeff Jarrett, WCW World Champion at the time, marched to the ring before promptly laying down allowing his opponent, Hulk Hogan to score the pinfall victory by placing his foot upon the chest of Double J. Hogan promptly left the arena, and WCW, with the title. Of course we all know what followed in what became known as the "Bash at the Beach" incident. However there's a reason I bring this situation up.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of July 26th 2011

The following article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com. You can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following a huge edition of Monday Night RAW that saw two title changes and multiple returns, find out where your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of July 19th 2011

The following article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Find out where your favourite wrestlers have ranked this week…

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of July 12th 2011

The following article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Find out where your favourite wrestlers ranked this week...