Marvez: 'Monday Night Raw' tosses 'Impact' outta the ring

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The Monday-night pro-wrestling wars have resumed -- and the winner of the first battle couldn't be any more clear-cut.

World Wrestling Entertainment's "Monday Night Raw" dominated the Monday debut of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's "Impact" on Spike TV. "Raw" drew a 3.4 rating (roughly 4.8 million viewers) on USA Network compared to "Impact's "1.0 (1.4 million).

Such a lopsided victory was expected, as "Raw" is perennially among cable television's top-rated programs. But what Monday night's telecasts did was accentuate how much ground TNA has to cover before being considered even a remote threat to WWE's popularity.

Both shows had plenty of star power from the get-go. Shawn Michaels confronted The Undertaker during "Raw's" opening segment; TNA started with a Hulk Hogan-Abyss-vs.-Ric Flair-A.J. Styles match interrupted by the return and subsequent heel turn of Steve "Sting" Borden. WWE, though, was far more focused in its presentation of storylines that are building toward the "Wrestlemania 26" pay-per-view show in Glendale, Ariz.

TNA tried to stuff 10 pounds of groceries in a 5-pound sack. Far too many performers were featured in such haphazard fashion that most storylines were already forgotten by show's end. Even by rasslin' standards, "Impact" came across as illogical. A bloodied Hogan was walloped repeatedly by Sting's bat on two different occasions yet was just fine by the main event (a continuance of the tag-team match that Borden interrupted). And by my count, there were three different authority figures given the power to book matches along with an "executive shareholder" (Mick Foley) who was relegated to a guest referee's role.

Curious WWE fans watching the product would be further alienated because TNA inexplicably didn't use video packages to explain any of its current angles. TNA also never advertised the appearances of Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam, two former WWE stars who might have gotten "Raw" fans to change the channel had their debuts been known in advance.

TNA made the move to Monday nights after a three-hour "Impact" special in January drew a company-record 2.2 million viewers opposite "Raw." TNA probably would have drawn a larger audience Monday by starting "Impact" at 8 p.m. EST, but company president Dixie Carter was adamant that the show run head-to-head against "Raw."

Even if the on-air product improves, don't expect TNA to receive good ratings news anytime soon. "Raw" is expected to draw even stronger numbers next week with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin returning as guest host. "Impact" will be headlined by Hardy vs. A.J. Styles in a match that was taped Tuesday night in Orlando, Fla.

WWE owner Vince McMahon beat Donald Trump to the punch by saying "You're fired!" to Maria Kanellas. WWE recently released the popular diva, who is going to appear on the newest season of Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" that debuts at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday on NBC. McMahon has long frowned upon WWE performers getting too involved with outside projects that ultimately lure his talent to Hollywood (i.e., Stacy Keibler and "Dancing With the Stars"), so it appears he took a pre-emptive strike with Kanellas. Retired wrestling star Bill Goldberg also will be on "Celebrity Apprentice" ... "Hurricane" Gregory Helms also was cut by WWE, which isn't a surprise following his January arrest on public intoxication charges ... Angelo Poffo, a longtime wrestler and father to grappling stars Randy "Macho Man" Savage and "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, died last Friday of unknown causes. He was 84. Besides enjoying a four-decade career as a wrestler and promoter, Poffo also was known for setting a world record by doing 6,033 sit-ups in a four-hour, 10-minute Navy workout.

(Alex Marvez writes a syndicated pro-wrestling column for Scripps Howard News Service. Contact him at alex1marv(at)aol.com or follow him via Twitter at http://twitter.com/alexmarvez.)