By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

TNA Impact Wrestling on February 2, 2012 officially scored a 1.16 rating off a first hour 1.14 rating and second hour 1.18 rating.

It was the first time this year the second hour rating has increased from the first hour. Impact's peak quarter-hour rating came in the second hour for Gail Kim vs. Tara in a Knockouts match before the rating decreased for Hulk Hogan's return.

Specifically, Impact opened with a 1.19 rating, declined throughout the first hour, peaked with a 1.22 rating at the beginning of the second hour for the KO match, and declined again in the final 30 minutes. Impact closed with a near-show-low 1.12 rating for the main event.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a 1.19 rating, the lowest Q1 rating of the year. The segment included the intro from London, Robert Roode and Bully Ray's show-opening exchange with James Storm and Sting, and one commercial break. (up 1.0% vs. 2011-Q1 average)

Q2: Impact declined to a show-low 1.10 rating for the over-complicated Buckingham Brawl tag match and one commercial break. (down 4.8% vs. 2011-Q2 average)

Q3: Impact increased slightly to a 1.14 rating for a Garett Bischoff backstage segment, an X Division video package, and one commercial break. (down 2.3% vs. 2011-Q3 average)

Q4: Impact was essentially flat at a 1.13 rating for the Austin Aries vs. Mark Haskins X Division match, Bischoff backstage, and one commercial. (flat vs. 2011-Q4 average)

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact increased to a near-show-high 1.21 rating for James Storm vs. Robert Roode in a near-15-minute match, with one commercial break in the middle. (down 1.8% vs. 2011-Q5 average)

Q6: Impact reached its peak rating with an essentially flat 1.22 rating for for the Tara vs. Gail Knockouts match and one-and-a-half commercial breaks. (up 5.2% vs. 2011-Q6 average)

Q7: Impact began its typical end-of-the-second-hour decline with a 1.15 rating for Garett Bischoff's reveal of Hulk Hogan as his trainer, physical involvement by Eric Bischoff, Hogan's backstage promo, and one-and-a-half commercial breaks. (flat vs. 2011-Q7 average)

Q8: Impact declined slightly to a 1.12 rating for the James Storm vs. Bully Ray main event with one commercial break. (down 4.9% vs. 2011-Q8 average)

Caldwell's Analysis: The second-half of the second hour typically declines every week, but it's not a good sign the rating went down for Hulk Hogan's return segment involving an over-pushed Garett Bischoff after TNA promoted Hogan's return throughout the show. In the main event segment, it could be a case of James Storm being over-exposed on one show after he already wrestled for 15 minutes in the same hour.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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