By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

WWE Raw on Monday, October 14 scored a 2.88 rating, up nine percent from last week's year-low 2.65 rating.

It was the highest-rated Raw in one month dating back to the post-Night of Champions episode.

- Raw averaged 3.992 million viewers, up eight percent from last week. The show was boosted by the first two hours, then the third hour dropped off 10 percent.

Hourly Break Down: 4.114 million first hour viewers (most in two months), 4.146 million second hour viewers (most in one month), and 3.716 million third hour viewers.

The third hour drop-off was the largest of the year. The previous high 9 percent for an episode in June.

Raw's third hour performance can be blamed on a few factors, such as audience fatigue and/or the combination of a closely-contested Monday Night Football game and the MLB Playoffs. Football drew a pedestrian 12 million viewers, while this year's Playoffs continue to draw strong numbers, registering nearly five million viewers for Cardinals at Dodgers.

On cable TV Monday night, Raw ranked #3 in overall viewers behind sports, but ranked #2 in the adult male demos behind football, but ahead of baseball.

Caldwell's Analysis: WWE gave viewers hope and something to get excited about at the end of last week's show when Big Show KO'ed Triple H, which seems to have propelled the first two hours of the follow-up show this week. But, most of this week's Raw dragged, making it easy for Three-Hour Viewer Fatigue to kick in and for viewers to be drawn away to sports during the third hour.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE NEWS: Superstars SPOILERS - Results from Chicago Raw

WWE NETWORK: Monday, Oct. 12 Schedule - Raw pre-show, Sting DVD preview

WWE NEWS: Lana & Rusev reportedly engaged - follow the interesting 2015 timeline