Solomonster answers a question from a listener and gets into his thoughts on why adding a permanent third hour to Raw, while it might make the company big money now, may be doing more damage long-term than it’s worth.
2018-10-21
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I used to tape every episode of Superstars of Wrestling and even of Wrestling Challenge/Spotlight… Yes, shows consisting in SQUASH MATCHES or pointless midcard bouts. Why? Because even in a pointless taped recap show there could be a storyline-advancing event, hints for a turn, or, heck, the odd appearence of a Top Guy.
Nowadays, despite PPV-caliber matches being available for free, several nights a week, everything is so forgettable because wrestling is so OVEREXPOSED and saturated nothing really matters anymore except maybe a handful of PPVs.
TV shows make WWE a lot of money, but they're redundant in terms of actual wrestling. The point is: wrestling in itself isn't even WWE's main business anymore. They're promoting themselves, with wrestling being little more than a hook.
Also, more athletic performers don't necessarily mean "better" performers. And here a lot of blame must be put on the fans themselves, who, despite having become "smart", have lost the biggest quality they needed to enjoy and support GOOD shows… Too much focus on WHAT a wrestler can do in the ring, not enough on WHY he's doing it.
Hogan's ridiculous comeback, Warrior shaking the ropes or Austin's punches had 100x more meaning than a flawlessly executed 720° corkscrew dive outside the ring by people who look like crossfit instructors or Abercrombie models.
Nothing beats WWF Prime Time wrestling
I would still argue it's not the third hour that's killing it, because I've always thought more QUALITY wrestling is a good thing… With such a vast variety and talented roster, they need that time… They have the time, but they choose to waste it, unfortunately.
Problem is the booking, the storytelling, the pushing of those people boo, and the burying of those people cheer… Of course, it is a very bad idea to have 3 hours of garbage, with maybe a gem every now and then, few times a year… I still say it's not a time issue, it's a quality issue… The product is overall trash.
However, that is WWE's thing though, they've developed a reputation of burying their own potential superstars that the crowd actually cheer… Makes absolutely no sense… I always think back to Austin 3:16… What if they proceeded to bury Stone Cold Steve Austin, by putting him on a year-long losing streak… Then have the nerve to wonder why isn't he over, as he's steadily losing to everybody… I think that's a bigger problem today than people realize… I legit lost interest, and occasionally listen to this podcast on the way to work, because of what they did to CM Punk.
Look at Ryback… Guy had all the momentum in the world… They crushed it… And they really tried to do everything they can to do the same to Daniel Bryan… CM Punk was right… Look at Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Bray Wyatt, Rusev, Damien Sandow, Wade Barrett, Brodus Clay, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Asuka, etc… Some were big things in NXT, miraculously reduced to shit on the main roster… Crazy how that goes, almost accordingly… This is legit madness!
I just feel depressed after Raw ends every week.
U right. I literally be forgetting that raw starts at 7 central time every Monday
Because people can only take so much of the same old shit…lol. It’s like how many more times are they going to give us Bayley/Sasha vs. The Riott Squad? Do they realize they’ve been giving us this match in some shape or form for the majority of 2018? That or The Shield vs. The Roids of War…it’s boring as hell and we’ve seen it 10,000 times by now. It would be different if they used the time to give us something different but they don’t. That’s why it’s driving people away.
Maybe do 2.5 hrs
What's also hurting then is if u miss raw or sd live, u can always catch them on youtube highlights
WWE seems to believe that adding an extra hour to Raw made it better. It didn't. Adding an extra hour to a shit show won't make it good.
Everything they slander about WCW they're doing. 3 hour show not pushing the youth still relying on the old guys who weren't even that old compared to now.