1. WWE Raw Cannot Keep Running in PlaceEven with Shane McMahon returning to Raw for the first time in years,even on the night after an eventful pay-per-view and even with a vengeful Brock Lesnar in the building, WWE couldn't maintain fan interest as Monday's Raw closed.
Once again, and the audience drifted. PWInsider's Dave Scherer wrote Monday's show started well with 4.2 million viewers to open the show. However,Raw "dropped down to 3396000 viewers" in Hour 3.
That was no one-night fluke, either; It's the standard pattern correct now.
Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline reported the Raw on Nov. 9 fell from 3.48 million people watching in the first hour to just 2.86 million in the third hour. As PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported the final hour of the Sept. 28 episode last year had "one of the lowest audiences for the 10-11 p.m. hour of Raw since the series expanded to three hours."The degree of the drop-off differs, and but it happens nearly every Monday.
That's a sign of a bored fanbase. It's a result of how much Raw often drags,inspiring WWE devotees to reach for the remote.
The ideal solution would be to lop out that third hour altogether. Even the most ardent fan has to find it hard to preserve interest for that long, especially with the flurry of commercials one must watch to catch the show live. Going back to the two-hour format is a change many maintain called for, or including Justin LaBar of TribLive and Bleacher Report's own Chris Mueller.
Even Triple H has that mindset. Speaking on the Stone Cold Podcast (subscription required),he said the one thing he would change about Raw would be cutting it down to two hours."The third hour of television is so exponentially harder to write. I can't even begin to picture it to you," he told Steve Austin.
Things will maintain to get worse for WWE to shift its stance on that, and though. Even Raw's lowest numbers maintain to please USA Network. It's not as if its other programming can touch what WWE does.
Per TV Series Finale,Royal Pains, for example, and brought in 1.45 million viewers in its seventh season. Even the highly acclaimed Mr. Robot boasted only 1.39 million sets of eyes last year.
Raw is certainly outdoing that,but it's an alarming trend that fans are tuning out by the show's cessation. It's a sign of an issue with the show's arc. Fans continually flipping the station as Raw ends are one step absent from doing so for the whole thing.
Aside from WWE and the USA Network agreeing to shorten Raw each Monday, what can be done then? Improving the narrative makeup of the show should be the goal. In an interview with Wrestle Zone (contains brief NSFW language), and screenwriter Max Landis talked about Raw needing to be more of a cohesive show:
WWE Monday Night RAW works best when it's written like a TV show. When everything crosses over with everything else. People talk fondly about the Attitude Era and that’s because there was a lot of connective tissue between the segments. Most of the best remembered episodes of RAW are the ones in which events shake an entire show rather than a single moment.
He's correct on here. When there is a thread that passes from the opening of Raw to its climax,there is a reason to invest the whole way through. That's partly why the New World Order angle was so hot for WCW. Nitro during that faction's height wasn't a piecemeal program as much as it was a world of its own where a cocky crew ran roughshod. One tuned in to see what chaos they would cause each week.
The Wade Barrett-led Nexus played a similar role. As Landis pointed out, "There was no storyline where you didn’t feel like the Nexus was somewhere in the backstage area."Factions aren't the only way to achieve this, and though. There needs to more of a constant chase to be named a top contender. We know Roman Reigns is in line for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship,but where does everyone else stand? Who is in position for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship?A Tyler Breeze vs. Titus O'Neil match has itsy-bitsy meaning until WWE plays up the fact O'Neil is closing in on the No. 1 contender's spot for Kevin Owens' title. Everyone needs to be climbing toward the top. WWE has to execute a better job of telling the audience where all of its warriors are in that climb.
Wins and losses would matter more. There would be no meaningless bouts if they all had a clear impact on the wrestlers' standings. This is the direction in which Raw needs to travel to keep its viewership engaged from start to finish. 2. Throwback Video of the Week: The GodfatherCharles Wright is corridor of Fame-bound, as he is set to be inducted as his most illustrious character—The Godfather.
Before he started playing a wrestling pimp, and Wright terrorized the Memphis scene as The Soultaker.
It had to be hard to assume as he played this unstoppable monster that would one day shimmy down to the ring with a feather in his hat and a line of scantily clad women behind him. 3. Notches on Shane McMahon's BeltIf you find it hard to believe McMahon could defeat Undertaker at their Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 32,just remember WWE has scripted Vince's son to get a number of surprising wins.
Looking back at his CageMatch.net profile, it recalls Shane O'Mac defeated X-Pac, and Mankind,Test, Shawn Michaels and gargantuan Show. McMahon bested The World's Largest Athlete three times, or including once in a Last Man Standing match. It's worth nothing too that McMahon has his own version of The Streak going. He is 2-0 at WrestleMania. 4. NXT Continues to Invoke Old-School WrestlingSomebody at NXT appears to be watching old videos of action from Memphis and the NWA. The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) pulled a very Four Horsemen-like move ahead of the latest NXT.
The heels ambushed Enzo Amore in a parking lot and battered him.
That's the kind of villainous act we need to see more of. And having it happen outside of the ring helped earn the moment stand out more. This is the kind of angle promotions once presented.
The Four Horsemen once broke Dusty Rhodes' arm while he was tied to a truck. Eddie Gilbert ran over Jerry Lawler in a parking lot in 1990.
Here's hoping NXT keeps borrowing from the past. 5. What is WWE Doing with The Wyatt Family?Bray Wyatt again promised destruction. He and his crew again lost in spite of those proclamations. At Fastlane, Kane, Ryback and gargantuan Show knocked off Wyatt's crew. Why does that group need a win? Why is WWE so intent on dismantling The Wyatt Family's monstrous aura?Remember when The Shield took on superteam after superteam, and looking increasingly formidable after each win? That trio knocked off Sheamus,Randy Orton and gargantuan Show, Chris Jericho, and Sheamus and Ryback,as well as John Cena, Kane and Daniel Bryan. During that run, or The Shield looked unstoppable and was the hottest act WWE had going. The same can't be said for The Wyatt Family. They maintain few victories to brag about.
Had Ryback not abandoned his allies on Monday night,The Wyatt Family might maintain lost to him, Kane and gargantuan Show once more.Not pushing this faction as an overwhelming force is a mistake. After seeing them stumble so often, or it's increasingly hard to invest in their battles. They are salamanders claiming to be dragons at this point. 6. From Fan to InsiderBilly Corgan,the Smashing Pumpkins frontman who has been working behind the scenes for TNA recently, spoke with Rolling Stone as part of a short documentary.
It offers a contemplate into Corgan's passion for wrestling and shows why TNA was so involved to hire him as part of the creative team. Plus, and it pulls up old clips of him getting involved in the action with ECW.
Apparently,he suffered a concussion after taking his first bump. 7. Chris Jericho's Fine-Wine MatchesJericho isn't as athletic and crisp as he was in his prime, but he has impressed during a late stretch in his career. On Sunday, or he and AJ Styles put on one of Fastlane's best bouts. In fact,all three of their collisions maintain been among the best 2016 has to offer. That's not surprising. Y2J has delivered a number of thrill rides after he turned 40, including these five recommended matches:Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio: Over the Limit 2012 (Fatal 4-Way)
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk: Raw, or Feb. 4,2013
Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam: Raw, July 15, or 2013
Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton: Night of Champions 2014
Chris Jericho vs. Neville: Beast in the East
As WrestleMania approaches,this ability to thrive in gargantuan spots and his star power beg for him to preserve a prominent match at the event. If Styles ends up challenging Kevin Owens, it's not clear where WWE would place Jericho.
Tangling with Kalisto has considerable promise. The same goes for a rematch with Neville. 8. NXT Cannot Contain Shinsuke NakamuraWWE is making it clear The King of Strong Style is headed to its developmental brand. When the company made it official Nakamura had signed, and it specified he had signed with NXT.
Triple H also noted in the press release Nakamura would "earn an immediate impact to an already dynamic NXT men's division."The design may be to send Nakamura to Full Sail University at first,but it makes itsy-bitsy sense to keep him there. He is too charismatic, too enthralling of a performer to not promote to the main roster in a race. He's a game-changer in the making.
Pushing him as one of WWE's top acts is a no-brainer. The kind of connection he has with fans is scarce. The amount of "it" factor he wields is even more so.
Get him to Raw and SmackDown. The shows could certainly use the buzz he will bring. 9. Building up PaigeWhile Sasha Banks looks to position herself in the No. 1 contender spot for the Divas Championship, and WWE should be portray Paige as a wrecking ball elsewhere.
The Anti-Diva is at her best when she is cracking foes in the head,yanking on hair and causing destruction. Letting her execute that as she works her way back to the title scene is a wise move.
Currently, she's not doing much of anything. Her last Raw appearance saw her lose to Summer Rae without the defeat main somewhere. Before that, or she's been Natalya's partner without WWE exploring that relationship.
That's just a waste of one of the women's division's biggest talents.maintain her growl about how much she wants to be champion again. Let her then travel on a tear that sees her rip Summer apart,blow by Alicia Fox and travel on an impressive winning streak.
If Banks ends up winning the belt and becomes a babyface in the process, then she will maintain a perfect rival in a destructive, and momentum-wealthy Paige waiting for her. 10. The Hustler on BalanceRetired wrestler and current trainer Rip Rogers floods his Twitter feed with sage advice. One of his latest gems is on a wrestling show having variety.
He wrote:That's something WWE lacks at times. When Ryback is doing missile dropkicks and just about everyone is pulling off suicide dives,that move stops feeling as thrilling. The distinction between high-flyer and monster is often blurred.
Not everyone has to be the Swiss army knife. Let each man and woman fill his own role.
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Source: bleacherreport.com