IYO: Should Monday Night RAW go back to 2 hours?

[GD]

In your opinion: Should Monday Night RAW go back to 2 hours?

I will join the discussion later tonight.

Feel free to post your opinions and suggestions :wave:

[Corporate CockSnogger]

I don't care. It's rare for me to actually watch Raw these days for it to bother me one way or the other, so if more guys are getting air time for the people who do tune in weekly then that's all gravy.

I did always find 3 hour Raws, even before it became a permanent feature to drag on a lot though.

[drave]

Is it the extra hour necessarily, or just the shitty writing?? Go ahead and tell a good story or whatever, but a "scandal" with AJ, Cena and Vickie honestly bores the shit outta me. As Autobahn would say Alan Partridge.gif

The extra hour, if used well, should lay the foundation to start building new talents that are on the radar, so to speak. Wrestlers like Sandow, Kofi, McIntyre (pre-3MB) etc. should get some time to connect more with the fans and GET them to care.

[#1-norm-fan]

If the show is captivating from beginning to end, I could care less if it's 2 hours long, 3 hours long or 10 hours long.

They make more money with 3 hours obviously though than with 2 hours. People act like the show got so much worse when it went to 3 hours. Like it was incredible before.

[Mr. Nerfect]

They probably shouldn't, since they make more money with it being three hours. I do think that it would help the overall product if the show were two hours, though. I also think that they should re-affirm the brand split, since that allowed each show to have more of an identity to it.

[James Steele]

I enjoy RAW and have enjoyed RAW for awhile now. I like having more of a show I enjoy to watch.

[Lock Jaw]

No. For it would be a step backwards. A step forwards would be actually utilizing those three hours to build feuds and characters outside of the main events.

[GD]

If they are going to carry on with three-hour RAWs, they should have compelling storylines in which I can invest my time and interest.

[Emperor Smeat]

No mostly because it won't suddenly fix the writing and issues with planning the WWE has been having overall for months.

The biggest benefit of the extra hour has been tag team wrestling while they've lessen on the amount of recaps, useless filler, and media stuff they kept cramming on the early 3 hour RAWs.

[Majunior]

I voted for it going back to two, but there should be an asterisk there.

I've read some of the crowds have been lackluster in the third hour. I do think that's a viable barometer. If the live crowd is suffering burn out, a three hour format might be an issue. I do think quality writing and meaningful storylines and characterization would help, but that's a true statement whether the show is 2 hours, 3 hours, or 10 hours. (;))

All that said, it hasn't really been three hours for that long (relatively) so I think devoting more time to the three hour show and seeing if they just need to get through the growing pains (writers, talent, crowds, etc.) is obviously required.

[#1-norm-fan]

No. For it would be a step backwards. A step forwards would be actually utilizing those three hours to build feuds and characters outside of the main events.

[Lock Jaw]

Really no excuse to have PPV matches with zero to no heat, or throwing matches together last minute.

Really Grinds My Gear when I see random filler matches on PPV. You've got 3 hours of RAW, plus something like 5 or 6 more hours of other shows to actually build up some matches. Use it.

[#1-norm-fan]

Lock Jaw is mimicking my thoughts so perfectly right now I feel like there's a chance he's just mocking me.

But really, you don't build main eventers by having them wallow around in a mid-card scene where everyone's just doing random shit and no one is involved in feuds or anything of note because the writers can't be assed to write much outside a main event scene. (A guy like Ryback being the exception to the rule of course.) Another good example of how it's not the extra hour that sucks, it's the writers being lazy assholes.

[St. Jimmy]

1 Hour. Don't need two. Main storylines and matches only, have enough jobber shows each week.

[St. Jimmy]

Make the show runtime 1:45 so you get a full hour and your adverts.

[#1-norm-fan]

That being said, Main Event is tremendous still. So organized, so neat and good at showcasing the talent. The matches feel like they are relevant. I wish they could transfer that organization and focus to Raw.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I'm sick of having to record Raw and watch How I Met your mother later or the other way around. Blatant self interest sways my vote to YES. Need Raw to go back to 9-11 even though they had like 10 matches on Raw Monday which was pretty cool. So, if they use the time wisely enough it'll be a No and I'll have to keep with the shitty recording plan.

If they want a 3rd hour just do a pre-show on WWE.com at 8 with recap and maybe show the dark-matches while people load into the arena. Try to make it feel like its ESPN and Monday Night Football. I thought they were planning to do a pre-show.

[KIRA]

They could be utilizing that first hour by bringing me William Regal but Vince has such a raging boner for Ryback that its only a dream.

[Fignuts]

I feel like since it moved to 3 hours, we've gotten more great matches from the mid card. And it's really given the tag division time to shine.

[Volare]

No. For it would be a step backwards. A step forwards would be actually utilizing those three hours to build feuds and characters outside of the main events.

I know right? Remember when they actually wrote like that back in the day? It's like a lost art nowdays.

[GD]

Instead of showcasing compelling storylines, they are interested in getting more ratings.

[James Steele]

I feel like since it moved to 3 hours, we've gotten more great matches from the mid card. And it's really given the tag division time to shine.

[Tommy Gunn]

When I watch it the commercials are all taken out, so it's around 2 hours 20 minutes of Raw, I'm not feeling the pain of 3 hours as I never watch it live.

[Nicky Fives]

If they want better ratings, have it start an hour earlier..... little kiddies can't all make it to 11 on a school night.....

[Kane Knight]

Instead of showcasing compelling storylines, they are interested in getting more ratings.
One would think the two went hand in hand.

[Cuse8]

I'm sick of having to record Raw and watch How I Met your mother later or the other way around. Blatant self interest sways my vote to YES. Need Raw to go back to 9-11 even though they had like 10 matches on Raw Monday which was pretty cool. So, if they use the time wisely enough it'll be a No and I'll have to keep with the shitty recording plan.

amen! same here!

[loopydate]

I voted for off-season. Like others have said, it's the quality of the show, not its length, that is the problem.

But, honestly, a two-month break after Mania would be a great way to cut down on injuries and creative burn-out, and they can also regroup after their big show and get plans together for the entire roster. Have a "season premiere" in June and they can run the annual "big summer program" into Summerslam with a healthy roster and a well-planned story arc.

[MoFo]

Watch the shit I wanna see on Youtube so makes no difference to me

[XCaliber]

Yes it should especially now with the additions of new programs like Main Event there are enough combined hours of WWE televsion in a week.

[Joesgonnakillyou]

Wrestling must be the only sport/entertainment where the biggest fans/border line obssesives actually wanna see LESS of it

[Kane Knight]

Wrestling must be the only sport/entertainment where the biggest fans/border line obssesives actually wanna see LESS of it

To be fair, most of them seem to be saying it solely because it's doing poorly in ratings and need to justify why it's bad.

[Dukelorange]

If they are going to carry on with three-hour RAWs, they should have compelling storylines in which I can invest my time and interest.

Standing ovation...

[Rock Bottom]

I don't think Raw should go back to two hours. I think creative should step up their game. If the WWE is looking to expand its time on TV, it means it's time to grow, and they need people to do that for them, or they need to hire people who can.

[#1-norm-fan]

Like I said before, there's a lot of cruiserweights on the roster who don't fit in on the card right now because they aren't realistically fighting for the eventual WWE/World title reign that the rest of the card is. They could easily fill some time by bringing back the cruiserweight division and devoting a segment a week to them.

Not a lot of time spent on promos since most of them shouldn't speak too much. Just a cruiserweight title and a group of athletic, fun to watch guys striving for it like it's their WWE title. Not only does this fill some time with something different from the throwaway, meaningless matches WWE's been tossing out seemingly just to waste time but it also only takes a segment a week to replace one of those meaningless, thrown together PPV matches with a built up, intriguing, lower card cruiserweight title match.

[#1-norm-fan]

Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara, Yoshi Tatsu, Hunico, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Trent Barreta...

Not to mention Evan Bourne when he returns. Plus you've got Mysterio and Christian who are old school cruiserweight guys that can come in and compete with the young ones every once in a while just to spice the division up. Plus most of the NXT roster. They could easily make a must see segment of Raw every week while also giving some glorified jobbers time to actually perform on the main show in a way that isn't just making others look good.

[The Gold Standard]

I pressed no, but I meant to say yes. 3 hours is too long and there are parts of the show that are just so boring that you can't even watch.

[GD]

One would think the two went hand in hand.

That is not always true.

[GD]

Although the first few episodes were fun, the quality of content has degrading ever since. It's also very exhausting. I usually watch it with my roommate and we have a hard time staying awake till eleven because we are babies.

Here are the current "story arcs" on RAW...lets see how they develop and grow.

<STRIKE>Foley's team will face off Punk's team in a classic Survivor Series elimination match in order to settle their differences </STRIKE>

Foley's team will face off Ziggler's team in a classic Survivor Series elimination mtach for some reason. Maybe because the ppv requires a mandatory classic elimination match.

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin doesn't want to be Team Punk anymore. He loses yet another IC title match. After the match he extends his hand for a handshake only to get dropkicked out of the ring by Kofi Kingston who is suppose to be more grounded and mean now(according to Jim Ross and Michelle Cole).

CM Punk will defend the spinner belt against Ryback and Juaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan Cena for better pay-per-view buyrates.

Sheamus doesn't care that he lost the World title as long as he gets to fight.

R-Truth is taking easy on the delusional Little Jimmy thang and has Antonio Cesaro's number.

The Vickie Guerrero - John Cena - AJ Lee angle is enjoyable because the WWE loves to judge your intelligence. It's also very original.

Wade Barrett refuses to join Team Punk (now Team Ziggler) but decides to join it anyway because he wants Paul Heyman to owe him one...which will probably be forgotten.

D Bryan gets an Austin like pop and gets defeated in a couple of minutes. Classic WWE logic.

Brad Maddox is Hunter's new pet project after Senor Sin Cara. If he defeats Ryback on RAW next week, he will be awarded a million dollar http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5ufkfbhIa1qd6zfj.gif contract (kayfabe) by Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Of course he is going to lose and Punk is not going to interfere.


Kaitlyn pins the Divas' Champion of the World Eve Torres. Big whoop! I don't mind. Kaitlyn is hot. Nothing special happening in the divas division. Aksana gives me "hooker" vibes.

For the first time in a blue moon, Alberto Del Rio loses a match to a mid carder. He also doesn't mind joining the team of a person who defeated him for the WWE Championship. He is such a good sport that he goes ahead and claps for his (Punk's) long title reign and future one-year celebration at the same PPV where he lost the belt in the first place. He might have something to do with Rosa in the future. Nice :y:

3MB keep on dominating RAW as Heath Slater (w/Jinder Mahal) gets the biggest victory of his career by pinning one of the Uso twins (Jimmy). It was not at all boring.

Unfortunately, there isn't anything that has me remotely interested. But since anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation, I am compelled to watch it.

[#1-norm-fan]

D Bryan gets an Austin like pop and gets defeated in a couple of minutes. Classic WWE logic.

That brings up another thing that bugs me with WWE's lack of understanding on how to build guys up. No one outside the main event looks better than anyone else. It seems like everyone is liable to lose to anyone else at any given time and it won't be that big of a deal. They did it a lot with Punk during his face run as champ. The guy was THE WWE CHAMPION and he lost constantly. Made no sense for him to be champion considering he was basically 50/50 to win any match he competed in on Raw. It makes all the wrestlers look like a big pool of mediocrity and it makes the matches boring and meaningless.

That's why I at least love what they're doing with Ryback. They actually have a guy on the roster who is being booked as not being equal to everyone else and if he does get pinned, it's not just gonna be shitty, boring, interchangeable outcome #742. It's gonna be a huge fucking deal.

If there was less "everyone beats everyone else" on the mid-card, you could have outcomes actually mean something there too.

[Tom Guycott]

It's not that RAW should go back to 2 hours, it's that they should utilize the time better. You knew more advertising was coming, but they need to quit with all the lenghty footage recaps of last week's show. They need to stop with all the "feature film" sized recaps of the main event angle EVERY WEEK going all the way through the PPV unless the main eventers in question aren't going to spend 20 minutes doing a promo in-ring and then having a match that night. They need to use that extra time to put other guys on TV that aren't on TV. They need to actually let some of the wrestlers do their storytelling from bell to bell instead of instantly HAVING to grab a microphone and talk away a quarter of an hour before their match happens.

I mean, as it stands, there's all this supposed extra time, but the matches are shorter on the whole, and almost everyone, reguardless of status on the card, is getting the jobber entrance during the commercials.

This is a problem they keep running into everytime they expand show length. They just "pad" the time instead of utilizing it to give us more. They kind of do it at first, but slowly, the show is going to end up with 3 actual matches a night, much like when RAW was only 1 hour. Maybe 4 matches with the dark main event for the live crowd.

Oddly enough, NXT seems to be doing things right. They're only one hour, and the show is full of theoretical nobodies, but they are running that show like RAW should be run.

[Kane Knight]

Tom, I love you.

[Tom Guycott]

Well, thanks! No sarcasm. #validation

[GD]

Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy feuded over the Cruiserweight strap and it was done so well. They had Rey lose at Wrestlemania and then eventually win it for the first time in the WWE in his hometown on an edition of Smackdown.

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<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TOvQ1em-wTQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Not the greatest examples out there.

[Tom Guycott]

Exactly. This is also why I said NXT is doing it right. A "lesser" feud can get attention, is actually treated as such, and it gives someone else something to do.

Rollins is the champ. He's the man. We don't need him closing the show everytime to remind us of it. Instead, we get other main event matches. No matter what it is, we still get the "main event feel" since JR comes out and calls that one match per show.

Usos and Ascention are feuding. Over nothing, because there is no tag-team glory to be had in NXT. They just are. But it's great. Not everything needs an over-complication. They do their storytelling in the ring. On the flip side, Chris Hero and Ricky Steamboat Jr. are in a bitter rivalry, but they also don't even have a match every week, let alone with one another. Other people get on TV, and the announcers make mention of their rivalry if one or the other steps foot in the ring. Big E is accomplishing the same thing they were doing with Ryback, but he's doing it in a shorter amount of TV time... more room for someone else to get on. Also, now with Vickie's "bounty", there's now a storyline for him drawing her ire. He gets the rub AND she doesn't even have to appear on TV for it to continue to work! Also, factor in matches that just happen for the sake of matches.

And all this goes on in the world they've established in one hour. And the whole show doesn't revolve around CM Seth, or have to do anything risque to provide top to bottom entertainment.

If they followed this formula with RAW... hell, even Smackdown, they could actually get more people on TV and an opportunity to get established without having rushed things like throwaway tag teams or useless Diva 6 on 6 tag matches where none of the other girls even get tagged in or lumberjack matches with guys surrounding the ring that make you go "Wow, I thought ____ was released, I haven't seen him in so long!". Every angle doesn't need to involve a championship... let alone THE championship, every angle doesn't need explained ad nauseum, and not every match has to have a clear jobber.

[Dukelorange]

Exactly. This is also why I said NXT is doing it right. A "lesser" feud can get attention, is actually treated as such, and it gives someone else something to do.

Rollins is the champ. He's the man. We don't need him closing the show everytime to remind us of it. Instead, we get other main event matches. No matter what it is, we still get the "main event feel" since JR comes out and calls that one match per show.

Usos and Ascention are feuding. Over nothing, because there is no tag-team glory to be had in NXT. They just are. But it's great. Not everything needs an over-complication. They do their storytelling in the ring. On the flip side, Chris Hero and Ricky Steamboat Jr. are in a bitter rivalry, but they also don't even have a match every week, let alone with one another. Other people get on TV, and the announcers make mention of their rivalry if one or the other steps foot in the ring. Big E is accomplishing the same thing they were doing with Ryback, but he's doing it in a shorter amount of TV time... more room for someone else to get on. Also, now with Vickie's "bounty", there's now a storyline for him drawing her ire. He gets the rub AND she doesn't even have to appear on TV for it to continue to work! Also, factor in matches that just happen for the sake of matches.

And all this goes on in the world they've established in one hour. And the whole show doesn't revolve around CM Seth, or have to do anything risque to provide top to bottom entertainment.

If they followed this formula with RAW... hell, even Smackdown, they could actually get more people on TV and an opportunity to get established without having rushed things like throwaway tag teams or useless Diva 6 on 6 tag matches where none of the other girls even get tagged in or lumberjack matches with guys surrounding the ring that make you go "Wow, I thought ____ was released, I haven't seen him in so long!". Every angle doesn't need to involve a championship... let alone THE championship, every angle doesn't need explained ad nauseum, and not every match has to have a clear jobber.


Isn't this all Triple H? If it is, then that should tell you something...

[Mr. Nerfect]

I voted for off-season. Like others have said, it's the quality of the show, not its length, that is the problem.

But, honestly, a two-month break after Mania would be a great way to cut down on injuries and creative burn-out, and they can also regroup after their big show and get plans together for the entire roster. Have a "season premiere" in June and they can run the annual "big summer program" into Summerslam with a healthy roster and a well-planned story arc.

I'm not sure if the WWE needs to have an "off-season," but I like the idea of guys being given time off more regularly to rest their nagging injuries, and to prolong the shelf-life of their characters.

Mark Henry's "Hall of Pain" storyline last year gave Big Show and Kane time off, for example, and currently Jack Swagger has been removed from television in storylines. I think these are good moves. If Big Show beats Sheamus at Survivor Series, I don't see why they can't have Sheamus "sell" the loss and disappear until around Royal Rumble time.

Also, NXT is a fantastically booked show. Was just thinking earlier how much better booked Big E. Langston is compared to Ryback. Seth Rollins actually wrestling has been made a big deal since he's not always featured on every show.

[#1-norm-fan]

Exactly. This is also why I said NXT is doing it right. A "lesser" feud can get attention, is actually treated as such, and it gives someone else something to do.

Main Event.

Look at the Kofi-Miz match when Kofi won the IC title. It was a "lesser" feud that the way they presented it was treated like a huge, historic, epic event.

It's really weird the attention to detail WWE has in putting together every show accept for their main one which is where the organization and booking seems to go all over the place.

[#1-norm-fan]

I fucking love the idea of giving guys time off to keep their characters fresh, keep feuds going without having to book interactions weekly, etc. As long as you have enough guys who are over so you don't have gaping holes in your roster while they're away though. WWE kinda lacks that right now.

[GD]

Main Event.

Look at the Kofi-Miz match when Kofi won the IC title. It was a "lesser" feud that the way they presented it was treated like a huge, historic, epic event.

It's really weird the attention to detail WWE has in putting together every show accept for their main one which is where the organization and booking seems to go all over the place.

Yes!

[Anybody Thrilla]

I feel like since it moved to 3 hours, we've gotten more great matches from the mid card. And it's really given the tag division time to shine.

This. Squash matches have pretty much disappeared from the three hour format, and I love it. Off the top of my head, Damien Sandow v. Sheamus, Wade Barrett v. Sheamus, and Dolph Ziggler v. Kofi matches from recent history (all awesome matches) would have never happened they way they did if the show were only two hours.

I also agree with the tag division shining. It's lovely.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I would not be opposed to brand exclusivity returning to lend each show its own identity again. While searching for ratings trends for SmackDown is surprisingly difficult, random examples I have found seem to indicate that having RAW talent heavily featured on SmackDown doesn't seem to have boosted ratings. So why not use the show to give more talent more time to show their skills. This could also reduce the schedule of many workers.

RAW might seemingly suffer, but I think that it would be possible to produce a layered show with an exclusive RAW talent roster. Especially if their was more emphasis on creating a compelling mid-card -- as opposed to mere focus on the main event.

[Tom Guycott]

I'm not sure if the WWE needs to have an "off-season," but I like the idea of guys being given time off more regularly to rest their nagging injuries, and to prolong the shelf-life of their characters.


I fucking love the idea of giving guys time off to keep their characters fresh, keep feuds going without having to book interactions weekly, etc. As long as you have enough guys who are over so you don't have gaping holes in your roster while they're away though. WWE kinda lacks that right now.

I'm really surprised WWE hasn't kayfabed injuries in the reverse fashion- kinda like "Sandman's blind". They usually tend to have something happen to them to write them off TV if they are legit injured to explain away their time off... how about they actually do that for a "vacation" as well? Let them rest up a bit without it being either doctor's orders or having to coincide with a lapse in new contract or a wellness policy violation.

Unless you're Undertaker. Then you just dissappear, then re-emerge randomly* to a huge pop to your bell toll. You don't have to explain it, because he's the goddamn Undertaker.



*It's not so random anymore- it is around Wrestlemania season.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Isn't this all Triple H? If it is, then that should tell you something...

Not sure about all cause he's got Dusty Rhodes there too. But yeah this isn't just a good sign for the future of the WWE roster, but the future of WWE management.

[Tazz Dan]

If they are going to carry on with three-hour RAWs, they should have compelling storylines in which I can invest my time and interest.

Yet you will still watch the show anyway...

[Kane Knight]

I'm really surprised WWE hasn't kayfabed injuries in the reverse fashion- kinda like "Sandman's blind". They usually tend to have something happen to them to write them off TV if they are legit injured to explain away their time off... how about they actually do that for a "vacation" as well? Let them rest up a bit without it being either doctor's orders or having to coincide with a lapse in new contract or a wellness policy violation.

Unless you're Undertaker. Then you just dissappear, then re-emerge randomly* to a huge pop to your bell toll. You don't have to explain it, because he's the goddamn Undertaker.



*It's not so random anymore- it is around Wrestlemania season.

The problem here is that WWE likes the brand split because it means they can milk even more out of their roster. People can praise or hate the roster split as much as they want, but one of the big reasons is the extra shit they can squeeze out of the roster. WWE doesn't seem to want performers to have breaks.