WWE Monday Night Rawhas been a weekly television staple since it first slammed live onto our screens on Jan. 11, 1993. Since then, the flagship pro-wrestling show has beaten its fiercest rival in WCW, garnered monster viewing figures, and provided us with some truly epic entertainment over the years.
After more than 25 years on the air, WWE should be applauded for its incredibly high production values and scintillating matches from all over the globe. Still, after 1,350-plus episodes of Raw now in the can, some viewers are saying the time is right for a few format changes.
Critics have called on WWE to cut Raw’s running time from three hours down to two, but this is unlikely due to the pro wrestling juggernaut’s lucrative multiyear agreement with the USA Network. Likewise, assertions that Raw should pull itself back into the hugely successful “Attitude Era”, when the content was edgier and more adult-oriented, fails to recognize that WWE is now a publicly traded company. Its shareholders and sponsors simply would not allow the kind of politically incorrect chaos that reigned supreme in the late ’90s. However, there are still some relatively simple hacks that WWE can do to make Raw great again, and they are all in the realms of immediate possibility.
On the May 20 installment of Raw, Cesaro was pinned by Ricochet. A week later, the “Swiss Superman” avenged the loss with a win of his own. The next week, in their third straight match, Cesaro picked up another win; then the following week, Ricochet’s team beat Cesaro’s in a six-man tag match. So what was the result after four weeks of matches with each other? A lackluster 2-2 tie. With neither man coming out on top, it becomes hard to figure out who’s the cream of the crop.
Since wins and losses show how close a team or athlete is to challenging for a title, they should be important. When the booking turns out 50/50 like this, who knows or cares which superstar is in line for a shot at gold? Sports fans are statisticians, and many passionate WWE fans are too, so match results should matter.
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Make storylines consistent and see them through to the end
WWE fans love the unique blend of real-life action and comic book fantasy that Raw provides each week, but they also demand that their intelligence not be insulted. In 2008, WWE CEO Vince McMahon seemingly suffered a near-death experience when the Raw set collapsed during his ‘Million Dollar Mania’ sweepstake. The elaborate stunt ended dramatically, with McMahon being strapped to a gurney and saying “Paul,” calling his son-in-law Triple H by his real name, “I can’t feel my legs.”
Fans tuned in the next week to find out who was behind the act. Could it have been one of McMahon’s many enemies? Well, we never got to find out. The whole thing was just an unexplained accident with no real conclusion. Another example of poor storytelling occured in 2010, with the introduction of the “anonymous Raw General Manager.” Following weeks of speculation over the identity of the new GM, the storyline was simply dropped until Raw 1000 some two years later, when Hornswoggle was revealed as the mystery man. Again, this went nowhere.
Big moments with little payoff still plague Raw to this day. The night after WrestleMania 34, ex-MMA fighter Ronda Rousey attacked Stephanie McMahon and received no punishment. But when “The Rowdy One” got into a skirmish with Alexa Bliss and WWE officials several weeks later, she was “suspended” for 30 days. We love the escapism that Raw gives us, but these head-scratchers appear too frequently in the WWE. If you give fans something to root for, and reward them for it, they will never turn the channel.
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End the ‘Wild Card Rule’ and brand split for good
The “Wild Card Rule” is so unfathomable that even its architect, Vince McMahon, failed to explain the concept coherently on the May 6 installment of Raw. Initially, he said that three superstars from either Raw or SmackDown could appear on the show each week. Minutes later, the rule was revised to four when SmackDown‘s Lars Sullivan appeared on the red brand. In fact, there were a total of five SmackDown superstars on that show, making a mockery of the whole thing.
With SmackDown’s impending debut on Fox in October, it makes sense to allow the company’s top stars to be on each other’s show, but the “Wild Card Rule” has to go. Limiting the swaps to four or five per week means that up-and-coming talent will still be on the bench while the main superstars appear on both shows. Having more mobility between the brands would be a great way to debut new stars, and make the most of those that are under-utilized.
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Streamline the titles and bring back the prestige
Ending the brand split would also provide the opportunity to streamline the titles. A reduced number of belts would give the remaining ones more significance. Currently there is only one Women’s Tag Team Championship, but there are two for the men. There are two world championship titles for the women and two for the men, and then there is a belt for the cruiserweights, the Intercontinental title, the United States title, and the brand-new 24/7 gold.
It’s hard to get excited about a championship match when there are so many of them. The sheer volume of titles also means that weeks can go by without certain champions appearing on the show. Now is the time to bring back the concept of a single Undisputed Champion for each gender and bring back the prestige.
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End on a high note
Raw’s build-up and show-closers seem to be lacking the imagination of yesteryear. In the late ’90s and the early 2000s, when WWE and WCW were embroiled in the Monday Night War, some very clever devices were used to hook the audience and keep tensions running high until the main event. Over on Nitro, WCW would continually tease the impending arrival of the NWO on commentary, and Goldberg would be shown getting ready for his long entrance right before a commercial break. WWE went even further, with highly-engaging storylines that would reach an epic climax by night’s end.
Who can forget when Vince McMahon challenged Stone Cold Steve Austin to a match, with Austin’s hand tied behind his back? The main event was hyped throughout the entire show, and ended with Mick Foley’s alter ego, Dude Love, attacking the Texas Rattlesnake. Then there was the time Austin trapped Vinnie Mac and looked ready to shoot him with a pistol, only for a little flag to fall out of the barrel with the words “BANG 3:16!” on it. More recent examples of attention-grabbing segments include CM Punk’s famous “pipe-bomb” promo and the introduction of the Nexus. But such gems seem to be few and far between these days. With so much choice out there, television audiences need a reason to get excited about next week’s show, and a great cliffhanger could do the trick.
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Start every Raw with a match
Long monologues have become an integral part of Monday night wrestling for decades, and are often a great way to develop a story or build toward an upcoming match. But starting each show with 15 minutes of talking might not be the best way to showcase the most important aspect of WWE, which is its high-octane action.
Now that WWE has a solid 205 Live!division to promote, it would make great sense to take a page out of Nitro’s book, and start each show with a thrilling cruiserweight contest. Not only would this kick Raw off the right way, with a thumping tempo, but such an idea would prove invaluable for introducing Raw’s audience to the talented cruiserweight roster.
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Utilize WWE legends to build future superstars
WWE is often lambasted for relying on past superstars, but appearances from the likes of Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and Goldberg tend to increase television ratings. That said, there is no reason these legends should be used in a way that stifles the development of its next generation of pro wrestlers. In fact, one suggestion is that legends should appear more often, but in a way that contributes to the greater good of the company.
Imagine the kind of star power the Undertaker could pass on to Bray Wyatt, or Aleister Black, by laying down in defeat on Monday Night Raw. Think of the buzz it would create if Drew McIntyre could pin Goldberg with a devastating claymore kick. WWE’s legends are an important element of passing the torch on to their successors, so having them dominate up and coming talent doesn’t make great sense. This is an important point, because when today’s legends have all finally retired, a gaping void will be left behind.
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Bring the McMahons back to reality
Raw picked up some steam in 1998 with a highly rated segment between Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mike Tyson, and Vince McMahon. In a press conference “gone wrong,” Austin appeared to embarrass the boss of WWE when he got into what looked like a genuine brawl with Tyson on live TV. This incident set the scene for the iconic McMahon vs. Austin feud that would carry the company for a handful of years, resulting in massive ratings, untold tons of sold merchandise, and the ability to take the company public.
In today’s WWE, there is another potential McMahon storyline that could prove just as riveting, but it is unclear if they will ever address it. With Vince approaching 74, it would not be difficult to set up a storyline where his son, Shane McMahon, begins to feud with his sister, Stephanie, over the eventual ownership of WWE. It’s a plot that makes perfect sense, is based in reality, and could include son-in-law Triple H in the ensuing rivalry. The McMahons take a lot of heat for all the airtime they get, but this is one storyline where it would be justified.
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Give everyone a chance to shine
Television audiences have more choice than ever before, and so it’s important to offer fresh content to keep their attention. It seems odd, then, that WWE would present repetitive match configurations week in and week out, while other highly popular stars are left backstage at catering.
EC3 is a prime example of a hot signing that could make waves on Raw, but he rarely appears on screen. Instead, we’ve seen Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, and Roman Reigns mixing it up for what seems like eons. It would be intriguing to see more of a shake up to matchmaking, where we might see McIntyre vs. Rey Mysterio, or Braun Strowman vs. Cedric Alexander.
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Make Raw, well, raw
The WWE Network is cutting-edge technology, and it makes sense that the company logo was revamped to reflect more of a media-friendly feel. But some feel that the atmosphere on Monday nights is becoming a little too sterile in comparison to when it all started. These days, fans are pushed way back from the ring, doused in garish red lights, and sit behind thick black barricades, staring at a ring that’s dressed up slick and lit up with a gazillion LEDs. The whole thing looks almost too good for a wrestling show, and it’s all a far cry from the Raw of 25 years ago, with its barebones approach to aesthetics that valued action and drama over million-dollar production values.
A new look for Raw could freshen things up, especially if it recalls the “Uncut, Uncooked, Uncensored” feel that brought the show its initial success. Fans could be placed closer to the ring, with adequate security of course, and the announce table must be returned to ringside, so that we all feel like we are in the thick of the action.
