Raw Moving To 3 Hours Permanently

[We Are Legion]

Before everyone starts panicking, it would be a good idea to at least see how WWE handles it for the first few weeks.

The Nitro comparisons are asinine considering no one that produced Nitro currently produces Raw. If WWE stops leaning as hard on Smackdown and brings those segments to Raw, it could actually work out really well. Ratings-wise it might be a disaster, but who really cares? If you're enjoying the show, why do you really care what the ratings are?

As for Johnny Ace, I agree seeing more of him is a bad thing, but again, let's see how it goes first before we all start freaking out.

 

[Heisenberg]

Report: Backstage WWE Reaction To The Three Hour Raw Move
F4WOnline.com is reporting that despite the public enthusiasm shown for WWE moving Raw to three hours beginning this summer, the backstage reaction to the move has been mostly negative. Several issues have risen out of news of the change, including logistical issues in terms of taping the show. If Raw is being taped on the west coast, it will have to begin at 4:30pm, which is still during the work day.

Additionally, there is fear that the WWE staff, talent and fans will eventually be burnt out by the three hour show, which has left some feeling that the move might only last until the end of the year, with Raw either moving back to 2 hours, or the first hour being a WWE Network pre-show.

They need to calm down. It is doomed to fail now because they basically have no faith in the change, so why should we? To be honest, the real change they should have done is cut back on PPV's and have one maybe every other month. Then, there would be no need to go 3 hours because you would have double the amount of Raw and Smackdown shows to build towards a PPV. I also think that it won't last very long. The WWE schedule atm is very tiring and stressful and some of the guys can barely do it now.

 

[Sugarhill]

Couldn't they just rotate some of the heavy players on Raw to where they don't have to be on every week? I know they probably see that as an incredible risk, but so is the move to three hours. Not seeing the same people every single week may actually help the product because since you don't know when they'll be there, you have to watch to catch them when you can.

 

[Lucky120]

Yeah I would love the three hour if there were less commercials involved. I mean they are about to just have all those promo segments which will take up a whole three hours, so there will be nothing really showing. They need to stop being cheap and start doing less commercials or something, so that we can watch the show. Most of the fights do not even start until the second hour or 30 minutes after it is on anyway, but still. I mean maybe it will work out we will see.

 

[Sugarhill]

The only way that less commercials will happen is if they are able to raise the rate they are currently selling ad time at now. It's the ad rates that are probably contributing so heavily to the decision to go to three hours. I can't see the company giving back money.

 

[SAIYANS]

They need to calm down. It is doomed to fail now because they basically have no faith in the change, so why should we? To be honest, the real change they should have done is cut back on PPV's and have one maybe every other month. Then, there would be no need to go 3 hours because you would have double the amount of Raw and Smackdown shows to build towards a PPV. I also think that it won't last very long. The WWE schedule atm is very tiring and stressful and some of the guys can barely do it now.

Who says they have no faith? Meltzer? Last I checked his name ain't McMahon or Bonnie Hammer which is the only individuals who need to have faith in it and make people work theirmass off to make it a success for WWE and USA

If Vince let other people's faith decide his own,mthere would have never been a Raw, SD, WM, or a global pro wrestling company for that matter

 

[Got_Swag]

Not a fan of this! They do not have enough star power to have a 3 hour show every Monday night. Unless this is going to benefit some of the talent that's on Superstars or dark matches such as Zack Ryder, Alex Riley, Tyson Kidd, and many more. That's the only way I can see something good out of this is to get these guys going and bring them up to top tier feuds. This isn't the Attitude Era where this could have been a possible "great" idea with HBK, Austin, HHH, Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, etc. Then it could of been big, today not so much!

 

[SAIYANS]

They could just as easily throw the Cruiserwight division on Raw and run CW, tag, and diva matches the first hour. Them you go to business like normal in the regular slot with promos, skits, Cena, HHH, and ppv build. The 8E/7C start hour is going to be lower than the normal 2 hours, always is, greater than anything on USA sure, but they could just use it as a glorified Heat

 

[Sugarhill]

Not a fan of this! They do not have enough star power to have a 3 hour show every Monday night. Unless this is going to benefit some of the talent that's on Superstars or dark matches such as Zack Ryder, Alex Riley, Tyson Kidd, and many more. That's the only way I can see something good out of this is to get these guys going and bring them up to top tier feuds. This isn't the Attitude Era where this could have been a possible "great" idea with HBK, Austin, HHH, Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, etc. Then it could of been big, today not so much!

That's kind of why I'm willing to give it a chance. You don't have enough stars, so put some more guys on, get some better girls and make them stars. Or, at the very least, make them interesting enough for when it's time for them to step up, they can and we'll want them to. I don't need everyone to fight for WWE or WHC belts, but I do need to know that when it's time for a shake up, I'll be familiar and actually have an emotion tied to the next person you decide to highlight.

If they maximize the time, this could be a good thing.

 

[We Are Legion]

They have plenty of star power, the only problem is they still have to fill the 2 hours on Smackdown.

 

[Deezy]

Are they going to scale back on other shows, or take out the brand extension?

It's still too much to ask people to sit through 3 hours of programming.

 

[Sugarhill]

They have plenty of star power, the only problem is they still have to fill the 2 hours on Smackdown.

And they can do that by leaving the Smackdown stars on Smackdown and giving them something to do. This feud with Jericho, Randy and hopefully, Alberto could've just as easily been introduced on Smackdown. It wouldn't have been as much of a shock since it's taped, but for those that don't read spoilers, it would've been just as great. That feud could run very well on Smackdown and carry the show.

Now, maybe they should've waited until after the draft to do this, but it's not like they can't fill all five hours with something entertaining. If you have to hire more writers, then do it.

 

[Troy]

I highly doubt that the talent would be upset about the move, they would be overjoyed about this decision because it means that more of them will get tv time because WWE won't be able to fill the show with just the main guys. I agree that it will be taxing on the writers but there is an easy fix to that, hire another writer or two and preferably hire former wrestlers rather than sitcom writers. They are going to see fans tuning in and out of the show because three hours is a long time for one show and I doubt most people will watch it from start to finish. It is a good move to try to shake things up a bit and revive some divisions. They can always review the decision in a few months time to see if it is working or not.

 

[Deezy]

The Talent will be happy for more camera time, but creative must he shitting their pants over the prospect of having to jam another hours worth of programming on their already full plate.

 

[Troy]

That is why I think WWE need to spend some of that extra money from USA Network on some more writers to reduce the workload on the current team. Surely they can easily find some former workers that want to write for them.