I've written a similar blog about this subject before, but it was quite a bit messy in it's presentation admittedly and some things have changed since the start of the New Era. Some good, some bad, and some things have stayed the same just with a new titantron and new posts with screens on them. So here's a new list of things the WWE needs to do to with it's rosters and schedule to truly make this era really feel new.
Sunday: bring back Sunday Night Heat
Like I said before, make this the only real "jobber show." But not just pitting jobbers and low carders against other jobbers and low carders, but actually making them look good, actually building their characters, and making local jobbers job out to them. Have it showcase video packages recapping the major moments of the previous week's Raw and Smackdown Live instead of just showing full Raw and Smackdown Live matches and moments, (which would give the viewers a reason to watch Raw and Smackdown Live every week,) and have the rest of the show just be matches and local jobber squashes. Pre-tape it every Monday before Raw goes live, maybe even pit Raw low carders against Smackdown low carders, and try to get these unfortunate "supplemental talent" over as legit stars like you do on Raw or Smackdown. It gets people invested in the product, which then gets you more merchandise sales, it gets the crowd pumped as they find their seats, and you make money. Just like how The Attitude Era constantly got even their low card over on Heat and Smackdown! It just brings more opportunity. Even bring out the orange ropes like back in the day. And on pay per view nights, air live Sunday Night Heat Kickoffs on USA and the WWE Network. Just like the current kickoffs but with the Sunday Night Heat logo slapped on it actually building the undercard so that the only real jobbers around are the unsigned local jobbers.
MONDAY: Keep Raw there, (of course,) but ease the hell up on those promos!
Good lord if you must have a 20 minute promo, at least just save those overlong segments for just the start of the second or third hour! Third hour would be best. Start the show off with a video recap of what happened last week for the major storylines, put on the opening theme, shoot off the pyro, and have the first hour be your opening card. With backstage interviews. Maybe even some onstage interviews at the commentary desk which would likely get a good crowd response. End the first hour with a more minor Cruiserweight bout. But don't always make it a 6 man tag because you're going a bit overboard with those. Second hour, open it up with a few quick and easy backstage segments, just to be a little bit crash TV, (though not to the extent of Vince Russo booking that misogynist prick,) maybe air another opening theme like how Raw Is War did it, and fill the next hour with more matches. Perhaps another jobber squash or two for your big bruiser giants. Make it a nice 50/50 between matches and backstage segments like how it currently is, just without 20 minute promo filler. End that second hour with a major Cruserweight bout, and tell the guys to really steal the show. Third hour, thaaat's when you have at least ONE 20 minute overlong segment. Like a contract signing or Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel or some other major announcement that bleeds into a banter fest. The crowd's likely gonna be burnt out from the Cruiserweight bout, so if you give them a rest with an overlong promo segment rather than a filler match they won't care about, then the fans get a nice laugh or two, they get emotionally involved in the major feuds a bit more, and nobody has to feel embarrassed wrestling a slower boring filler match after the show stealer that hardly anybody saw due to taking a potty break or buying something at the concession stands. Finish the show with your two or three main events to steal the show back to the main eventers, end show. That's how you properly fill a 3 hour free weekly wrestling show. Less talk, more wrestling. Basically a 3 hour NXT taping with main roster people and a bit of padding.
Monday and Tuesday: Make the Cruiserweight division moonlight between shows.
Starting with 205 Live, book it as both a division and a pseudo roster on it's own. Give Raw and Smackdown both at least two cruiserweight bouts, continue giving the kickoff shows at least one Cruiserweight bout, and of course just to flesh out the week of programming, eventually move 205 Live to Thursdays on the WWE network. More on that later.
MONDAY AND TUESDAY (again): Book Raw and Smackdown Live as double shot shows in advance.
They have identical titantrons outside of the middle screens and they use the same ring equipment, so just book double headers like you used to with your Raw and Smackdown Supershows back in the Ruthless Aggression and PG eras. With Monday housing Heat and Raw, and Tuesday housing Main Event and Smackdown. (more on Main Event later) It opens up everyone's schedules to spend more time with families, you can have both rosters hang out and train at the same arena in the same city, it saves travel money and truck money, and it's more efficient. Even if it means packing that truck up with more rope tape and a few more LED boards.
TUESDAY: Make Smackdown Live a two hour version of what I just said about Raw essentially. But just a little bit different.
Smackdown Live is the only live main roster show that needs a 20 minute promo to open it considering that even though it has a small anti-Raw audience, it's always gonna be the B show. So Smackdown can get away with a 20 minute promo segment as an opener, just for generally having faster talking promo direction than Raw. But for the rest of the two hours, make it a 2 hour NXT. Nothing but wrestling, quick backstage interviews, and a few post match reactions from the winners and losers. Like a 2 hour NXT, but a bit more low key in it's vibe and presentation like Talking Smack is. End the first hour with a Crusierweight bout, begin the second hour with a more major Cruiserweight bout, and just like the current product, air Talking Smack on the Network right after the main event.
Wednesday: Keep NXT the way it is.
Just like last time, NXT doesn't need any changing really. Maybe a few more tapings from the NXT Live tours would be nice as opposed to only filming them at Full Sail, that's really it. It's perfect. Especially those occasional NXT Takeover shows which always steal the show from the main PPVs. Book the NXT TV tapings on Wednesdays in bulk like they currently are on Thursdays, and book the NXT Live house shows on Thursdays as a pre show for the WWE Live house shows so that the NXT guys an gals get over faster. With those matches airing on select episodes of the NXT TV product.
THURSDAY: Move 205 Live to Thursdays, and air it live from the "WWE LIVE" house show tours.
The Cruiserweight division really had a better reaction in the smaller more enclosed environment of Full Sail than it does at most Raw or Smackdown tapings, so the smaller enclosed arena environment from the WWE Live events would be perfect for 205 Live! It would feel like a WWE owned version of EVOLVE just like the CWC did. Which would look and feel just as awesome as that WWN Live product does, it would get the casual family audience at home more interested in those Crusierweight bouts on Raw and Smackdown Live, and it would sell more WWE Live house show tickets. Speaking of WWE Live shows,
FRIDAY: Restructure Superstars to be the way it was back in the day.
Turn WWE Superstars into a pre-taped collection of house show bouts just like it was back in the 80's through mid-90's. Tape every WWE Live house show, compile each one into an hour long show airing on Fridays. And just so that the guys don't get overbooked anymore, book every WWE Live house show on Thursdays so that after every 205 Live, you can have your undercard and mid card from the main roster duke it out for an hour's worth of Superstars tapings before they can finally fly or drive back home for at least two days to spend some time with their families. (give or take the days they're not booked or Wednesdays where NXT airs.) It's just more humane. Plus, it still sells more house show tickets. It's a win win!
SATURDAY: Turn WWE Main Event back into Saturday Night's Main Event.
Pre-tape it on Tuesdays before Smackdown goes live, (which would mean in total, Mondays get 4 hours of wrestling, Tuesdays get 3, Wednesdays get several weeks worth of tapings and Thursdays get at most 2,) and make it an interpromotional Raw and Smackdown mid card to main eventer's version of Sunday Night Heat. Just with more focus on matches and backstage segments than video packages recapping last week's Raw and Smackdown. Whatever mid carders couldn't get booked on Heat, Raw or Smackdown, gets a match on Saturday Night's Main Event. While main eventers build up their feuds in backstage segments, pre taped backstage promos and at the commentary table but rarely get a Saturday Night's Main Event match. You don't wanna overbook your talent, just evenly distribute them between pre taped Sunday and Saturday tapings and live Monday and Tuesday shows. Everybody gets a pay check, everybody can get over, everyone can spend more time at home resting those injuries and chilling with their families, and you get a lot less sick and tired talent losing sleep. Which greatly improves match quality and makes everyone happy. All while you still make money from advertising, TV time and ticket sales. It's just more efficient!
And on Saturdays where there's an NXT Takeover show the night before major PPVs, air it an hour before the NXT Takeover Kickoff show. Which gets the more casual main roster audience invested in giving NXT a try. Another win win situation!
And on Saturdays where there's an NXT Takeover show the night before major PPVs, air it an hour before the NXT Takeover Kickoff show. Which gets the more casual main roster audience invested in giving NXT a try. Another win win situation!
So what would like to you see out of this New Era?