WWE found a way to make three hours of Raw work in 2024, more than any previous year, but it still came off as being too long most of the time.
Moving back to two hours on Monday nights is a great idea on paper, but the company needs to find a way to adapt without losing the roster focus.
In comparison to SmackDown, the red brand was far more focused on wrestling. The three hours allowed for longer matches each week, and commercial breaks were smartly paced to take less attention from the action.
This first week of two-hour programming on Monday came off as rushed in comparison. The women’s roster got less than 10 minutes of in-ring time while even the Intercontinental Championship match was rushed.
Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne and Gunther vs. Sami Zayn got solid time, but commercial breaks hurt the flow of the matches more often than they would have during three hours.
WWE must find a way to keep the strong in-ring focus that made Raw the company’s best show of 2024, even with less time.
Three matches over the two hours should exceed 10 minutes every week, and the time given should vary between the diverse roster.
While Raw has succeeded before, SmackDown has struggled with the same expectations in 2023 and 2024. The blue brand could also improve with this same consistent focus.