5 Problems With Monday night RAW And How to Solve Them

With the WWE and Monday Night RAW under more pressure and scrutiny from fans and other wrestling promotions more than ever before there really is a strong negative discussion amongst the IWC. Monday nights continue to provide fans with an almost unbearable weekly product and lines such as “the worse RAW in history” and “unwatchable” have been attached to the company’s flagship show. However, with competition higher and more intense than ever before exactly what is the problem the WWE face in terms of Monday night RAW and how can they turn things around fast and effectively?

No Gripping Opening

One of the biggest issues the WWE have faced with both RAW and Smackdown LIVE but more so RAW is the opening to each weekly show. With segments running for at times over twenty minutes it can be several commercial breaks in before fans witness an actual match up with one show airing one entire hour of content before a bout took place. While segments involving mic work from two feuding stars is important can provide some seriously entertaining material the WWE has failed to achieve that and instead leave fans with zero reason to continue watching, a lack of interest in the show and next to no true entertainment. If the audience is tuning out and losing interest before we even see a wrestling match on a wrestling show, then there is evidently a problem.

How to Solve the Problem:

Well, it's clear the WWE need to learn and understand the importance of providing a strong opening. This is how you keep fans interested, entertained and watching. Regardless of the length of the match, it wouldn’t hurt for the company to throw two major stars into the spotlight and let them wrestle on a wrestling-based TV show. We see the company do this regularly over in NXT and it's here we see a perfect balance between segments opening the show and matches. Putting the likes of Ricochet and Cesaro in a twenty-minute bout at the start of the night instead of a twenty minute Shane McMahon and Roman Reigns segment and you’re sure to see a difference in fan reaction!

Predictable & Repetitive

The honest reason why I stopped tuning in to Monday night RAW every week at one am was simply because I already knew what to expect. Repeated matches and predictable segments it made more sense to look on Instagram/Twitter and YouTube the following morning and watching clips of the moments that grabbed my attention. From similar angles and matches against the likes of Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns and predicable spotlights and bookings for names such as Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins fans know who will be jobbing, who will be picking up a victory, and who will be in action at around which time of the night every single week.

How to Fix it

Again, this is simple, the WWE need to focus on moving forward creatively and moving away from both predicable and repetitive competition/booking. Fans were excited for Cesaro vs Ricochet because it was a dream contest sure to provide some fantastic action and that is what we need to see more of, not this same match booked for three weeks straight after the first collision. With such a wide roster and now the Wild Card rule in place the company have the chance to really book some must see creative matches. Shaking things up is vital, giving a random but needed win to a certain superstar, placing a huge segment in the middle of the show instead of the beginning, these are small ways to keep fans watching throughout the night and keep us coming back every week.

Something Has GOT to change

With the Wrestling industry growing, changing and shifting into a new era, the WWE needs to now look at their product and decide moving forward what they can do to keep their product relevant and spoken about for the right reasons. Fans are now looking elsewhere for wrestling-based entertainment and the options are endless! ICW provides a modern-day darker version of ECW, IMPACT Wrestling is shaking things up and giving its audience true diversity, NJPW is the home of some of the greatest wrestling in the world, Lucha Underground stands as something totally unique while AEW remains the hottest topic on the wrestling scene today. When we look at the WWE, they are evidently still the biggest brand in the industry and that won’t be changing any time soon but there is an outdated feel growing to the show and that isn’t highlighted more then over on Monday Nights.

How to Fix it

Creating something new for Monday night RAW won’t be an easy task. This is a show that has been on our screens for a very long time and a huge change won’t go down well but something doesn’t need to do exactly that, change. Whether it be creating a completely new cooperate TV angle and replacing the McMahons, a talent like Paul Heyman taking over or the company simply going back to RAW vs Smackdown LIVE. It’s a basic move but one that does in fact create something different. Seeing two brands from the same company go truly face to face is a unique angle that when done right we know can be a huge success! Introducing NXT to the mix could really shake things up also.

Women’s Wrestling is Failing

I hate to say it but, in all honesty, I don’t switch in my TV to watch Monday night RAW knowing I’m going to witness fantastic women’s wrestling. While a women’s revolution has seen so many huge milestones and historic moments including female talent main eventing Wrestlemania the women continue to have a small section of Monday nights. We are not able to see strong storytelling from the division nor do we witness lengthy matches. Again, the roster is stacked and it's easy for the WWE to have fans talking about women’s wrestling every single week. With a three-hour product, there are is no excuse for women not be given twenty minutes a week for one single match.

How to Fix It

As I just touched on, RAW is a three-hour weekly product and so the WWE truly have no excuse to be slacking with the women’s division as much as they have been. Booking Lacey Evans and Natalya in a one on one is simply enough to turn heads and get the best out both these women with an excellent match sure to come from this collision. Simple and smart booking is key, using time wisely and dedicating at least one of those hours to the women’s division again makes for a positive change.

Creativity Problems

As I mentioned earlier, the predictability and repetition of Monday Night RAW shows every single week is a major issue and creative problems have become clear. Storyline’s lack originality and creativity, we are seeing similar angles and repeated rivalries that don’t leave anyone truly interested and entertained. I know I’ve mentioned it before but when compare to Impact Wrestling where I’m left genuinely glued to my screen and entertained every week the product that is Monday night RAW is very weak. As of right now, I can honestly say there is no storyline or angle I am massively invested in or drawn to and that’s a problem and a key reason behind why I haven’t personally remained consistent in watching.

How to Fix It

Over the years the WWE has come up with some brilliant ideas and we need to see more of that over on Monday night RAW. Whether it be more mixed tag team matches similar to what we saw on the Mixed Match challenge, creating more of an edge and pushing the boundaries. It means ditching the idea of Roman Reigns or Rollins changing Authority figures and create something completely new like a Hardy Family take over. More alliances between male and female superstars, adding factions to the show or exploring an angle that sees NXT invade Monday night RAW. The options are there but can the WWE find the creative angle they need?

Now, I know this was a lengthy post but with this being such a strong subject at the moment I just had to discuss my honest thoughts but as always, I would love to know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria telling me your thoughts on the topic today.

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