WWE Rumors on 3-Hour SmackDown, Cody Rhodes' Status, Raw's 3rd Hour
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
WWE Open to Expanding SmackDown to 3 Hours
Monday Night Raw has been a three-hour show for over a decade, and there has at least been some consideration from WWE about following suit with SmackDown.
Speaking at a recent J.P. Morgan TMT event (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE CEO Nick Khan noted that WWE has a willingness to expand SmackDown to three hours if it makes sense.
He also said the company is open to moving SmackDown to a different day of the week other than Friday and possibly even moving it from Fox to a streaming platform like Amazon Prime depending on how television rights negotiations go over the next year.
On the subject of expanding SmackDown from two hours to three, Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Upton) reported that WWE has discussed making SmackDown three hours "for years" and would do it at the request of the rights buyer for the right amount of money.
While making Raw a three-hour show has undoubtedly been a great move for WWE financially, it can be argued that the quality of the show has suffered because of it.
A three-hour time slot represents a large void to fill on a weekly basis, and it has resulted in some lulls over the past decade that have lasted weeks and even months.
The overall product has been improved with Triple H as head of creative, but booking two three-hour shows every week would be a big ask.
Ultimately, the best move for WWE's bottom line will be made, which suggests three-hour SmackDowns are very much in the realm of possibility.
Rhodes Reportedly Healthy After Lesnar Attack
Cody Rhodes took a beating at the hands of Brock Lesnar on Monday night's Raw, but he is reportedly good to go for Saturday's Night of Champions premium live event.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Upton), Rhodes is "still scheduled" to face Lesnar at Night of Champions, and he will be doing extra promotional appearances in Saudi Arabia ahead of the show as well.
This week's Raw opened with Lesnar savagely attacking Rhodes backstage. Cody's status was then a through-line that played out for the rest of the night.
Lesnar attacked Rhodes again in the ring, and the announcers played up the possibility that The Beast Incarnate had broken Cody's arm with a Kimura Lock.
Raw closed with Triple H having a heart-to-heart conversation with The American Nightmare. Triple H said he knew Cody's arm was broken and that he had nothing to prove, but Rhodes insisted on going through with the match against Lesnar at Night of Champions.
Since Cody's loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, WWE has been placing a great deal of focus on making Rhodes a sympathetic babyface who is hugely over with the viewing audience.
He has been built as the ultimate underdog going into his match against Lesnar on Saturday, and he figures to have a ton of fan support thanks in part to the injury angle.
Adult Content Being Considered for 3rd Hour of Raw
WWE has long been a PG product geared largely toward families, but the company is looking into the possibility of targeting a more mature audience on its flagship show.
While speaking at the J.P. Morgan TMT (h/t Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics), Khan confirmed that WWE is looking to keep Raw at three hours, but he also suggested a new spin could be put on the show.
Khan noted that WWE has been talking about possibly making the third hour of Raw more "adult" in nature.
WWE tried to do something like that before in the form of Raw Underground, but it only last for a few months in 2020 and into 2021.
Raw Underground had a gritty fight club feel, as Superstars competed in what were supposed to look like shoot fights inside a warehouse. While the segments had some potential, they never truly gained traction.
The fact that Raw is a three-hour show means fatigue can set in for the viewer if every segment isn't compelling. Because of that, breaking the show up and giving each hour a different feel could be a good way to keep viewers interested.
Khan did not indicate what a more "adult" third hour of Raw could look like, but it may at least be worth exploring.
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