Why WWE Raw Fell Flat for 1st Time Since Brand Extension Draft

Since the WWE Draft, the duo of Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley have had WWE Raw clicking on all cylinders. 

That is, until this past Monday night. 

The third time wasn't a charm for WWE Raw, as the company's top TV program crawled to an unspectacular finish that not only didn't pay off as fans would have hoped. Lengthy promos that went nowhere. Sub-three minute women's matches. Childish skits that made Superstars look, well, childish. Extended video packages and backstage chatter.  

"

Tonight's #RAW feels like it was put together by people who have half the brain that I do.

— Sid Vicious (@TheSidEudy) August 9, 2016"

Even with Daniel Bryan visiting from SmackDown, Seth Rollins dropping an insane promo and the tease of The Demon coming out at SummerSlam, WWE Raw fell flat on a number of levels. 

Monday night's Raw reminded many of the dark days the New Era was supposed to help us forget

It's not all WWE's fault. There were a number of factor working against the flagship product.

Unrealistic Weekly Expectations

Ever since the night of the WWE Draft, Raw has been on fire. With additional picks to load up on WWE Superstars, and bringing three existing championships to the company's flagship program, Raw looked to be the more stacked program.

Through its first two episodes since the brand split, Raw hasn't disappointed. More so, the show and its Superstars have performed way beyond expectations. 

The dual Fatal 4-Ways on the first night of the New Era of Raw, Finn Balor's debut, squash matches to build characters (and introduce us to new ones), multiple main event-worthy matches and (whether you love it or hate it) the announcement of a new WWE Universal Championship have created a buzz around the brand. 

It's unrealistic for fans to think WWE is going to knock each and every segment out of the ballpark each and every week. Look at the opening promo. 

It would seem like a no-brainer that a verbal battle featuring Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens would win over the fans. What could go wrong?

To some, a lot. Sure, there were plenty of kudos from WWE fans who love these Superstars. But other found the act tiresome and stale, considering it was the exact opening from the previous week. 

Was this lazy booking? Not in the least. WWE knows what they have in the charismatic Amore and rightfully look to capitalize on his superstardom. Many days it works flawlessly. Monday night, however, it didn't. 

Building Storylines Isn't Always Exciting

Sometimes WWE has to advance storylines for the upcoming pay-per-views that aren't as exciting as a world title match. 

It's why Raw's main event was so tough to watch, knowing WWE has been building Roman Reigns vs. Rusev for SummerSlam and placing Cesaro and Sheamus in matches for two consecutive weeks. 

The ending was pretty well telegraphed, but that didn't stop fans from complaining. 

The uproar shouldn't come as a surprise: a common complaint from fans is that WWE needs to build its midcard to utilize Superstars not in the main event. Unfortunately, many fans tune out from midcard matches if they don't involve the Superstars they WANT to see. 

One such example on Monday: The continuing Titus O'Neil-Darren Young feud. 

Due to WWE's immense roster depth, not everyone can compete for a title. That means some Superstars will be involved in feuds that have little meaning, and WWE Creative must craft a narrative to entice fans. 

One can argue whether WWE is doing that in these situations, but you have to give them credit for trying to make the most of underutilized talent and angles that are staring them right in the face. 

In the case of O'Neil and Young, WWE is using the "Make Darren Young Great Again" slogan as inspiration. That Young's quest for greatness is being questioned by his former tag team partner should make this an interesting story, but it hasn't for many fans. Maybe it's because these two have feuded before; maybe fans are tuning this story out because neither man has done any of consequence in their careers.

Not all midcard matches are created equal, but they do deserve equal treatment and consideration. WWE Creative is trying; fans just need to give some of the guys they normally don't care about a chance to prove themselves. 

Even in the case of Rusev and Reigns, a midcard title match that could steal the show at SummerSlam, WWE is trying to build a narrative that will capture attention. Unfortunately, choosing the real-life wedding of Lana and Rusev was a poor storyline choice. Plus, the extended in-ring promo that featured more than a few trip-ups by Lana and fans immediately tuned out. 

Olympic Fever May Have WWE on Cruise Control

It's not every year that WWE has mid-summer competition on Monday and Tuesday nights. It's only every four years. 

With the 2016 Summer Olympics taking over prime time television, WWE faces stiff competition typically not seen until the Fall, when college and NFL football hit the airwaves. 

Not only is it an Olympic year, but this year's Games are taking place within the East Coast time zone. That means more live events, which means more eyeballs taken away from WWE programming. 

The potential Olympic hangover was noticed by WWE fans:

"

This match brought to you by "Hey, what's going on with The Olympics right now?" #RAWTonight

— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) August 9, 2016"

It is entirely possible WWE is ceding the next two weeks of ratings to Rio 2016, knowing the all-important casual fans it hopes to attract will be tuning into beach volleyball, gymnastics and table tennis. NBC's family of networks (of which USA Network is part) have continuing prime-time coverage.

In addition, the Olympics are taking over social media, another medium WWE traditionally conquers on Monday nights. 

Raw likely won't be the only program to suffer from the added Olympic competition; most TV shows, including SmackDown, will likely see a dip in ratings. It will be interesting to see if Monday's episode of Raw was merely an outlier that happened to air during the Olympics, or if the trend continues next week when it once again goes head-to-head against track and field, volleyball and more.