My latest column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review spells out 4 simple reasons why WWE RAW needs to be 2 hours.

The following is an excerpt:

WWE RAW needs to be two hours. This has become more obvious since it moved its start time from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. in July 2012.

I see a lot of people on social media agree. Their reasoning is pretty basic and revolves around there being a lot of dead space in terms of quality content. Let me provide some more substantial reasoning on why this needs to happen.

Less segments to fill

The obvious is two hours will help eliminate some dead space in the show. Less is more. Leave them wanting more. All of this can be accomplished in the reduction of RAW content. I know WWE is in the game of content, content and more content. That can still take place. Just have it take place everywhere else. Put more content on the WWE Network. Shoot more segments for the WWE app or YouTube page.

Having shows like Main Event, SmackDown, NXT and all the specials they want on the Network means there’s no reason to pollute the flagship show Monday night.

Take a look at this past week’s RAW. Entertaining stuff all around with Dean Ambrose. The middle of the card has a lot of quality. The female wrestling is getting better with more legit talent on both the main roster and coming up from NXT.

Going to two hours won’t get rid of variety entertainment segments like a bunny wrestling. However, being inserted as one segment in the middle of a hot two hours is better than one segment in a stagnant three hours.

Better competition to the NFL

It’s no secret NFL on Monday is the top competition to RAW and its audience during the fall season.

If WWE cut the show down to two hours and began at 8 p.m., it would strategically place the two most important segments unopposed. The opening segment of RAW would take place while the pregame show is still going. The NFL game usually doesn’t kick off until 8:30.

A typical NFL first half takes around an hour and twenty minutes to complete. This means halftime would be taking place right as WWE enters their main event segment if the show was to end at 10 p.m.

The show ending at 10 would also serve more conducive to the younger audience which WWE makes a point to target to.

CLICK HERE to see the other 2 reasons.

http://triblive.com/sports/prowrestling/6843882-74/wwe-hours-raw#axzz3EQme6zZp

Hey, look at that, I've read that newspaper before.

Also,

either that or get rid of smackdown so all tv focus will be on RAW

Or dont get rid of Smackdown, thats a dumb decision

^ I'm inclined to agree. Hope you're trolling about getting rid of SD!.

I agree, a two-hour Raw would be a much higher quality show. Of course, the WWE perspective (I believe) is more along the lines off you can fit more commercials into a three-hour program. I honestly don't know which they care about more.

It can still be higher quality at 3 hours if the writing was good. I just wish theyd put more effort into Smackdown again, like they used to. Its a shame the company buries their own television show though cause its beating out Raw in terms of quality.

Fucking smackdown is useless now. There is no goddamn point to it. It's as about a useful as Superstars. Get rid of it.

Do you know why it's pointless? Because it's pretty much a Raw recap show now. Make it it's own show again and it wont be. God i miss the brand extension.

I agree with Dead and Bull, to be honest. SmackDown, as it is, is useless. If they were to bring back the brand extension, it'd serve a purpose again, but if they don't bring that back, there's really no point in keeping it.

^ that's my point they won't. Dead just said it's a fucking recap show and anytime it has a match they fucking repeat it on RAW. The brand thing isn't coming back because WWE has made it's fucking talent pool look weak. They don't have the star power to make two brands because WWE is stuck on stupid and only let a handful of people actually become stars.

You want a 2nd brand on TV put NXT on TV. Make it fucking live and take it on the road. This tape shit and staying in the same place isn't good for the NXT guys. It will teach them they will be on the road 99.9% of the time and learn to deal with live TV.

Like what Dead said, it's only useless because WWE is making it useless. It could feature great programming but the creative team is pretty useless as of now. I think you're addressing the wrong problem, here.

WWE isn't going to do that. they don't see Smackdown as an important show. Just recaps and to test matches to throw in the middle of raw. When they do show anything that could be interesting they never follow up on it. Smackdown is just useless now. Either fix it, which they won't or just get rid of it. Besides WWE needs less because how over exposed they are and it's just too much Tv.

Why not just get rid of all WWE programming so that there's no bad programming?

Just because you love smackdown because what it use to be doesn't make it useful. cut the two hours off of Smackdown and maybe 3rd hour of Raw. If its just going to be use for nothing, might as well get rid of it.

And then you get two hours of programming a week so that no one ever gets any airtime ever.

Bull The Snake Russo wrote:

You want a 2nd brand on TV put NXT on TV. Make it fucking live and take it on the road. This tape shit and staying in the same place isn't good for the NXT guys. It will teach them they will be on the road 99.9% of the time and learn to deal with live TV.

No. It stays in Florida for a reason.....it's a developmental territory. 90% of that roster is not ready for mainstream crowds and the crowds would be sitting on their hands asking "who's this?".

You switch out storylines and wrestlers each weeks. Have the WWE title feud be focused on in the main event one week, have a mid card feud or mid card title feud be the main event focus of the next next.

Or Maybe just keep the three hours and just get rid of smackdown.

#OriolesMagic wrote:

Bull The Snake Russo wrote:

You want a 2nd brand on TV put NXT on TV. Make it fucking live and take it on the road. This tape shit and staying in the same place isn't good for the NXT guys. It will teach them they will be on the road 99.9% of the time and learn to deal with live TV.

No. It stays in Florida for a reason.....it's a developmental territory. 90% of that roster is not ready for mainstream crowds and the crowds would be sitting on their hands asking "who's this?".

hype it up for a month, air promos in the middle of the raw introducing the fans to the wrestlers. Air highlights of matches and get them to understand that this is the future of the WWE. Go to small arenas and such.

If you want a 2nd brand on TV that is the only choice because the main roster doesn't have the star power to have 2 brands.

I remember when SD was my preferred show: had better (and more) wrestling than Raw and better writing.

I rarely watch it anymore, although I am enjoying Cesaro-Ziggy tonight.

^^ they do go to small arenas....in Florida.

you got to travel a little more far then just the same state. Those who WWE's students got to feel what it is like to travel. maybe just in the south east states for awhile.

I agree with Dead and Jake, it's retarded to say "get rid of SD!" I think they should just bring back the brand extension. One of the best parts about WWE IMO.

Get rid of the Bella Twins.

All problems solved.