25 Ways WWE Has Ruined Raw

23. The Opening Promo

wwe raw set
WWE.com

It's hard to a remember a time when all mainline WWE shows didn't open with an overlong in-ring promo, such is the extent to which they've become ingrained within the main roster formula.

You know the drill. Almost every single episode of Raw and SmackDown opens with some dull, colourless talking head cutting a dull, colourless promo, before the revolving door stars turning, and the interruptions kick in. It's lazy, boring, predictable, and only ever leads to one of two things:-

1. Absolutely nothing.

2. A spot of on-the-night booking.

This peaked during The Authority's reign, when the toxic group would regularly spit bile for 20-30 minutes at the top of each show, but has shown no signs of ever going away. These promos are, without question, the most tedious aspect of the current format. Fans know they can skip the first 15 minutes every Monday night, because nobody's going to say anything important, and their diatribes will always be replayed throughout the night anyway.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.