10 Improvements WWE Have Already Made In The New Era

6. Fewer Recaps

Sasha Banks Raw Women's Title 2016
WWE

Recaps have been the scourge of Raw and SmackDown for years. WWE would cut to highlights of previous events seemingly after every single commercial break, often repeating the same footage multiple times within one event. It had become one of their most-effective time-fillers, but as a fan, the best thing you can say about the recaps is that they allowed you ample time to go to the bathroom, or grab a beer from the fridge.

It was particularly bad on SmackDown, where it seemed like almost a quarter of the show was spent recapping what had happened on that week’s Raw. Fortunately, there were literally zero Raw highlights on this week’s SmackDown, and while each show presented a few recaps of their own, their presence was greatly diminished.

This is a huge step in the right direction. WWE shows had been characterise by an immense volume of filler content, and a big chunk of that was taken-up by recaps. Nobody wants to sit through highlights of events they’ve already seen, and with so many people watching on-demand or through DVR these days, there’s no need for them.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.