10 Reasons To Be Nervous For WWE In 2020

9. Ratings On FOX

WWE's long-term relationship with the USA Network gives them some peace of mind when it comes to both Raw and NXT. They've been an institution on USA since 1993 (barring a five year spell on TNN/Spike between 2000-2005), and that must mean the vibes are healthy between promotion and station execs.

FOX is a different prospect.

If SmackDown doesn't hit high ratings, then it'll start turning heads around FOX headquarters for the wrong reasons. This is an experiment from the network, and it's one some inside the wrestling media cited as a bit of a risk before it even happened. There are zero guarantees that WWE can deliver the ratings FOX want later this year and beyond.

Assuming they don't, the future is bleak for SmackDown. It'd surely be downgraded to FS1 permanently, and WWE would have to weave a heavy spin story about why. The other alternative is that SmackDown gets cancelled and ends up on USA. Let's hope not.