10 Things WWE Needs To Stop Doing IMMEDIATELY

4. The Monotonous Opening Promo Format

Bray Wyatt
WWE.com

Promo trains are nothing new to the wrestling business, and they certainly aren't a problem unique to WWE, but they are still a problem nonetheless.

In particular with WWE, it's the Raw brand that forever opens with one wrestler cutting a promo, just to be interrupted by another wrestler, just to often be interrupted by yet another wrestler.

For example, this week's Monday Raw opened with Becky Lynch cutting an in-ring promo declaring her wish to earn a spot in the women's Elimination Chamber at this weekend's Premium Live Event. From there, the Man was interrupted by Bayley, who cut her own promo about likewise wanting in the Chamber. Within a few minutes, the Role Model was herself interrupted, with Bianca Belair then making her presence known.

It doesn't even have to be the traditional promo train of more than two acts exchanging barbs, for WWE's approach, in particular for Raw, is to just constantly open their show with an interruption segment.

Let's look at the opening segments for the prior few outings for WWE's red brand:

- 6 February: Edge and Beth Phoenix cut an in-ring promo, get interrupted by Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio

- 30 January: Cody Rhodes cuts an in-ring promo, gets interrupted by Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio

- 16 January: The Bloodline cut an in-ring promo, get interrupted by Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio

- 9 January: Kevin Owens cuts an in-ring promo, gets interrupted by JBL and Baron Corbin

The 23 January episode of Raw isn't listed there, for that was the Raw XXX special that had a different format, complete with that awful opening promo from Hulk Hogan.

Starting a TV broadcast with a promo, a promo interruption, or even a promo train involving multiple acts is absolutely fine at times, but seriously, can we not start to mix things up a little? How about starting with, y'know, a hot wrestling match from the get-go? Maybe drop in a little backstage chaos? Something, anything but just the same old tired show-opening trope each and every week.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.