10 Ways To Make WWE Smackdown A ‘Must-See’ Show Again

5. Title Matches And Switches

€œIf you€™re even thinking of changing the channel to our competition, fans do not. Because we understand that Mick Foley, who wrestled here one time as Cactus Jack, is going to win their world title. Huh. That€™s going to put some butts in the seats.€

In January 1999, WCW announcer Tony Schiavone attempted to spoil the taped results of a WWF World Championship title match on Raw. It backfired in the most dramatic way possible, but it definitely raised the issue of taping a major title change during the Information Age. This likely plays into why most WWE title changes we see today take place either on Raw or at a PPV, both of which are shown live. With dirt sheets, websites and social media, a title change at a Smackdown taping would be three days old before it airs. Personal videos, photos and recaps would be splashed across cyberspace, making it old news by the time Friday rolls around. However, WWE has to realize that it exists in a post Monday Night Wars world. TNA and Ring of Honor are not competition in the same way WCW was. Holding a really good, athletic, compelling title match and pulling the trigger on a switch at a Smackdown taping could actually build interest in the show. WWE could talk it up on social media, promoting it as a must-see classic. And it€™s not like there haven€™t been world title switches on Smackdown before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZpgEDwnVQ Let€™s face it, most wrestling fans want to see good matches and share in the emotion of something like a title win. That€™s why Daniel Bryan€™s victory at WrestleMania XXX resonated so well. Imagine an underdog tag team knocking off a top heel team for the tag titles. Or a recently turned Bray Wyatt finally getting his first title shot and beating a heel for the U.S. Championship, his first WWE title. Those could be occasions where fans might already know the outcome, but they want to tune in anyway.