10 Ways WWE Can Shake Up RAW
WWE's flagship show is circling the drain, but all is not lost. Not yet, anyway.
Make no mistake about it: WWE's flagship show is in trouble. Recent reports suggest Vince McMahon is all set to shake things up on RAW, in an attempt to remedy a sinking ship that has been gradually taking on masses of water for years. The red brand is in the toilet, this past week's episode posting its lowest 18-49 demographic rating in history, losing to AEW Dynamite in that particular battle. History has been made and it doesn't look good for WWE.
Of course, history suggests that Vince McMahon's threat to 'shake things up' will likely mean 'a McMahon member belittles the roster' or 'another draft'. The real problems run deeper than that. This show is in trouble and it'll take more than plasters and bandages to fix the issues.
There are plenty of ways for WWE to stem the flow of misery, however. RAW is fundamentally flawed from minute one to minute 180, rotting from the inside and leaking viewers as a result. The show doesn't need a McMahon shake-up, it needs fundamental changes to the culture and approach.
WWE can shake things up on RAW for the better. It just needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror first.
10. Sort Out Commentary
WWE commentary is absolutely abysmal. It is easy to be negative about the media we consume in this hyper-mobile world, but there really are very few redeeming qualities when it comes to the announcing on the main roster. Samoa Joe is the best of a bad bunch but he only really gets a pass because he's Samoa Joe.
WWE has a major problem with babysitting and handholding. This is true from top to bottom but it is arguably hardest felt in the vocal world, in the interviews and the commentating. Having to listen to voiceless announcers regurgitating the same feigned shock and excitement in exactly the same phrases week after week is a chore, and it has always been a chore. It makes the product unwatchable.
Remedying this isn't difficult. Simply stop screaming in the ears of the announce team, stop telling them what to say and when to say it, and stop tying them up in vomit-worthy buzzwords and oblivious stupidity. Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton have been around long enough to get a sense of the industry, and Samoa Joe is hands-down one of the best talkers in the entire company.
Stop shackling them and you'll have an altogether more watchable show.