7 Better Uses Of WWE Raw's Awful 3rd Hour

5. Classic Match Replays

Neville Zayn Raw 2014
WWE.com

This would work on a number of levels.

By not announcing which matches would be shown ahead of time, fans would be drawn in purely to find out which seminal bout would be screened. And who, realistically, is going to turn off Steve Austin Vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, no matter how many times they might have seen it before?

This could even help bring lapsed fans back to the product. Excited at the prospect of potentially watching an old-school Ultimate Warrior match, they'd likely be inclined to stick around and see what the new school has to offer.

This practise might also convince Network holdouts to part with their $9.99, which you may have noticed is something of a priority for WWE. Even setting up an account to activate a free trial is considered an effort by some - having the Undertaker hammer the message home with a jumping Tombstone piledriver to Shawn Michaels may make a more convincing argument than JBL's disingenuous shilling.

Moreover, talent would have an extra incentive to perform between the ropes on the night. They wouldn't want to be upstaged by a replay. In New Japan Pro Wrestling, a video montage of past champions is screened before every IWGP Heavyweight title match.

This creates a palpable feeling of expectation among fans and presents a challenge to the new guard to meet the incredible standards set by the old - an alternative method of competition WWE would do well to replicate.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!