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

4. Meet [Insert Superstar Name]

Neville Zayn Raw 2014
WWE.com

How much do you know about, say, Sheamus?

He's Irish, is a fan of the motion picture Gladiator, and depending on his face/heel alignment, is either a wisecracking 'fella' or an insecure bully. That's a facetious assessment - but it's still true, all the same.

Colourful characters have been consigned to the dustbin of pro wrestling, for better or worse. You only need to look at Hulk Hogan to see what he's about - with his brightly coloured attire and peerless crowd-working body language, he was a hero before he even opened his mouth.

Today's generation need to do a damn sight more than that to engage a far more demanding audience. To both assist them in getting over and making better use of that interminable third hour, WWE even on a monthly basis could dedicate 60 minutes to profiling somebody like Sheamus. He has lot of upside, to use a Jim Ross cliche, but hasn't done quite enough on his own to form a permanent bond with fans.

Yes, this is a clumsy and expository way of going about it, but it has worked well in the past - Mick Foley endeared himself to a wider audience with his memorable sit-down interviews with Jim Ross. These profiles wouldn't necessarily have to be a 'revealing look' at the person behind the character - with a fusion of reality and kayfabe, these profiles could go some way towards restoring the importance of character in WWE.

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!