Why WWE Is Now Producing Shorter Matches
This week's Raw brought a noticeable decrease in runtimes.
WWE is currently focused on producing shortly weekly television matches through the ongoing global health crisis to ensure that nobody "overstays their welcome."
This is according to a new report from Figure Four Online/The Wrestling Observer.
The change was reflected on last night's episode of Raw, which didn't feature a single bout longer than 10 minutes. Raw's only match greater than 5:00, in fact, was Drew McIntyre vs. King Corbin at 9:10. The rest sat somewhere between two and five minutes, with Bobby Lashley's murdersquash of R-Truth the shortest at 2:25.
It's a sensible change from a promotion increasingly focused on combatting the ill effects of the ongoing global situation. Here, they're trying to enhance the viewing experience, as generally speaking the longer a match goes in this Empty Arena Era, the harder it is to endure. For the most part, these shorter matches are a lot more palatable - with standouts like Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins (Money In The Bank 2020) the exceptions to the rule.
There's a secondary benefit too, as shorter matches allow wrestlers to get in, do their work, and get out quickly, thus limiting exposure.