4 things that must be done to make WWE Speed a success - Underutilized performers, a second division, and more
WWE made a big announcement yesterday regarding their newest program. It wasn't long ago that the promotion first announced that Speed will be coming to the X platform and now more information has come to light.
Recently, SmackDown commentator Corey Graved announced on Twitter/X that each WWE Speed match will last three minutes and the winner of the inaugural tournament will be crowned WWE Speed Champion. The tournament will start on April 3, a few days before The Show of Shows in Philadelphia.
It isn't yet clear if Speed would eventually become a brand, a b-show like Main Event or Level Up, or simply a side project in the vein of Mixed Match Challenge and the Mae Young Classic. Regardless, there is a lot of interest in the upcoming project.
Below are four things that must be done to make WWE Speed a success story:
#4. The show must feature interviews and video packages
The Stamford-based promotion has been hitting highs financially and creatively in the past few months. Much of their success can be attributed to two key factors: storytelling and character development. The company has developed stars and has put them in intriguing angles.
Part of what makes stories and stars is a combination of incredible video packages documenting who the performers are and promo time. While this show is expected to be short, Speed must include one or both.
The Cruiserweight Classic and the Mae Young Classic utilized both of these to a great deal of success. If WWE Speed can replicate those personal, sports-driven pre-match talking bits, this will likely be a major success.
#3. WWE Speed needs to highlight underutilized performers fans don't see as often
The Stamford-based promotion has three brands: RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. The show also has b-shows for RAW and NXT with Main Event and Level Up respectively.
However, plenty of talented performers don't get enough screen time. As far as male stars go, the likes of Cedric Alexander, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, Dexter Lumis, Odyssey Jones, Xyon Quinn, Javier Bernal, and others rarely feature on television.
If WWE Speed aims to be successful, it should super-serve roster members who aren't regulars. Not only will this give lesser-known stars a much-needed screen time, but it will also help the Stamford-based promotion keep their top talents fresh. The last thing the company needs is to over-expose talent by having them on multiple shows per week.
#2. Triple H must make sure that it's well promoted across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT
This next entry seems obvious, but it's central to the success of the Speed program. The upcoming show needs proper promotion across Monday Night RAW, Friday Night SmackDown, and even NXT.
A program such as Main Event is rarely referenced on any other show. NXT Level Up suffers from the same. While these shows are not marquee, the fact that they're not promoted only makes them feel less important. The likes of Corey Graves and Michael Cole must regularly reference the program.
The last thing the promotion needs is to make WWE Speed feel unimportant and skippable. If that happens, the new program will go the same route as Main Event and NXT Level Up.
#1. Speed will need a women's division
The final move that Triple H needs to make to ensure WWE Speed is a success is to introduce the women's division in case female wrestlers don't feature in the inaugural tournament.
There are a plethora of talented performers who could be used on this show who aren't utilized properly. This includes Tegan Nox, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, Nikki Cross, Alba Fyre, Isla Dawn, and Stevie Turner. The mentioned names can hugely benefit from a much-needed screen time on Speed.