"You guys sold out" – WWE veteran highlights big issue with RAW (Exclusive)
Former WWE writer Vince Russo thinks the weekly presentation of RAW is proof that the company cares more about money than entertaining fans.
In 2012, RAW was extended from a two-hour show to three hours every Monday night. Although the current format gives more television time to wrestlers, many believe the previous approach provided a better viewer experience.
Russo was WWE's head writer when two-hour RAW shows regularly drew their highest ratings in the late 1990s. On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo, he told Dr. Chris Featherstone that the RAW format change was a big mistake:
"You guys sold out," Russo said. "They sold out the day they went three hours with RAW, and they knew they were gonna bastardize their product, and they did it. They knew they were gonna water down that [show]. That day, they sold out and they've continued to sell out ever since." [10:31 – 10:54]
Watch the video above to hear Russo question whether CM Punk's return has negatively affected Cody Rhodes' booking heading into 2024.
Vince Russo explains why WWE RAW should not be three hours
The WWE product has changed a lot since Vince Russo wrote shows during the Attitude Era. These days, RAW and SmackDown are more family-friendly and aimed toward fans of all ages.
Despite that, Russo still believes adding a third hour to RAW was unnecessary as part of the show's evolution over the years:
"If the WWE turned around tomorrow and said, 'We sold out,' I'd have no problem with that because that's business. I get that times have changed, and especially, Chris, the evolution because we're talking about wrestling's been around for a hundred years. Bro, the end game in wrestling a hundred years ago is the same as it is today! Nothing changed, bro!" [9:40 – 10:08]
Russo also gave his thoughts on whether CM Punk's long-awaited return should have been delayed.
Do you think RAW should become a two-hour show again? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.