SK Exclusive: Why Big Cass and Big Show main evented Monday Night Raw
What's the story?
As reported by The Dirty Sheets via our podcast "DS Breaking News" YouTube video, the WWE opting to put Cass and Big Show in the main event of the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw was a strategic decision to get more eyes on more significant storylines.
In case you didn't know...
Cass and Big Show surprisingly main evented Raw last Monday, in what many people considered to be a very underwhelming end to the show.
The heart of the matter
The WWE opted to change several things based on the results of their quarterly reports.
The WWE was also said to be disappointed with both their network subscriber number and Raw ratings — specifically the third hour.
The statistics shockingly reveal that the third hour of Raw has FAILED to beat the second hour of Raw every single week in 2017.
Also read: 7 Biggest and Best Moments in Wrestling for July 2017
No matter what the Raw brand has closed the show out with, the second hour has always beaten the third hour every week, regardless.
This has led to an internal change, with the company now planning to put more main events at the end of the second hour moving forward.
In addition to altering the format of Raw, the company has also opted to cut various costs in order to raise profit margins due to the quarterly re. This includes getting rid of pyro, reducing travel costs and cancelling popular WWE Network shows.
What's next?
WWE's next PPV will be SummerSlam, which will emanate from Brooklyn, New York, for the third year in a row.
Author's take
Fans often complain about Raw being too long and the numbers don't lie, based on the fact that Raw hasn't been able to maintain its audience throughout 2017. The second hour beating the third EVERY WEEK certainly is damning evidence that a 3-hour Raw isn't working for a lot of fans, and it is why the WWE is opting to put plus less significant angles and matches on the third hour.
This certainly will take fans some time to adjust to, having been conditioned to think that the main event goes on last for many decades. However, this wasn't always the case, especially during the Hulkamania era.
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