WWE RAW’s Move to Two Hours Seen as Solution to Filler Content

For several years, Monday Night RAW was a two-hour program, but in 2012, WWE extended it to three hours. Now, after more than a decade, RAW is reverting to its original two-hour format. Many believe this change will help eliminate filler content and make the show more focused and engaging.

On the September 9 edition of Monday Night RAW, part of WWE Week on the USA Network, it was officially announced that RAW will return to a two-hour format starting October 7. The show will air from 8/7c to 10/9c each week until its final episode on the USA Network, which is scheduled for December 30.

While speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray shared his thoughts on the recent changes and expressed his approval of the new direction, revealing his preference for a streamlined approach with no filler content, adding that this move will remove fillers.

Bully Ray believes the recent changes will push WWE talent to elevate their performance, which he views as a positive development. He suggested that the shift will encourage wrestlers to put their best effort into their work and influence the creative team to pay closer attention to what resonates with the audience.

Ray compared this to earlier times in wrestling, where getting over with the crowd was crucial for creative consideration, citing Steve Austin’s initial unexpected success with a microphone as an example.

“I’m an all killer, no filler kind of dude [and this will remove all the fillers]. Although ‘Raw’ has been super solid the past … six months, a year. I stay very, very entertained. Years and years ago, you remember me and LaGreca would talk about, ‘Hey, Dave, how many times did you fall asleep during ‘Raw’ last night?’ That no longer happens.” As for the change and how it will effect WWE talent, Bully said he thinks it’s going to force the locker room to “step up,” which he called a good thing. He said talent will need to go out there and do their best, and “force the hand” of the creative team.

“Back in my day, that’s what you did,” he explained. “You went out there and you had to get over. If you got over, creative would listen and go ‘Okay, there’s something there. Let’s start writing for this act. Let’s start writing for this talent. What are we going to do?’ You’ve got to remember, Steve Austin was never supposed to have a microphone in his hand.”

We have also reported on the reason behind this shift to the two-hour format, as it was ultimately made by the USA Network. As WWE gets ready to move to Netflix on January 6, 2025, it’s uncertain how fans will react to RAW’s new two-hour format. Some might enjoy the shorter show, while others might miss the three-hour length that has been typical in recent years.

Are you looking forward to RAW being two hours again for the time being? Let us know in the comments section below!