Monday Night RAW ratings aren’t what they used to be, and now the USA Network is requesting RAW changes. Also, AEW re-signs a pair of stars, but they waited till just about the last minute!
USA Requesting RAW Changes
USA Network is requesting RAW changes, on the heels of continued low ratings. But what direction might those changes be heading?
How about a darker RAW?
This most recent edition of RAW saw ratings crater yet again, and it seems the USA Network executives have seen enough. According to a report in TalkSport, the network is pushing for changes.
According to the report, the changes USA is requesting would be darker and edgier.
In other words, probably along the lines of Attitude Era RAW. Gone would be the childish and stupid humor, back could be the more violent and extreme action that WWE borrowed liberally from ECW.
It would be an interesting change for WWE’s Monday Night flagship. While the show, and WWE content in general, used to all skew in that direction, things change.
Specifically for WWE, things got toned way down around the time the company went public and wanted to better appeal to shareholders and a younger demographic.
While the kinder, gentler WWE look and feel worked for some time, for one reason or another it is not resonating with viewers as much anymore.
With that in mind, USA requesting RAW changes isn’t as big a shock as it seems. The company needs ratings to go up in order to improve ad revenues, of course.
There was no time frame for changes, but the report alluded to an expectation of a reset following the 2021 Royal Rumble.
That event, just about a month away, has already been rumored to be a much different show than fans are used to.
It will be interesting to see what, if any, changes actually come about from the USA request.
One curveball to throw out, too: could dark changes mean a Karrion Kross call up? That would certainly be a dark move…
AEW Re-Signs Pair Of Stars
All Elite Wrestling has done well to bring in stars, and now the company can work on retaining them. AEW recently re-signed a pair of stars.
The company did so, as it turns out, at pretty much the last possible moment.
As in, on the day contracts were set to expire…though the expiration would have only meant the pair could explore options outside AEW.
The pair were not interested in outside opportunities, so they were happy to re-sign.
Which stars?
How about Penta and Fenix, collectively the Lucha Bros.
That report comes courtesy of Wrestle Zone. The pair had contracts expiring on August 31…and that’s when they re-upped.
To be clear, per the report, the duo was never close to leaving the company. As sometimes happens with negotiations, things take time.
No specific details were released, but with other recent signings, it’s been reported that stars have been signing five year deals.
If that trend holds, then Penta and Fenix will be sticking with AEW for a long time to come.
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