WWE hot take: A need to revert to the old weekly format

WWE (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
WWE (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

While catching up on WWE, there seems to be a disconnect with some fans. Why would WWE have such a problem? They have star power in both the men’s and women’s divisions than ever before, so why do the flagship shows seem a little off?

That question was soon answered while going down memory lane back in 2002. Everything finally made sense that WWE had a format that made things work with various shows that contributed to the story, and it’s a format that would still work today.

A look into WWE during their old format.

WWE had a full lineup that at one time utterly dominated prime time television. The shows offered up included Sunday Night Heat, Saturday Night Velocity, and WWE Confidential. This format was vital for the promotion’s success and worth revisiting when compared to today.

Before there was a weekly three-hour RAW, there was Sunday Night Heat, which served as the unofficial third hour with a connection to storylines that happen on Monday. The show was heavily focused on veteran talent that fans may not see on RAW consistently.

Fans knew they weren’t going to get a five-star match, but it was a fun wrestling show that supplied us with the late great Mr.Perfect, Rikishi, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, Crash Holly, Jacqueline, and many other names.

The show itself also was the place where Shelton Benjamin won fans over during his early days as he racked up win after win as a singles competitor. This was also the home of arguably the biggest storyline on Heat involving Raven and his ‘masterpiece’.

WWE would also add a similar show for Saturday night exclusive for Smackdown known as Velocity. The same idea as Sunday Night Heat, but it had a very different identity and that made it unique.

That show was more focused on potential upcoming talent than Sunday Night Heat, and it introduced us to eventual United States champion Orlando Jordan and even introduced many fans to Frankie Kazarian for the very first time.

The emphasis on Velocity was building up new stars that came into the mix during a time when Smackdown was on fire with future world champions and stars already. This was a place where many tested the waters to become an integral part of Velocity and Smackdown programs.

Even though these shows were only an hour-long, they each left a lasting impression. Sunday Night Heat prepared us for what’s to come on Monday Night RAW and Velocity gave recaps and anticipation for what will happen the following week on Smackdown.

After Velocity, WWE had a show that further enhanced all programs in the form of a talk show called WWE Confidential. It was hosted by the late great Mean Gene Okerlund in the form of a one-hour talk show, which was the perfect way to cap off Saturday Night.

Of course, there were many other shows including Byte This, but there was something about WWE Confidential that offered a balance that made the behind-the-scenes look at WWE in harmony with the ongoing storylines in a genius way.

By Sunday night, fans felt fulfilled by WWE programming and were ready to do it all over again for Monday Night RAW. That was the magic of the lineup that WWE had and it left us feeling good about the product as a whole. That’s why WWE should revisit this strategy again in the future.

How this format could work for WWE today

It doesn’t have to be Sunday Night Heat and Velocity again, even though reviving that identity and going that route would be nostalgic. In today’s age, they have more star power than ever before on each flagship show, so it should be no chore to build the identity.

There’s a bunch of talent across the board and there will surely be more who would benefit from that format where it’s a laidback extension show and it will give more stars a chance to shine. I know what most are thinking right now: WWE has NXT Lvl Up and the Main event, does that count?

It’s not in the same category as Heat or Velocity as a unique and easily identified sister show to the flagship show. Sunday Night Heat had an identity for being veteran wrestlers against some new talent, while Velocity had an identity creatively as an extension of what happened on Smackdown that week while introducing new talent.

It takes the pressure off Monday Night RAW and Smackdown and gives a chance to build up people the same way Orlando Jordan, Shelton Benjamin, Nunzio, Victoria, and many others did with those shows being their launchpad.

With the number of stars that WWE has today, it would be easier than before to build something else up, but to make that happen, WWE would need to not cut their roster so much for it to work consistently on a weekly basis as it did during that period of Heat and Velocity.

Just like how it was before, it could serve as another storyline launch center, and with NXT in the mix, there is even more room for innovation. It may even help with NXT’s new identity while also forming a system that would entertain fans and help wrestlers.

This will help connect fans and enhance creativity for storyline continuation instead of trying to jam it all on one show. Fans will have to wait and see how WWE intends to build that connection in the future and if they will decide to revisit that strategy.