Fans continue to critique WWE Speed

The WWE Speed “division” continues to come under criticism from fans. This byproduct of a partnership between WWE and Twitter presents wrestling matches in less than three to five minutes. To many, it’s a disrespectful idea to see top performers pushed to truncate their craft. In reality, it’s nothing more than a cash grab for the WWE as Twitter looks to become an even bigger video platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.

On Friday, WWE revealed the bracket for the WWE Speed Women’s Championship Tournament. Lyra Valkyria, IYO SKY, Naomi, Blair Davenport, Elektra Lopez, Kairi Sane, Candice LeRae, and Piper Niven are set to be involved. That group features multiple champions and performers who have beloved fan followings. Yet, many of them struggle to get time on television. It has been more than a month since either LeRae or Niven have had a match on television. Valkyria was experiencing a strong push while Becky Lynch was in the fold, but since Lynch has stepped away from WWE, her rise quickly cooled off.

In the eyes of some, Ricochet’s departure from WWE can be attributed to his placement in WWE Speed. Will Ospreay openly criticized the idea of his friend taking part in such quick matches. Months later and Ricochet is set to make his debut in AEW.

WWE Speed is yet another example that Endeavor is set to extract as many profits out of the WWE as possible. While fans may watch for either sports entertainment or professional wrestling, the decision-makers at the top are looking to do all they can to improve what is already a well-performing bottom line. Fan complaints about booking and utilization mean nothing when the dollars from deals such as this continue to come in.

Perhaps WWE Speed can be an opportunity to help elevate stars into a new position. As always, there’s value in seeing a star go viral, as WWE pays attention to those types of metrics. Take Joe Hendry’s place in WWE NXT. His viral moments earlier in the year have helped him become the central figure of the partnership between NXT and TNA. If Niven and LeRae see a big boost on social media because of their performance in that upcoming match, perhaps there will be hope to see that momentum translate on SmackDown each week.

Understandably, wrestling fans want to see the best for their favorite stars. WWE Speed may not be it, and the response of that has been clear. Yet, with the right response, perhaps these matches can lead to bigger moments on television. If not, the criticism will continue to come.