Moving WWE PLEs back to Sundays is a horrible idea

The merger between UFC and WWE was expected to create interesting changes for both organizations. While some fans feared crossover in front of the camera, the behind-the-scenes changes were the real story. UFC president Dana White had multiple quotes coming out of UFC St. Louis that has raised the radar of pro wrestling fans and media members, especially when it comes to the idea of a shifted schedule that would push WWE PLEs to Sunday.

“We already have those dates set up right now where Power Slap goes Friday and UFC goes Saturday,” White said during the post-fight press event. “You’re going to see Friday, Power Slap, Saturday, UFC, and Sunday, WWE. You’ll start seeing that stuff too.”

One of the biggest changes WWE made during the COVID-19 global pandemic was to shift PLEs from Sunday to Saturday. The company also started presenting these shows with fewer matches, sticking to 5-6 matches per outing. The wrestling community has widely praised this. WrestleMania, which is a two-night event, is the only standard Sunday PLE remaining on the main roster schedule.

WWE did make a shift and will present NXT Battleground from the UFC APEX on Sunday, June 9, which is another concerning development that has caught the attention of fans. TKO has yet to release an actual schedule that confirms the news.

WWE fans should push back on this development. Saturday PLEs have been consistently praised for their scheduling, usually ending around 11 P.M. EST. UFC presents cards on a nearly weekly basis, raising a recent criticism that the product is watered-down compared to what was given to fans years ago. Power Slap is an exceptionally controversial “combat sport” in the least of terms where men and women take defenseless blows to the face over and over. WWE is on a major upswing and making shifts in the product schedule such as these aren’t the type of change that is needed in a post-merger world.

UFC and WWE have already tested out the market of having SmackDown on Friday, UFC on Saturday, and WWE Raw on Mondays as the companies continue to look for ways to cross-pollinate the fan bases. Fans are already complaining about rising ticket prices and this is another impact that could be seen down the line if these organizations continue to make these changes.

WWE and UFC have widely different fan bases and products. Bringing them closer together and including Power Slap as a third offering is a choice that will chip into the momentum WWE is experiencing. Especially if this means pushing PLEs back to Sunday after fans made it clear Saturdays are the right days for these shows.