Are matches getting longer?

[Trill Co$by]

So last night, while watch Raw on mute, I began to realize that matches last night almost had enough time to where they could be considered a PPV match. I realize that there were still segments, but they seemed to be fewer than they usually are. Which is weird considering the fact that WrestleMania is coming up. Even the Diva's match and Emma's match were pretty decent.

So is it me, or is the WWE finally giving matches time to develop?

Side question, how awesome was that Sheamus & Christian match?

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

-Cena recently said on Austin's podcast that WWE is moving towards "more action and less talk".

It seems like the WWE has finally figured out the whole three hour Raw thing. Longer matches are the best way to utilize the extra hour of time instead of replaying the same things 5 times on the show.

-Sheamus/Christian match was decent. Great RAW overall.

 

[shafe_41]

How are matches getting longer? What constitutes a "long match?"

No. Last night all WWE did was try to minimize the "hijackers" from chanting CM Punk's name all night long by booking good matches and good segments. Trying to keep them as entertained as possible. You would have never gotten a Shield/Wyatt match had last night's Raw not been in Chicago. You would have gotten the formula of maybe a random tag match and a one-on-one match or something with the members of both. The matches seemed longer because there was less segment to segment filler. There's always been matches of that length on 3-hr Raw. The quality has just been better the last few weeks.

It's also a product of the interesting position WWE is in right now with certain things. The hand they were originally going to play 2 months ago is now being questioned and mocked by the fans. They can throw together some interesting and different matches to keep our attention because of the blurred lines of face/heel the fans feed off and the complete failure of anyone giving a shit about Batista's return.

But just because it's something that happened for 2 weeks in a row doesn't mean it's constant. So no they haven't gotten longer. They're just better and more interesting.

 

[Thecorporatechamp]

With three hours matches should be longer. I'm a big fan of Emma and Paige from NXT because they can wrestle really well. I like it when Emmas dancing is a small part of her character and not the main focus, the girl can really go in the ring. With aj, emma, and paige they should really let their true (wrestling) talents shine. The more in ring work for the e the better I say.

 

[closet_fan]

But just because it's something that happened for 2 weeks in a row doesn't mean it's constant. So no they haven't gotten longer. They're just better and more interesting.

No one has said it's constant, but it's beginning to be a trend. Did you ever think that the matches are better and more interesting because the wrestlers don't have to rush? It gives them the ability to do more without the time constraints. And yes they would have shown the SHIELD and Wyatts again even if it was somewhere else. That storyline wasn't done. Now with Rollins leaving, Bray can move onto Cena and the SHIELD has their own storyline to work with.

I started noticing it in Green Bay and then last night's show. And no they weren't long because of the CM Punk fans. If anything, they would have made them shorter so the wrestlers wouldn't have to deal with getting dumped on.

Longer matches = A better product

The WWE now knows they don't need to show replays from prior events or replays from earlier in the show 15 times.

 

[Trill Co$by]

With three hours matches should be longer. I'm a big fan of Emma and Paige from NXT because they can wrestle really well. I like it when Emmas dancing is a small part of her character and not the main focus, the girl can really go in the ring. With aj, emma, and paige they should really let their true (wrestling) talents shine. The more in ring work for the e the better I say.

I'd throw Aksana, Natalya, Alicia Foxx, and dare I say Nikki Bella into that mix as well. Even Summer Rae's got some talent. And maybe the WWE can start pushing more of their NXT Divas soon. Either way, I agree. Giving the air time to divas that can wrestle could only improve their abilities. Also, they should try letting Goldust oversee the women's matches. I do believe he was the one who oversaw the Lay-Cool Era of the division, so maybe he's got some good ideas flowing.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Yes, matches are getting longer. I believe WWE is building on the successful format of their Main Event program on Wednesday, in which matches often run for 15 minutes or more. The development seems to be well received by the fans in attendance, and I really enjoy seeing the performers given a chance to truly work a match, telling a story and giving us a chance to see pro wrestling the way it used to be.

Now, they've extended this practice to Raw. Given that it's a three-hour show, there are also practical production reasons for doing this, so it all makes sense.

Those fans who like 45-second matches with a flying maneuver out of nowhere that ends the match quickly will be disappointed, of course.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

I think that matches have been longer ever since the three hour Raw debuted - at that point we started getting one or two ten minute plus matches on the undercard with an even longer main event, when in previous years we were getting decent length main events but then a lot of matches that were so short they might as well have not been there.

I'd agree that matches are now beginning to get even longer with less filler. It's only a good thing and it's the reason why I've always been interested in three hour Raws when a lot of people were against them. It's more time for me to see the talent and decide who I really like and who I don't.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

What we're see is another example of the slow transition WWE is moving towards. I remember reading a long while back that Triple H's vision revolved around WWE programming having a heavy wrestling content and that promo and/or backstage segments are done to serve a purpose beyond filling up some air time.

Not all the matches on the card are going to be as hot as others, they won't all be long, nor will they all be relevant. For instance, the mixed tag match on Raw last night was pure filler. However, all in all, it's becoming more and more common for Raw to feature at least 4 matches or so that range from the 12 to 20 minute mark, sometimes longer. At this time 3 or 4 years ago, when Raw was 2 hours, Raw would be lucky if it had a total of 25 to 30 minutes of wrestling content for the entire show.

Raw's had more wrestling content for a while now, it's just that a lot of fans are really only now starting to realize just how much more. When it first started, everyone pretty much figured that it was maybe a simple change of the formula that'd happen once out of every 4 or 5 shows or something. However, when you think for a bit and look back over WWE since around the start of last summer, you realize that there's definitely been a major uptick in the amount of actual wrestling on the show.

I'm all for it, personally. The promo segments that go down are promos that have a purpose in moving along storylines, there are very, very few comedy skits and haven't been for a long while, and even the matches that are mostly filler are still of a better quality than they once were.

 

[Pedigree1]

I always longed for longer matches and im glad were finally getting it. Triple H is more old-school than vinnie mac was. Trips understands the business,especially the wrestling aspect of it. I hope gone are the days of the two minute squash matches,the 12-20 mark or so,is becoming the average..

There not plugging the WWE App as much as they used too,or either that i just mentally have tuned it out so i dont notice it. Less talk,is always a good thing. Promos shouldn't be just for sucking up time,their purpose is to build a connection with the audience,and further their feud their currently in..

I know,there going to be filler matches which is fine. But the stupid comedy skits just suck up time,from a match that could have been a five-star match! I like the direction RAW especially is headed in

 

[Trill Co$by]

I always longed for longer matches and im glad were finally getting it. Triple H is more old-school than vinnie mac was. Trips understands the business,especially the wrestling aspect of it. I hope gone are the days of the two minute squash matches,the 12-20 mark or so,is becoming the average..

I don't mind squash matches. They serve a purpose. I think Russev, to start, could go about squashing people like Ryder, JTG, etc who only take up space before going on to bigger and better things. But on average, I agree that longer matches make for more entertaining matches.

And if this is all because of HHH then maybe the smarks need to re-evaluate their stand on the guy. So what if he booked himself to the top of the company, every Wrestler who has had booking power has done that. Hogan, Nash, Jarrett, Lawler, Vince, Shane, Stephanie... even Paul Heyman found himself in the center of attention. It's not something that's going to change and the talent shouldn't be considered "watered down" either way.

 

[LSN80]

From what I'm seeing, WWE is taking the NXT formula and attempting to apply it to their main show. For every Ziggler vs. Del Rio match like we got last night, there's a Christian vs. Sheamus match to accompany it. It's going to be important, in the long run, to maintain a steady balance of character development, storylines, and actual in-ring action, as these are the guys were going to be seeing on a week-to-week basis.

For most of the main event players, from Cena to the Wyatt's, they're established. We know what we're going to get from them, and we understand their characters. So it's fine to have those men have longer matches, which we've been seeing. The danger that's inherent is in matches like Christian vs. Sheamus. It was a very good match, one the crowd crapped all over, chanting "This is Awful" throughout. Why? Because we haven't gotten a real chance to get to know them again. Both are recently back from long layoffs due to injuries, and instead of inserting a storyline with some promos and character work, they've just been thrown out there to wrestle. Every week. Christian attacking Sheamus after Raw was a nice turn of events, as it actually put some juice into the storyline. But if what they're aiming for is a match at Wrestlemania, they need to stay out of the ring with each other for the time being, and work on building personal aspects to each character, and why we should care.

I'm all for long wrestling matches, but they should mean something. The Wyatt's vs. The Shield did. Bryan vs. Batista was of decent length, and it mattered in furthering the unpredictable main event feuds right now. The way WWE has presented things, they could go in any direction, so it was good to see a heel Batista out there against a face Daniel Bryan, and to give them some time before the DQ.

It's a balance. As much as Cena talked about them going to more action and less talk, the talking is an integral part of the product. In wrestling, often times, it's the talking that gets people to invest in a wrestler every bit as much as the in-ring action does.

Take Miz, and Wade Barrett alike, for example. When Miz was the hottest thing going, and Barrett was leading the Nexus, they were big-time guys, and not because of their ability between the ropes. It was what they said that got them booed. As much as the Nexus attacks were integral in getting them over, Barrett's promos meant just as much. It's the same with Miz. There was very little he did between the ropes to excite anyone, it was his mouth that really moved him up the food chain. He became known as one of the best, if not the best, heel promos in the business for a time.

Neither matter now, but they did for some time because of their mic work, not their in-ring ability. It's important for wrestlers newer to fans to get that mic time to help sell feuds. The Wyatts are over quite a bit due to Bray's ability to talk, and it was a balance between the attacks by the Shield, the development of them as characters, and their mic work that got them over as such a huge faction. But it was also their long 6 man matches that got them over as well.

It's a fine line, and WWE is finding a way to balance it. Longer matches work for this viewer, that's for sure, and I hope that they continue in that vein, while at the same time giving the mid-card time to shine on the mic. If they do, these 3 hour Raws will remain much more tolerable, as they've been lately.

 

[Arsenal]

From what I'm seeing, WWE is taking the NXT formula and attempting to apply it to their main show. For every Ziggler vs. Del Rio match like we got last night, there's a Christian vs. Sheamus match to accompany it. It's going to be important, in the long run, to maintain a steady balance of character development, storylines, and actual in-ring action, as these are the guys were going to be seeing on a week-to-week basis.

For most of the main event players, from Cena to the Wyatt's, they're established. We know what we're going to get from them, and we understand their characters. So it's fine to have those men have longer matches, which we've been seeing. The danger that's inherent is in matches like Christian vs. Sheamus. It was a very good match, one the crowd crapped all over, chanting "This is Awful" throughout. Why? Because we haven't gotten a real chance to get to know them again. Both are recently back from long layoffs due to injuries, and instead of inserting a storyline with some promos and character work, they've just been thrown out there to wrestle. Every week. Christian attacking Sheamus after Raw was a nice turn of events, as it actually put some juice into the storyline. But if what they're aiming for is a match at Wrestlemania, they need to stay out of the ring with each other for the time being, and work on building personal aspects to each character, and why we should care.

I'm all for long wrestling matches, but they should mean something. The Wyatt's vs. The Shield did. Bryan vs. Batista was of decent length, and it mattered in furthering the unpredictable main event feuds right now. The way WWE has presented things, they could go in any direction, so it was good to see a heel Batista out there against a face Daniel Bryan, and to give them some time before the DQ.

It's a balance. As much as Cena talked about them going to more action and less talk, the talking is an integral part of the product. In wrestling, often times, it's the talking that gets people to invest in a wrestler every bit as much as the in-ring action does.

Take Miz, and Wade Barrett alike, for example. When Miz was the hottest thing going, and Barrett was leading the Nexus, they were big-time guys, and not because of their ability between the ropes. It was what they said that got them booed. As much as the Nexus attacks were integral in getting them over, Barrett's promos meant just as much. It's the same with Miz. There was very little he did between the ropes to excite anyone, it was his mouth that really moved him up the food chain. He became known as one of the best, if not the best, heel promos in the business for a time.

Neither matter now, but they did for some time because of their mic work, not their in-ring ability. It's important for wrestlers newer to fans to get that mic time to help sell feuds. The Wyatts are over quite a bit due to Bray's ability to talk, and it was a balance between the attacks by the Shield, the development of them as characters, and their mic work that got them over as such a huge faction. But it was also their long 6 man matches that got them over as well.

It's a fine line, and WWE is finding a way to balance it. Longer matches work for this viewer, that's for sure, and I hope that they continue in that vein, while at the same time giving the mid-card time to shine on the mic. If they do, these 3 hour Raws will remain much more tolerable, as they've been lately.

Good post. I agree with almost all of it. Where I disagree is that the WWE absolutely doesn't give midcarders enough promo/character development time. Only the main eventers get that. That's the biggest reason why midcarders can't get over and no one cares about them. E.g. Sheamus and Christian. They had a good match last night but the crowd cr@pped all over it because there have been no promos and minimal storyline. The ambush by Christian in the backstage segment was a good start. That should have happened weeks ago.

Match, rematch, rematch with no promos and no storyline = no one cares.

If they insist on longer matches, then they need to cut back all the wasted time with the authority droning on and on and give their midcarders the change to cut promos instead.

 

[Arsenal]

And the NXT formula is different (and better). Anyone who is getting significant match time, including the midcarders, gets mic time and backstage segments. That is a huge reason why that show is so much better than RAW.