Could a Three Hour RAW Have Worked in The Attitude Era?

[sungod2020]

Pretty much as the title of the thread suggests. One of the biggest complaints of today's product is overexposure. This July, it's going to be 10 years since RAW went three hours regularly and it was taxing on an already shitty product. This isn't even taking into consideration all the other (subpar) content they put out like Smackdown, NXT, and all those podcasts and specials where you have 24/7 access to get your wrestling fix. 

One of the things that I enjoyed about the Attitude Era was the whole "less is more" mentality as I stated in this thread.
officialfan.proboards.com/thread/617338/thinks-last-long

Sure, WWF expanded their PPV line up and RAW to two hours because Nitro did it first and that was all good. Other than competing with a then hot product, they were also able to showcase their midcard talent(one of the few things Vince Russo is praised for) on top of their main eventers. There's been instances that the main event guys(Austin, Rock, Triple H, Foley, etc etc) were on the show TWICE(one for a promo to start the show, and then to end the show with a match), and it still didn't feel like an overkill. 

WCW had this "bigger is better" mentality, which means signing a bunch of big name WWF talent just to have them AND to showcase PPV quality matches on free TV which maybe a treat at first, but eventually becomes too much and makes PPVs seem less special. This included extending their flagship show Monday Nitro to three hours. The shows felt dragged out at times. In fact, I believe there was one in March 1999 where it was NOTHING BUT VIGNETTES and NO MATCHES to stretch out their material. Granted it's WCW, as WWF/E has never done such a thing like that, but it just goes to show how bad their shows have gotten.

I remember a poster here said RAW being three hours in the Attitude Era could've worked since the company was on fire at that time, but I think like Nitro, the novelty would burn out quickly. The only way I can see it working is if it's an occasional thing like a stadium show(RAW had two in 1999, first in the Skydome and the second in the Georgia Dome) or some other big show, like headed into a Wrestlemania. 

It's often sighted that the November 19th, 2001 episode of RAW was the start of the never-ending downturn for the company and have never fully recovered. While that was no doubt a big moment, I think the very roots of the creative decline started over a year earlier. First, with the WWF moving to TNN in September 2000, and second, with the week payoffs of the Triple H/Stephanie/Kurt Angle love triangle and Rikishi being the man who ran down "Stone Cold." 

Oh, the company was still very profitable then and I still prefer it over today(I haven't watched with regularity since mid 2010s), but the blow offs to those two hot angles(the first one seemed to fizzle out) started an ongoing trend for many years to come with future feuds and storylines. I figure if RAW went three hours regularly, the momentum of the company would decline even sooner, maybe even before the TNN move, or even before Smackdown debuted in August 1999 depending on when they decided to do it.

What are your thoughts on this?

[kidtamagotchi]

Raw being three hours during the Attitude Era would be the same as Raw is now in 2022. Instead of two minute matches ending in DQ, count out, or roll up, it would be 7 to 10 minute matches ending in DQ, count out, or roll up. I'm sure the skits would be longer, which is what most everybody was watching for anyway, so that is a positive I guess. Would it have worked? Possibly.

[Aceorton]

It's always about leaving us wanting more, an art that WWE has mostly forgotten how to execute properly. Two-hour RAWs seemed to fly by back then. I couldn't wait for the next week's show. Nitro went to three hours and look where it got WCW. One hour was clearly not enough, but three was way too much.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Feb 19, 2022 21:21:40 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

It's always about leaving us wanting more, an art that WWE has mostly forgotten how to execute properly. Two-hour RAWs seemed to fly by back then. I couldn't wait for the next week's show. Nitro went to three hours and look where it got WCW. One hour was clearly not enough, but three was way too much.

This, when Nitro went three hours it got worst because the filled it with more filler matches. We got stuff like 20 min match between Kendall Windham and Perry Saturn. Today Raw is why you don't go 3 hours. They fill it with promos and drag out the matches. They at times have someone come out for a matches, than they go backstage for a segment and than finally the match. Its just so badly formated. Raw in 98 would messed up the flow and we get to much Russo booking. 2 hrs is the sweet spot for a show I agree.

[tafkaga]

Depends on what you mean by "worked". Would it have worked for them? Probably, in the same sense that 3 hour Nitros worked for WCW, but it would have been an inferior product for the same reason that adding hours has always bogged down wrestling shows. I can't think of one time where a wrestling show was better for adding another hour. When Nitro went to 2 hours, it wasn't like two back to back 1 hour Nitros. It just went from being an intense and exciting hour to a more relaxed, lower energy 2 hours with more Hugh Morrus.

[sungod2020]

Feb 20, 2022 13:35:25 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Depends on what you mean by "worked". Would it have worked for them? Probably, in the same sense that 3 hour Nitros worked for WCW, but it would have been an inferior product for the same reason that adding hours has always bogged down wrestling shows. I can't think of one time where a wrestling show was better for adding another hour. When Nitro went to 2 hours, it wasn't like two back to back 1 hour Nitros. It just went from being an intense and exciting hour to a more relaxed, lower energy 2 hours with more Hugh Morrus.

Did it really work for Nitro though? Even for a little bit? I know at one point they went back to two hours. Wasn't it because ratings suffered(moreso due to booking, but still).

I find it ironic with all the crap WWE makes fun of WCW for(many of which is justifiable), they've copied alot of that crap from them. RAW has been going on for three hours nearly 5 years longer than Nitro's ENTIRE run. 

[Bo Rida]

Maybe for a while but I think it's unsustainable no matter how good the onscreen prodcut.

The main reason I say maybe is because I don't think the commericial breaks were so obnoxiously long or frequent back then but I might be wrong as we didn't get them live.

[tafkaga]

Feb 20, 2022 14:04:25 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

Feb 20, 2022 13:35:25 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Depends on what you mean by "worked". Would it have worked for them? Probably, in the same sense that 3 hour Nitros worked for WCW, but it would have been an inferior product for the same reason that adding hours has always bogged down wrestling shows. I can't think of one time where a wrestling show was better for adding another hour. When Nitro went to 2 hours, it wasn't like two back to back 1 hour Nitros. It just went from being an intense and exciting hour to a more relaxed, lower energy 2 hours with more Hugh Morrus.

Did it really work for Nitro though? Even for a little bit? I know at one point they went back to two hours. Wasn't it because ratings suffered(moreso due to booking, but still).

I find it ironic with all the crap WWE makes fun of WCW for(many of which is justifiable), they've copied alot of that crap from them. RAW has been going on for three hours nearly 5 years longer than Nitro's ENTIRE run. 

It worked in the sense that it brought in extra revenue, which is what they were after.  Long term it was terrible for the product, but the corporates making the calls didn't care because they were only looking for ways to improve the bottom line.  Adding more hours is never about a better show.  It's always about bringing in more revenue, because they feel they have enough of a locked in audience who will keep watching no matter how much the product suffers.

[johnnyk9]

3 hour raws during attitude era would’ve likely ruined ppv buys

[jimmyjames]

No. Three hour Nitro's didn't work and Raw wouldn't have either. The same fundamental problems with three hour Raw in 2022 would've applied in 1999. One three hour Raw a year works because it's special. Same with PPV lenghts but every week it's tiresome and people would/do check out after two hours. It would've been a lot of filler that sucked and no one remembers and if they do it wouldn't be fondly, i,e. DX storming the CNN Center or HHH skywriting and not Beer Bash.

[koreycaskets]

I would have loved 3 hours of pudding matches, beer drinking , satanic rituals and gratuitous violence .. but that's just me lol

[fw91]

All 10 Silk Stalkings fans would have had a conniption

[Limity (BLM)]

Feb 19, 2022 21:21:40 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

It's always about leaving us wanting more, an art that WWE has mostly forgotten how to execute properly. Two-hour RAWs seemed to fly by back then. I couldn't wait for the next week's show. Nitro went to three hours and look where it got WCW. One hour was clearly not enough, but three was way too much.

This is a really good point, and makes me think of all those times Nitro and RAW ended in the middle of a big angle or match that spiraled out of control. I never felt ripped off or frustrated, I was on the edge of my seat. It was done like a cliffhanger, with Tony Schiavone saying, "Folks we're outta time!"

To the OP, I could see a one off or very occasional three hour RAW working, programmed in a way to really beat Nitro in the event they had a big match or angle going on. Start the storylines in that first hour, so the viewers are hooked and must watch to completion. Especially during that time, when wrestling was not only red hot, but very limited. You couldn't just catch the highlights on YouTube immediately afterwards, or hell even during, and you couldn't read about it on Twitter.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Look at the three hour Nitros after Russo took over. That's what Raw would've looked like.

[Mozenrath]

I feel like they would have probably made it work to an extent, but it'd have stretched WWF's creativity even further and 1999's chaos would have been even worse.

[FinalGwen]

See, WWE can barely manage it today with a roster who can do compelling longer matches despite the booking, you really wanna see a 15 minute Val Venis barnburner every week?

[Defrebel - White Pony]

Feb 21, 2022 23:21:24 GMT -5 FinalGwen said:

See, WWE can barely manage it today with a roster who can do compelling longer matches despite the booking, you really wanna see a 15 minute Val Venis barnburner every week?

THAT'S JUST WHAT THE FIRST HALF OF 1999 WAS ;-; 

[eJm]

About as well as three hour ones did under WCW.

Just to remind people, that company has been dead for almost 21 years.

[MC Blowfish]

We used to watch the first hour of WCW and it was usually awful. Does anyone remember the Nitro where they didn't have any matches for the first hour?

I know people today look at the Attitude era as the greatest time for wrestling. I'll admit it was a lot of fun, but it was also a product of the time. A three hour Raw would have burnt people out real quick.

[salz4life]

I think it would've been cool for a couple weeks and then it would've become too much.