WWE frequently adjusts its TV shows, and the past year has seen a lot of those changes. Monday Night Raw briefly moved to streaming on Netflix and then shortened its length from three to two and a half hours. NXT transitioned to The CW, with a focus on showcasing its talent across the network. SmackDown has also had some shifts, and a recent change has been undone, which could actually be a positive development.
WWE recently made some changes to the length of its show, SmackDown. It first expanded the show from two to three hours, seemingly to match the length of Raw. However, many fans didn’t enjoy the longer format, and were pleased when WWE shortened it back to two hours. Now, it appears WWE has changed its mind again. According to WrestleVotes, SmackDown will return to a three-hour format starting January 2nd.
The recent announcement is a bit surprising, but maybe it’s a good thing. Many viewers found SmackDown too long at three hours, and some segments felt unnecessary. However, the extra time does allow more wrestlers to appear on the show. There are currently talented performers and championships that aren’t being featured, and they could really benefit from the additional airtime.
Giulia’s time as Women’s US Champion never really got the attention it deserved, and her matches on TV were often short due to the show’s time limit. Similarly, The Wyatt Sicks haven’t been featured much lately, appearing only sporadically, and they could benefit from some changes to how they’re used in storylines.
The problem will likely become more noticeable when currently injured or absent wrestlers return. With stars like Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu, Piper Niven, and Elton Prince potentially coming back soon – and Reigns possibly even sooner – having an extra hour of TV time to showcase talent and allow for longer matches seems like a good idea, and will probably help more than hurt.
As a long-time wrestling fan, I always felt those old 3-hour SmackDown shows were actually stronger than the 2-hour ones we’ve been getting lately. I think Raw’s current 2.5-hour length is just about perfect, but honestly, giving SmackDown a little more breathing room – especially when you can directly compare the longer shows – could be exactly what it needs to really get going again.
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2025-11-15 05:10