wrestling / Columns

Oversaturation and Lack of Creativity – There Is Too Much WWE On My TV!

September 7, 2014 | Posted by Greg De Marco

The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a seven-year partnership with FOX Sports in 2011 that brought MMA’s largest organization to network broadcast television for the first time. It was seen as a landmark event in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, but those praising the move were equaled by those questioning it.

Why? Oversaturation.

Fast forward to 2014 and oversaturation has indeed had an impact on the UFC. In years past, injuries didn’t cause the cancellation of UFC events, as the company had multiple main event level fights on most cards.

One year after the UFC’s huge FOX announcement, the promotion cancelled UFC 151. The event was scheduled for September 1, 2012, but was cancelled on August 23 when Dan Henderson was forced to pull out of his title fight with Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, and Jones refused to face replacement challenger Chael Sonnen. Jones later defended his championship at UFC 152, against Vitor Belfort, a mere 21 days after the cancelled event.

Two years later, the UFC was forced to cancel UFC 176 when Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo had to pull out of his scheduled title fight against Chad Mendes. The card was scheduled for August 2, but was cancelled on July 2 as the promotion couldn’t find a substitute main event.

Before the FOX deal, the UFC had plenty of fighters removed from a fight for injury, and the show still went on. But those “pre-oversaturation” days are long over. Over the two-month period from June 28 through August 30, the UFC staged 12 fight cards. That’s one fight card per 5.2 days during that 62-day period.

Of those cards, one was cancelled, two were on pay-per-view, and the other nine were on a FOX network or UFC fight pass. On two separate dates (June 28 and August 23) there were two cards—ON THE SAME DAY!

What does this have to do with WWE? The UFC is oversaturated, and the product isn’t as good as it was before the UFC’s deal with FOX.

In 2014, the WWE currently produces eight hours of first run programming per week, giving wrestling an average of just over one hour of new programming per day. Five hours of this programming, just over 60%, is dedicated to the main storylines and angles on Raw and Smackdown. One hour is given to the developmental and lesser-utilized television talent through NXT, one hour is a mid-to-upper-card mix on WWE Main Event, and one hour is lower-to-mid-card talent on WWE Superstars.

And each week, after all eight hours have been consumed, one of the top complaints is that WWE creative simply isn’t…creative.

Can you blame them?

The Big Bang Theory made headlines when the main members of the cast signed new deals hitting $1 Million per episode. The Big Bang Theory puts out one 30-minute episode per week—the WWE puts out 8 hours. That means the WWE puts out 16 times what the Big Bang Theory produces. Think they have 16 times the writing, editing and production staff? Of course not!

The WWE is not set up to present us eight successful hours of television per week, and the glaring issues are with Raw and Smackdown. Take a look at the last two weeks (including a cameo by Main Event).

Last Week:

Monday Night Raw, Monday August 25, 2014
• John Cena versus Bray Wyatt breaks down after Luke Harper and Erick Rowan interfere, and is turned into a six-man tag team match with Big Show and Mark Henry joining Cena to face the entire Wyatt Family. Cena forces Harper to tap out with an STF to get the win for the face team.

Friday Night Smackdown, Friday August 29, 2014
• Roman Reigns versus Bray Wyatt breaks down after Luke Harper and Erick Rowan interfere, and a six-man tag team main event is created with Big Show and Mark Henry joining Reigns to face the entire Wyatt Family. Reigns pinned Luke Harper following a spear to get the win for the face team.

This Week:

Monday Night Raw, Monday September 1, 2014
• Chris Jericho hosts an interview segment (The Highlight Reel) to open the show that eventually sees the entrances of Triple H, Randy Orton (the intended guest), Corporate Kane, Seth Rollins and John Cena.
• Stephanie McMahon hosts an interview segment (follow-up to Growing up Bella) that eventually sees the entrances of Nikki Bella (the intended guest), Brie Bella, AJ Lee and Paige.
• Main Event: Kane, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins versus John Cena, Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho ends with Reigns pinning Kane following a spear. John Cena stares down Triple H.

WWE Main Event, Tuesday September 2, 2014
• Damien “Mizdow” Sandow hosts an interview segment (MizTV) to open the show that eventually sees the entrance of Dolph Ziggler.

Friday Night Smackdown, Friday September 5, 2014
• John Cena opens the show with an interview segment that eventually sees the entrances of Corporate Kane, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, The Wyatt Family, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Mark Henry, and Triple H.
• Main Event: Kane, Seth Rollins and The Wyatt Family versus John Cena, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Big Show and Mark Henry in a no contest with the face team standing tall after a succession of finishers.

For two straight weeks, the Smackdown main event basically mimicked the Raw main event. In week one, both main events were set up the exact same way–a singles match involving Bray Wyatt that ended thanks to Wyatt Family interference, saved by Big Show and Mark Henry, leading to the main event six-man tag. In both main events, the face from the first match went over in strong fashion in the main event. All they did was trade John Cena for Roman Reigns.

In week two, both main events were set up the exact same way–a show opening promo that featured a litany of “surprise” entrances, leading to a multi man match for the end of the show. All they did was take the Raw main event, subtract Randy Orton, insert The Wyatt Family, Big Show and Mark Henry.

Also of note: the WWE so nonchalantly announced Dolph Ziggler’s Intercontinental Championship defense at Night of Champions against The Miz and Sheamus’ United States Championship defense at Night of Champions against Cesaro during the opening tag team match on Raw that the internet didn’t report them until later in the week.

Here’s a random fact about Smackdown: I don’t watch it. I haven’t watched it in over a year!

Why?

Because I don’t need to. Nothing of consequence happens on Smackdown, and it hasn’t since The Shield was main eventing every show in early-to-mid 2013. If there’s a good match on Smackdown, I catch it on YouTube.

On top of that, WWE Superstars is as irrelevant as ever, but that’s a known scenario. WWE Main Event started as a big deal—the first show’s featured match was WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus. Kofi Kingston captured the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a Main Event match that was set-up on Raw. The show mattered.

This week’s WWE Main Event main event? Goldust & Stardust over Los Matadores.

The product has become oversaturated and the creative team can’t possibly keep up with 8 hours of first run programming each week. It’s too much, and it’s reduced Smackdown to a copycat of Raw.

(Insert IWC “TNA copies WWE” joke here.)

Conclusion: There is too much WWE on my TV.

So what do we do about it? That’s a conversation for another article—likely coming to you next week! But for now, I want to know what you think!


Greg DeMarco is a wrestling fan of over 30 years and has also worked on the independent circuit as a promoter, announcer, character and booker. Greg a weekly contributor at 411Mania.com, applying his opinionated style to the world of pro wrestling on Sundays and Thursdays.

He began writing for 411Mania in October 2010 and has been pissing readers off ever since!

Greg’s latest series of must read articles at 411Mania.com:
The Crystal Ball: Looking Ahead to WWE WrestleMania 31
Squandering A Mega Star: The WWE Blew It With Ryback
What If Brock Lesnar Never Left WWE?
Who Is The Best Manager: Bobby Heenan or Paul Heyman?
Bold Predictions for WWE SummerSlam 2014
I Just Don’t Understand Why The WWE Won’t Push Zack Ryder!
The Undertaker, Sting, and Hulk Hogan: One More Match
Go Ahead WWE, Put The World Title On Brock Lesnar—I DARE YOU!
One Man Could Have Saved TNA’s TV Deal…And His Name Is Paul Heyman
My Open Letter To The WWE, Triple H And His Friend ‘Mark’

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