WWE’s recent journey into a three-hour format for SmackDown, which started in January, is anticipated to conclude this summer, marking the end of a test period.
Dave Meltzer expressed the imminent change in a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, conveying that he was told “months ago” that the makeover would happen “essentially at the end of May.” Bryan Alvarez suggested June 6th might be the cut-off date and highlighted there is “about a month” remaining with the expanded format.
While the extra hour of SmackDown has led to extended matches and more nuanced storytelling, audiences and even some internal response to the three-hour telecasts have been mixed. The plan to revert to a two-hour format is viewed as an effort to optimize the program’s tempo and bolstering its overall delivery.
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