“SmackDown is not drawing” - Ex-WWE employee explains reason for major change to the show (Exclusive)

WWE SmackDown is reportedly set to return to its original run time of two hours. The blue brand had always been a two-hour show but was extended to three hours following RAW's move to Netflix. The plan always was to bring SmackDown back to two hours, and that is reported to come into effect from the July 4 episode.

Former WWE head writer Vince Russo felt that this was an indication of the blue brand not doing too well on television. Fans had started to grow frustrated with SmackDown's run time, as many felt that keeping the show to two hours was ideal, and the extra hour seemed stretched.

Addressing the move on the latest episode of BroDown on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Russo said that the show isn't drawing numbers. He claimed that if SmackDown had been doing well, then USA Network would've kept the show for that extra hour.

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"We're hearing again that Smackdown's going to two hours bro. You think if SmackDown was drawing a third hour that USA Network would not continue doing three hours bro. They're going down to two hours because Smackdown is not drawing that's why they're going back down in two hours bro," Russo said. [From 35:07 onwards]

While WWE's shows might not have been doing too well lately, the most recent episode of SmackDown has had many positive reactions. The episode was well loved by the fans, particularly the main event courtesy of John Cena's pipebomb.

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