4 reasons why WWE SmackDown moving to two hours is a bad idea

The news that many WWE fans had been speculating for quite some time is now official. As confirmed by Michael Cole over the weekend, Friday Night SmackDown is undergoing a major change.

Beginning with this week's edition of the blue brand, SmackDown will be moving from three hours down to being a two-hour program once again. This has been met with mixed responses from fans.

There are certainly positives to this. A three-hour show, no matter the quality, is a lot to get through. It is also easy to burn out the fans in attendance, stories, and the talent. With that being said, there are major positives that come with the longer program.

This article will take a look at some of the major drawbacks of moving from three hours to two hours. This includes multiple divisions likely taking a hit, a championship problem, and an unfortunate reality that could come to pass under Triple H's creative leadership.

Below are four reasons why WWE SmackDown's move to two hours is a bad idea.

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#4. Two hours means the tag team division will have less time

WWE Friday Night SmackDown is home to the hottest tag team division in pro wrestling today. Led by The Street Profits, who currently hold the WWE Tag Team Titles, the blue brand is loaded with numerous incredible teams.

For example, the tag team scene features Los Garza, Pretty Deadly, Motor City Machine Guns, Fraxiom, The Wyatt Sicks, and DIY. There is also a chance that Rey Fenix and Andrade are joining the ranks moving forward, thus making the most stacked division even better.

Unfortunately, this stacked division will be in trouble when SmackDown moves to two hours. There is only so much time to feature select talent, and tag teams will likely get the short end of the stick. At the very least, don't be surprised if the division only gets one match or one segment per show, as opposed to multiple that it typically receives these days. Triple H's hands are tied.

#3. The women's division will also likely suffer

Friday Night SmackDown's women's division is also quite strong. The leader and champion of the brand is Tiffany Stratton. She is the WWE Women's Champion and has been since January.

The brand features a wealth of talented performers. Nia Jax, Candice LeRae, Giulia, Zelina Vega, Naomi, Bianca Belair, Michin, Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, and Alexa Bliss are some of the names who make up the women's division on WWE SmackDown.

Just as with the tag division, this fleshed-out crop of stars will suffer once SmackDown moves to two hours. That is 60 minutes, excluding commercials, of less content. That means several performers will start missing shows, and matches will inevitably become shorter. This is just a reality of a two-hour program compared to three, and The Game might struggle with it.

#2. There are arguably too many titles for a two-hour show

Friday Night SmackDown has several championship belts. For the men's division, there is the Undisputed WWE Championship held by John Cena, the tag team gold, which is held by The Street Profits, and the United States Championship, which Solo Sikoa has captured.

The women's division also has a handful of belts. There is the WWE Women's Championship held by Tiffany Stratton, the Women's United States Title, which Giulia now has, and the Women's Tag Team Titles, although those are technically not part of any particular brand.

That means there are five titles exclusive to SmackDown and six in total. This was easy to maintain with a three-hour show, but it will be far more challenging with one-third of the program now snapped away, like Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet. Can the Women's United States Title get time now that the show is shorter?

#1. WWE may end up cutting more talent with an hour less of television each week

There is a common theme in this list. The shorter time means certain stars, including champions in WWE, will have their time cut. In some cases, these stars won't even appear on television frequently at all.

This comes with a very unfortunate reality. If a performer doesn't have a major role on television, or worse yet, doesn't appear at all, WWE and TKO will likely cut their contract. This could come in the form of a release or by simply opting not to re-sign the performer.

Fans have been frustrated by a series of releases and contracts not being renewed. Those same fans have celebrated SmackDown moving back to two hours. The reality is, with fewer stars needed on the blue brand, more cuts are likely on the way.

This is without a doubt the biggest downside of SmackDown's runtime shortening.