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What's the story?
Cagesideseats.com is speculating that WWE is only planning on running one pay-per-view event in December, and that is going to WWE Clash of Champions. The site is also claiming that it will be a SmackDown Live-exclusive pay-per-view. WWE is yet to confirm the schedule beyond Clash of Champions at this point.
In case you didn't know...
The return of the WWE brand split in 2016 also saw the return of brand-exclusive pay-per-views, but the establishment of the WWE Network and the company no longer having to depend on buy-rates meant that the old 'one brand a month' model could be eschewed in favour of more content.
As a result, both RAW and SmackDown produced brand-exclusive pay-per-views on a monthly basis, with the exceptions being the months in which WWE promoted a cross-brand event (the 'Big Four' shows).
The model has received middling feedback, with some celebrating the amount of content and others lamenting the rushed nature of the booking. Many have said that they would be happier if WWE moved to a one-show-a-month model.
The heart of the matter
As of right now, WWE Clash of Champions is the only WWE pay-per-view scheduled for December. There is still plenty of time for that to change, but the company is leaving it pretty late to add additional shows.
The schedule suggests that the show will be a SmackDown Live-promoted event. There are four pay-per-views scheduled between now and December 17, two of which are RAW shows (No Mercy and TLC), one a SmackDown event (Hell in a Cell) and the final show being the cross-brand Survivor Series.
Basic maths dictates that Clash of Champions will be a SmackDown show, but it remains to be seen whether it is the only WWE PPV in the final month of the year. If that is the case, RAW will subsequently go at least three months without a major show.
What's next?
The next pay-per-view from WWE comes in the shape of No Mercy this Sunday, a show that will be headlined by the first time singles meeting between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman.
SmackDown's next pay-per-view is scheduled for October 8, where Jinder Mahal and Shinsuke Nakamura will headline WWE Hell in a Cell.
Author's take
Moving to a one-show-per-month model makes a lot of sense from a fan's perspective. This allows stories to play out over longer periods of time, meaning the WWE Universe won't be served rushed feud after rushed feud. Sometimes, less is more.
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