What’s the story?
A report from Cageside Seats suggests that WWE could shift the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match to Summerslam to bring the WWE Universal Championship back on television each week and boost the sagging ratings.
In case you didn’t know...
The initial plan was for Roman Reigns to defeat Brock Lesnar and capture the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, Lousiana. However, the Big Dog recently announced that he was the number one contender for Monday Night Raw’s biggest prize at Summerslam, sparking confusion among the fans.
The heart of the matter
The past few weeks have been poor for the WWE in term of ratings. The 12 June episode of Monday Night Raw encountered a record low in ratings going up against the NBA finals. The SmackDown LIVE ratings were down too as they hit a record low for 2017 the following night, barely managing to garner 2 million views.
However, it must be noted that the most recent episodes of Raw and SmackDown both saw their viewership increase by twenty-five percent.
This rumour suggests that WWE is determined to take swift action and make the Universal Championship a regular fixture on Monday Night Raw. However, we believe that this isn’t likely and that Roman Reigns’ pursuit of Brock Lesnar’s title will culminate in the main event of WrestleMania 34.
Also read: 5 ways WWE can book an epic retirement for Brock Lesnar
What’s next?
Samoa Joe is set to take on Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WWE Great Balls of Fire. Brock is heavily favoured to go over in that encounter. On the same night, Roman Reigns will face Braun Strowman in an ambulance match. The PPV will emanate from Dallas, Texas on July 9.
Author's take
WWE’s television deal with NBC Universal is its biggest source of revenue, and there is no question that the company needs to keep a close eye on its ratings. However, Monday Night Raw is still the USA Network’s most watched television show, and there is no reason for Vince McMahon and company to panic.
It is highly unlikely that they will shelve their long-term plans in favour of a short-term remedy.
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