DAVE'S BATTLE AXE SPECIAL: THE STATE OF WWE'S MAIN EVENT

There have been a lot of changes in the WWE since the brand split last year, both in front of and behind the cameras of the greatest traveling circus show on Earth. Big changes like having Randy Orton join the Wyatts only to ultimately destroy them (and in reality give both Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper new life in the eyes of the WWE Universe), overshadow the little changes you might not have spotted along the way.

One of those changes is that Superstars is no longer a taped show on the WWE Network or on Hulu reruns. The time for that taping has been shifted over to 205 Live while Main Event stays as the ostensibly the warm up show for Smackdown Live tapings.

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for this cast off program because it has been a solid showcase for the lower to mid card talent who get two 8-12 minute matches to show the company what they have to offer beyond showing up for a skit on Raw. The crowds at these shows are usually very into these matches too, so the energy is usually really good for the superstars to work with.



As a RAW recap show it’s handy if you want to skip watching the 3-hour bloat of the flagship show like I do every week. Lately the announce team has been hit and miss as current superstars rotate in to do color commentary alongside Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips. A recent highlight was Austin Aries’ time behind the mic, similar to his excellent heel commentary on 205 Live. When "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is ready to hang up his boots, I hope broadcasting becomes a passion for him because he’s a natural at it. With him focusing on returning to the ring in the Cruiserweight division though his replacement R-Truth has been a marble-mouthed disappointment.

While some of the booking has been a little stale of late on Main Event there never seems to be a lack of effort on the guys that get the TV time. I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of the women’s division storylines spill over into the taping time, especially on the RAW side since they aren’t being given a lot to work with. But for now, I’ll settle for watching Bo Dallas continue to develop his heel character and Jinder Mahal show off his improved move set in front of appreciative crowds.  

- Dave Parrish

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