WWE Raw overrun being eliminated as of next Monday
The Raw overrun, a concept that started during the Monday Night Wars when Raw and Nitro were jockeying for any type of an advantage, is now history nearly 18 years after the conclusion of the wrestling war.
Starting this Monday for the show from Kansas City, Raw will end at 11 p.m. sharp and that will continue going forward.
Fightful.com first reported the story yesterday and sources within WWE have confirmed that story as accurate.
The current issue of the Wrestling Observer discusses the very minor impact the change will have on ratings.
This will cut anywhere from four to 15 minutes off the show, meaning a tighter show and an earlier start time for the main event segment.
This should slightly alleviate the decline level of viewership in the third hour of the show after episodes on October 1 and November 5 did the lowest third hour numbers of the modern era.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.