WrestleMania 33 is in the books and it was outstanding. But it was a very long show. The main show by itself was over five hours long. If you add in the two hours of the kickoff show which featured a big match in each hour, then you’re looking at an extremely lengthy event. This was by far the longest WrestleMania event ever by a long shot.
We were expecting a seven-hour event, we just didn’t realize how taxing it would be. When it was finally over at midnight and The Undertaker made his final exit from a WWE ring, some people were too tired to understand the significance if they were still awake at all.
Dave Meltzer recently appeared on Jim Ross’ podcast and suggested the current incarnation of WrestleMania as we know it might need to change in the future if the roster is going to be that loaded with talent.
“There was a style in all the long matches that was very similar […] I think a good 20-25 minute main event is great, you know you had a show where all these guys — they weren’t all doing 20-25 minutes, but a lot of them were doing long similar matches.”
“A lot of people suggested this afterwards, at first it’s kinda like you kinda go with tradition and everything. And I’m still not saying this is a good idea, but I still think it would’ve been this year a lot better is if you split this thing up into two different shows on two nights. Because 2 three hour shows with that talent, those long matches don’t get tedious on a three-hour show. When you’ve gone four-and-a-half hours and someone’s going 25 minutes that’s a bit much.”
Some of the reasons to consider splitting WrestleMania might be to allow fans an easier viewing experience. But it would also be to allow for all the talent WWE has in the pipeline. WWE doesn’t just have amazing talent prospects in America either, because WWE has scouts out all over the planet at this point.
“If I you look into my crystal ball two or three years down the road” Meltzer continued, “with some of these independent guys who are ready, who are going to be ready, some of the NXT guys who are going to be ready — the talent in WWE most likely in two to three years is going to be, you know significantly stronger than it is now and it is [already] strong. And at that point, it’s like WrestleMania in four years. It really may need to be a two-night thing.”
The fact was pointed out that WWE fans aren’t just coming for one night anymore. They’re coming for a multiple-night experience. Dave went on to say that he doesn’t think WWE will be doing it next year. But, in a few years WWE very well might be pulling a two-night WrestleMania event.
Besides that, WWE could double their ticket price for WrestleMania and making more on a gate is never a bad thing. They have these stadiums for the entire week before Mania to set up the staging anyway, so why not use it a day earlier? If they don’t go for a two-night split show, WrestleMania 40 very well might be a 10-hour show by the time it rolls around.
If you use any portion of the quotes in this article please credit The Ross Report with a H/T to Still Real To Us for the transcription.
