Although “SmackDown” started the year on a high note under the three-hour format, the program’s overall quality has significantly diminished over the past couple of months. In January, Drew McIntyre had become Undisputed WWE Champion, the United States Title Open Challenge was arguably producing the best matches on TV each week, and “WWE NXT” stars like Trick Williams and Jordynne Grace made their debut, which kept the programming fresh coming into the new year. However, as WWE started to inch closer towards WrestleMania 42, the blue brand struggled to excel with a three-hour runtime, with poor booking decisions and lack of effort put into storylines hurting the product.

Whether it was the celebrity involvement in the brand’s main event storyline, fans being disappointed with Cody Rhodes dethroning McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship, or the overall match quality, “SmackDown” presented stories the audience didn’t want to see and inserted filler content to have enough material for a three-hour program. The WWE Universe also didn’t shy away from voicing their frustration with “SmackDown,” with some of the episodes in the lead up to WrestleMania recording some of the lowest ratings on both IMDB and Cagematch in the show’s history.

When “SmackDown” returns to a two-hour format this June, WWE will be forced to remove any filler and focus on its most essential storylines for the remainder of the year, which should lead to a better product. Additionally, following WWE’s recent round of releases, the company has no excuse but to utilize its current roster to prove the show can succeed despite the talent cuts.