Individuals in WWE Frustrated with SmackDown’s Three-Hour Format

SmackDown’s three-hour experiment is already wearing thin, and WWE officials aren’t holding back their frustration.

According to WrestleVotes, “Several people in WWE are very against the three-hour format of SmackDown and feel that the show has totally fallen apart in the last two months.”

When the expansion was first announced, there was optimism that an extra hour would give underutilized talent more TV time. Instead, it’s led to bloated segments, pacing issues, and a product that feels like it’s dragging—something that fans have been complaining about for weeks.

The backlash reached new levels after the February 21 episode, where The Rock’s long-winded promo with Cody Rhodes left viewers unimpressed. WWE creative, specifically Road Dogg, took most of the heat, with fans flooding social media demanding changes. Now, it turns out people within WWE share the same frustrations.

The good news? The three-hour format isn’t permanent. WrestleVotes confirmed that “SmackDown will return to a two-hour format in June,” which should come as a relief to those who feel the show has been struggling under the current structure.

With SmackDown’s creative direction already under fire, cutting back to two hours might be the first step in turning things around.