Double Trouble
To start off, why are there two of these things? Both shows offer the exact same caliber of programming and jobbers can jump from one to the next, regardless of their schedule. One way these could be made slightly more interesting is if one consisted of the Raw jobbers, whereas the other supplied the SmackDown jobbers, à la the Attitude Era's Heat and Velocity. Instead, we have two shows with seemingly randomly booked matches.
Jobbers Galore
I just touched on this a little bit, but the matches on these shows regularly feature WWE's lower-to-midcard wrestlers and divas. There's usually a good reason why many of these individuals aren't on the main roster, whether it's because they lack mic skills or are a walking botch fest. So WWE's solution is to banish them to the ironically named tertiary shows. But what about the ones who are actually sound performers? If they don't have these shows, where will they go?
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Well, how about WWE spends less time on ridiculous backstage segments and half hour long opening promos and more time booking actual matches? Sure, it's a nice consolation to see Zack Ryder and company at work on Superstars and Main Event, but why can't they be slipped into episodes of Raw or its sister show, SmackDown? That way, they would actually receive exposure as performers.
Returning to that "walking botch fest" comment, match quality itself tends to be lacking on this show. Every once in a blue moon, we're treated to something resembling a Raw quality contest, but for the most part, the ridiculous Adam Rose is facing off with the equally ridiculous Fandango. These just aren't matches that anyone is dying to see.
Raw Recap
Why have either of these shows when sixty percent of the air time is dedicated to recapping the episode of Monday Night Raw from earlier in the week? What service does this provide? It's not like someone watching Superstars/Main Event isn't already tuning in or at the very least aware of the primary shows. WWE is just sucking up what little air time they're allegedly giving to the lower talents.
At that point, a large section of the lower roster is left off television on a weekly basis to an even longer time span. No one has the opportunity to enhance their skill set, practice promos in front of a smaller national audience, perfecting their signature moves with other guys willing to improve or even work out the kinks in that gimmick that just didn't get over the first run-through.
But don't worry. At least we can be reminded of what happened on last night's Raw. You know, in case we've all developed amnesia.
Viewership
Since the very beginning, neither show has pulled in strong ratings. While ratings are a constant struggle for Raw and SmackDown as of late, Main Event and Superstars never seem to climb out of that pit.
At least when Superstars first aired, WWE made a conscious effort to attract viewers, featuring The Undertaker and Matt Hardy in the first episode's main event. But over time, old habits resurfaced as both shows began to overflow with the lower-level talents. While this alone didn't lead to plummeting viewership, it certainly contributed.
Also, Superstars at least had a fighting chance at first, airing on WGN. Unfortunately, within two years, the show became a feature reserved for WWE.com. Main Event had a start on a less notorious channel, initially airing on Ion Television, but similar to Superstars, in just two years the clone program was bumped off, joining its slightly older brother on the WWE Network.
Summary
While both shows act as a distraction whilst you wait for the latest episode of Raw, NXT, or SmackDown to air, they fundamentally act more so as fluffer programs than the quality shows wrestling fans truly yearn for.
So how do you feel about Superstars and Main Event? Are they entertaining or a complete waste of time? Comment below and let us know.
Thanks for reading!
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