With COVID-19 still affecting the world and economy, one of the only entertainment sports still standing currently is the biggest professional wrestling company in the world, WWE. Throughout the crisis, WWE has still been showing their wrestling content weekly, while other sports such as the NBA and NHL have temporarily suspended their season until further notice.

The ratings and viewership for Monday Night Raw have been declining since this outbreak (even though they are the only sport being shown). It has gotten so bad, the most recent episode hit a record low viewership of 1.686 million viewers! Even the return of AJ Styles could not save the ratings for the most recent episode of RAW! This record low viewership is even worse because this is the show before a big PPV, which means a low rated show would lead to a potential low rated PPV.

Throughout all my years of watching wrestling, I did not realize how important an audience really affects the show. Watching two people wrestle with no pops, chants or crowd reactions is extremely boring and challenging for the performers. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has had their wrestlers play the role of a crowd while watching the other AEW talent perform. I think this is an amazing idea that WWE should implement into their programming because it makes the show way more enjoyable to watch. It contains more energy and excitement then watching two people wrestle in an awkwardly quiet setting. If Raw were to make a change like this, it would save the viewership from dying immediately. With live crowds coming back, hopefully WWE can bounce back on their feet and show the world why they are the top wrestling company.