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Key Reason for WWE's Significant Change to PLE Formatting Revealed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Fernando Quiles Jr. | Last updated May 14, 2025 5:56 PM ET

Details have emerged on WWE's decision to make a huge formatting change to its pre-shows for PLEs.

During the Vince McMahon era of WWE, there was a different philosophy on certain matters, such as creative. McMahon was more focused on strict dialog and over-the-top characters, while current WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque has a more reality-based approach for his storylines.

The creative aspect of WWE hasn't been the only change made since McMahon has been out of the picture. The company has long aired countdown shows prior to its PLEs, such as "Backlash 2025," which recently took place. Fans have noticed that WWE has phased out matches during the countdowns despite the fact that some pre-shows have run past the three-hour mark.

Fightful reports that WWE officials are happy with the new approach. It's been said that those within the company feel they've hit a sweet spot when it comes to the number of matches on each PLE. It's also been said that the decision makers emphasize giving countdown shows a true sports presentation, but not in the same vein as UFC or boxing, where there are preliminary matches.

Many believe that when McMahon was in charge of creative, he tried fitting as many roster members as possible on PLEs. This was especially true for big annual events such as "WrestleMania" and "SummerSlam," where there would often be two or more pre-show matches.

Oftentimes, McMahon would book battle royal matches to get his stars seen on TV. It's been said that the current regime prefers a less-is-more approach.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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