A new report has shed light on why WWE is shifting Monday Night RAW to a special 7 PM EST start time for three weeks this September. According to a report from WrestleVotes, the move is part of a strategic test between WWE and its broadcast partner, Netflix, aimed at measuring how RAW performs against the return of NFL Monday Night Football.
On the latest episode of WrestleVotes Radio, the outlet explained, “Monday Night Raw will have a special 7 p.m. Eastern start time on September 15, 22, and 29.”
Sources noted that the decision was made well in advance, with WWE and Netflix wanting to gauge the show’s performance with an earlier start against the NFL’s primetime schedule. Two of those dates will also feature ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheaders, with the first games kicking off at 7:15 PM EST. One insider described the timing adjustment as a “smart move” for WWE.
By starting earlier, RAW’s main event should conclude before the NFL games hit their peak moments, reducing the risk of fans having to choose between the two broadcasts. The temporary shift will serve as a trial run, allowing WWE to analyze ratings and audience reactions to the earlier timeslot.
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus recently dropped a new video showcasing her latest daring photoshoot, leaving many fans stunned by her striking new look.
The former Women’s Champion was last seen competing at WWE Evolution 2 on July 13, 2025, where she challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship. Despite a hard-fought effort, Stratus came up short in her bid to capture an eighth world title.
On her YouTube channel, Stratus released behind-the-scenes footage from the making of her April 2025 Calendar photoshoot. The shoot featured a bold look inspired by an anime character, which she dubbed “Anime Trish.”
On a recent episode of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, former WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander shared how Vince McMahon ultimately decided to schedule 205 Live immediately after SmackDown.
McMahon was worried that the audience felt too tired when 205 Live aired before the main show. Cedric said,
“We all knew we were in a tough position because we were usually filmed after SmackDown. So after they’ve seen A.J. (Styles) and Randy (Orton) and all that kind of stuff, yeah, you’re gonna stick around for these smaller guys. These new guys, come check ‘em out and you’re like… we gotta turn it up to 11. Well, funny story, there was maybe a month or so, a few weeks where they filmed 205 before SmackDown. The issue with that though is the crowds were dead by the time SmackDown started. Legit. I think the last time they did it, that was me and Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship on 205 Live, and we killed it, tore the house down and that was the spot when we did the suplex to the outside and landed on my feet and then suplexed him on the floor. It was great, but, I remember at the time, Vince (McMahon) was like, ‘We can’t keep doing that, because by the time SmackDown starts, the crowd’s not reacting how they should for a Randy opening promo’ or whatever the case was so, they X’d that and moved us back to after SmackDown… Me, Buddy (Matthews), (Mustafa) Ali were killing it before SmackDown and they were like, alright, time to cut that out, boys. You’re killing Randy’s promo time.”
