Jimmy Korderas Says Bruce Prichard Will Bring Casual Fans Back To RAW
WWE made another shakeup in terms of who's in charge of Raw as Paul Heyman is now out and Bruce Prichard is now the show's Executive Director. Prichard had previously been the Executive Director of only SmackDown and now both shows will be under his control.
Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas discussed this recent change when he joined The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast.
"It's an interesting move. It's not like it's nothing new, as creative gets shaken up on like a five-year cycle. I think the idea here is to try and get some fresh ideas," stated Korderas. "Bruce has worked closely with Vince for a long time, and I know there's gonna be that element that Bruce is just gonna be a 'yes guy' for Vince. But also, Bruce understands what Vince likes, and maybe he can be that bridge.
"Obviously, Paul had a different presentation and had a different vision. His style caters more to the die-hard, hardcore fan. What's lost, in my opinion, is that casual fan that has seemed to tune out, especially now at this time, because everybody's tuned in to different things. Maybe this is an attempt to see what works."
One new thing that's popped up on programming is the motorcycle-riding ninjas led by Akira Tozawa. That seems to be an appeal to younger fans. and Korderas gave his opinion on that.
"I'm not sure that is the right approach, right now. I get it, there's an element out there where people find that entertaining. Again, it is World Wrestling Entertainment and it can't be all in-ring product, as there have to be other aspects to the presentation. I don't mind comedy when done well, but comedy is subjective, as well [laughs]," said Korderas.
"I just don't know if this is the right approach. I think The Fonz called and the shark has officially been jumped with this whole Street Profits-Vikings Raiders [storyline]. You need to check the expiration date on the bag. I think it's past due."
WWE did get some good news this week, as Raw had its highest viewership since the April 6 post-WrestleMania episode. But Korderas said he doesn't pay much attention to ratings and instead focuses on the product.
"It's interesting what the die-hard fan is liking supposedly. Again, I don't have an issue with the comedy stuff. I just think it has gone on too long with this situation. That's just me with the Street Profits and Viking Raiders. I don't mind a bit of comedy, but let's move forward please," said Korderas. "I'm not a ratings guy, and I don't let them dictate what I like versus what I don't like. But what I found interesting in this Monday night's ratings, was that the key 18-49 demo generally stayed the same. It was the older crowd that seemed to be tuning in."
You can follow Jimmy Korderas on Twitter @jimmykorderas. Jimmy's full interview aired as part of a recent episode of our podcast, The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as it's released Monday – Friday afternoon by clicking here.
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