What Lies Ahead For WWE Following Rumors Of Return To TV-14

WWE is returning to its roots in the Attitude Era after it was reported that they will be shifting Raw to TV-14 after 14 years of PG-13 programming.

Andrew Zarian of Wrestling Observer Newsletter was the first to break the news regarding this change in a tweet where he mentioned that Raw was going to make the change on Monday, July 18.

Zarian later deleted the tweet and walked back on the date of the change, saying that “there’s a lot happening behind the scenes” and “WWE Raw won’t be going to TV-14 on July 18th but still in consideration for a later date.”

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful corroborated Zarian’s clarification and confirmed that the news about the change to TV-14 programming was not officially released yet but leaked.

WrestleVotes noted that the shift back to TV-14 was in discussion for years at this point and may finally be on the brink of coming to fruition.

WWE fans have been lamenting Raw’s change to PG-13 content since it took off the edge that the company had prior to its implementation in 2008.

However, the change to TV-14 will surely have more content suited towards those in the older demographic since there could be more violence and strong language to be thrown around during feuds.

Pay-per-views such as Hell in a Cell, Money in the Bank and Extreme Rules are set to benefit the most from this change if ever WWE announces that the promotion will be allowing blood and more violent spots to happen during such big events.

WWE’s direct competitor in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has been making the most out of its opportunities to craft stories that cater to both younger and older audiences.

It can be inferred that WWE is indirectly acknowledging AEW’s use of such methods to tell better stories and may also want to give it a try once again.

Raw superstars like Rhea Ripley, Ronda Rousey, Finn Balor, Austin Theory and Riddle are all likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of this change since it will allow more of their personalities to shine through while also remaining strong performers in the ring.

Whenever the change happens, fans will surely be giving more attention to the product to see whether the return to TV-14 changes how performers will be booked and how they progress on the mic.