WWE used to declare that “‘Raw’ Is War” — but how is the pro-wrestling promotion’s flagship show doing in the TV ratings battleground these days?
Year-to-date, USA Network’s “Monday Night Raw” is averaging 3.486 million total viewers, with 1.604 million of them coming from the key 18-49 demographic. Unfortunately, those tallies are both down 5 percent from 2016’s audience. To be fair, however, the average primetime year-to-date decline across all of cable is 9 percent.
Fortunately, “Raw” is faring better lately. From the fourth quarter to-date, the three-hour show is actually up 1 percent in both metrics. (All numbers in this story come from Nielsen’s Live + 7 Day category and include each episode through Nov. 14.)
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A night later, Tuesday’s “SmackDown” shifting to a live format last July has really been paying off for Vince McMahon’s “B” show.
Year-to-date, the exclusive home to WWE Champion A.J. Styles is averaging 2.933 million total viewers, with 1.270 million of those hailing from the main demo. While those are up 8 percent and 13 percent, respectively, it’s important to remember that more than half of the comparable data in 2016 came from pre-taped shows.
Therefore, a better comparison for “SmackDown Live” is the Q4 vs. Q4 one we also did for “Raw.” Isolating only October and the half of November we have, WWE’s two-hour program is up 3 percent overall and 2 percent in the advertiser-coveted demographic.
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Comparing the two shows to each other, WWE’s “A” show is averaging a 15.9 percent larger audience than the little brother program. The gap is even wider among adults 18-49, with “Raw” attracting 20.8 percent more eyeballs than “SmackDown.”
That disparity is even greater when one considers the shorter “SmackDown Live” doesn’t even have a 10 p.m. hour to weigh its averages down. In other words, “Raw” commissioner Stephanie McMahon had all the bragging rights over brother Shane (“SmackDown”) at last week’s Thanksgiving dinner.
WWE’s “Raw” airs Mondays from 8-11 p.m. on USA; “SmackDown Live” runs from 8-10 p.m. on the same cable channel the following evening.
Every WWE Champion Ever, Ranked by Number of Reigns (Photos)
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Pro-wrestling championship belts change hands like grapplers change ring gear these days, though it wasn't always that way. Bobby Lashley is again WWE Champion, thanks to a little outside interference from Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble. After a Brock Lesnar F-5 K.O.-ed the referee on Saturday, Jan. 29, Reigns ran in with a devastating spear. He then demanded the WWE Championship belt from Heyman, who obliged. The title itself delivered the final blow to Brock. All Lashley had to do was muster a cover. Scroll through our gallery to see every WWE Champion ever, ranked by their number(s) of title wins. Remember: this is a list of those who won the WWWF Championship, the WWF Championship or the WWE Championship. So don't come after us, Universal Champions, et al.WWE
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Kofi Kingston # of Reigns: 1 The power of positivity.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Jeff Hardy # of Reigns: 1 The un-"Broken" half of the Hardy Boyz has had the more storied singles career.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Bray Wyatt # of Reigns: 1 The Fiend used to go by "Husky Harris" -- we'd say this run is working out better for him.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Sgt. Slaughter # of Reigns: 1 Camel Clutch, Cobra Clutch -- whatever "C"-animal it was, it hurt.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Dean Ambrose # of Reigns: 1 And "The Lunatic Fringe" pulled this off while wearing jeans.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Chris Jericho # of Reigns: 1 You're a "stupid idiot" if you didn't know this guy made "The List."
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Eddie Guerrero # of Reigns: 1 Generally considered one of the best ever to have done it held the big-boy belt for 133 days.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Jinder Mahal # of Reigns: 1 The "Modern-Day Maharaja" dropped the title to A.J. Styles.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: John "Bradshaw" Layfield # of Reigns: 1 JBL has taken his heel persona from the ring to the announce table. Never without a cowboy hat, Layfield thankfully leaves his lariat clothesline at home.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: The Ultimate Warrior # of Reigns: 1 The muscle-bound maniac who handed Hulk Hogan his first-ever "WrestleMania" loss died after suffering a heart attack three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: "Superstar" Billy Graham # of Reigns: 1 "Superstar" Billy Graham was a bodybuilder and buddy of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yeah, blame Graham's body for Jinder Mahal's run.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Kevin Nash # of Reigns: 1 You mean Tarzan from "Magic Mike"?!?!? Yes, yes we do.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Pedro Morales # of Reigns: 1 History lesson: Back in the WWWF days, Morales became the first guy in wrestling history to win all three of the major men's titles -- the WWF Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship -- in the company.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: André the Giant # of Reigns: 1 The tales about André the Giant sometimes feel as tall as he was.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: The Iron Sheik # of Reigns: 1 This guy is as big a hit on Twitter as he was in the ring.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Kane # of Reigns: 1 You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Kane, now mayor of Knox County in Tennessee, is one of the smartest Superstars in WWE history.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Rey Mysterio # of Reigns: 1 We're not going to talk about how ridiculous the setup to his finishing move, "The 6-1-9," became. This is a happy list.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Stan Stasiak # of Reigns: 1 Unfortunately Stasiak only held the belt for nine days.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Rob Van Dam # of Reigns: 1 One of the most popular ECW wrestlers of all-time, RVD has brought his three initials to seemingly every pro-wrestling promotion with three initials.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Ivan Koloff # of Reigns: 1 The "Russian Bear" was actually Canadian.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Buddy Rogers # of Reigns: 1 Rogers was kinda-sorta the first champion in the company. It's complicated -- ask Killer Kowalski and Bruno Sammartino.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Vince McMahon # of Reigns: 1 Hell, Mr. McMahon runs the damn company -- of course he made this list.
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Rank: 32 (tie) Wrestler: Big E # of Reigns: 1 Big E has had a big career -- both as a singles performer and a member of The New Day.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: The Miz # of Reigns: 2 The kid from "The Real World" made good on his over-the-top MTV promos. One of the best on the mic, Miz has been holding down the Intercontinental Championship more than any other Superstar of the past few years.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Drew McIntyre # of Reigns: 2 Scottish Psychopath joined the WWE Champions' and two-timers club all in 2020.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Batista # of Reigns: 2 Guardian of the Galaxy, defender of WWE Championship.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: The Big Show # of Reigns: 2 You can't miss this two-time champ -- not even in a mega-arena.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: A.J. Styles # of Reigns: 2 "The Phenomenal One" held the belt for 371-straight days, which is a record for a "SmackDown" wrestler.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Alberto Del Rio # of Reigns: 2 Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si!
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Sycho Sid # of Reigns: 2 It was a long way down from Shawn Michaels' former bodyguard's power-bomb.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair # of Reigns: 2 If you haven't watched ESPN's "30 for 30: Nature Boy," do that. Oh, and look up Flair's ridiculous NWA runs too.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Sheamus # of Reigns: 2 Master of the Brogue Kick, Rocksteady in the "Ninja Turtles" movies -- which is the greater accomplishment?
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Seth Rollins # of Reigns: 2 He's BURN(ed) IT DOWN more than once.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Yokozuna # of Reigns: 2 That belt needed a few extenders to fit around the sumo.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: CM Punk # of Reigns: 2 Let's just say he was a little less successful in the UFC -- but maybe an AEW run?
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Randy "Macho Man" Savage # of Reigns: 2 Before he snapped into Slim Jims, the "Macho Man" was snapping dudes in half.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Bob Backlund # of Reigns: 2 Backlund couldn't "Make Darren Young Great Again" -- or even keep the guy employed -- but the master of the cross-face chicken wing had a pretty incredible career of his own.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Bruno Sammartino # of Reigns: 2 Google him, kids.
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Rank: 16 (tie) Wrestler: Bobby Lashley # of Reigns: 2 Lashley just looks like the guy who should be champion.
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Rank: 13 (tie) Wrestler: Mankind # of Reigns: 3 Mick Foley nearly killed himself to raise these titles.
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Rank: 13 (tie) Wrestler: Roman Reigns # of Reigns: 3 The Head of the Table may make the top of this list when all is said and done.
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Rank: 13 (tie) Wrestler: Shawn Michaels # of Reigns: 3 Before he found God, the "Heartbreak Kid" found jaws with his foot, popularizing the Superkick.
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Rank: 9 (tie) Wrestler: Daniel Bryan # of Reigns: 4 Fellow fan-favorite Superstar is now in AEW with CM Punk.
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Rank: 9 (tie) Wrestler: Edge # of Reigns: 4 On this day, you can see clearly... that Edge is one of the best to ever lace up.
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Rank: 9 (tie) Wrestler: The Undertaker # of Reigns: 4 The Dead Man is truly a living legend.
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Rank: 9 (tie) Wrestler: Kurt Angle # of Reigns: 4 Top 10, it's true -- it's damn true.
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Rank: 8 Wrestler: Bret "Hitman" Hart # of Reigns: 5 The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
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Rank: 5 (tie) Wrestler: Hulk Hogan # of Reigns: 6 Hulkamania was real. Then again, so was Gawker at one point.
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Rank: 5 (tie) Wrestler: Brock Lesnar # of Reigns: 6 Eat. Sleep. Win Titles. Repeat.
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Rank: 5 (tie) Wrestler: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin # of Reigns: 6 On the Mt. Rushmore of all-time greats, and that's the bottom line.
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Rank: 3 (tie) Wrestler: The Rock # of Reigns: 8 He may be Dwayne Johnson now, but he'll always be "The Rock" to us.
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Rank: 3 (tie) Wrestler: Triple H # of Reigns: 8 Boss of The Authority and former DX member has two words for the other guys on this list. We can't reprint them.
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Rank: 2 Wrestler: Randy Orton # of Reigns: 10 The Viper has RKO'd a lot of dudes outta nowhere.
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Rank: 1 Wrestler: John Cena # of Reigns: 13 U Can't See Him.
From Buddy Rogers to Bobby Lashley, here are all the guys from the old WWWF and WWF days — and beyond