We'll see how long it lasts, but apparently, there's a new mandate coming down from above by Vince McMahon in WWE that says there are to be fewer, if any "cold matches" on their weekly programming.
For those that aren't aware of what a "cold match" is, it's an unofficial term for a match that has no storyline or background to it. For example, when WWE produces a match between Liv Morgan on Carmella for the first time, there's not really a reason these two would want to fight each other. The next week, if Liv wants to avenge a loss, there is. This week's Raw saw an example of that when Jeff Hardy took on John Morrison. There was no background story behind why these two were wrestling, but out of Hardy's loss came a retirement match with Cedric Alexander.
Ringside News is reporting that they have been told that all of the makeshift angles on Raw were constructed for a reason. They write, "Vince McMahon has been 'beating up the writers and producers' over suggestions for 'cold matches.' McMahon's idea, apparently, is to ensure that more matches produced on a two or three-hour television show have a reason to be there.
This isn't the first time rumors of sweeping creative changes have been flown around backstage in WWE. It feels like Vince is often on a new kick of some kind and his changes don't always last. That said, it's hard to poke an argument in the theory behind this one.
This Is Smart Storytelling
While it might be next to impossible to creative a narrative and sell a storyline behind every match on Raw or SmackDown, forcing the writers and producers to have a reason for putting two people in the ring together is just smart storytelling. Hopefully, it also cuts down on the ridiculous amount of weekly rematches or short bouts that feel like just filler.
The Jeff Hardy retirement match was impromptu, but interesting. It made the match feel important when it otherwise might have dismissed by the WWE Universe.