When WWE announced that SmackDown would expand to three hours beginning in January, many speculated the move would only be temporary—and now, it appears a timeline for the return to two hours is becoming clearer.
According to WrestleVotes (via Sportskeeda’s Backstage Pass Patreon), the three-hour SmackDown format will conclude in June, marking the end of a six-month trial period.
On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer elaborated on the reported change, suggesting the shift is expected around the first week of June, though no exact date has been confirmed.
“I don’t have that confirmed, but it’s going to be right around that time. Yes,” Meltzer told co-host Bryan Alvarez, who referenced June 6th as a possible date for the format change. Meltzer added, “I was told months ago that it’s essentially the end of May when it’s going to happen. So it’s going to be one of those weeks right around then.”
Alvarez followed up, “The move back to two hours,” to which Meltzer replied, “Yeah, so we got about… I guess a little over a month, right? We’re right at a month of SmackDowns before they go back to two, which, you know, is going to be better for a lot of reasons.”
SmackDown’s current three-hour format has allowed for extended matches and additional promo segments, but the longer runtime has also drawn criticism from some fans and talent. A return to two hours may signal a shift back toward a more streamlined weekly product.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for updates as WWE finalizes the summer schedule for SmackDown.
