WWE has been doing an effective job of filling Raw with enjoyable and engaging content as the red brand enters its final few weeks of being a three-hour show in 2024.

Among the weekly highlights has been the ongoing angle with The New Day teasing tension and a possible split.

Following their failure to regain the tag team title titles on the Sept. 16 edition, there's only one logical step for the storyline, and the seeds have been planted for WWE to indeed go in that direction.

Meanwhile in AEW, the concurrent builds for Grand Slam, WrestleDream and the five-year anniversary edition of Dynamite continue, which has resulted in more television time than usual for a certain crop of competitors. Several other notable names, however, remain missing in action.

The company boasts one of the greatest wrestling rosters assembled, yet only a fraction of the top talents are utilized consistently in a meaningful manner. If the company has no plans for them imminently or at all, it might be best for them to be freed to go elsewhere.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss which stars AEW should cut bait with, why SmackDown expanding to three hours would be detrimental to the show's quality, the perfect attraction being booked for Dynamite's five-year anniversary episode, and more.

Big E Returning to Raw as Part of New Day Angle Is Inevitable

Xavier Woods' growing frustration with Kofi Kingston, and The New Day's overall lack of success as of late, is about to reach a boiling point unless they're able to get back on the same page soon.

At this point, the group's irreplaceable third member, Big E, could be the only person able to help them reconcile their differences.

Outside of hosting the occasional premium live event pre-show, the former WWE champion has not been seen on WWE TV since suffering his seemingly career-ending neck injury on SmackDown in March 2022.

His in-ring retirement has not yet been made definitive, but regardless of whether he can eventually compete again, nothing is stopping WWE from using him in a storyline on the show if it makes sense. This New Day angle provides the perfect opportunity for him to be brought back into the fold.

November will mark a decade since Kingston, Woods and Big E debuted as a unit, so the next two months can be spent attempting to rekindle the magic they once had with E talking some sense into the two of them.

The ultimate endgame can be them winning gold again or Woods branching off on his own (if only temporarily). Either way, though, Big E's inevitable role will be the most interesting piece of the puzzle.

SmackDown Expanding to 3 Hours Will Greatly Hinder Show's Quality

Even with Raw returning to a two-hour format for the remainder of the year starting in early October, WWE is reportedly looking to add more hours of content to its weekly schedule.

Per WWE insider WrestleVotes, SmackDown will be expanding to three hours on USA Network at the onset of 2025. Although it's believed to be temporary through next June, it would still greatly hinder the quality of the blue brand in the meantime.

As it stands, SmackDown struggles to deliver two hours of must-see television every week. Its long-term nature of storytelling—specifically with the Bloodline saga—makes some shows more inconsequential than others, and adding an extra hour would hardly help matters.

A significant roster shake-up wouldn't be enough to make the three hours worthwhile. Raw's best episodes are dragged down by the excessive runtime, regardless of how hot the crowd is.

Less is almost always more, and in this case, SmackDown would benefit much more from keeping its current format and making the most of the two hours it already has by creating more compelling storylines and not putting all of the creative attention and effort into The Bloodline exclusively.

Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet Is Perfect Attraction for Dynamite's 5th Anniversary

Between Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness and Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley, AEW has announced a loaded lineup for the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 25 while simultaneously setting the stage for what is shaping up to be a special five-year anniversary episode on Oct. 2.

One of AEW's biggest possible attractions has already been confirmed for the card with Will Ospreay defending his International Championship against Ricochet. That show is the perfect place for their long-awaited clash to come to fruition.

The Aerial Assassin has been doing exceptional work with the international title over the last several months, and Ricochet has been racking up wins since arriving at All In. The story essentially writes itself and thus it isn't necessary to wait any longer for the bout to be booked.

The outcome is almost irrelevant as they're virtually guaranteed to have more matches in the months ahead. A series of thrilling encounters would be the best way to keep them busy through the end of 2024 and also elevate the title to new heights.

An argument can be made for saving it for a bigger stage such as a pay-per-view, but that milestone show should be equally as important as any event and headlining it with Ospreay vs. Ricochet ensures it will be.

Joe Tessitore Already Finding His Footing as Voice of Raw

As a result of WWE going through constant commentary changes in the last several years, it's been difficult for any one announcer to settle in as the undisputed voice of Raw in the same vein as Jim Ross was once upon a time.

Michael Cole has vastly improved and become more comfortable during the Triple H regime, but the various shake-ups have forced him to switch shows every few months. Vic Joseph, Tom Phillips, Adnan Virk, Jimmy Smith and Kevin Patrick were all short-lived in the role.

It remains to be seen as to whether he'll have the longevity J.R. did, but Joe Tessitore has so far excelled as Raw's lead play-by-play commentator since starting in early September.

He's quickly developed chemistry with his broadcast partner, Wade Barrett, demonstrated deep knowledge of the product and shown infectious enthusiasm for matches and angles when it matters most. His extensive broadcast background in college football has served him exceptionally well.

At the rate he's been improving, it's safe to assume his stay in the booth on Monday nights will be an extended one.

AEW Loses Nothing from Cutting Bait with Unused Top Talent

AEW waiting for wrestlers' contracts to expire before parting ways with them is a refreshing approach compared to how WWE has typically gone about releasing talent at random over the years.

However, if certain talent are eyeing the exit and there is zero indication they'll be used in the remaining months—or years—of their deal, there's no reason for them to be kept around.

This was a trending topic among fans this past week upon news dropping from Fightful that Miro has requested his release from AEW. Ricky Starks and Wardlow are also commonly mentioned in the same conversation, as neither of them have been featured on television since March.

Andrade's AEW contract expired within a day of his final appearance with the promotion and he made the jump to WWE soon after. He's had a solid return run there but hasn't been a difference-maker, which should send the message to AEW president Tony Khan that releasing any other stars he has no plans for won't be game-changing for WWE, either.

A precedent can't be set to let go of all disgruntled talent, especially if they're regularly appearing on programming, but the roster is now deep enough that AEW would be better off cutting bait with those who have been benched and are wasting away on the sidelines.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.