On the “Cheap Heat” podcast, host Peter Rosenberg and his panel unanimously praised WWE’s decision to replace their post-Premium Live Event press conferences with a new, live post-show format. Rosenberg was particularly critical of the old format, stating that it “completely killed the show” and “sucked the air out of the room” for viewers at home.
A Huge Win for the Viewer
The conversation began with panelist Diperstein (38 at 35 Dip) giving a glowing review of the new format, which debuted at SummerSlam. “I do [hate the press conferences]. This was leaps and… a formal, produced show that includes Peter Rosenberg. What’s better than that?” he said. “In all seriousness, having… wrestle ops, or whatever you know… ask questions that are a little canned or a little obvious or a little too provocative… this format blows that out of the water. 1,000%. There are segments. It’s timed. It feels tight. It feels good.”
Killing the Vibe
Rosenberg, who hosts the post-shows, explained in detail why he felt the press conference format was so detrimental to the viewing experience. “When we would do those post shows… we’re all hyped up, talking about what happens. And then it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna throw it to the… press conference.’ It then goes to a quiet room inside where, like, a group of 20 people is awkwardly… pretending to be media,” he described. “It you talk about aura, no aura… It completely killed the show… it just ended up sucking the air out of the room.”
A More Entertaining Product
He believes the new format, which keeps the energy high and is produced in front of a live crowd, is a much better product for the fans watching at home. “The moment in which fans really want to hear and talk about wrestling is after the big event. So the post show… feeling like a… countdown show makes way more sense. This is it,” he stated.
A Mixed Reaction
Co-host Stat Guy Greg noted that the reaction to the change has been mixed, particularly among the wrestling media who no longer have the opportunity to ask questions. “I think from wrestling media, I think I saw some of them that were just like, you know, obviously they miss it,” he said. “But I think a lot of the fans… were just like, ‘we weren’t feeling the press conferences. Anyway.'”
The “Thunderdome” Post-Show
In a humorous moment, Stat Guy Greg compared the new, more produced and contained format to the Thunderdome era. “I just got to say, you guys call me crazy for my Thunderdome take,” he joked. “But now everybody seems to love that they Thunderdomed the post show.”
The hosts agreed that the new post-show format is a significant improvement, providing a more entertaining and energetic conclusion to WWE’s major events. The full conversation can be heard on the “Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg” podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
