“I … am … speed.” While those words were once uttered by the immortal Lightning McQueen, they may soon apply to WWE wrestlers as well.
During the Dec. 15 double SmackDown taping in Green Bay, a number of people in attendance reported that instead of the usual dark matches, the show featured several bouts with a five-minute clock on the big screen and the “WWE Speed” logo shown above. As well, Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves were at the announce desk, suggesting the matches were being filmed for a show or online distribution of some kind.
WWE also filed for a trademark for “WWE Speed” as well.
What does it all mean? It’s the beginning of, or at least a test run for, a new concept that includes not just a time limit but also a point system: one point for victories and zero points for losses or if the bouts go the full five minutes. The idea, of course, is to win as quickly as possible.
To what end? That we don’t know just yet. With WWE so successful at getting eyeballs via YouTube and social, it could be that bite-sized matches are perfect for those formats. Or they could be featured in a new televised program of some sort.
Dave Meltzer added some additional insight in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), explaining that WWE Speed not only owes some inspiration to STARDOM’s High Speed Championship (which doesn’t always have a strict time limit, but title matches are usually under 10 minutes) but also to an idea Jeff Jarrett once had but never got to make a reality.
Even before Stardom’s High Speed became somewhat known stateside, Jeff Jarrett actually had this idea for TNA for a 2012 pilot for the All Wheels Wrestling show that never got picked up. One person involved with the promotion at the time said the WWE concept is an exact copy, right from the name Speed matches and the tournament point system.
WWE doesn’t need another championship or trophy at the moment, but Speed could still serve a purpose since it is so focused in its execution. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more info on WWE Speed as we roll into 2024.