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Time for the boss to revamp the productI love this quote when it comes to professional wrestling.It’s strange how easy it is to almost completely destroy something really good that’s taken months and months of hard work to pull off. The Shield got over like gangbusters because of two things: their own hard work and sheer talent, and the office being 100% behind them, protecting their characters and reputations, giving them convincing storylines to be great in, big wins when needed and little losses when not.The Concorde of wrestling, WWE, has forgotten how to slow itself down and focus on making wrestling matter. It somehow fell off a map or was erased from its instruction manual. WWE will never be whole again or fixed because of a series of fractures in the wall of security in WWE’s fortress of success. That success is now hit and miss. I don’t need to tell you that change is needed now – not in a couple of weeks, but now when the getting is good.John Cena’s time away from the ring after Hell in a Cell is the perfect time to make everything matter again. It’s a chance to show the wrestling world that life does not revolve around one star. I’m not sure how to pull that off, but I do know unless there is something done to the current product, nothing good can come of 2015. It might be better if WWE and wrestling, in general, takes a hiatus for a few months and comes back rejuvenated and ready to give fans what they want.But until that happens, wrestling can never be what it was. And in terms of getting right with itself, here are five reasons WWE will never recover from the status it’s in right now.
#1 Missed opportunities
The WWE has missed the boat on taking a look at wrestling stars from other promotions. There was a time when Triple H said wrestlers from other promotions were not needed on the WWE roster. Now, he may have to backtrack a bit with that statement.
James Storm worked a match in NXT without a contract and has not signed on with WWE or NXT. It also seems as though he might be in a tug-of-war with both promotions. Really? James Storm? I can think of other wrestlers – Bobby Roode, Jeff Hardy, Gunner and even someone like Drew Galloway that if given the opportunity, would flourish in Stamford.
Although it may not be an angle WWE wants to ever discuss again, an “invasion” angle might be exactly what the company needs to feel whole again. It worked with WCW, but it lost momentum quickly. TNA was able to use its “Aces and Eights” angle for about eight months where it was solid and effective programming. “Who’s Next” was the greatest idea to help stimulate viewership.
If Roode, Hardy, Storm, and maybe even AJ Styles (along with an already in place Samoa Joe) were to hit WWE in such a way that made everyone take a deep breath, it would work. And fans would eat it up.
#2 Overkill
How many times have we seen this happen? Wrestler “A” is so successful for a few weeks – getting over with the fans – that WWE continues to shove him/her down the throats of fans, who become agitated and eventually stop watching or coming to the arenas.
Roman Reigns, Batista, Seth Rollins to an extent – and yes the powerful and mighty John Cena. All of them have been served up in large amounts to the fans in the audience and at home. There isn’t as much of a disconnect with the fans and other wrestlers as there is with John Cena, but too much Reigns, too much Rollins and a prayer that Batista never comes back are this close to forcing a mutiny amongst the masses.
Just like whatculture.com reported, Roman Reigns was clearly the one groomed for immediate greatness: he looks like a bloody dragon-riding warrior prince from Skyrim, for god’s sake. When the Shield split and left Reigns a lone babyface, the stage was set for WWE to capitalize on everything they’d done with him as a part of a faction, and make it better, get him even more over as a singles performer… because they wanted the big belt on him after WrestleMania 31.
#3 The Authority sucks
And it sucks big time.
When it was first presented to the fans as part of the angle to rid WWE of the “YES! Movement” it was the spinoff of the Corporate Angle Vince McMahon made famous years ago in the Attitude Era. Daniel Bryan isn’t The Rock or Triple H, and Triple H isn’t McMahon or any likeness of being to his father-in-law.
The Authority angle is confusing because you really do not know where everyone stands. There is a disconnect with loyalty as Triple H and Stephanie McMahon form an alliance and then seem to have their own agendas.
The perfect storm would be the happy married couple to hit a snag in their plan, start feuding amongst themselves and see the partnership crumble a bit and fall apart.
The other issue is where each stand with Seth Rollins and Kane. Triple H supports the current WWE World Champion and has tried to mold him into a similar version of himself. Stephanie is more baseline with the angle, looking more like her father in dealing with both parties.
It would be a solid move for the angle to crumble by the end of the year, leading to tension within the first family of wrestling.
#4 Trying to recreate the past
This falls along that same line, but I’ll take it a step further. WWE still lives in a dream world or thinks it cannot create past heat to deal with current spots.
And all too often, they go back to find a veteran talent to bail the company out of bad situations. John Cena remains the top draw in WWE because of necessity – nothing more. There must be a fear amongst the management that there isn’t enough top-draw talent to carry over. That’s why whenever there is speculation about a former star returning from a long hiatus, it becomes a huge distraction for the fans and fails to meet the expectations of drawing footfalls at the gate.
Brock Lesnar and Undertaker draw because of who they are and the type of matches they have together. This three-part series to be finished at Hell in a Cell is one of the better feuds this year. But WWE has failed to allow younger talents like Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Ryback get over and lead the charge.
Bray Wyatt does it without fanfare. Dolph Ziggler would do it if WWE would let him.
These are desperate times in the wrestling business. Just take a chance and see what happens. Vince McMahon is worried these wrestlers won’t make money. The fear and complacency has taken over. Give me something better than an older angle that worked 20 years ago, but because of time and circumstance today cannot move cable buys.
#5 No team effort
The wrestlers get in the ring, wrestle, cut a promo and should have a backup to sell their matches. What happened to the announcers pushing matches, selling pay-per-view events, becoming part of the show?
What happened to managers and valets who meant something to a program and spot? These days, wrestlers are expected to do everything. There is only one Paul Heyman. There is only one John Cena. There is only one wrestling faction that matters. Somewhere the book of wrestling ideas was closed for good and there wasn’t the need to promote like the 1980s and 1990s because someone believed the guy in the ring could do it all – hook, line and sinker.
If there was more intensity from the announcers and more drama created like in the days of Gordon Solie, Jim Ross, and even Gorilla Monsoon, matches would mean more. While wrestlers are expected to work on their craft, JBL, Byron Saxton, and Michael Cole should have to do the same.
