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The boss has a substantial wishlist for Santa this ChristmasChristmas may be a little less than three weeks away, but WWE may have been wishing for changes for months now.Sagging ratings, injuries, bad pay-per-view buys and fans flocking to other methods of entertainment, no wonder wrestling is becoming somewhat of a passe. With no solution in sight, it could get much worse before it gets better.The new year might bring new heroes and champions, but it may also yield the same results.Times, they are changing in WWE, but not for the better and certainly not worth fans clicking on Raw or Smackdown to see the same version of the old scene. Soap operas have a habit of sticking to programs way too long, lose fans, have them come back and haven’t missed a beat.This is right where the company is. WWE needs to show fans it has changed, the players may be the same, but the results are much different.Here are a few things the company can wish for from Santa over the holiday season.
#1 A healthy roster
The number of talent on the injured reserve looks more like a MASH unit rather than a wrestling promotion.
Start with Seth Rollins and go from there. Daniel Bryan has been inactive most of the year after returning from a neck injury last year. Randy Orton needs surgery on his shoulder and Cesaro is on the shelf. Four major stars are on the mend, hurting the ability to create solid story lines and feuds.
Injuries in wrestling are a part of the business, but when they affect the overall product, it is more of an issue than you think. The fact WWE has not been able to go to other superstars and asked them to step up and lead the pack is disappointing.
Orton, Cesaro and Rollins will be out for an extended period of time and we do not know how long Bryan will be kept out of action. Not since Edge was injured – which led to his subsequent retirement, has WWE been hit like this and as hard with major stars on the mend.
#2 Getting back to wrestling
What I mean by that is a commitment to concentrating on what goes on in the ring and not what happens outside the squared circle.
WWE has become anything but wrestling and sports entertainment. Television deals with E! Entertainment and ESPN are just the tip of the iceberg. Movie deals with stars like The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Summer Rae have graced the big screen as well as the small one this year.
I know Hulk Hogan, The Rock and John Cena have all been a success in movie land, but the stars of today are not as equipped to make the transition back and forth.
Vince McMahon preaches the importance of “sports entertainment” but it is the very title that may be hurting the product more than anything. Also, when Hogan or The Rock were on hiatus, there have been other stars – Randy Savage, Steve Austin, Ultimate Warrior and Triple H, who have come in and taken over as champion.
Stick to the guys in the ring, not on the screen.
#3 A dominant Roman Reigns
Yes, in order for 2016 to be a success, there has to be a solid run for Reigns as the new face of WWE.
McMahon has wanted this for so long, almost in an obsessive kind of way.
Reigns will be a world champion – by hook or by crook. Whether it as a babyface or a heel, this is the bed WWE has made and now it must lie in it. The only saving grace right now might be that everyone seems to hate Sheamus – which is exactly what McMahon wanted as he is the new leader of The Authority.
Add his new henchmen in Wade Barrett and Rusev and this is the best heel faction in some time – and it isn’t all that good. The only true way for Reigns to get over with the fans is to soundly beat Sheamus, then enter into a program with either of Brock Lesnar or Cena or both.
If Reigns goes through both in the first half of 2016 then faces Seth Rollins upon his return – this time with roles reversed – then Reigns could salvage some of backlash he has received from the fans so far this year.
#4 No more NFL
It will never happen, but seriously it is part of the reason the ratings are down this year.
Regardless of what happens with storylines, the fact Monday night and Thursday night are dominated for four months out of the year by football tells you everything you need to know.
Fans are not as diehard as they used to be and with the Internet and cable television leading fans away from the arenas and the programming, WWE needs to find a way to change the perception of the company.
Mick Foley was right when he said the product is stale, fans have gotten weary of what they see each week, and the fact the creative team hasn’t written a great script in a while. All of this can change with a few eraser marks.
Hopefully, it happens with the Royal Rumble. If not, it’s more of the same dreck.
