3 reasons why WWE's new 'Wild Card Rule' is a bad idea

WWE has finally acknowledged that the ratings for its weekly shows, Raw and SmackDown Live, are struggling and they have been struggling for a long time. The financial reports for Q1 2019, released on April 25, 2019, depict a grimmer picture for the WWE.

According to the report, revenues have dropped by $5.3 million from Q1 2018 to Q1 2019. Raw and SmackDown Live viewership numbers have reduced by 14% and 13% respectively, whereas the live attendance numbers have reduced by 11%.

The 'Superstar Shake-Up' was an attempt towards literally shaking everything in the landscape of WWE. However, this attempt has been a failure and it has been acknowledged by the announcement of the 'Wild Card Rule' by Vince McMahon on April 6, 2019 episode of Monday Night Raw. As per the 'Wild Card Rule', 3 superstars (or 4, since WWE themselves seem perplexed) from Raw can appear at SmackDown Live at any time and vice versa.

WWE may have expected to shore up the audiences and increase the viewership due to the sheer unpredictable nature of the concept. However, it might actually turn out to be bad idea and may make situations worse for WWE. Let us look at the reasons why.

#3 The apparent end of the 'Brand Split'

Are we looking towards the end of the "Brand Split"?

The reintroduction of the 'Brand Split' raised the hopes of the WWE Universe towards the throwback to the hay days of the concept back in mid-2000s. Initially, the move was well received by the audiences.

However, owing to inconsistent and, at times, illogical storylines, both Raw and SmackDown Live have struggled to garner the desired viewership. Further adding to the woes was the introduction of separate pay-per-views for each of the shows, which led to an overflow of wrestling content for even the hardcore fans.

With proper planning and build-up, the 'Brand Split' could have been salvaged. However, it seems that WWE has decided to throw the towel on the concept with the 'Wild Card Rule'. This would mean that a number of superstars would be appearing on both the brands on any given week, which goes completely against the fabrics of 'Brand Split'.

#2 Lack of opportunities for the non-main event wrestlers

Kevin Owens won the WWE Universal Championship, owing to the reintroduction of "Brand Split"

The biggest downside for the apparent demise of the 'Brand Split' is the prospect of lack of opportunities for mid-card wrestlers going forward. It was due to the brand split that Kevin Owens went on to become the WWE Universal Champion. It was due to the brand split that Jinder Mahal went on to become the WWE Champion, against all odds.

The segregation of the roster into two halves provides an opportunity to build-up the main event stars of tomorrow. The WWE roster, at this time, is comprising of the best wrestlers in the world and is already stacked with talented wrestlers who have not been utilised to their fullest potentials.

'Wild Card Rule' presents the prospect for the WWE Universe to see their favourite main event stars on both the shows every week. However, it takes away the screen time for the ones who are still trying to build themselves up to the main event level.

#1 Lack of coherent storylines and feuds

Unpredictability will most likely lead to randomness

The purpose of 'Wild Card Rule' is to create a sense of unpredictability in their weekly shows, which would encourage the viewers to tune in every week. Although the sentiments of the move are understandable, there is a downside to the argument as well.

The intended unpredictability also creates a sense of randomness to the proceedings every week. This means there is no way for the superstars to sink their teeth into one particular feud and no way for the viewers to invest themselves into a storyline on a consistent basis.

This lack of coherent storytelling was apparent in the case of AJ Styles, for example. Styles is currently in a feud with Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship on Monday Night Raw. However, owing to the 'Wild Card Rule', out of no where, he appeared on SmackDown Live, challenging Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship.

Such a method of storytelling has the potential to confuse the viewers and drawing them further away from the product. Considering the pressure from the networks, USA and Fox Sports, these are desperate times for WWE. Thereby, they have indeed taken some desperate measures. However, they have inherent flaws and can lead to unintended and undesirable consequences for WWE.