5 big changes in the WWE that worked well

Love him or hate him, Vince McMahon certainly knows what he is doing
Love him or hate him, Vince McMahon certainly knows what he is doing

You've probably heard by now...if the workload in the WWE doesn't kill you, the travelling will.

And even for Vince McMahon and co., the team that is in charge of the production aspect, it's a highly demanding and tiresome process.

Being there to oversee the nuts and bolts of each weekly episodic, live event and pay-per-view, not to mention handling the business side of things simultaneously to keep the company going from strength to strength.

Equally of importance, however, is the job they do in ensuring that the product doesn't get stale; by ringing in timely changes to keep up with the mindset and the expectations of the knowledgeable, incredibly-hard-to-please fan today.

Whether the WWE does it to our satisfaction or not is entirely another debate, but at least, in the years following the PG era, they've done a much better job of it.

Giving credit where credit's due then, here are five big changes in recent times in the WWE that worked like a charm as far as the fans are concerned.

You'd be surprised to note that Vince McMahon may not be as 'out of touch' as some make him out to be after all.


Shoot promos

The closer it cuts to the bone, the more it appeals to the fans
The closer it cuts to the bone, the more it appeals to the fans

Although Talking Smack may not air any longer on a weekly basis, its purpose has already been served - in a manner of speaking.

Miz's hard-hitting, shoot promo on Daniel Bryan set the tone for what Talking Smack stood for, enabling Superstars that followed to honestly speak their minds on the platform.

But it's not a trend that has just been restricted to the talk show.

And John Cena's recently culminated feud with Roman Reigns highlighted exactly that.

The WWE has shown its willingness to cast aside kayfabe when required and allow Superstars to cut promos bordering on shoot...if not to make a feud seem personal, then at least because it resonates much more with the fan base.

Fans of pro wrestling today are acutely aware of the goings-on behind the scenes, and when the WWE tailors its product with that in mind - dispensing with the make-believe and by addressing reality - it just makes for riveting television.

#2 Corey Graves

Corey Graves has revelled as a commentator after his in-ring career got cut short
Corey Graves has revelled as a commentator after his in-ring career got cut short

This may appear to be a trivial point on paper, but for the majority of the fanbase that watches WWE programming through their television sets each week, commentary plays a major role in how they perceive what transpires on their screens.

Although Michael Cole has been a staple of Raw's commentary team for a good number of years now, we have all - at some point - compared him to the great JR and felt that he just doesn't match up.

Needless to say, the other commentators paired up with him range anywhere from passable to downright ridiculous depending on what you make of it.

Enter Corey Graves.

The Saviour of Misbehaviour has been a refreshing change of pace as compared to the likes of Booker T or JBL, ever since he's been moved to the main roster from NXT. Despite having been forced to retire due to sustained injuries, he found his true place on the commentary table.

He possesses wit, timing and an approach to commentary that allows him to slot right into the mould of Bobby Heenan, Paul Heyman and Jerry Lawler, the last great heel commentators in the WWE.

And the fact that he's doubling down on his duties by doing both SmackDown Live and Raw is an indication that the powers-that-be feel the same way too.

#3 No Authority

Good riddance...
Good riddance...

One of the gripes that many fans had with Raw not so long ago was that much of the relevant programming on it was centered around the Authority.

It wasn't so much that Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were bad for business. In fact, quite the contrary. But focusing on booking them right and any Superstar involved with them would often result in less television time and/or shoddy booking for other Superstars.

As a whole, the quality of the product suffered because of that.

Plus, no one wanted to see Stephanie McMahon procure all of that heat year-round by undercutting and tearing into babyfaces...only to be on the receiving end of one meagre table bump by way of payoff.

And as evinced on Raw ever since WrestleMania 33...it's just been a much better show without wasting 40 minutes of programming every week showing two people in suits put down their employees and talk themselves up.

#4 Acquisition of global talent

Imagine if (when) this encounter takes place at WrestleMania!
Imagine if (when) this encounter takes place at WrestleMania!

AJ Styles, Asuka, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura to rattle off a few names...are examples of Superstars in the WWE today who many would have never thought would make it to the 'big leagues' a few years ago.

However, the WWE seems to have softened on their 'us versus them' hardline philosophy that they adopted during the days of the Monday Night Wars and accepted the fact that the best way to keep their noses in front of their competition is to appeal to a global audience.

Pro wrestling today is no more restricted to territories or circuit television, it's a global enterprise.

And the WWE has shrewdly capitalized on their first mover advantage by ensuring that their talent acquisition ties in with their global ambition.

#1 Brand Split

A duo that the WWE Universe can actually get behind and pull for
A duo that the WWE Universe can actually get behind and pull for

Separating the brands, giving SmackDown Live legitimate standing instead of disqualifying it as the 'sister show' to Raw and establishing separate Titles for each show have been some of the best changes effectuated by the WWE in recent history.

It's garnered more television time for Superstars, given them more kayfabe purpose to exist with myriad Titles to contend for and also provided us, the fans, with two pay-per-views a month to look forward to.

The WWE mucked up the previous brand split but it would seem, for all intents and purposes, that they've rectified their mistakes this time around.

SmackDown Live comes across as a separate entity by itself, thanks to the feel-good factor surrounding it by having Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon at the helm, and has thus far proven to be a breeding ground for talent that wouldn't have been as successful on Raw.

Pause a second to spare it a thought.

Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion and Shinsuke Nakamura as the challenger: It's a scenario that you would be hard-pressed to even dream up just a year back.

And yet, here we stand.

Quick Links