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All in all, it’s been a fairly solid year for WWE in 2017, and while that isn’t saying much one way or another, we’re confident that everyone has had something that they’ve enjoyed seeing on WWE television over the last twelve months.
A good portion of the positives have come from some of WWE’s pay per view events, which is odd because that’s also where a great deal of the negatives can be found too. The company has always been able to pride itself on producing these larger than life shows, and yet, we’re starting to feel a little bit numb towards them as a whole.
There’s certainly room for change and while it wouldn’t take a lot for them to turn this ship around, in our eyes, WWE doesn’t seem all that interested in addressing some of the issues that are staring them right in the face.
With that being said, here are the five biggest problems that we have with their pay per views in 2017.
#5 Overload
Since January 1st of this year, World Wrestling Entertainment has produced 16 pay per view events from beginning to end. Those numbers alone are frightening, and to be honest, this entry isn’t exactly something that’s a well-kept secret. If you ask the WWE Universe, we guarantee that the majority of fans will say that there are far too many PPVs on the bill right now.
While it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault specifically we can’t help but think this comes down to Vince McMahon himself, because we all know that he loves to increase the content wherever possible. Hopefully, things change moving forward, because, at this rate, the ratings for these shows in the Network are going to drop dramatically.
#4 Thin Storylines
When you have between two and four weeks to get ready for a solo-brand show, it’s natural to panic just a little bit. Over the last few months we’ve seen a plethora of underdeveloped feuds being thrust onto pay per view for all to see, and nine times out of ten, they fall flat on their face because it’s often something we’ve seen on free TV just a few weeks prior.
50/50 booking is still in full effect and while that’s something that does indeed need to be addressed, the actual writing is what worries us. These guys and girls aren’t being given anywhere near the amount of material that they require to produce solid work, and as consumers, we’re fed up of going into a pay per view only looking forward to one or two matches.
#3 Gimmicks
With six gimmick pay per views taking place in 2017, you have to wonder whether or not WWE is purposely trying to frustrate the masses with their obvious laziness. Look, we aren’t saying that all of these shows are throwaways that need to be disposed of immediately, but there are just too many and WWE aren’t doing them all justice anymore.
Plus, and we can’t stress this point enough, they don’t actually utilise the stipulations. Throughout the majority of these gimmick PPVs this year they have dropped the ball immensely on actually giving fans a good amount of matches related to the show in question. It’s a huge, huge slap in the face, and it’s something that needs to be rectified.
#4 Stages
For years now one of the most exciting aspects of WrestleMania has been the stage. Whether it be in New Orleans or New Jersey, WWE always manages to pull a sensational set out of the bag which proves to the watching world that professional wrestling isn’t just a showcase of athletic talent – but it’s also a fantastic spectacle.
Unfortunately, it’s become more and more clear to us that the same kind of ideology doesn’t apply to any of the other pay per view events throughout the year. While the company may simply be saving money by not coming up with extravagant set pieces, it does make these shows feel like just another episode of Raw or SmackDown Live.
Oh, and for the love of god, at least change the colour of the ring ropes for the big events.
#1 Glory Days
In 2017, the following superstars competed in the main event of a WWE pay per view: John Cena, Goldberg, The Undertaker, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, Kane & Triple H. Yes, we know some newer faces also appeared, but we wanted to highlight just how reliant the company are on faces from the past.
The likes of Randy Orton are still full-time in-ring performers, but the same simply cannot be said for the rest of the examples on that list. Nostalgia will only get you so far in this business because sooner rather than later, these guys are going to be too old to compete and we’re going to be left with a roster full of undeveloped star potential.
