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When it's all said and done, it's not too bad a time for the WWE product right now. Have things been better? Absolutely. Is WWE creative in absolute shambles? 100%. But the fact of the matter is that when you really look at it without bias, there are quite a few good things they have running for them.
For one, they have the strongest roster they've ever had (though utilisation of it has been a clear problem). The list of champions in WWE is currently quite impressive as well. It's far better than it was before and it only looks to improve in that regard.
Now, with Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman signing with WWE as Executive Directors of SmackDown Live and RAW, fans have suddenly emerged with a whole new set of expectations from the company. Here is a bit of a reality check and a few unrealistic expectations that fans have right now.
#5. The product to magically get better because of Bischoff & Heyman
Naturally, Heyman and Bischoff taking control of both brands has led to quite some positivity. While we definitely encourage this positivity, one must realise that despite their hiring, the WWE product isn't magically going to get better.
Do remember that both men still answer to one man - Vince McMahon. A man who's known to constantly reject creative ideas for various reasons. So the fact of the matter is that while Bischoff has great experience dealing with TV executives and Heyman has great experience on the creative end of things, it's going to be a really difficult task for both men.
We're not saying that it's possible at all. But to expect an overnight change can only be lablled as unrealistic.
#4. For the brand split to be magically revived
As we all know, the brand split is essentially dead in 2019. They committed to it for less than 3 years - significantly lesser time than they put into the last brand split. It's especially frustrating because we all know for a fact that the brand split works and the brand split benefits multiple superstars.
In the latest WWE NEWS, the Wild Card rule has entirely killed that. We can't say for sure if WWE intentionally killed the brand split or whether they just went with the flow and forgot about it altogether. It's a real shame because seeing another superstar on the opposing brand would have some novelty to it when it rarely happens.
Now, RAW superstars freely contend for SmackDown titles and it'll likely be vice versa by the time the summer comes around. Don't expect the brand split to be revived, even with the FOX deal.
#3. The creative process to change overnight
It's no secret that WWE is in a state of creative disarray. Going back to the benefits of the brand split - when WWE committed to two brands, they also had two separate writing teams. It was good because there was still a level of healthy competition o make their respective brands better and when that happens, the product is better.
Also read: 5 harsh realities about Heyman & Bischoff's new WWE role that nobody wants to talk about
Granted, we don't necessarily blame the writers themselves for the state of creative. We're well aware that multiple ideas are pitched - many great ones. However, more often than not, they're completely shot down.
However, what's worse is that the two creative teams were unified and they now have 30 or more writers sitting together. Too many cooks spoil the broth and even with Bischoff and Heyman in control, the creative process isn't going to change overnight. If it does, it'll be a long-term process.
Also read: Who is the highest paid wrestler in WWE? (2019)
#2. For the PG rating to go away
In the latest WWE NEWS, any WWE fans have complained for the last 11 years that the PG Era really killed the product. While that's not true at all, there's no denying that the product lost a lot of its edge due to its PG rating.
Also read: 3 wrestling rumors we hope are true & 3 we hope aren't (June 29th)
With that being said, any expectations that the PG rating will go away is absolutely unrealistic. One must note that when it's all said and done, the PG Era remains the single most profitable period in WWE history.
The ratings keep going down, there are constant reports about struggling attendance and more. Yet, WWE manages to keep making money and keep being more profitable than ever. To expect WWE to change their TV rating is simply unrealistic and it's not going to happen. The amount of fanbase they've captured with the PG rating is quite a bit.
#1. For history not to repeat itself
With WWE, one of the biggest realities that fans need to understand is that history tends to repeat itself in more ways than just one. Take, for example, the brand split. Even when it was re-introduced in 2019, many fans knew that they would eventually give up on it, just wondering when it would happen rather than if.
In the case of Paul Heyman's hiring, we can't help but ponder whether the same thing will happen as last time. Heyman's last backstage sting with WWE ended disastrously, with the former ECW head walking out of the company.
Naturally, it was due to creative frustration and not being able to pull off his vision of WWE's edition of ECW. The December to Dismember PPV turned out to be the worst one ever and Heyman blamed Vince McMahon for it.
With 2 huge names as Executive directors, one can't help but wonder whether there will be a clash of egos. It may not end as well as people hope.
