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There is an old curse that goes May you live in interesting times.
Right now it is certainly interesting times for the entire world of sports entertainment. No one could have predicted how much the internet and social media would impact professional wrestling. Not since the days of the Rock and Wrestling Connection has the sport changed so much in so little time.
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At one time, it was easy to control how much access the public had to the wrestling superstars. This was important, both to maintain kayfabe--the unspoken agreement between fans and wrestlers that the sports is 'real'--and to avoid public relations snafus by the talent. When wrestlers were interviewed, it was often by 'Apter Mags,' which were friendly to the promoters and never asked any awkward questions.
The internet changed that. Now fans have the potential to access their favourite stars twenty-four hours a day. Are you a Seth Rollins fan? Now you can find out what he had for lunch. Maybe you prefer the indies and follow WALTER. In that case, you might find an interview he posted on Facebook.
This unprecedented level of access to people's personal lives has become normalized in the wake of reality television such as Big Brother and Survivor. Now pro wrestlers must be extra careful in their behavior and speech, even when they're not posting on social media. To not be careful could lead to an unfortunate situation like the one Hulk Hogan found himself in recently.
With all of this rapid change, pro wrestling has largely left the cable television airwaves and now is consumed primarily on the internet. Even WWE has created their own streaming service. The question is, has the WWE adapted to all of this change quickly enough to survive the serious challenge being mounted by its rivals?
Will WWE go the way of WCW, or will it continue to reign supreme? Here are five reasons WWE is in trouble, and five it's going to continue to reign supreme.
In Trouble: Roman Reigns
When you talk about WWE's current product, it's nearly impossible to avoid mentioning Roman Reigns.
Cena seemed to be wrestling's most polarizing figure, until Roman Reigns came along. Try as WWE might, they can't seem to get the fans one hundred percent behind the man who is ostensibly their top babyface.
There are numerous theories as to why Roman Reigns fails to get over, too many to be explored in detail here. Regardless of why, the fact that WWE continues to push him so hard is proof that they are out of touch with their fanbase, perhaps dangerously so. Eric Bischoff ignored dropping ratings and continued to push the same aged veterans--Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, DDP, and Sting among them.
And we all know how WCW ended up.
Reign Supreme: Roman Reigns is a marathon, not a sprint
What many wrestling fans don't understand about Roman Reigns is that he's not just a wrestler. He's a brand. Much like John Cena before him, Roman Reigns appeals primarily to the younger demographic of the WWE audience.
Roman Reigns is WWE's top merchandise seller, topping even the aforementioned Cena or legends like the Undertaker. This is because that same younger demographic of the WWE audience also has both the desire and the ability to acquire his t-shirts, action figures, and beard trimming kits. It's always someone's birthday, and what parent would deny their children some fine Roman Reigns products?
Then consider this; John Cena is getting booed less and less in the waning years of his career. The reason for this is twofold; One, the children who cheered John have grown up to potentially have children of their own. Two, the Cena haters have had no choice but to endure John Cena for over a decade. Nostalgia kicks in after a while, and his familiar presence comforts them. Even if they boo, they will continue to tune in to John Cena.
It is the same way with Roman Reigns. Might as well love him--he's not going anywhere.
And neither is WWE.
In Trouble: ROH has sold out Madison Square Garden--which WWE hasn't done in years
When it comes to wrestling events, there are a few venues that truly stand out. The Tokyo Egg Dome is the most prestigious venue in Japan, and Madison Square Garden fits the bill for the United States.
WWE has been moving their shows, slowly but surely, away from the Garden in recent years, partially because they haven't been selling out. Ring of Honor, however, has managed to sell out that same venue in just 48 hours.
If you need proof that WWE is in trouble, just look at their reaction to when the show was initially announced; They used their political clout to try and prevent ROH from even having a show at 'their' arena. The threat of litigation by ROH has led to the WWE backing off, and now the show is taking place. If WWE didn't consider ROH serious competition, there would have been no attempt to stop the show.
Reign Supreme: Competition is good for wrestling--and the WWE
The much ballyhooed Monday Night War was a great example of why competition is good not only for the wrestling business, but for WWE as well.
While the Monday Night War nearly put WWE out of business, it also increased interest in pro wrestling to levels that had not been attained since the days of the Rock N Wrestling connection. And the competition forced WWE to try new things and push different superstars, such as Mick Foley. It ushered in the Attitude Era, which ultimately saw WWE not only win the Monday Night War but also made them much more profitable.
In Trouble: Top tier talent become frustrated with WWE
The pro wrestling industry runs on ego, it seems, and it's understandable that the competitive nature of the athletes will result in some people being happier than others with how they are treated.
However, WWE seems to have a propensity for signing, and then misusing and mistreating, some of the best talent in the wrestling world. Austin Aries, Neville, Cody Rhodes, and--if rumours are to be believed--Asuka have all expressed disgruntlement with the company over their booking. Austin quit, Neville is sitting out his contract at home, Cody Rhodes didn't re-sign and became a top draw for New Japan and ROH.
The WWE cannot afford to disenfranchise the most talented wrestlers in the world, and they are headed for troubled waters if they continue to do so.
Reign Supreme: WWE isn't for every wrestler
The WWE has seen itself as an entertainment company first and a wrestling company second for years. The fact is that pure wrestlers may not always have an easy time making it with the company because of the showbusiness aspect.
Austin Aries is a hundred times better technical wrestler than John Cena or Roman Reigns--combined--but he fails to sell as much merchandise or garner as much mass media attention. The WWE isn't just looking at who is a great wrestler, they're looking at who gets the most attention and generates the most revenue for the company. This philosophy has served them well in the past, and it will continue to serve them well in the future.
In Trouble: Their legends are aging out of the game
The biggest names in WWE in recent years--John Cena, Undertaker, and even relative newcomer AJ Styles--are all over forty years of age. Even 'youngest world champion in history' Randy Orton is pushing past the big four-oh.
This wouldn't be such a problem if the WWE had bothered to push newer, younger stars. Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, and Xavier Woods are all tremendously talented wrestlers and personalities who could easily replace the ageing veterans--if WWE would allow them. Because of their business model, WWE could soon be bereft of major household name stars, which could mean trouble.
Reign Supreme: You can find your future WWE legends in NXT
While many criticize WWE's treatment of young up and coming wrestlers, they fail to take into account that NXT is nurturing a whole new crop of potential legends.
Tomasso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Heavy Machinery, and the Velveteen Dream are all legends in the making. With time and patience, these men will be main eventing Wrestlemania someday.
9. Vince McMahon may be behind the times
Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. is both a boon to the WWE and a burden.
He turned his father's promotion from a regional powerhouse to an international juggernaut and put the name Hulk Hogan on everyone's lips in the 1980s, but he has failed to change with the times. Like any form of entertainment, wrestling has evolved, and Vince has often seemed out of touch during recent years.
For one, he planned an angle that was eventually scrapped wherein James Ellsworth would come out as a trans woman and win the Women's championship from Charlotte. It took great effort to explain to Vince that times had changed and that a trans woman would be supported by the fans rather than booed by them. Angry that he couldn't do the angle, McMahon fired James Ellsworth, though he has been re-hired as of this writing.
And that's only one example. Despite the success of Matt Hardy's Broken/Woken gimmick, he almost shut down Ultimate Deletion before it happened. The Bray Wyatt/Matt Hardy segment wound up having the highest ratings Raw had received in a long time.
Vince has grown out of touch with his audience, and that could spell trouble for the future in WWE.
10. Even if VKM were really out of touch, there's always Triple H
What many people don't realize about Triple H is that, prior to his arrival in WWE, he worked his way up the lesser promotional ranks like any good journeyman. It's hard to find a man who is more passionate or dedicated to good wrestling product than Triple H, and like as not he is the heir apparent to Vince's company.
When Vince does eventually retire, Triple H will be handling the reigns, and given how NXT has managed to please both WWE and independent wrestling fans, the promotion will be in good hands.
Vince may or may not be out of touch, but the point is moot because with Triple H at the helm the future looks bright indeed, and WWE will likely continue to reign supreme in the world of sports entertainment.
Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article.
