5 Signs WWE is shifting towards edgier content

There's something different about WWE. It almost feels as if the company has started to shed its family friendly exterior to slightly reveal itself as the mature content juggernaut that it once was. Of course that doesn't mean every moment of WWE programming has recveived this makeover, but there seems to be more of a focus on edgier content than there has been in quite some time.

In fact, WWE seems to be incorporating certain parts of the Ruthless Aggression era, the Attitude Era, and the PG Era all into one big soup of thrilling content. The best part of all this is that it allows WWE to satisfy every demographic of their fanbase without outright catering to a specific group.

The adults can get into the brutality aspect, teenagers can get into the relationship drama, and younger fans still have superheroes they can believe in. If nothing else, WWE is trying to push its content to several diverse groups of people and is intertwining everything almost seamlessly.

With that stated and WWE seeming to move towards edgier content, here are five big reasons why. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us if you think this is what WWE is going for.

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#5 Dirty language

WWE allowing Superstars to curse more has made things more interesting.

Although not every single minute of airtime should be filled with unsavory language, it certainly go a long way in making the product feel more realistic when done sparingly and at the right time. Fortunately for the WWE Universe, Superstars have been dropping (the less offensive) four letter words a lot lately and it has resulted in some pretty large pops from fans.

From Kevin Owens calling Seth Rollins's apology bullcrap, to Becky Lynch claiming that her metaphorical testicles would be bigger than Baron Corbin's, the company has gone out of it's way to start peppering in some dirty language again. This direction has been moving forward for quite a bit of time now, because they know it will get a cheap pop and will give people Attitude Era nostalgia; the point is to get ratings

In the end, WWE isn't pushing racy content on a constant basis, so this is almost a subtle change that the company has made to the overall product.

#4 FOX wanting ratings

Is FOX pushing WWE to be better?

WWE moved SmackDown to FOX earlier this year and while it is unfair to say that the network inherited a mess of a product, the Blue Brand wasn't exactly running on all cylinders either. With the company wanting to impress the people in charge of their new home, it seems like WWE has pushed for edgier content in order to generate viewership.

Why else would we now be witnessing Superstars cursing during promos, Bray Wyatt talking about reptilians during his Firefly Fun House segments and some of the most brutal matches fans have seen in quite some time (more on that later)? It's almost like FOX is prompting WWE to push the envelope and the company is responding with fantastic content.

It seems like the days of a full blown PG Era are in the rear-view mirror and the company is easing back into providing a bit more mature content. Now that doesn't mean there won't be PG style, tamer storylines, or that it's even a bad thing to have them in the first place, it just means that the older fans may feel like they are getting WWE, as they once knew it, back. At least a piece of it.

If nothing else, this a great thing for many fans and helps give WWE that unpredictable feel that it needs again.

#3 Bobby Lashley versus Rusev storyline

WWE is doing a lot of interesting things with Rusev and Bobby Lashley.

WWE hasn't tackled the subject of a love triangle in quite a while, especially given the fact that the Women's revolution has been in full force, but all that changed when Bobby Lashley and Lana started appearing together. In fact, the move seemed akin to something the company would have done in the Attitude Era, moreso than anything else on this list.

Nostalgia glasses aside, WWE paired Lashley and Rusev to be rivals in this story and the results have been mixed thus far. There have been a few great moments, but there have been quite a few stumbles during the course of this story as well.

With that being said, the love triangle is at least a sign that WWE is open to doing edgier content and using it as a vehicle to get a Superstar over. Heck, it might even be what finally catapults Rusev to the top of the mountain and puts him in a title match with Brock Lesnar.

WWE needed to approach this kind of content again and it's nice that they finally did. It's like a breath of fresh air so to speak for the older audience, plays into the fatal attraction type of gimmick a little bit and is actually fun to watch, even with the bumps along the way. Hopefully this is a sign that WWE is willing to do more of this in the future.

#2 Uptick in brutality

WWE seems to be showing an uptick in brutality lately.

While the move was subtle enough at first, it has quickly become apparent that the company is trying to make more matches and segment look as much more brutal than we've seen in a long time. Not only is that evident by Drew McIntyre completely destroying Akira Tozawa on RAW, but also by Rusev shoulder tackling Bobby Lashley off stage and then tipping a piece of the set on him.

Another great example of this were the Hell in Cell matches between Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, The Fiend and Seth Rollins, which were all barnburners. In fact, WWE went all out in the brutality factor during these matchups and while the ending of the latter will always be mired in controversy, it was at least an attempt at something edgier.

As for the match between Lynch and Banks, the bout was straight fire and had both women bringing each other to their limits. They also implemented a lot of heavy-duty spots during this match, and essentially pushed the boundary even further as to what the female Superstars can and can't do.

Now this doesn't mean WWE hasn't had an uptick in intensity and brutality before, especially when Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman were tipping thousand pound vehicles over, but this is the first time in awhile that it has been coupled with edgier content. It is also the first time that WWE has put a consistent effort into putting all these different ingredients together, which is also worth noting.

#1 The Fiend

The Fiend is arguably one of WWE's greatest creations in years.

What is it about The Fiend that is so awesome?

Maybe it's just the fact that he is able to hide his alter ego under the guise of a kid friendly television host. Or, maybe it's just how awesome and unstoppable his Fiend character truly is. Either way, the addition of The Fiend into WWE programming has made for some pretty edgy, scary, creepy, and even sometimes uncomfortable-to-watch content.

Whether it be him going on about those darn reptilians while sending subluminal messages out to the WWE Universe, or just physically destroying anyone that stands in his way, the character definitely has more of an edge than any character in recent memory. It's one of the biggest things that separates him from the rest of the product as a whole.

WWE also seems to be continuing to up the ante on The Fiend character and has even gone so far as to incorporate the Illuminati into Bray Wyatt's new character. While it's up to interpretation on whether that is appropriate or not in today's WWE, it is still very exciting to see the company wanting to take these chances again.

The Fiend is just a different kind of animal and WWE's ability to flesh his character out so well should have everyone on notice. It should also have fans wondering what else the company is capable of.

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