5 Signs WWE is shifting towards edgier content

#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.