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Believe it or not, WWE could be heading into a golden era of Pro wrestling once again and a lot of that has to do with their renewed interesting in mature storytelling. It even seems to be silencing a large portion of the company's critics and bringing back Attitude Era fans, which is helping the company heading into WrestleMania season.
Of course, not everything WWE has done so far with the mature storytelling has been a hit, but that hasn't stopped them from trying. Whether that continues or not remains to be seen and will depend on what they come up with next, but it is pretty safe to say that WWE is starting to tackle some pretty serious subjects.
With that being said and more mature content finally coming into play again on WWE programming, here are five signs that they want to focus on more mature content going forward. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us whether you think the company is shifting towards edgier content.
#5 Mature mini segments
It's no secret that seven hours of programming a week is a lot of time to fill and that's exactly why WWE sometimes has to resort to small scale storytelling. While this might seem annoying to some fans, especially since the payoffs are so small at times, it is a great way to transition between other segments.
It also allows other Superstars that the company isn't exactly high on at the moment a chance to showcase their talents and work themselves up the card. The problem with this is that most of the content was centered around juvenile type subjects that usually didn't get much interest.
Fortunately for WWE however, their ongoing battle of pushing the envelope has allowed them to use more mature subject matter and The Street Profits are a great example of that. In fact between blatant drug references, corny SNL skits and sometimes even mildly sexual content, it is proof that WWE is allowed to get edgier.
Another example of this was the storyline between Maria and Mike Kanellis late last year, which got fans laughing. Maybe that had to do with how Mike repeatedly got emasculated or how Maria walked around arrogantly as the first-ever pregnant 24/7 Title holder, but it was interesting content.
#4. Making it personal
Believe it or not, this is something WWE did a long time ago and it is causing some flashbacks within the WWE Universe. In fact, who could forget that infamous episode of Friday Night Smackdown when WWE legend, Eddie Gurrero, came out and revealed to Dominic that he was his Papi.
Of course, WWE has shied away from this kind of storytelling during the PG Era but seems to be bringing it back into play as of late. Not only is that evident by the aforementioned saga between The Miz and The Fiend, but also by how Dominic was attacked by Brock Lesnar in the lead up to their match at TLC.
Dominic even ran inference for Mysterio during The Luchador's match against Lesnar, which is again another sign of WWE resorting back to this kind of storytelling. Whether WWE continues to do this or not remains to be seen and will probably depend on the company's success with it, but it is a sign that they are at least starting to branch out.
#3. The Fiend saga
WWE went all-in on The Fiend last year and while it has resulted in some of the best storytelling the company has shown, it's also forced them to step out of their comfort zone to do so. Interestingly enough, however, that turned out to be a good thing and it is only helping The WWE Universe get more into The Fiend than ever before.
From the symbolism used throughout his Firefly Funhouse segments to the darker tones The Fiend's storylines are starting to take on, it's undeniable proof that WWE is pushing the envelope. It's also proof that doing so is working in the company's favor, thus why The Fiend character is so successful.
In the end, The Fiend character is a sign that WWE can start getting away with tackling tougher topics. It's also a sign that the fans are open to this content as long as it tells a compelling story. And that's what The Fiend is. A compelling story that is roping fans despite its sometimes controversial content.
#2. Move to Fox Sports.
It's no secret that Fox Sports expected a lot from WWE when they brought Friday Night SmackDown to their network, but that ended up helping them. In fact, between Fox Sports being a little less restrictive on content and wanting WWE to thrive, it has allowed the company to once again push the boundaries.
Whether that be by The Fiend terrorizing The Miz's family or The Rock getting an entire stadium to chant STD at King Corbin, it looks like Fox Sports is letting WWE get away with a lot. Of course, there is probably some kind of limit as to what the company is allowed to and isn't allowed to do, but it is different from what it was.
If nothing else, Friday Night SmackDown's move to Fox Sports was a godsend for WWE. Not only is that evident by the mainstream attention the company is receiving day after day for the move, but also by their newfound ability to make edgier content that a wider range of audiences can enjoy.
And that's the best part of it! With sports like, NASCAR, NFL, MLB and more also on Fox, it creates this revolving carousel that allows WWE to entertain new audiences! It's almost as if WWE was handed a chance to jump back into the Attitude Era and are taking full advantage of it.
#1. Liv Morgan's storyline.
Whether The WWE Universe wants to admit it or not, it has been a while since the company has tackled anything related to LGBTQA content. While that might have been fine to do in the past, especially since people didn't like their politics and wrestling to be intertwined, there is a growing group of people that are wanting that kind of representation to be present.
With that being said and WWE green lighting Liv Morgan as Lana's secret lover, seems to be a firm sign that WWE is using this to test the boundaries a little bit. It's also becoming pretty obvious that the company wants to do more of this in the future, which could trigger an Attitude Era reboot of sorts.
Of course, it will never be perfect and The WWE will have to devote certain amounts of programming to more tame content, but the idea of an LGBTQA storyline being present in mainstream pro wrestling at all is amazing. Beyond that, WWE tackling such a sensitive subject with tact and gracefulness is proof that they can do so again in the future.
