The Road to WrestleMania has become a cliche that WWE love to shove down our throats year in and year out. They want to force the idea upon us that we're getting ready for the biggest show on the WWE calendar when in reality we all know that already.
Nonetheless, it is good fun if you turn Michael Cole's constant mentions of it into a drinking game.
With that being said, there are obviously a lot of ways in which the WWE could improve the actual road itself. Obviously, there are several factors to consider when thinking about how to book the RTWM, because there's just so many feuds to contemplate and book accordingly.
It's an unenviable task, but then again that's what Vince McMahon lives for.
He wants Mania to be as phenomenal as possible to ensure the continued success of the company, and it makes sense. However, sometimes good old Vinnie Mac's personal preferences can cloud his judgement over something that would probably be better for business.
It's a shame, but it's something that we as a wrestling community have had to accept over the years. With that being said, it's time to take a look at five ways to improve the Road to WrestleMania.
#1 No February PPVs
Whether it's Fastlane or Elimination Chamber or god knows what other puns they have in store, February pay-per-views just do not need to exist.
It takes the focus away from the upcoming WrestleMania by planting supposed alterations in the plot into the mix when in reality the storylines don't even remotely change. It's just a big old waste of time.
You could easily accomplish what they want from these events on Raw and SmackDown Live, which would just be more beneficial all-around.
Also read: WWE WrestleMania 33: Projecting the top bouts for the biggest PPV of the year
It would improve the television ratings on a week to week basis, make things feel more unpredictable and it would give the crowd in attendance some genuine excitement as opposed to a show that's solely built around these B pay-per-views.
Onto an issue that tends to rile up many members of the WWE Universe.
#2 Less part-timer focus
Part-timers coming back every year and taking spots from the main roster talent is something that annoys a lot of people. They ignore what these legends can bring to the table and instead choose to focus on the negatives, which makes sense as there tends to be quite a few of them.
They also take up a lot of time on Raw and SmackDown when it comes to their segments, as they are often portrayed as much more important.
But the worst part is that they spread it out over so many weeks. We don't need to see one Superstar appear one week and then the next retaliates seven days later. Have the promos and segments be short and sweet, and don't have them main event the shows.
We want the spotlight to be on the future of the WWE as opposed to the past.
Speaking of the past, let's talk about the legends of yesteryear.
#3 HOF appearances
Whenever a Hall of Fame inductee is announced, they tend to do a video package for the person in question before revealing the news to the audience.
Whilst this is all well and good, it feels like they could do a lot more to build up the excitement for the Hall of Fame ceremony because it never tends to generate much anticipation among the WWE Universe.
Have certain inductees appear for five to ten-minute segments on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown so that they can tell a proper story beforehand. Maybe they interact with a younger talent or just decide to put someone over.
Either way, hearing the music of the legend or legends involved will make for a nice moment and will also create curiosity among fans who will want to see what they say in their HOF speech.
Moving onto a fun little anecdote for the fans.
#4 WrestleMania facts
The history of WrestleMania is important, and it's vital that we preserve it for the future generations to come. Letting today's fanbase know what took place many years ago will add to the intrigue of the event, prompting people to demand that they go and see this year's edition of the show of shows.
Also, it's just a nice bit of nostalgia for the nerds among us.
They do this with the Royal Rumble every year with the "by the numbers" promo, and there's no reason why they can't replicate that idea with Mania.
You could even go so far as to show snippets of classic matches, kind of like when WWE used to use SmackDown in order to show matches from the past. But you know, in a better and more impressive way.
To conclude, we'll be taking something from another sport and adapting it to our own.
#5 Sit-down interviews
If you're a fan of boxing, you would've seen those interviews where the two main competitors are sat on chairs facing each other in a poorly lit room. It seems cheesy and odd to begin with, but once they get going it really adds to the intensity of the situation and eventual match-up.
If you have something like this take place for a small handful of WrestleMania matches, you've got gold on your hands.
Let the superstars involved unleash on one another from week to week, with a different match being highlighted. They could go completely off script and delve into why they feel they're the better superstar, with someone like Michael Cole helping to direct the whole situation.
It would be risky, but it's an alternative which is something that WWE so desperately need.
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