Is the WWE facing an impending crisis?

[Any007]

With CM Punk and now Chavo Guerrero moving on, will we see more superstars just move on instead of dealing with the day in day out BS the WWE seems to be feeding everyone outside of Cena and Orton?

Punk and Chavo don't seem resigned to a real retirement. Couple that with Michaels, Trips and Undertaker stepping away and you seem to have more stars coming out frustrated.

Any correlation or am I trying to connect dots that just aren't there?

 

[Azane]

Chavo Guerrero being gone isn't a crisis.
CM Punk being gone hurts, but isn't a crisis.
John Cena and Randy Orton could both walk out, and it wouldn't be a crisis.

WWE is a job for people, not wanting to deal with "the bs" of your job is just simply life.

Undertaker and Triple H are going to be done? Guess how many matches they've combined for this year. They're as good as retired at this point, Undertaker will pop up around Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber, pick out #20 and be done. This is turning into a tangent, WWE's ratings aren't going to suffer from any of the people mentioned being gone. Shawn Michael's has made more appearances since retiring than Undertaker has since 2010. You're grasping at straws, WWE with all that gone is still better than it was during the Toothless Agression era.

 

[Jeff]

Also I highly doubt CM Punk will be gone for good. He mentioned a long time ago that he was going to be leaving when his contract ran out. I think he more just needs a break from the WWE rather then he hates it and hates everyone in it. Sure he is frustrated with how he has been managed recently but once he is gone for a little and once WresteMania season rolls around he will be back. He will make a much needed re-debut that will hopefully jump start his career again, and I think he sees that. I think him being gone for a little will be good. It will give him and the writers time to evaluate his character and really come up with a great idea for him, rather then sticking him in places when needed. He is too talented for that.

Chavo, although a great talent, isn't really needed in the WWE. Clearly he wants to be in the spotlight (which I don't blame him he is very talented) and the true Cruiserweights aren't really treated too well anymore in the WWE, besides a handful like Rey, Sin Cara, Evan. Hopefully TNA actually makes the X-Division a staple again and Chavo can head over there. If not I am sure he will play the Indie card for a while then possibility head back to WWE to be a Road Agent or something along those lines. I can see him being good at that.

 

[alistahr]

Every time i read these posts, im just perplexed by the stupidity i read.

All of you who blind themselves and are just delusional enough to think that wwe is still the monster it once was, are hilarious.

Yes, WWE will soon find out that being lazy and half ass at work soon bites you in the ass. It's only a matter of time before people just stop giving two shits about wwe, whats sad is that most people see wwe as the overall wrestling business, but hopefully tna and other companies will get more notoriety when this happens. but i seriously believe that wwe is finally gonna get there and their business will suffer, its too bad it hasnt happened yet.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

With CM Punk and now Chavo Guerrero moving on, will we see more superstars just move on instead of dealing with the day in day out BS the WWE seems to be feeding everyone outside of Cena and Orton?

Punk and Chavo don't seem resigned to a real retirement. Couple that with Michaels, Trips and Undertaker stepping away and you seem to have more stars coming out frustrated.

Any correlation or am I trying to connect dots that just aren't there?

If this was 13/14 years ago, yes, at the moment, no.

Chavo was a good company man during his tenure with WWE, though it still baffles me he chose to leave now rather than when he was jobbing to Hornswoggle for months. I know I know, it was TV time and that means money, but he said himself that he left because he wasn't being used properly, however, when was the last time he was?

It's true that a couple of guys have left, but they've also signed Sin Cara and that other Mexican guy Averno. Added to that there are rumours floating around that the Kings of Wrestling may be joining too, so it's not like there's a massive one-way exodus, new guys are being brought in.

HHH, Michaels, Edge and 'Taker will not be instantly replaced, but consider how long it took them all to get to the revered stature that they enjoy currently. These things take time and WWE are still building up their youth movement stars which will not be an overnight transition, and with more older guys winding up their careers then it leaves the way for young guys to fill those spots.

 

[RJB1976]

Every time i read these posts, im just perplexed by the stupidity i read.

All of you who blind themselves and are just delusional enough to think that wwe is still the monster it once was, are hilarious.

Yes, WWE will soon find out that being lazy and half ass at work soon bites you in the ass. It's only a matter of time before people just stop giving two shits about wwe, whats sad is that most people see wwe as the overall wrestling business, but hopefully tna and other companies will get more notoriety when this happens. but i seriously believe that wwe is finally gonna get there and their business will suffer, its too bad it hasnt happened yet.

I agree with this post. WWE has become so paint by the numbers predictable, its amazing that even the biggest mark hasn't figured out the formula yet. WWE has been coasting on name alone, and that has yet to bite the company (as proven by the many who post on this board, ones who gulp down the WWE kool aid and ask for more). I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one who sees the WWE running on auto-pilot.

 

[playboy210]

The wwe will "self implode" " self destruct" or "DIE". They are a multi billion dollar industry. So Im pretty sure these guys know a thing a two about running the business they've ran just fine there entire lives. I'm sure all these younger lower and mid card talent are salivating at the fact HBK, HHH, UT, and punk are gone cause they all know all they need is a chance and they will all be glad to step up and in the absence of bug names they will get there chance and a star is born every day. the circle of life will continue despite chavo asking for his release.

 

[rokuma]

The wwe will "self implode" " self destruct" or "DIE". They are a multi billion dollar industry. So Im pretty sure these guys know a thing a two about running the business they've ran just fine there entire lives. I'm sure all these younger lower and mid card talent are salivating at the fact HBK, HHH, UT, and punk are gone cause they all know all they need is a chance and they will all be glad to step up and in the absence of bug names they will get there chance and a star is born every day. the circle of life will continue despite chavo asking for his release.

They do know how to run a business, hence the PG era we're in. Adults have figured out the formula and are bored by it, but kids are eating it up. So while we think WWE will crash and burn, they are making new fans for the future.

 

[SmattyG]

Ridiculous. So what if Chavo goes. Or CM Punk goes. Or really, really? if Cena and Orton go tomorrow...how bad would it be? We see Sheamus, JoMo, Del Rio, Ziggler, Cody, Barret, Zeke, Swagger, Daniel Bryan, McIntyre, Kozlov, Kane, Big Show etc in the main events. Boo freaking Hoo...get over it - wrestlers move on - times change. I still want Andre V Ron Miller from 1978 to reoccur but I'll settle for ADR V JoMo as the main event at WM29 thanks very much. Just freaking enjoy it!!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Chavo was a reliable performer, who could go in the ring. He was an experienced veteran, but at the same time, Chavo really wasn't a big loss. He wasn't going to be placed in the Intercontinental Championship picture, and he was never going to become a contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, because Chavo is not on that level. In the long run, Chavo's loss will be forgotten, because he is not one of those guys, who could make or break the WWE.

CM Punk on the other hand is a different story. Punk has proven himself as a top heel in WWE, and he is a unique villain. He's the squeaky clean straightedge superstar, who's covered in tattoos. He's the hardcore rebel, who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Punk can deliver some fine matches, and his mic skills are very impressive. Punk is the total package, and his loss could hurt WWE in the long run.

Shawn Michaels has entered the full retirement phase. Sure, he might pop up and make a special appearance on Raw every now and then, but his time in the ring is done. The Undertaker is banged up, and old age isn't helping. I think Taker will be used on a VERY limited basis from now on. He could return for some of WWE's bigger pay per views (Summerslam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble) and we will surely see him at Wrestlemania, because streak matches have become a main attraction at the big show. I also have similar feelings about Triple H. The Game seems to be taking a backseat in WWE, and he isn't one of the main guys anymore. Also, Edge might have been plagued by injuries, but his second face run was pretty successful, and Edge was one of the more popular veterans in WWE.

As far as dealing with WWE BS goes, I don't think this is something everyone is going to avoid, unfortunately. Pro wrestling is a cutthroat business, and backstage politics will never go away. Also, I think a lot of wrestlers aspire to join the WWE. The WWE is the big leagues, and a lot of wrestlers will want to give their dream job a try.

As far as popular veterans go, Rey Mysterio, Kane, and Big Show are still around, but Mysterio really is the only one, who comes to having the star power that HHH, HBK, and Taker do. WWE is losing a lot of their big name veterans. Retirements, injuries, and reduced roles will continue to be a problem, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop this.

I don't think WWE is on the brink of a crisis, and I do think everything will be fine. Some people might hate John Cena, but he ALWAYS manages to draw a passionate reaction from live crowds. Some fans love him, and some fans hate him, but everyone is always anxious to see what John Cena will do. Randy Orton's popularity has exploded over the past year. He receives strong reactions from live crowds, and he has been crowned as the leader of the blue brand.

Smackdown has a strong mid card, and WWE is trying to push some fresh talent on the Raw brand (Alex Riley, Alberto Del Rio). WWE's top two faces are holding both of their World Championships, and I think Cena and Orton will do a fine job with leading their respective brands.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

A crisis because Chavo Guerrero is gone? You've completely lost touch with reality if you believe that Chavo no longer being part of the WWE is going to have any negative effect on them whatsoever. Chavo Guerrero has been pretty irrelevant throughout the vast majority of his 17 year wrestling career. He's gotten by due primarily to the legacy of the Guerrero family and his close association, in particular, with Eddie Guerrero. He wasn't a force in WCW, he wasn't a force in the Mexican or Japanese mat circles and he wasn't a force in WWE. Most fans will barely even notice that he's gone.

As for CM Punk, it'll definitely hurt if Punk is truly leaving WWE. Arguably, he's the best all around pro wrestler working today and the loss of such a talent is always gonna sting. However, until Punk actually does leave, I'm not simply going to assume that he is. For all we know, he & WWE might have come to an agreement with only a very small number of people knowing about it so that it doesn't leak out to the internet. That way, they can generate an uncertainty and curiosity about what's ultimately going to happen and give his match with Cena a little extra hook. I will admit that it's much harder to keep things secret these days but it can be done. John Cena's surprise return at the Royal Rumble several years back is a good example. If Punk ultimately does leave, it'll suck but it won't be a sign of the end times. Wrestlers that are much bigger stars than Punk have left WWE before and they're still around.

 

[Mr-excitement]

The WWE has been facing a crisis of creativity for several year - John Cena over and over. Buyrates are down yes Wrestlemania did an AMAZING number, but they had to hot shot it with the Rock. Over the Limit did just 65,000 buys. Yes there is a crisis, right now they have not been successful in creating another major crossover star = Cena has failed in movies and his CD was atrocious.

 

[TheConnecticutBlueblood]

WWE don't need either of them. When Punk is gone ADR will be pushed to fill up the heel mainevent role. Chavo's gone and now... well nothing he was doing nothing anyway. WWE have many other guys that can fill the roles and get more and more guys who can fill gaps in the business whether it means pushing current talent, pushing FCW talent, signing new talent. They will always have people to fill in gaps left by guys like CM Punk and Chavo.

 

[akrassikauda]

There is no crisis because there is NO RATINGS WAR.

It's not Cena's fault he does his job. Name one wrestling promotion that would not want the money he generates and I'll bet that promotion will be out of business. The same PG Era crap argument never works. Hogan's era was PG and the kids ate it up. Oh he always has the title give it to someone else. Not a lot of people can be " The Man " like he has been doing for several years and imploring management to shine a bigger light on CM Punk.

Chavo I will miss but not that much. You didn't see people not buying WWE because of no Chavo did you. OH NO! Chavo is gone let's boycott. CM Punk is leaving let's boycott because Cena and Orton are always on top. The product is stale but we all keep watching,buying and blogging about it. The ratings and buy rates are plummeting the ratings are what they are in a new tv world where lots of people have 200 + channels to choose from. A smart business person would take a consistent 2.8 - 3.6 on a weekly basis especially during football season and the buy rates are low and have been low because people have to tighten your financial belts and not spend 40-60 bucks a month and the 5000 pound elephant in the room streaming feeds for those who would normally buy the PPV now watch a free stream.

So until the McMahon's start making the most unimaginable horrendous business decisions along with real competition. THERE IS NO CRISIS!

 

[Joshua]

Yeah CM Punk is a gut shot, but come on Chavo? Let's get this straight Chavo is not Eddie and the E will not fall apart with his departure. If the WWE can male it through Eddies death, then I'm pretty sure they can handle Chavo leaving the company.

 

[Kizzo]

Chavo Guerrero being gone isn't a crisis.
CM Punk being gone hurts, but isn't a crisis.
John Cena and Randy Orton could both walk out, and it wouldn't be a crisis.

WWE is a job for people, not wanting to deal with "the bs" of your job is just simply life.

Undertaker and Triple H are going to be done? Guess how many matches they've combined for this year. They're as good as retired at this point, Undertaker will pop up around Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber, pick out #20 and be done. This is turning into a tangent, WWE's ratings aren't going to suffer from any of the people mentioned being gone. Shawn Michael's has made more appearances since retiring than Undertaker has since 2010. You're grasping at straws, WWE with all that gone is still better than it was during the Toothless Agression era.

Forbes Mag pointed this out in their review of WWE and it's business. They mentioned about WWE having a decline in revenue but still managed a profit due to how they have structured their company. They can immediately make changes to fit the current environment on the fly.

They also mentioned that WWE isn't bound to a specific superstar, so therefore WWE doesn't have to pay huge salaries. WWE can just create a new superstar to take a place another in a heartbeat. Although it will take time, they will find another and the ratings won't suffer that much.

Losing Orton and Cena would not hurt WWE business or any other superstar for that matter long term. They will suffer a little, but it won't be a crisis. That's why Vinnie Mac can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants and get away with it. You either do what he says or you can LEAVE.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

I don't think Chavo's departure is going to cause too many in WWE's main offices to lose sleep. Let's face it, he's great in the ring in that he can make anybody look good. Basically, his purpose was to get the people with "it" to look good in the ring. He didn't have "it" so all he could do was be used as a workhorse. I can imagine he was frustrated with his dead-end job in the company, but there isn't much potential for him to go anywhere with.

I don't think the WWE will truly miss anyone, including Cena. The talent themselves have more to lose by leaving than the WWE has. Once talent leaves, the audience starts to forget who they are and their drawing power elsewhere diminishes (with few exceptions). The WWE in a matter of a couple months will just create a new star inside a few months to replace anyone they lost. And it'd be like nothing ever happened.

Losing a few on-camera personalities isn't what will hurt the company, nor will the PG era. It's the creative department coming up with a product concept that is worth watching that can hurt the company.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

Ridiculous. So what if Chavo goes. Or CM Punk goes. Or really, really? if Cena and Orton go tomorrow...how bad would it be? We see Sheamus, JoMo, Del Rio, Ziggler, Cody, Barret, Zeke, Swagger, Daniel Bryan, McIntyre, Kozlov, Kane, Big Show etc in the main events. Boo freaking Hoo...get over it - wrestlers move on - times change. I still want Andre V Ron Miller from 1978 to reoccur but I'll settle for ADR V JoMo as the main event at WM29 thanks very much. Just freaking enjoy it!!

Well, it wouldn't be a crisis, but WWE would have some thinking to do. If all the major talents are gone and people watch WWE because of all the major talents, what do you think is going to happen? People will stop watching. As much as i hate Cena and Orton dominating WWE, i can understand that without them WWE would be in trouble because i think nobody will watch JoMo Vs ADR on a Wrestlemania card.

 

[hbkmark]

I have enjoyed Chavo over the years and his willingness to be the clown at times combined with being in serious matches showed a lot of talent. His deal with Pokey or whatever the horsehead on a stick was called was the most clever thing WCW had going towards the end. It was stupid but his enthusiasm for that and looks of frustration in the Hornswoggle feud actually made it all work.

I am now a huge fan of CM Punk. He is different than just about any heel I can remember and he is definitely the thinking-man's wrestler. (The snow angel thing was genius--goofy genius). I think that his time away will be felt more than WWE knows right now.

WWE has set it up for the only big losses would be Cena or Orton but that also makes it stale. It may mean they have to rely on Miz more to give us some heel heat.

 

[playboy210]

what they are doing right now is product placement. just like how supermarkets place the candies and junk @ the check out stand. so parents are forced to buy them for the kids. they cant help but resist. the parents will buy there children the merchandise and pay per views and stay up to watch raw.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Their biggest Crisis in the WWE is not pushing the younger talent they have correctly.

Edge was injured going into WM27 Del Rio should have walked out from that event as champ, retiring Edge allowing Del Rio to be that much over. Although the storyline between Orton and Christian has been entertaining, they need to build new younger fresher stars.

Ziggler should have been given a better program after winning the WHC from Edge, rather than being moved to Raw and being placed back into a middle card feud with Kingston.

Barrett needed one clean victory over Cena or Orton to elevate him to the next level

Sheamus needed one clean victory over Cena, Orton, or Triple H to elevate him back up to where he was going into his match with Triple H last year at WM

Miz has been one of the one of the only superstars in the past year to elevate himself from middle card title holder, to MITB winner, to WWE Champion on to headline WM and retain his title

Swagger won the MITB last year, but failed to take the next step into the main event...

these are 6 prime examples of superstars who could be in the main event now to freshen things up but are being over looked and improperly booked.

honorable mention to

Kingston - the fans love him, I personally cannot stand him but he would be believable in the main event
Morrison - aka Borrison, injured and soon to be forgotten
Truth - hes been good the past few weeks as a heel lets see if he can keep it up
Rhodes - He's on his way to the top, he just needs a little more time to brew
DiBiase - the ball was dropped soooooooooooo long ago on him its ridiculous

 

[WWWYKI777]

Depending on the reality of that shoot Punk did and what really happens as a result you know I may want this to happen

Like , if CM Punk was seriously shooting and has seriously been suspended and is out of the match and they're just honestly done with him? Then I honestly hope a multitude of underappreciated stars follow Punk & Chavo out the door

Almost everyone besides Cena , Orton ,Miz , and maybe a few others seem underappreciated , underpushed , and underutilized.

Plus literally every single diva should leave too , because every single one of them is horribly underutilized and unappreciated in the WWE as well.

They do know how to run a business, hence the PG era we're in. Adults have figured out the formula and are bored by it, but kids are eating it up. So while we think WWE will crash and burn, they are making new fans for the future.

That whole theory about PG is more full of shit than a bag of manuer...

WE were all kids watching attitude era and WCW that was NOT PG and we all got hooked for life

REALITY is that theres not many parents out there that wouldn't let their kids watch TV-14 rated wrestling. They are trying to cater to a tiny demographic , who are they trying to please with this , the amish? Mormons?

Pretty sure the amish don't have TVs and Mormons wouldn't even approve of PG wrestling... and outside of those 2 groups you're not going to find such hardcore overprotective oversheltering parents..........

Basing your whole show around trying to not alienate some 0.1% of the market demographic is ludicrous

 

[iwinulose]

to be honest, yes it does suck that punk is leaving and yes theres a huge absence of star power, but we are just gonna get more stars, look at evan bourne for example, he has been showing up more, daniel bryan and sin cara, they are coming up fast (ok they are more mid card talent but still), we have big zeke coming up, we just got mahal, we have to guy who won tough enough, uhhh got some other guys showing up so i think the wwe will do fine, besides, when top stars leave new stars are made, its a cycle that constantly repeats itself.

 

[Game Boy]

I do not see WWE in any type of crisis at this point. I mean I could see if it were 15 years ago and we were having this conversation when Hogan left..but CHAVO?!?! Chavo leaving spurred this conversation?! Give me a break.

Wrestlers come and go, it is just the way it is. No one can truly wrestle forever..unless you are Flair I guess...but that is another story. We have saw some really great wrestlers or personalities come and go in the WWE and the company remains. They always seem to find their next big thing or star...it will continue to happen.

On a side note, I may be the only one, but I am just not convinced that Punk is actually leaving. I find it strange that they would use it as a storyline in the WWE. I can understand why ROH did it...but WWE? Call me a skeptic, but I am just not convinced he is leaving.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

I don't see how Chavo Guerrero leaving is going to send WWE into a crisis. Chavo while good in the Ring has never been a Main Draw anywhere he has been. These guys come and go and come again thats just the nature of the business. When Hogan left in 1993 did they panic? No, they pushed Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, and Lex Luger as the main draws. If this was 1993/1994 I could see maybe a crisis but in 2011 I don't think so.

I think CM Punk if he does leave after MITB will be back in the Fall or Winter time when he either takes time off or goes back to ROH (sorry TNA). All the IWC Writers and IWC Fans can report stories like this and make threads about it but until WWE starts losing money like crazy (which I don't see happening either) there is NO CRISIS.