Will WWE Ever Get Better?

[rokuma]

First, let me destroy my credibility by saying I generally prefer TNA over WWE. I've been invested in the TNA product since it's inception and have been loyal to it, but usually followed the WWE product until recently.

It seems that fans and particularly the IWC, always talk about WWE in the future tense. "They're really improving, when they hit their stride, when they build new stars, etc." But WWE never really changes. Part-timers are brought back to increase ratings and guys are pushed/halted on a regular basis (I'm looking at you, Cesaro, the best wrestler on the roster and a guy who's move was over, but told to stop it!), Cena overcomes everybody, and then Vince gets a guy who should be the next big thing, pushes him to the moon, he never gets over, and falls back (see: Sheamus). There are no characters in WWE anymore and everyone wears the same singlet or trunks, knee pads, and says the same things. It's dull. Is the WWE locked in a vicious cycle of mediocrity with no real plan to get out?

To me, and it's a common gripe, but WWE tries too hard to be entertainment instead of what it really is and what really attracts people to the product: a wrestling company. WWE deflecting the focus off wrestling is like McDonalds having a drive-thru, but serving freshly cooked filet mignon. It completely distorts their original aim and frankly, alienates consumers. Why do you want to alienate your fanbase? WWE has the best wrestlers in the world and they fail to utilize them. The matches and in turn the titles mean nothing in WWE. They're a prop, as Jim Ross said once. There is very little difference in faces/heels. Rusev might be the most over heel on the roster because no one cheers for him. Top heels like Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and others usually get split reactions just like current top faces outside of maybe Daniel Bryan. What drives wrestling and it's storylines is historically "good vs evil." WWE has mangled that to where it doesn't exist anymore.

To that point, John Cena has been doing the same stale character for 10 years to the point that it's said WWE will never turn him heel for the fear of losing out on merchandising revenue. You know what happened when Hulk Hogan turned heel and the WWE was created? He became cool. The NWO was cool and in turn, a ridiculous amount of merchandise was sold. And guess what? With Cena a heel, you have the opportunity to build up a Roman Reigns slowly and create a "Goldberg vs Hogan in Atlanta" moment where the new face defeats the legend for the World championship and the crowd goes nuts. But no, let's keep John Cena in his neon colors doing the same thing every night to the point where the crowd turns on him and no one cares just so he can "Rise above hate" and continue to peddle merchandise to the kids. It's silly.

Back to my original question: Is WWE stuck in a vicious cycle of mediocrity? Will there ever be a change until Vince McMahon hands over the reigns to Triple H who, while questionable, has put some stuck in rejuvenating the wrestling side of WWE? How long are fans going to wait in hope before they revolt on the product? As I said, I've already done that. Will more fans follow? What are your thoughts?

 

[Terry Gyimah]

I definitely say that WWE has gotten better and is getting better especially with Lesnar as WWE World Heavyweight Champion but also the fact that WWE is doing what TNA hasn't done and that is build up new stars to basically turn them into future main eventers unlike TNA who have basically the same old stars in the main event but also WWE are building towards the future but also they have much more star power than TNA has which TNA has become a sinking ship and continues to sink unlike WWE

 

[Slash-LN]

Sure it will.
Professional wrestling is just on a down period right now. Just like it was in between the golden era and the attitude era.
Superstars are gradually being built and getting a fan base behind them.
NXT is getting some really good wrestlers that will be groomed to hit the main stage so enough.
There's slowly a transition going on to develop the roster in time for the older guys to leave.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Exactly and in the great words of the legendary Phenom, The Undertaker, he himself said from his own mouth that you can either fold or get better and WWE over the course of I would say a decade have gotten better ever since 2004/05, but sure they may be going through a transitional period but over time it will pass and they will eventually get better and especially with Lesnar as the champion representing this company I would definitely say WWE is getting even better

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I've enjoyed the product, from an overall perspective, much more so over the course of the past year than I have in a very, very long time. WWE is never going to be "perfect" and I just wish more people would simply accept that. No wrestling company ever has been, can be or ever will be all things to all fans because there are always going to be some fans who want to see one thing while some want to see something else take place. Some will want to see wrestler A pushed instead of wrestler B, wrestler C should have a long mid-card title run while wrestler D should be up & coming whereas some fans will want it the other way around, etc.

I think the biggest problem right now is the inconsistency we see with some shows and storylines as it reflects a difference of opinion between Vince & Triple H. Triple H is head of WWE creative in name but it's ALWAYS been Vince's final decision and there are shows in which Vince's choices in creative decisions are clearly seen. Triple H is someone who generally strikes me as more of a "Okay, let's go in this direction. We'll give it some time and see if it pans out." Vince, on the other hand, is known to change his mind like weather patterns change. There'll be times in which he'll go back and forth on a decision multiple times over the course of a single day. He's been much better in regards to that habit the past few years as Triple H is, reportedly, something of a calming influence that Vince trusts, but it still happens. Last night's show, to me, had a strong undercurrent of Vince making some final, creative decisions on a lot of things.

 

[The Butcher]

A few months ago, after the dissolution of The Shield and the news that Daniel Bryan's injury was significant, I decided to take a break from WWE. After a few weeks of post-Mania malaise, I started to look at WrestleMania XXX as a great chapter to close the book on, though I did mark my page. I, for one, will probably never fully abandon WWE.

Now that I've reopened that metaphorical book and am back to watching, I am still irked by the same irritants that made it easy for me to stop. WWE tries my (substantial) patience, and they make it hard for me to love them as I once did. The numerous reasons the OP laid out along with others (some that WWE admittedly has no control over, like Punk's departure), frustrate me. I'm not the type of guy who fantasy books everything in my head and then gets pissed when WWE doesn't do exactly that. Too often, though, I simply don't like what they do and can clearly see how a simple change here or there could've improved a particular angle or character dramatically. When any show is consistently good, I don't second guess it other than an offhand, "wouldn't it be cool if..." type thought. The same would apply for WWE, and I'd gladly go to bat for them against fellow IWC members who only see the negative.

It certainly does seem as if WWE is stuck in bit of a cycle. There are positive signs for the future of the company (hey! another future tense platitude), and there is enough good stuff happening to balance the scales (lots of great matches; some interesting, if misused, characters). I don't have full faith and confidence that things will get significantly better when Triple H and Stephanie McMahon take control of the product, however. With investors, sponsors, and other concerns, there are a lot of factors that Hunter and Steph will have to consider outside of the concerns of fans like me. I doubt there will ever be a fan "revolt." Brand loyalty and the lack of a strong competitor cause many fans to just accept what they are given.

If WWE's bottom line hurts, they'll have to commit to a change of direction for their product. I've said numerous times that quality would be the best way to sell the Network. It's part of the reason I haven't ordered it. They can have all my $9.99s when I feel that they've earned them. I've bought enough tickets, VHS tapes, DVDs, video games, t-shirts, etc. to where I don't feel like I've leached from them. We're even. WWE isn't '94 awful, but given all they've got, they underachieve tremendously. I don't know what the future holds, but I try to remain optimistic about it. Things aren't as bad as any of us, myself included, make them out to be, and they will get better.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

WWE is not at the point of where TNA is at, but WWE has a long term future unlike TNA who doesn't since their future is up in the air in a state of uncertainty while WWE's product just continues to grow because of the fact that WWE is and always has been a superpower in the wrestling world

 

[Creepy Old Man]

I generally find that TNA fans are just smart ass, cred-hunting contrarians torturing themselves in some misguided attempt to prove that there's a viable alternative to the big, evil, popular-therefore-crap WWE. There isn't.

In the last month or so I've enjoyed WWE immensely. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

I generally find that TNA fans are just smart ass, cred-hunting contrarians torturing themselves in some misguided attempt to prove that there's a viable alternative to the big, evil, popular-therefore-crap WWE. There isn't.

In the last month or so I've enjoyed WWE immensely. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

And that is because of not only the WWE Network but ever since Triple H and Stephanie have taken over where Vince left off, the product has gotten better and it continues to get better especially with them in charge, could be a sign of the future? But with Vince more or less running the day to day as Chairman only showing up for special cameo appearances that has helped too

 

[closet_fan]

I've enjoyed the product, from an overall perspective, much more so over the course of the past year than I have in a very, very long time. WWE is never going to be "perfect" and I just wish more people would simply accept that. No wrestling company ever has been, can be or ever will be all things to all fans because there are always going to be some fans who want to see one thing while some want to see something else take place. Some will want to see wrestler A pushed instead of wrestler B, wrestler C should have a long mid-card title run while wrestler D should be up & coming whereas some fans will want it the other way around, etc.

I think the biggest problem right now is the inconsistency we see with some shows and storylines as it reflects a difference of opinion between Vince & Triple H. Triple H is head of WWE creative in name but it's ALWAYS been Vince's final decision and there are shows in which Vince's choices in creative decisions are clearly seen. Triple H is someone who generally strikes me as more of a "Okay, let's go in this direction. We'll give it some time and see if it pans out." Vince, on the other hand, is known to change his mind like weather patterns change. There'll be times in which he'll go back and forth on a decision multiple times over the course of a single day. He's been much better in regards to that habit the past few years as Triple H is, reportedly, something of a calming influence that Vince trusts, but it still happens. Last night's show, to me, had a strong undercurrent of Vince making some final, creative decisions on a lot of things.

For as much crap HHH had gotten for burying talent, I can say his creative style is a lot better and more unpredictable than Vince's has over the last few years.

Anytime anything with Cena is involved, I put Vince's name all over it. If HHH had made some creative calls last night, Cena would have sold a few of those suplexes Lesnar gave him. Vince seems like he's afraid to make Cena vulnerable for even one show. It won't kill the guy to sell once and awhile.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

For as much crap HHH had gotten for burying talent, I can say his creative style is a lot better and more unpredictable than Vince's has over the last few years.

Anytime anything with Cena is involved, I put Vince's name all over it. If HHH had made some creative calls last night, Cena would have sold a few of those suplexes Lesnar gave him. Vince seems like he's afraid to make Cena vulnerable for even one show. It won't kill the guy to sell once and awhile.

I know right and that is part of the reason why the COO and his father-in-law the Chairman keep butting heads because Vince loves to live in the past while Triple H he is thinking about the present he is thinking about the future of this business like it or not

 

[Creepy Old Man]

I know right and that is part of the reason why the COO and his father-in-law the Chairman keep butting heads because Vince loves to live in the past while Triple H he is thinking about the present he is thinking about the future of this business like it or not

Triple H, selfish as he may have been at times, always does his job well. He always performed to a high standard in his heyday, and is now heavily investing in making new people. He was overzealous with Sin Cara, though.

 

[aholeisahole]

Triple H, selfish as he may have been at times, always does his job well. He always performed to a high standard in his heyday, and is now heavily investing in making new people. He was overzealous with Sin Cara, though.

Sin Cara was an attempt to make a new Rey Mysterio, and from that perspective it wasn't a bad idea at all. However, Cara obviously couldn't hack it in a WWE ring, and I doubt Hunter could've known that Cara was going to be that difficult to work with.

 

[rokuma]

I generally find that TNA fans are just smart ass, cred-hunting contrarians torturing themselves in some misguided attempt to prove that there's a viable alternative to the big, evil, popular-therefore-crap WWE. There isn't.

In the last month or so I've enjoyed WWE immensely. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

That may be possible, but honestly, as I look back at my time as a wrestling fan, I preferred WCW to the then WWF. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the WWF/E style? I don't know, but I enjoy TNA and how their focus (most of the time) is on wrestling and they treat it as a legitimate contest instead of the WWE style of utilizing wrestling as a secondary sideshow. TNA is nowhere NEAR the level of WWE and not competition. That much is obvious, but I enjoy their product much, much more. Samoa Joe/Low-Ki last week was the best match I have seen in a while. Just great action in the ring.

I will admit there are some things I have enjoyed about Raw recently: Rollins/Ambrose has been solid (however, that Lumberjack stipulation was incredibly stupid though they made it work somewhat. But it made Ambrose seem lame), Cesaro, Swagger/Rusev has been refreshing, the Usos are fun. I generally tune in and out on Mondays because my son likes to watch Raw, but I do make a point to watch for a while if a legend is on there and recently, there's been Hogan, the NWO, Piper, Flair, Bret Hart, HBK last night and I give it a shot, but usually turn it off within an hour.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

But with legends and part timers coming in, yes it has pretty much helped WWE when you think about it, but at the same time with WWE's leadership with Triple H and Stephanie leading the ship they are taking this company into the future

 

[Pedigree1]

I am enjoying the product now as much as ever.. JH is right,in saying last night's show did sort of have a I am Vinnie Mac and i have the final say... Triple H is a genius but until Vince totally trust him business wise,we wont see the dawn of a new era... We have and haven't

Ambrose,Rollins,Reigns were all found out by Trips.. He is a genius in scoping and finding out talent.. To me triple H is the kind of guy if something doesn't work out then it doesn't work out.. He doesn't panic and change his mind at the last minute.. To me though,they could be considered in new and uncharted waters..

Cesaro for one IMO should be a ME caliber Player.. I dont play fantasy booker,never have never will.. Those guys constantly get ripped to shreds saying well I would have done this and that.. I am a cesaro fan,strongest guy P4P in the E right now by far.. When the shield disbanded,Daniel Bryan getting Injured,huge uncertainty lays right now..

We all know the Network will go up 14.99 is my guess at the beginning of the year.. Its a big step but there is so so much info out there still unavailable but this journey ride or die im in it for the long haul! 32 years i have watched WWE/WWF and if it ended today I will have very fond memories!

 

[CyberPunk]

WWE has consistently improved over the last couple years. As for complaints, there always be complaints and it's understandable. Nothing in this world is perfect. I can't say much about TNA because I don't watch it much, but WWE has been solid for a while.

A lot of things that happen in WWE happen because unlike other wrestling promotions, WWE is publicly traded company. Apart from the fans, they have to take care of their investors. Think about it. WWE was able to get away with a lot of things in the past because apart from the network they aired on, the only people they had to cater to were there fans. Now it's different. They don't control all the business aspects. That's evident from the 'quick fix' booking they do sometimes. It's annoying at times but it's understandable.

I work in a corporate and I know how irksome it can become at times. Profitability, answering the investors, showing constant profit margin, a lot of which is not always in company's hand. For a long term result, you need long term investment. Unfortunately, at this time, WWE/investors/evil corporate just don't have the patience. It's making quick decisions to drive revenue.

I'd like to believe that there would always be room for improvement. But considering all things, WWE has done more good than bad in last couple years and I hope they continue on that path.

 

[mlp420]

Never, because they don't need to get better. They've already lost all the people that don't need to watch and/or talk about wrestling every week.

People don't watch RAW because it's good, or because they're compelled by the storylines anymore. The week to week unpredictable soap opera feel of RAW died years ago. Now it's just a big community thing where you're watching the show, and interacting with WWE's social media machine as well as everybody else that's watching on Twitter/Facebook/Youtube etc. Most wrestling fans want to be a part of that. That's really all WWE has going for them in 2014, and they know it, which is why they're so aggressive on social media. They know the show becomes less and less compelling every week, but people will still watch while simultaneously complaining online about Cena's latest title win, who should or shouldn't be pushed or when CM Punk is coming back.

 

[Alastor]

The in ring-talent at the moment is about as good as it gets in WWE's history. Even the regular jobbers can put up really good matches if given time or need to on a regular basis. Be glad we are past the dark ages of Raw guest hosts and Khali/Koslov in the main event. The future is now, but sadly there is no transcendent star (no Bryan isn't that guy but his YES chants could be) to get non-regular fans involved.

The problem lies with the 'hardcore' wrestling fans expectations and anti-WWE sentiment from old WCW marks. Anything WWE does is just not up to par because it isn't WCW. I love how fans like to bash WWE for trying to be entertainment. Unless you watch amateur wrestling or follow the sport, you are watching entertainment in pro-wrestling. WWE being honest while TNA try to pander to your inner smarkdom to con a few more coins out of you and somehow WWE is the horrible one. Pro-wrestling is just power rangers with more violence and blood (pre-PG). The sooner these fans realise this the less hate they will have on 'wrestling today'.

I will admit I tune out regularly on WWE in recent years but that is more on me than anything WWE does. But I still like my little doses of HHH, Shield, and the occasional big match and comedy spots. There are way more alternatives for entertainment now than years before. And more in the future. Wrestling just isn't that big a draw unless a new guy with charisma AND with a business mind emerges.

Also, expecting a perfect show every week is like expecting every NBA game on fan night to be good every week, every EPL game on prime time to be good every week, or every tennis match to be good. Or if we go the entertainment comparison, that would be expecting SNL to deliver every week. Or the late night talk shows to hit the punchlines every week. Is it probable? Yes. But it just isn't realistic.

 

[Metalhead0290]

WWE has been slowly getting a little better over the past few months. The whole Brock Lesnar program is a nice change of pace. Seeing Cena finally get decimated was fantastic. Ambrose and Rollins is a great storyline as well. I find Reigns to be boring. All in all though the overall product has been getting a little more tolerable. Without a doubt WWE has peaked in popularity and that was back in the attitude era. In terms of storylines, I think WWE will still get better however I don't think we will ever see as compelling storylines as we saw 10-15 years ago or so.

 

[nightmare]

Wrestling has always had its cycles. Things dip & come back up. For a bit things were kind of stale in ways, but in the past few years we have gotten some real changes. Punk's reign, Bryan and his rise to the top, Wyatts, Sheild, Focused Tag Team division, NXT being televised & its stars starting to come over to the main roster, etc. All these things along with some of the bigger moments (like Brock vs Taker)- have taken WWE out of a repetitive lull that many of us complained about & they have shaken things up a bit.


We all will have our gripes, even when things are running full steam. But saying WWE never changes is a bit off considering the differences today over a few years ago. We like some things & hate others, but at least the landscape has been changing toward the future.

 

[The Butcher]

I agree with all of you saying that things are better than they used to be, and my other post didn't reflect that. Like I said, it was a build up of irritants and seeing a good place to pause that made me decide to step away. Gave me a chance to handle some business as well, as 2014 started off hectic for me. But yeah, WWE has come a long way from the days of Chavo/Hornswoggle, guest hosts, the anonymous GM, and seemingly endless Orton/Cena/Orton/Cena title changes.

As for wrestling's cyclical nature, that's definitely true. I wonder, however, what it will be to spur the next hot period. I feel that WWE has to choose a direction and stick with it. For their product and for their Superstars, they have to be consistent. Like I said, it's all about quality. And that's in all facets. No, it'll never be perfect, but there are places where the screws can be tightened. The announce teams/WWE's style of broadcasting come to mind. I'm not looking for a Mike Tenay-like focus on calling every move. Hell, I came up on "Whatta maneuver!" The Raw crew so often just adds nothing, though. The presentation as well. Think of how much the look and feel of Raw changed from 1993 to 2003 and compare that to how much it's changed since. That doesn't help the feeling of stagnancy.

I definitely don't feel that things are as bad as some of us can make them out to be. I honestly didn't make a to do about leaving because I didn't want to be one of those types to come out and say "screw this, I'm not watching anymore." If WWE annoys you, just turn it off, you know? I've got to keep that in mind so as not to come across as another whiny smark. We all should. Don't like it, don't watch. If they see folks tuning out, they'll make changes. There aren't too terribly many changes to make, though. Again, if they just tighten some screws, they'll certainly get better.

 

[Bockwinkel's Class]

Pro-wrestling is just power rangers with more violence and blood (pre-PG). The sooner these fans realise this the less hate they will have on 'wrestling today'.

Actually I can remember a time when wrestling was marketed to and presented for adults. It didn't start becoming an out-and-out cartoon until Junior bought out his daddy.

 

[#tamale]

As for wrestling's cyclical nature, that's definitely true. I wonder, however, what it will be to spur the next hot period. I feel that WWE has to choose a direction and stick with it.

The boom period needs two things: a technological advancement and the right set of talent showcased along with that right set of talent.

They have the talent, it's just not being showcased properly with their technological advancement. With a talent pool of Lesnar, Cena, Bryan, Reigns, Rollins, Ambrose, Bray, Usos, Cesaro, Rusev, Orton, HHH, Rhodes bros., Big E, Bo, Sheamus, and the talent in NXT. Zayn, Neville, Kalisto, Breeze, The Ascencion, Devitt, Steen, Kenta, Crowe. Paige, AJ, Charlotte, Bayley, the Bellas, Stephanie, Sasha, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae.

Look at that pool of talent. The problem I see is creative and production. There is a disconnect somewhere. I'm looking at you Kevin Dunn.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

It may become entertaining again of course, anything can but I believe where wrestling is concerned the magic is gone. We practically know everything that's gonna happen before it does due to the internet, leaks etc. For me all the good characters seem like they've been done and that feeling just isn't there anymore. I don't think wrestling will go away but I think the glory days are gone for good.