WWE have an incredibly bright future ahead of them, if they want it. They have a fantastic roster which is probably the richest it’s ever been, they have a global Network which allows them to connect with their fans (yes FANS) around the world without having to go through third party networks. They have a fantastic Performance Center which is allowing them to build their own talent as well as scouting for others around the world and they have a loyal fanbase that has stuck with them through thick and thin.
Yet something is wrong, WWE is providing a product which is better than it’s been in such a long time yet it’s also some of the most boring television I can remember watching. Gone are the days of every main event being a bloodbath, gone are the days of bikini contests, gone are the days of swearing and constant sexual innuendos. Now we have a (fairly) responsible product which is for the large part family friendly. We get great contests in the ring every week and we have a safer environment for them to entertain us.
However, with all those improvements we have lost the drama that we all probably loved when we were younger. The product doesn’t engage us like it once did. I now watch and never feel like I’m going to see anything different. Everything feels universal and too structured. Shows blend into one another. This ranges from the sets being the same, whether it’s RAW, SmackDown or a PPV; or the fact that every RAW has the same format and structure. If it doesn’t look the same then it certainly sounds it, as no matter who sits behind that announce desk, Michael Cole, Byron Saxon, Jerry Lawler, Tom Phillips or Rich Brennan. They all sound the same as they churn out the same corporate and sponsorship lines which seem to be fed to them throughout the show.
