10 Major Problems Facing WWE In 2017

2016 has had its fair share of peaks and valleys, and WWE's year has been nothing if not eventful. Pay-per-view match quality is much improved on last year, AJ Styles has emerged as a potential franchise player, and the company continued diversifying their product with the Cruiserweight Classic, the forthcoming UK Title, and SmackDown's dramatic Brand Split improvements.

On the other side, WrestleMania 32 was a flop, Raw is still at least an hour too long, and viewing figures hit an all-time low in September. WWE's monopolistic position provides a safety net from these problems and their consequences, but it's hard not to be disappointed by them as a fan. The company will never be perfect, but it's frustrating nonetheless.

Stories like the NJPW exodus, Goldberg's return, and the revived Brand Split made 2016 a year of unparalleled change, and thus, it's hard to know what to expect going forward. 2017 is gearing up to be an extremely interesting year for the company as a whole. The UK announcement shows that WWE don't intend on slowing down, but while there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the forthcoming year, there are just as many to be cautious.

WWE have successfully navigated most of 2016's biggest potholes, but a number remain, and many more will crop up as 2017 progresses. Here are 10 major problems facing WWE in 2017.

Many a jaw dropped when WWE announced that next year’s Royal Rumble would take place in San Antonio’s Alamodome. A gigantic 60,000-seater arena, the building last played host to the event in 1997, when hometown hero Shawn Michaels defeated Sycho Sid for the WWE Championship in the night’s main event. For context, this year’s Rumble drew an attendance of 15,170 in Orlando, and just 13,500 watched the event the last time it was held in San Antonio (2007).

WWE’s attendances have declined across the board in 2016, and they face a massive uphill struggle if they want to fill the Alamodome. It’ll take not only a huge promotional effort, but a near perfect build, and one of the most stacked PPV cards they’ve ever produced. The last thing WWE want is the embarrassment of empty seats at one of the biggest events of the year, and they’ve set themselves a lofty goal for January 29th.

A flat Royal Rumble will set 2017 off to a terrible start. It’s vital that WWE do everything within their power to avoid a half-full stadium, and if they’re able to do it, it’ll likely go down as one of the year’s biggest achievements. Last year’s flat Royal Rumble effectively doomed 2016’s first quarter to failure, and a sparse house in San Antonio will do the same for 2017.