10 Problems WWE Faces After WrestleMania 33

What happens on April 3?

Roman Reigns August 2016
WWE.com

This Sunday is WrestleMania, and this time of year, pro wrestling fever reaches its apex. Even in a year in which the card for the show of shows doesn't look particularly strong (like 2017, for instance), the sheer pomp and circumstance of WrestleMania ensure that fans are thinking about it as the be-all and end-all of the sport's schedule.

Still, there's no break after WrestleMania - Raw is the following evening, and with it comes all-new storylines that WWE must construct in order to keep a fanbase accustomed to constant content interested. As viewers and analysts have seen in the past, the company has trouble maintaining the momentum it accrues prior to the Show of Shows, and while there usually is some post-'Mania interest as fans stick around to see how storylines develop, things look pretty bleak by the time fall rolls around.

This year, in particular, WWE seems poised for some tough times following WrestleMania. With a reliance on part-timers and a failure to create compelling stories, it looks like this year, the funk that comes after WrestleMania may start earlier and hit harder than ever before.

It's going to be a long year.

10. NXT Will Need New Talent

Roman Reigns August 2016
WWE.com

Every year, WWE calls up stars from NXT in the wake of WrestleMania, and this year will be no different. That's not unusual - the developmental territory always has to make adjustments when they lose stars.

Unfortunately, their roster is a bit thinner than it's been in a while.

Last year, the brand lost Apollo Crews, Enzo, Big Cass, and The Vaudevillains, but still had Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, and Shinsuke Nakamura. Now, Bálor and Joe are gone, and Nakamura will be on the main roster before long. Bobby Roode is currently the NXT Champion, but he's not really a worker on the same level as previous NXT figureheads.

There are bright spots, of course - Roderick Strong and Andrade Cien Almas are climbing up the card, and Aleister Black will be debuting at TakeOver: Orlando. Still, those guys may have to shoot up the card sooner than planned in order to fill out the roster.

And don't even start on the Women's division, which currently only has two viable stars.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013