It happens every single year. Coming off of the SummerSlam high, WWE falls back into a bit of a funk. That funk usually lasts a few months, leading up to the next year, where the programming and stories begin to lead up to the Royal Rumble. That's when things pick back up, as everyone gets caught up in the wave of the Road To WrestleMania. While it does happen every year, without fail, this year seems to be as bad as it has ever been. Even some of the company's biggest and staunchest supporters are turning on the product these days, saying how much of a chore it is to get through episodes of Raw, Main Event, and Smackdown these days. It's a sad time for the WWE Universe. There are a lot of contributing factors to why WWE is in a "down" phase right now. This article will be taking a look at ten of the absolute biggest factors, explaining why television ratings are down, WWE Network subscriptions aren't at the level the company wants them to be, Twitter inclusion is down at record lows, and why people just seem to be tuning out and looking for other things to do with their time.
10. No CM Punk
The mere mention of this man's name begins endless conversations, both good and bad. You have the people who feel Punk should stay away from wrestling, saying he should focus on getting his body healthy for the first time since he began wrestling. Then, on the flip side, you have the people who feel Punk is the key piece that is missing from the puzzle. No matter what your personal opinions of Punk happen to be, there is no denying that he brings something different to the table. He brings something that nobody else on the WWE roster can bring. His own unique brand of unpredictability is refreshing for the overall product. The fact that you never fully know what to expect from him helps to stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter and things that are easy to predict. One could say that Dean Ambrose is the "new CM Punk", and while a part of that is certainly true, Ambrose is an unproven commodity in the eyes of WWE Management. He can become something very special, but to this point, he hasn't yet been given that green light by the company. Punk is proven, and has shown that on several occasions. Punk got more match and promo time than Ambrose gets, and he used that to his advantage, making a lot of his appearances must-see television. It doesn't matter what anyone tells you... if that opening static hits, leading to the familiar guitar riffs of "Cult Of Personality", the crowd will go crazy, and business will have picked up immediately. Unfortunately, it's probably something we'll never experience again.
Columnist/Podcaster/Director at LordsOfPain.net for nearly seven years, with nearly 2000 total columns written. Interviewed and/or involved in interviewing the likes of Tyler Black/Seth Rollins (twice), Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, Uhaa Nation and more.
