10 Things WWE Are Seriously Neglecting In 2017
Missed opportunities, squandered ideas, and wasted assets - welcome to WWE in 2017.
The WWE landscape today is lightyears away from where it was a decade ago and an entire universe away from where it was in the late '90s. Compared to the WWF of the Monday Night Wars, the product is almost unrecognisable.
While that evolution has meant the introduction of the WWE Network, it has also meant a growing divide between WWE and everyone else. With no competition, WWE can do no wrong - or rather they can, but there will be no consequences.
Simply put, WWE are the Coca Cola of the wrestling business and the death of WCW has left them without a Pepsi nipping at their heels. Sadly for the fans, that success also brings with it a degree of arrogance and complacency.
Would WWE have pulled its pyro budget if WCW were still opening each show like it was 4th July? Highly unlikely. Would failing babyfaces continue to be pushed if Goldberg was still amid 'The Streak'? Certainly not.
Sadly, with Impact and New Japan distant seconds both domestically and internationally, WWE can largely do whatever they like without fear of reprisals. All of which has led them to overlook a number of key areas of their business.
10. The Set
One of the more noticeable changes in WWE in 2017 is the company's move to universal sets. Gone are the days of the swinging blades for Backlash or the fist of SmackDown, replaced instead with a generic big screen and ramp combo.
Staging can make a huge difference to the overall presentation and a unique set design can instantly differentiate one event from another. If you were to look back at each PPV event from 15 years ago compared to today, the contrast is staggering. In an era where there are more PPVs than ever before, the need for bespoke set designs is all the more important and an area of the presentation that is becoming noticeably overlooked.
By making the set of each show - whether it's Raw, SmackDown or a PPV - almost completely identical, WWE have taken away the individual identity of each event, particularly when it comes to PPVs. What's more, it also reinforces the criticism that not enough has been done to present Raw and SmackDown as separate entities.
If WWE really want to present Raw and SmackDown as competitive rivals, they should make more of an effort to present them as unique. Distinctive set designs are the easiest and most noticeable way to make that happen.