10 Ways WWE Is Killing WrestleMania

WrestleMania is eating itself.

Goldberg Mania 33
WWE.com

WrestleMania 33 was a mostly very good addition to the canon of the Grandest Stage. It provided trademark "Moments" both organic and manufactured, an eclectic card, and much discussion. It will undoubtedly linger in the memory of anybody who watched it for the rest of their life - but the lifeblood of the show itself is thinning.

There was little to suggest that the myriad problems the Show of Shows has endured in the stadium era are going away. As good as it was, its cachet is unsustainable.

Consider the absolute stupidity that was Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt's WWE Title match. The desperate quest to do something out of the ordinary - something to separate 'Mania from its more ho-hum counterparts - compelled WWE to project silly horror movie imagery onto the canvas.

It might have worked, had it made sense in the context of the match - but it didn't. It suggested that Orton was under some sort of psychological torture, but he was doing the torturing in their feud.

It was a special effect purely for the sake of a special effect - a visual symbol of the contrivances eating away at WrestleMania's core.

10. The Bloated Length

Goldberg Mania 33
WWE.com

Seven hours is a slog, irrespective of whether the viewer at home neglects or watches around it by paying no mind to the Kickoff portion. The crowd has to endure it - and as evidenced on Sunday, the ripple effect to those viewers at home is considerable.

Aside from its bizarre production, Bray Wyatt Vs. Randy Orton suffered from a lack of crowd heat. The fans in attendance couldn't muster much in the way of enthusiasm, and it's telling. The match only went ten minutes.

Even The Undertaker Vs. Roman Reigns didn't resonate quite as much as it should have. Roman Reigns was booed out of the building - but if the card wasn't as bloated as it was, the heat he commanded would have been nuclear. The fans, ultimately, were too tired.

You should come away from WrestleMania feeling emotionally exhausted, not physically exhausted. It's WrestleMania - the show that promises (or used to promise) that the interminable and inconsequential autumn months are worth persisting with. It's one night anticipated for several months. You shouldn't want it to end.

It's no wonder fans have taken to receiving the post-'Mania RAW as a hangover cure. The party that is 'Mania drags on way too long in the Network era.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!