20 Things You Learn Watching WWE Since 1997
How has the WWE product evolved since the 90s boom period?
During WWE's Attitude Era, millions of new fans were turned onto the company's product and pro wrestling in general. The result was a boom for the sport that eventually led WWE to put WCW out of business and become a billion-dollar entity.
Many teenagers and pre-teens were drawn in by the Attitude Era and the wild excitement that became a regular part of programming. While that particular era wouldn't last long, and a ton of fans tuned out by the early 2000s, those who stuck around developed a deep love for the sport. It carried them through the leaner years and often exposed them to other organizations.
As the Attitude Era converts enter their 20th year watching the product, quite a bit has obviously changed. Most of the faces are different, and young up-and-comers that fans once watched debut are now grizzled veterans. At the same time, though, a lot is the same - both good and bad.
Studying what's changed and what hasn't is a good way to understand just what the McMahons have learned, and what still eludes them.
20. Size Matters
Way before the Attitude Era, WWE has had a reputation as "the land of the big men." Vince McMahon is famous for preferring his superstars look imposing, often at the expense of in-ring talent.
Though that mindset was at its worst in the 1980s, it's clear from the number of men who have gotten undeserving pushes over the years that the mindset hasn't really changed. From Heidenreich to Snitsky to The Great Khali and more, McMahon's infamous statement about wanting stars who "turn heads in airports" has been proven true time and time again, athleticism be damned.
Currently, a couple of guys are benefiting from the size preference - Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin. To be perfectly fair, both are head and shoulders above those stars of yesteryear - Corbin is improving slowly, while Strowman has actually gotten better very quickly. Still, in a company that boasts the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Shinsuke Nakamura, there's no reason for these men to hold world titles. Except, of course, for the fact that they're tall.