5 Reasons WWE Is Losing Fans In The Post-Kayfabe Era

Kayfabe is dead and WWE is feeling the effects.

PAUL HEYMAN Spoilers
WWE

It's fair to say, by any reasonable measure, 2019 has not been a good year for WWE. Ratings are low, stock prices are down, and a large portion of the fanbase seems disillusioned with the product as a whole.

There are plenty of reasons why professional wrestling, or at least WWE, is struggling to maintain their fanbase, but there is one catalyst that is often overlooked in these types of discussions —the death of kayfabe.

Since the early-twentieth-century, a large portion of the public has known professional wrestling was more entertainment than traditional sport. The being said, WWE decided to keep kayfabe alive up until around the time the Attitude Era was in full swing.

Fortunately, at that point, the Monday Night Wars were well underway and the effects of kayfabe's demise weren't immediately felt or in some cases hadn't yet manifested.

However, once fans were allowed behind the curtain (metaphorically speaking), professional wrestling changed forever.

The death of kayfabe has had many consequences and is now playing a major role in WWE's inability to stimulate an increasingly disinterested audience.

To illustrate the previous point, it's time to take a look at five examples of problems that the post-kayfabe error has created for Vince McMahon and company.

5. Fans Have Become Critics

PAUL HEYMAN Spoilers
WWE

Perhaps the biggest challenge for WWE in the post-kayfabe era is dealing with the type of fans it has created, namely, the wrestling critic.

The way many fans consume the product these days is very different than it was in years past. Now that it's presented as performance art, a large portion of the audience is far more eager to critique a storyline, than become immersed in it.

Instead of wondering who is going to capture the world title, many modern fans are talking about which duo is going to have, what they consider to be, a five-star match.

This creates a daunting challenge for WWE creative, who must find a way to appease the critics and the remaining audience members who still want an immersive experience.

The other problem is, simply put, critics tend to be critical.

Complaining can easily become a habit and in the internet age, contagious. Unfortunately, for WWE, complaining also gets exhausting, and after years of doing it, a lot of fans have simply stopped watching their programming altogether.

To be fair, creatively speaking, WWE has given the wrestling critics plenty of ammunition in recent years.

That being said, this new generation of post-kayfabe fans may simply be too jaded or used to dumping on the product to ever re-engage in a positive way for any meaningful period. If the last point turns out to be true, WWE could be in big trouble.

In this post: 
Paul Heyman
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Jacques graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Follow him on twitter @goodeals79.