Why WWE's Ratings Desperation Is A GOOD Thing

The Magic Numbers.

the revival
WWE.com

"THEY ARE FIGHTING OVER SHAMPOO" was the fan sign that famously stole focus during the total snoozer between Edge and Booker T at the critically-condemned WrestleMania X8. It spoke louder than Booker himself in the Japanese hair care commercial he failed to snag away from the future 'Rated-R Superstar'. It was voluminous (unlike the former Five-Time WCW Champion's locks, evidently) in it's toxicity. It was inspired in its simplicity. It was everything the storyline wasn't, and was comfortably the most entertaining element of the payoff as a result.

Should deferrence be offered to this angle because it's nearly two decades old? Ordinarily, such sh*te would develop a certain charm through the passage of time, but this week's edition of Raw was a pained reminder that in WWE, time - unlike Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder - stands totally f*cking still.

Was this latest embarrassing chapter in The Revival's insipid main roster story in fact their own endorsement for "Usoy Hot", because they didn't look as pleased with it as Edge did with his own commercial? Of course it b*stard wasn't - at least he got a WrestleMania match out of his embarrassment. Dash and Dawson were banished on the pre-show doghouse before the latter took the punishment literally by dragging his a*se across the ring on Raw.

The segment was the nadir of the flagship's own latest lowest ebb - a stinker of a Raw that will post a rating reflective of the creative catastrophe on display, even if Vince McMahon and Roman Reigns' joint presence remotely (and, artificially) inflate the figure. The former NXT Tag Team Champions were at long last headliners alright - but how long can these lead stories be fuelled by fervent fume?

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett