10 Desperate Moves WWE Made In A Panic Over Low Ratings

By Erik Beaston /

8. The Return Of Middle-Aged D-Generation X (2006)

The year 2006 was an abyss of crappy ratings ploys and none were worse than the return of D-Generation X. What was once a revolutionary faction hellbent on rebelling against authority was suddenly a poop joke-spewing duo who had not quite figured out that they were now grown 40-somethings and they brand of comedy was not funny. The green and black spray pain of DX was all over WWE television as the company tried desperately to reignite interest in the product. Instead, it caused fans who held the original faction so close to their hearts to shake their heads in disgust of the outdated, watered down shell before them. And it didn't work.
The shows remained consistent but never drew the numbers the company was hoping to attain. And it is not hard to see why. The feud between DX and the McMahons was something out of a bad cartoon on Adult Swim. There were cliches and puns galore, mixed with not-so-clever uses of the word "cock" to appear really edgy. Instead, fans saw right through it and anyone hoping for a new direction for the product was surely disappointed just a few weeks in.