10 Times WWE Booked Themselves Into A Corner
Turning the screw.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia booked themselves into a corner with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi that allegedly took place in the Turkey consulate.
Khashoggi was outspoken against the regime, its harrowing human rights record, and the attempts to sports-wash it all away. This posed a problem; he was right, he had intimate knowledge of the backstage goings on, and his dirtsheet was influential. The Kingdom booked the angle without considering the long-term payoff. It was difficult for fans to suspend their disbelief - the "He just disappeared" plot hole was too gaping - and they found themselves in a worse position. The segment compromised the intended babyface turn and exacerbated their heel persona.
Oh, wait, sorry, that's not WWE. That is the brutal dictatorship WWE carries out propaganda for.
WWE, historically, has created similar problems for itself by first devising a masterstroke of conflict. The best pro wrestling programmes, and indeed all dramatic works, blindside you with a mystifying conundrum, in which the stakes are so vital to the characters that the repercussions are unthinkable. The Breaking Bad writer's room was phenomenal at this. Walter White was done for every week, from all directions, until he wasn't.
But this isn't science, bitch - it's WWE, pal!
10. Shayna Baszler Is A Vampire
On this week's Monday Night RAW, Shayna Baszler debuted as vampire and attacked Becky Lynch via bite to the neck.
A very optimistic and out-of-character echo to Freddie Blassie - people were more likely to make Buffy The Vampire Slayer memes than pour acid over Baszler - this plot development drew widespread mockery and or mild disappointment. It looked phoney, Baszler needed no such theatrics to get over, and Becky's various ambulance trips undersold and exaggerated the drama.
And what's more, there's nowhere else to go beyond two directions: total farce or a backwards step into the mundane. Either Baszler is simply a vampire now, which is preposterous, or wherever they go next, barring the sort of exquisitely-crafted feud WWE simply isn't capable of, will feel a bit meh. This was such a shocking, controversial and divisive moment that a wrestling programme, even a good one, will underwhelm as a spectacle.
Moreover, Vince absolutely loves props, and this should absolutely f*cking terrify you, mate.
Does Becky, who has taken to wearing meme shades and daft jackets, rock up on RAW with some garlic around her neck?