10 Ways WWE Has Been An Absolute Mess In 2021
Repetition, releases, zombies, and murder. 2021 has been one helluva year for WWE.
Whenever the company is in the midst of negotiating a new television deal, WWE might try to convince studio executives that professional wrestling is a cyclical business, especially when things look a little grim.
There's quite a bit of truth to that rhetoric, but it's not all about the financial waxes and wanes. It also explains the way WWE has operated throughout the years.
In the early 1990s, WWE struggled to change with the times until it finally scored big with the Attitude Era. The initial transition back to a PG-friendly format was also a rocky period of time for the company. However, 2021 is certainly giving the past a run for its money.
Vince McMahon and his cronies may very well be sitting on stacks of cash at the moment, with the sports entertainment company reporting record profits, but that doesn't mean the overall product is winning over the fans. Worse, it doesn't seem to be attracting new viewers either.
From creative gaffes to the gross mismanagement of talent, 2021 has been one doozie of a year for WWE, to say the least. Sadly, it doesn't appear that things will change any time soon from the signs of things...
10. Bringing Back The Fiend Just To Kill Him Again
Things were off to a terrific start when Bray Wyatt resurfaced in 2019 and dismantled Finn Balor, but WWE couldn't go two matches before bungling everything up.
WWE simply hasn't been able to maintain 'The Fiend' canon. Despite winning audiences over with his original presentation, Vince & co. tampered with a winning formula and forced out enough paranormal banter to make even The Undertaker cringe. If 2019 Wyatt was a spoonful of sugar, the 2021 version was a shot of Ipecac.
If there was any hope left, it was the Randy Orton feud. It might have been riddled with Papa Shango levels of dark magic and an evil Alexa Bliss, but it was still long-term storytelling coming full circle. And when 'The Viper' burned Wyatt alive at TLC, it meant WWE could let the character chill for a moment before bringing him back even stronger.
That would have been too easy. Instead, 'The Fiend' returned in over-produced fashion only to job to Orton at WrestleMania. Not only was this another big loss for Wyatt, but the finish also made him look foolish, especially since his opponent tried to murder him a few months prior. And then he vanished.
Rumblings of Wyatt from WWE's side have certainly calmed down since April, especially with Bliss lifting the act on Raw. Only time will tell how Wyatt will return, but unless it's 'The Demon' vs 'The Fiend,' it's hard to see how fans could be won back over