10 Ways WWE Hasn't Learned From Its Mistakes

10. Regimented In-Ring Style

Among other things - all of the things - Jon Moxley on that infamous Talk Is Jericho appearance sounded off on how WWE's micromanagement extended to the ring.

"It's like they take wrestling away from you. 'Oh, don't worry about coming up with cool things to do in your matches, 'cause we have producers who will tell you exactly what to do in your matches'."

This oppressive systemic anti-art bullsh*t made Mox feel so nauseous that he became dizzy, much less despondent. In 2019, he left a company that wouldn't allow him to be Jon Moxley - he had to be wacky Dean Ambrose, tying up collar and elbow in a grudge match - to become Jon Moxley.

Ambrose was a big WWE name, and his star power helped AEW to all but win the ongoing Wednesday Night War. You'd think this development might have caused some introspection - the success of WCW incited cultural change - but no. WWE is an homogenised content factory and Vince McMahon knows best because he built it. The end, pal.

There's something quite shocking about the sight of Shanya Baszler just casually eating chains of what is often very weak-looking offence, since the standard in the RAW Women's division is, at best, uneven. But that's how Vince wants it. Shayna spoke to Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions recently, and told the world that Vince told her not to do wrestling. So she didn't. She had a "fight" with Natayla. Vince hated it. Natalya then led her through a main roster wrestling match - "drop-down, leapfrog" - and he loved it. The ambitious people shape the world. WWE stifles them. The TV rights fee era makes change pointless, much less possible.

But one day, that mentality will lose. It has to.