10 Wrestling Clichés You Can't Ignore

10. The Convenient Card

What on earth would WWE do about a 30 minute gap at the end of a broadcast if it wasn't for conveniently-placed scuffles taking place at the start of a show?

Tipping over into the sort of cliché that's more infuriating than endearing, WWE - minus the feeling of earnest spontaneity of the Attitude Era - have been booking matches on-the-fly for so long that it feels as natural as actually promoting something in advance. They've managed to show disdain for that very concept simultaneously; Randy Orton Vs Braun Strowman was announced as a first time ever bout on a recent edition of the show, and not only was it replaced with bullsh*t set up earlier in the show but also wasn't even acknowledged as an omission.

There's maybe a middle ground to be found between the promoted event and Eric Bischoff's own belief that in order to feel live the actions have to be live. But wrestling is a paying for wrestlers - they're supposed to turn up to work and wrestle matches. The angles the events they find themselves accidentally inserted to in between the task of fighting. Or at least, that's the fundamental premise.

Ultimately, this trope permits bad and lazy booking, which unfortunately suits WWE's less-than-stellar record of organisation over the last 20 years.