2. Unlike Wrestlers, There Is A Relative Lack of Comeuppance Among Authority Figures
The formula has become... well, formulaic by now. An authority figure tries to screw over a wrestler one way or another, and more often than not, they succeed. Occasionally, our hero manages to overcome the odds, leaving them stewing for a brief time. However, for all the devastating blows they give, the comeuppance they receive is relatively quite rare. Even when it does happen, it only manages to put a slight dent in their armor, as they're seldom on the end of such a devastating blow themselves. Whatever damage they are dealt tends to feel lacking and without a lasting impact, as they're more often than not back to their old games the next night. Five tablespoons of salt for every teaspoon of sugar, basically. In the Austin/McMahon feud, Vince was great at setting himself up to take a fall. Part of what made the whole thing work so well was that they were constantly trading shots week after week, each trying to get one up on the other. These days, it usually amounts more to the good guys just taking their lumps and trying to endure whatever happens until it's over. Austin frequently humiliated Vince in one way or another, while the worst the faces of today manage to do is not give up. What's the worst thing that's happened to The Authority lately? Daniel Bryan winning at WrestleMania? That really had a lasting impact, didn't it? Side note: Didn't The Authority holding Bryan down coupled with his absence in the Royal Rumble and being added to the WrestleMania title picture at almost the last minute feel almost uncomfortably meta?