9 Most Desperate WWE Responses To Low Ratings

9. The Wild Card Rule

Before Vince McMahon slowly pecked Eric Bischoff's number onto his touchtone last week, WWE had already pulled in to Desperation Station back in May. Raw's lowest modern-day rating outside holiday seasons prompted an angry influx of e-mails to Stamford from concerned TV networks, who demanded an immediate improvement in numbers. The very next week, McMahon personally attended Raw to introduce the 'Wild Card' rule, which would allow up to three superstars to cross brands every week.

Or was it four? Nobody really knew - and they still don't. So vague were the stipulations of the latest effort to dowse the growing fire that they'd already been contravened by the close of the first episode, prompting one poor WWE staffer to write up an article trying to explain what the flip it was all about.

As you might imagine, watering down the prestige of superstars by having them overexposed even more has done little to nothing to improve viewership. Hence where we find ourselves today.