Predicting What The Entire Wrestling World Will Look Like In Five Years

11. The General State Of WWE

It has been a decade since Brock Lesnar returned. A decade. 10 years.

It has been longer still since the Rock made his in-ring return, since the Undertaker started to wrestle the annual Streak match at WrestleMania, since the "part-timer" era began in earnest. Throughout that entire time period - over a decade, just to reiterate - many fans, your writer included for a while, thought this approach was counterproductive to long-term success. Untenable.

Throughout that entire time period, WWE has posted record revenues and future-proofed itself by striking unprecedented mega-money deals with USA, FOX and Peacock.

The fortunes of professional wrestling will coincide with the fortunes of the television industry, and its biggest existential threat, streaming services, are in slight decline. Netflix is showing signs of not insignificant trouble, and is cracking down on password sharing to stop the bleed.

WWE meanwhile has located a solution within the problem. John Cena has now evolved into a very strong part-time draw, and Roman Reigns, by 2027, may well follow the same path. Cody Rhodes has opened the real Forbidden Door, and since he's both a star and prospectus to potential AEW recruits, his signature represents another quick solution to the inevitable long-term problem that is the risible NXT 2.0.

WWE can't really make new stars, but don't discount Bianca Belair or the potential within Montez Ford. And if they don't work out long-term, how much does that matter?

While the mid level of interest in 'Mania this year was notable - they really struggled for that not-so-packed house - Cena and Reigns can operate as the new Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker.

In short, WWE never really changes, does it?