10 Absolute Worst Ways WWE Dragged Out Feuds
6. Corporation >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Authority
Remember the Attitude Era? Of course you do; nobody, not least several generations of the talent that followed, is allowed to forget it.
Though it haunts the modern landscape like a mummified, problematic uncle, it remains so vivid because the sheer star power and the deafening reception to it drowned out the narrative inconsistencies. WWE protected its top star, Steve Austin, by concocting through antagonist Mr. McMahon a series of schemes so fiendish and convoluted (Deadly Games, Higher Power etc.) that he never once appeared dimwitted for falling into the trap. Nothing held up to scrutiny, but the old WWF was careful to protect its stars, if not storyline integrity. The new WWE is markedly different.
Think of this new approach as a rolodex of rubbish contrivances WWE flicks through to procrastinate. On one card the words "SELECTIVELY STUPID/CORRUPTIBLE REFEREE" is written. On another, "BIG SHOW INTERFERENCE". On another, "LEGEND RETURNS FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY". The order doesn't matter, because there is no sense of narrative progression but a mandate to hit the same blue-balled beats to stretch a one month development throughout an entire season.
And so we arrive at 2013's Daniel Bryan Vs. The Authority: a programme pitched as this decade's Austin Vs. McMahon, only, WWE had no plans to achieve the same goal of portraying Bryan as the face of the company. Instead, Creative simply flicked through the rolodex - and why bother protecting Bryan? - until they located the Batista appointment in January.
Happily, this halfhearted, counterproductive and often spiteful business did not work - because it wasn't best for it.