10 Bad Habits WWE Must Kick In 2019

6. Bad Comedy

Andre The Giant HBO Vince McMahon
WWE

With the stark exception of the Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch rivalry—WWE’s most acclaimed of the year, tellingly—so many would-be blood feuds were undermined in 2018 by a f*ck-headed insistence on comedy. Even if the comedy were funny, the bullsh*t skits would have damaged the tone. The comedy wasn’t funny. The comedy manifested as a Dr. Shelby showreel and Bane cosplay.

From breaking hands to splitting sides, Sasha Banks and Bayley went to counselling to settle their differences. Great. Something worse than “You’re gonna have a match…right now!”

Something that was the opposite of professional wrestling!

Daniel Bryan and The Miz looked like they wanted to murder one another on the unscripted Talking Smack in 2016. On the scripted SmackDown in 2018, Bryan, to promote their climactic “Super” showdown, appeared on Truth TV, on which the host confused Carmella for Maryse, and on which the host and the “other Maryse” interrupted Bryan’s fighting words with a “seven second dance break”. Bryan, overjoyed at the farce, laughed. He laughed.

Dean Ambrose remains a prop comic, even as a heel. Getting injections in his arse hasn’t put a shot in the arm of this ailing feud, funnily enough. Or not funnily enough, as the case may be.

Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch; Johnny Gargano Vs. Tomasso Ciampa; Conor McGregor Vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov: the paying public enjoys watching people who hate each other punching each other’s heads off in really intense fights.

By embracing the hate, WWE embraces that public.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!