10 Bad Habits WWE Must Kick In 2019

2. Not Listening To The Fans

Andre The Giant HBO Vince McMahon
WWE.com

Is WWE the only media empire with this much contempt for its fanbase? This is the cost of total market domination: total self-indulgence.

WWE fans want fresh matches, not the same old stale sh*t. They don’t get them. WWE fans want babyfaces, babyface winners, to match and reward their emotional investment in the product. They instead see these ostensible heroes pummelled into oblivion, week after week. WWE fans want sh*t to make sense; they don’t want Drake Maverick to represent a pair of powerhouses on Monday, an absurd development in itself before we got to the piss, and turn babyface again on Wednesdays.

Most wrestling fans use the Internet as something of a painkiller in which to complain about and seek to make better the constant headache that is WWE’s main roster. Post-TakeOver Sundays are amazing. It’s sometimes difficult to get back to sleep, because the buzz is so palpable that we wish to share in it. Saturday nights and Sunday mornings feel like a genuine community to which it is plain nice belonging.

Imagine that sentiment all-year round.

WWE has recently told us that they're going to start listening to the fans, and listen they have, by alluding to the removal of the automatic rematch clause. And then they booked Asuka Vs. Becky Lynch for the Royal Rumble without a no. 1 contender's match.

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!