10 Bad Habits WWE MUST Kick

2. Mixed Messages

Brock Lesnar Greatest Royal Rumble
WWE.com

WWE's company-speak and mandated sponsor-friendly character verbiage isn't a new phenomenon, but has lately become substantially sh*ttier in light of the rampant hypocrisy at play.

Nia Jax cut a cringe-inducing post-match promo on bullies that was roundly booed by an audience that were then castigated by certain corners of Twitter. It wasn't Jax' fault per se, but like everything else currently asked of her she was ill-equipped to perform the role. The promo itself was as imbalanced as the match it followed, with a bullying rhetoric that ended in violent conclusion completely at odds with how parents would presumably wish their children's oppressors to meet their end.

That Nia - a woman kept off a card a week earlier just because money talked louder than gender equality - was chosen to deliver it was pointed and cynical gamesmanship from WWE, and fans knew it. They booed not just the hokey messaging, but the wonky subtext too.

There'd already been a heavy overdose of the #SheIs twitter surge from WWE superstars that week as it was. WWE could have donated every penny made from their involvement in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 project to women's causes, of course. But why do that when yet another 'philanthropic' charge will track better on the stock market?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett