10 Easy Ways Of Injecting Realism Into WWE

8. Bring Back Gene Okerlund

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WWE

Not literally - Renee Young is an effective and engaging presence on WWE television, which is more than you can say for Dasha Caruso.

The problem is that almost every interview she conducts is interrupted by the wrestler with whom the interviewee is feuding - often ending in a physical assault. A face, likelier to get attacked, is hardly going to look around warily, knowing full well how these things end. That would make too much sense.

That would make them look paranoid - but the answer isn't to make them look foolish. This trope paints the heel as a cartoon villain, too. It's ridiculous how they always know where their rival is at all times. Do they just follow them around, on their tiptoes, holding their forefinger to their mouth so as to request that passersby don't foil their clever scheme? This trope is an ACME explosion of stupidity.

Instead, it would be far more productive to mine wrestling's rich history and resurrect the famous pre-match interviews Mean Gene once conducted in front of that iconic sky blue background. Economic and logical, the star would spin a specific promo from a question posed by Okerlund in an environment not too dissimilar to that seen in real sports.

These iconic segments were rarely interrupted in a laughably contrived attempt to develop a feud.

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!