10 HUGE Problems With WWE's Raw Vs SmackDown Survivor Series Concept

9. It's A Joke

Raw Fruit
WWE

Don't believe that? Just ask WWE writers and talent.

The New Day routinely walk the tightrope between WWE farce and knowing self-parody. Ahead of a nothing Monday Night Raw match with The Shining Stars earlier this year, Big E separated himself from a scripted line a split-second after he said it with a wry 'I didn't write that' exclamation ahead of swivelling his hips and encouraging a 'New Day Rocks' chant.

It was, in a microcosm, how The New Day get away with being who they are. Bucketloads of silliness satisfies Vince McMahon, but E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have found a middle ground that ensures their own credibility isn't lost no matter what booking they may end up briefly subjected to.

Such was the case on television this week. The three lead SmackDown's charge through Raw in a visual rather unbecoming of the gentile babyfaces they normally portray. Keen not to alienate their more discerning fanbase though, the triumvirate feigned rage and hurled a load of 'RAW' produce in a bin before their match against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin to reduce the siege to the comedic foil it-is-but-shouldn't-be. For the second time in a week, vegetables came to represent WWE's unhealthiest habits.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. 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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.