10 Major Challenges Facing WWE In 2019
2. Reconnecting With The Audience
WWE went full Vince Russo on Monday Night Raw in December.
With their flagship show in the midst of a historically bad creative run, the promotion had Seth Rollins walk out and actively acknowledge the issues plaguing Raw, with authority figure Baron Corbin the main target. WWE promised to fix it. 'We're listening,' they claimed. A radical solution was on the way.
It was the bloody McMahons.
Rarely had the hierarchy felt so out of touch than that specific moment, when they decided that more authority figures were the cure for their creative ailments. Now, we're doomed to complete McMahon control for however long Vince & co. deem necessary, and while the idea that these people are completely disconnected from their audience's needs and desires, it's clear that they're far from on the same level.
Never before has a successful entertainment organisation treated its audience with such disdain, but their wrestling monopoly means they haven't had to care for a long, long time. Let's hope their new competition changes that. A sharper, more fan-focused WWE would benefit everybody, though it still feels like too big an ask.