10 Major Flaws With WWE's Current Pay-Per-View Model
7. Endless Rematches
One of the biggest problems created by WWE’s PPV overload is the seemingly endless stream of rematches. The limited gap between shows means that creative no longer have enough time to tell a compelling story in a single pay-per-view arc, forcing them to stretch feuds out by booking the same match over and over again. This makes it incredibly difficult for fans to get excited by the show, regardless of potential match quality.
This weekend’s Battleground card says it all. Four of the seven bouts announced so far are contests we’ve seen at least once over the past few months, while John Cena vs. Rusev is a rehash of their lame 2015 feud, and the women’s Fatal 5-Way is the latest in a long stream of multi-person matches featuring the same personnel. This leaves just one first-time bout: Baron Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.
Some of these bouts may well be excellent, but it’s tough to shake the “been there, done that” vibe. Sadly, pay-per-views have become Rematch City, and it’s hard to see this changing without a significant restructure of the company’s annual schedule.