10 Really Strange Modern Wrestling Phenomenons

2. WWE's Abysmal Production Values

I Don T Feel So Good
WWE

WWE, as one would expect from the most minted wrestling promotion ever, used to look amazing. Explosive, technicolour pyro; bespoke sets highlighting the theme of a pay-per-view with a sumptuous stylistic touch; dazzling, convoluted lighting rigs: even when the in-ring action was of minor quality, the production was major league.

Nowadays, despite its overstuffed coffers, WWE shows look. Like. Sh*t.

Performers shout banalities into selfie cameras, using techniques Independent shows must resort to for budgetary reasons. Mercifully, promos are no longer captioned with inexplicably awful WordArt graphics. Pyro is reserved exclusively for WrestleMania, depriving WWE of its once ever-present sense of occasion, which really doesn't help in its mirroring of a product at once mundane and inconsequential. Adding to the generic onslaught, the PPV arena is nigh-on indistinguishable from that of television. Since the matches across each aren't too dissimilar, this, allied with a Network model that excuses multiple rematches, homogenises the product to such an extent that nothing feels special.

Kevin Dunn also appears to have suffered from some sort of indeterminate affliction, at least one symptom of which is nausea-inducing seizures. His camerawork is an almost Lynchian nightmare at times, as his known hatred of wrestling manifests as frenzied inattention to it.

The glitz, like so much else in WWE, is gone - and yet, the money multiplies seemingly by the day.

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!