10 Reasons Classic Wrestling Is Superior To Sports Entertainment
8. Backstage Personnel
When Ted Turner purchased WCW, he called WWE chairman Vince McMahon to tell him "Hey Vince, I'm in the wrasslin' business." Vince famously replied "That's great Ted. I'm in the entertainment business". This may seem obvious, but the wrestling industry once used to be run by...wrestling people!
Retired wrestlers used to go on to become bookers, road agents and other critical backstage roles. By having seasoned wrestling veterans involved in all aspects of production, it kept the product from flying too far off the mark. This also helped to protect kayfabe (wrestling secrets).
By the mid-1990s, Vince McMahon went full-bore into entertainment mode.
Many people from the "entertainment" industry were brought in to write storylines, book finishes and gloss up the entire presentation. In 2020, McMahon even hired Nick Khan away from a talent agency and made him President of the company. He has since fired many of the former wrestlers who worked behind the scenes. The result is a very homogenized and safe product that ensures the shareholders are happy.