10 Reasons Why Old School Fans Struggle With Modern WWE

The only way to parse the logic of Mick Foley's placement as RAW General Manager is that Stephanie McMahon gets her kicks from belittling him. It is the only logical explanation for a simmering rivalry between a non-wrestler and a retired wrestler unable to compete on medical grounds.

Foley is far from the sole target of Stephanie's abuse. She rolls her eyes at everybody, irrespective of whether they are a heel or a face. Last year, she infamously dressed down Charlotte, a fellow heel, for relying on Ric Flair's interference to win wrestling matches - this, despite she herself orchestrating countless tainted wins for Randy Orton and Seth Rollins in her role as Authority matriarch.

But nobody was allowed to point that out. Nobody is allowed to dole out her comeuppance. Everybody has to eat her sh*t and like it. What's even more inexplicable than her counterproductive behaviour is her complete disinterest. Why does she even want to be there?

The whole Authority Figure trope is...well, it's not even a trope as much as it is a fundamental component of the new wrestling language. It was a revelation back in the 90s. The mere acknowledgement of the WWF's backstage machinations was incredible to long-time viewers, and even more incredible was Vince McMahon's willingness to show weakness. This is a man who refuses to sneeze in front of people. A man who perceives sleep as a human failing. And even he p*ssed his pants on live television.

Stephanie doesn't grasp that wrestlers have their own personalities with which they can get over because she looks at them all like they're wasps, buzzing around her head like an inconvenience.