10 Reasons Why People Don't Give A Sh*t About WWE Anymore

In which the heel company generates go-away heat.

VINCE THUMB
WWE

It's difficult to gauge the buzz of a particular cultural "product" because the discourse surrounding it is often driven by the way in which one's social media activity is curated.

If you follow a certain group of people who no longer give a sh*t about WWE, you will get the impression that nobody gives a sh*t about it, or fewer people give a sh*t about it, at least.

"Nobody on my tl even tweets about RAW anymore," while likely true within certain quarters, isn't an accurate metric. @TribalChief69 might exclusively follow fellow Fed fanatics - @UsosBetter, @AlexaBlissParody and @CriticiseSashaAndPayThePriceOfDeath - and log off thinking that WWE is as big as BTS or whatever the f*ck it is that's big now. That doesn't make it any more true.

Obviously, some people do still give a sh*t about WWE. SmackDown performs remarkably well in the key demographic, and the promotion is hosting four "premium live events" in stadiums in 2022.

But the vague sense that, actually, fewer and fewer people give a sh*t still persists - and it's not merely anecdotal, or a silent echo of doorknob-dead crowds. Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics recently analysed WWE's Google performance and discovered that December 2021 generated the promotion's lowest penetration since the introduction of Google Trends in 2004 - this, despite other sports growing in recent years.

People, demonstrably, don't give a sh*t about WWE anymore.

Why?

10. They Only Give A Sh*t About Pushing A Handful Of People

VINCE THUMB
WWE.com

It would be histrionic to claim that WWE is anything like Heroes Of Wrestling. The average age of the performers who headlined that event was 41.5, just below the WWE Premium Live Event Average.

Also: it's not that bad, which is really the nicest thing one can really say about it.

The Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar programme is hot. What's staggering is how much of an equal Roman appears stood in front of the man whose credibility once reduced him to the status of a half-sentient action figure played by Vince McMahon and Vince alone. The programme underscores the creative brilliance of Roman's reinvention as the 'Head of the Table'.

But beyond that?

Randy Orton is always worth investing in. You can watch the career of Seth Rollins without thinking "This is a complete waste of f*cking time, he won't be on television next week". Becky Lynch while miscast as an inadvertent babyface killer is always going to feature. They're not going to pay Kevin Owens not to do anything, and he's always in the mix. In what is a rewarding development and indictment, all at the same time, WWE got Bobby Lashley right, and it only took them 16 years.

But what links all of these performers...?

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!