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

3. The Mass Releases Didn't Help

Aleister Black Big E Apollo Crews
WWE.com

Nobody is saying that WWE fans are goldfish or anything like that, but some - not all, some - have (or had) a tendency to project baseless pipe dreams onto the booking, having grown up with a product that slotted names in and out of the mix at random.

For example: Shinsuke Nakamura starred in a flattering gauntlet match on SmackDown in January 2021. This was it: apparent proof that he was destined for a major role at WrestleMania 37. He didn't even appear at the show, which was headlined by Daniel Bryan, one of the names he defeated in said match.

This was inevitable. This precise sort of development has eviscerated fan interest. The more cynical among us could foresee it, but hope was undying elsewhere.

This is fading rapidly. The way in which 2021 unfolded made naive message board dreaming that bit more unrealistic.

In another bizarre moment of whiplash, Malakai Black returned as 'The Dark Father' a few months later and attacked Big E. As it turned out, an AEW wrestler battered a future WWE Champion with zero comeback. It's hard enough to invest in an expendable midcard asset, given how close they are to the chop - but it's almost equally difficult to invest in the most marketed commodities.

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!