10 Reasons Why WWE Fans Are Sick Of Nostalgia
8. We Know Now What Reinvention Looks Like
Chris Jericho underwent his umpteenth career renaissance over the past few months in what has emerged as a sensational stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Repurposed as a dangerous, foul-mouthed, hilarious heel, 2018 Chris Jericho is an absolute revelation. This is a man who refuses to stay still, even after discovering a Best Friend act far more entertaining than he'd portrayed in an age. The act feels so new that years of nothing programmes with the likes of Ryback and Fandango have dissipated from the memory bank. What was old was made new again.
In stark, damning contrast, WWE's handling of the past preserves so much of it in amber. Change is either incongruous, or nonexistent. There is no excuse for a lack of imagination; Jericho has proved, conclusively, that real change translates to real, calculable growth and excitement. Kane, meanwhile, is destructive only in the most dubious definition imaginable.
Sometimes, a blunt insight is the most effective: the same old sh*t proffered by the old guard of WWE feels more than ever like an apathetic shortcut to a lapsed fan with no lasting interest in returning to WWE on a full-time basis.
The part-timers spike part-time interest only.