10 Reasons Why WWE’s Future Is Brighter Than You Might Think

6. Feasibly ANYBODY Could Get Signed

Asuka wwe
WWE.com

WWE's old recruitment policy - of emphasising physique and looks over talent, experience, even popularity - is a thing of the past.

That past still haunts the company. Murmurs are growing that high-ranking officials weren't happy about the aesthetic appeal of many of the Mae Young Classic participants. There's also the dubious barbs aimed at Kevin Owens to consider. Even a former top tier champion is not safe from sniping; it was only last week that John Cena referred to him as the Michelin Man on SmackDown. The pervading WWE culture remains toxic, but increasingly, there are no barriers to the doors of Titan Towers.

Talent trumps all else in 2017. Asuka speaks in accented English, and was in her thirties when WWE signed her. Kassius Ohno gained more weight after first losing his WWE job as a result of poor conditioning, but returned this year to prop up the touring NXT brand. Even if, as some quarters suggest, he was resigned purely to spite the indies, he nevertheless has a platform on which to succeed and make the most money available in wrestling.

WWE often doesn't use these new recruits to the best of their ability - in the case of Owens, that is more by obstruction than incompetence - but we are still in the midst of a revolution. They haven't gone full Bertha Faye, at least.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!