10 Solutions To The Hot Mess That Is WWE Creative

9. Make Wins And Losses Matter

Brock Lesnar SummerSlam
WWE.com

Other than for titles - or "They've fought countless times already, but RAW is three f*cking hours long, so let's just book them in the exact same match" - there's no reason for the talents in WWE to actually compete against one another, especially since the concept of competition barely exists. It doesn't matter if a wrestler wins or loses; they'll invariably exchange wins with one another for weeks and months on end.

A league system works brilliantly in theory. There is scope for upsets, relegations, promotions, epic last minute surges in form, and a fixture list that negates constant visits to Rematch City. A formal ranking system probably isn't the answer, nice thought it would be to reward the investment and enthusiasm of the audience by making things matter. Injuries, and performers getting over unexpectedly (or not working in execution as well as in theory) would lock creative into something from which there is no satisfying nor logical escape.

Still, it's not exactly difficult, with a deep creative department, to push more than one or two performers at once or create the illusion of a push, or stakes. Reward victories with title shots or hints at them, and punish losses with a week off TV - or at least mention that match outcomes have some bearing on the title picture.

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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!