10 Things That Absolutely SUCK About Wrestling Today

4. The Invisible Camera

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WWE

There is absolutely no excuse for WWE to use the incredibly stupid invisible camera device.

WWE is meant to be the market leader. Triple H is meant to be a purveyor of "cinema".

That's a load of absolute sh*te, sorry. The way in which WWE storylines are told lowers the ceiling of quality because every character is fundamentally stupid. The invisible camera cannot co-exist with wrestling as a live televised performance for which tickets are sold. The characters and audience inhabit the same world. The characters can watch, just as the audience can. Like a five day working week, it's just something that has been normalised. It shouldn't have been - every last plan or misunderstanding could simply be resolved if the characters watch the footage, to which they have access - but it has. That's how so much of the Bloodline saga was advanced.

AEW doesn't rely on this idiotic contrivance. NJPW doesn't either. Hell, for years, WWE didn't, and two of its greatest stories ever - the Mega Powers exploding, Bret and Owen's torturous, complex conflict - were all the better for it. Brilliant writing and performances drove those stories forward, the footage of which wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference.

The plotting and filming was so exquisite that the minds of Randy Savage and Owen Hart were made up; no incontrovertible video proof could have convinced them otherwise.

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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!