10 Things WWE Could Learn From ITSELF 20 Years Ago

9. Stuck In A Moment

Triple H The Rock
WWE.com

Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in WWE because the company - more than ever before - is almost entirely about moments, and not just the kind Michael Cole insists spill out of every single WrestleMania match with reckless abandon.

Her unbelievably impressive performances at the 'Show Of Shows' and Money In The Bank etched in viewer minds her face of fury and dynamic and ever-developing skill-set. She is a force of nature capable of generating flickering flashbulbs in the era of smartphone selfies.

WWE asks fans with infuriating regularity to neglect canon beyond a week or so anyway. Dolph Ziggler left the United States Championship in the ring after winning it in December, so beneath him was the secondary strap. A strap he was later forced to fight for when his anonymous protest failed to spark a revolution. His recent Intercontinental Title victory abandoned that narrative entirely.

Like Dolph unseating Seth, it's best just to live for the moments in WWE, but the company aren't half as good as they used to be at creating them. There's a reason most DVD boxsets and Network lists feature a smorgasbord of Attitude Era stunts. Unlike the last Rollins match you fawned over, those actually left imprints.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett