3. Decide What To Do With Social Media
This one goes back to our old foe, consistency. The WWE obviously takes social media very seriously (if they didnt, Hulk Hogan would still have his legends deal) and quite rightly so. Social media, especially Twitter and Instagram, are huge and will continue to be huge in 2016. Its a fast way of connecting fans with their favourites, making people real and accessible. If someone like Dolph Ziggler responded to a tweet of yours, then its safe to say that youd be a bigger Dolph Ziggler fan than you were before. It all goes back to emotional investment again. However, social media can be used for advancing storylines in character, or it can be used for promoting the people who you see on your screen as real people. Unfortunately, the WWE cant seem to decide which one it wants to do. A few months ago, real life couple Lana and Rusev revealed on Twitter that they had just got engaged. WWE top brass were furious with this, as it directly contradicted the storyline between the two, where the two had split up and Rusev was now allied with Summer Rae and Lana was dating Dolph Ziggler. As a result, the storyline was scrapped and Rusev was in the doghouse, losing on Raw in three minutes. Yet mere months later, at the TLC show, Triple H was destroyed by Roman Reigns with multiple chair shots and a spear. Understandably, he did not appear on Raw and a near-tearful Stephanie McMahon explained how her real-life husband was in hospital and was coughing up blood. However, 24 hours later, Triple H tweeted a picture of him looking perfectly healthy, standing on the famous Wembley Way, promoting the NXT Takeover London special that was taking place at Wembley Arena the next day. And on the next day, he appeared in the ring, looking perfectly healthy. While he acknowledged the angle with Reigns, he summarily dismissed it, very much going against the storyline. So are we meant to believe that Triple H made a miraculous recovery, enough for him to hop on a plane straight out of the hospital? Or are we meant to think that Twitter is real life and TV is storyline? In which case, why were Rusev and Lana punished? With the excellent Breaking Ground show on the WWE Network showing the real life characters of the wrestlers, and showing everyone travelling together whether theyre feuding or not, the WWE needs to decide whether they want to present their talent as larger than life characters, or real life, accessible people. They cant have it both.
Dean Ayass
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Dean Ayass is a well known name to British wrestling fans. A commentator, manager, booker and ring announcer who has been involved in the business since 1993, Dean's insight into the business is second to none.
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