10 Things You Learn Watching WWE TV After 9 Months Away

Something that has been really noticeable this past couple of weeks, is that there are a bunch of new wrestlers that have been rocketed up the card. That's great to see because WWE has really struggled with passing the torch in the past. But it’s also difficult to weigh the potential importance of the talent because WWE matches are amongst the most boring, and blandly homogenous bouts ever screened.

That’s not a criticism of the people involved, either. They are all proficient and athletic, and no doubt they are working their rear ends off. It’s just that the ‘WWE Style’ has become even more clinical at stifling creativite instincts in the ring. It might be tough for kids to believe, but there was once a time where matches were meant to look somewhat realistic. Wrestlers had different styles, and when they clashed they worked around each other’s strengths and weaknesses to produce something convincing on the fly. It was choreographed, but disbelief could be suspended.

In-ring action should really be the high point of the programme like it is on Lucha Underground. But in WWE, every bout feels like an anti-climax to some sequence that came before. Every move is painfully telegraphed, and it feels like nobody even gets out of second gear. It has become increasingly difficult to even remember who fought, who won, or what was special about any of the matches.

When you come back with fresh eyes (and a healthy dose of nostalgia, no doubt), it’s really noticeable that the likelihood of seeing something that you will remember years down the line is less than zero. Yet the talent pool is probably deeper than it’s been possibly ever. Why can’t they just let the talent use their training?