10 Times Outside Factors Totally Changed WWE WrestleMania

2. Multiple Injuries (WrestleMania 32)

SADAM Wrestlemania VII Speech
WWE.com

The WWE schedule is untenable, and it is untenable for all.

Demonstrably, hilariously at this point, Vince McMahon has neither the nous nor the patience to produce this many hours of coherent programming. The fandom cannot possibly care enough to invest in it, since his impulses converge to create an incomprehensible whole. And, all the while, the static cast of talent struggles to toil through it all, as their painstaking work is ignored by management or received ungratefully by us. It's almost as if we resent them for boring us, when they exist to wow us.

It is untenable. Nobody wins; 50/50 booking isn't just a symptom, it is a plague. A metaphor. This has been true for years, but it was particularly damning in 2016.

Seth Rollins, John Cena, Neville, Randy Orton, Cesaro and Luke Harper all missed WWE's biggest-ever super-show through injury, and the f*cking thing still lasted six and a half hours, inviting more flesh into the maw. With so few full-time performers at WWE's disposal, the Mad King took the decision to bring back the prodigal son.

Shane McMahon's return actually drew tens of thousands of punters, solidifying the "F*ck the guys who are around all the time lol" mentality. And now, they're f*cked.

Untenable.

Contributor
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!