10 Times WWE Actually Admitted It Sucked

9. Kevin Owens Tells Shane McMahon How It Is

Kevin Owens Shane McMahon
WWE.com

To illustrate the central theme of WWE programming - that it sucks - let's fast-forward to 2019 for a cyclical example of it.

Shane McMahon had told Stephanie McMahon that RAW sucked. He couldn't make it not suck, because it sucks systemically, and so it was his time to be at the forefront of programming when it sucked, and it was the turn of Kevin Owens to tell us all that it sucked.

This is a thing, honestly. Shane McMahon turned heel, and dominated programming. The obnoxious and total insistence on heat segments led many fans to voice their displeasure, and the mood surrounding the programme was fictionalised into yet another overbearing authority figure versus voice of the voiceless babyface narrative.

On the July 9, 2019 SmackDown, Owens raged against Shane, and even referenced the infamous "You are the Authority now" deal that yes, we'll get to. He accused Shane of gobbling TV time up for himself and refusing to grant "opportunities" to the actual talent. SmackDown sucked, and they once more told you it sucked, and what's more, they held a Town Hall meeting so that the roster could also confirm that the show sucked.

"The show sucks" is WWE's central conceit, in much the same way as "the infrastructure of America is fundamentally broken" is the theme of The Wire.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!