10 Times WWE Caved To Public Pressure
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It was remarkable to see Vince McMahon cut such a coherent promo during the Monday Night Raw segment in which he suspended Roman Reigns following 'The Big Dog's caustic comments on Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Just being able to stand up in the Gorilla Position as Roman approached was miraculous enough.
The Chairman has spent so many years gritting his teeth and digging in his heels that it's a wonder he still has functioning fangs and feet. His legendary stubbornness has crafted a world that fosters something of a Stockholm Syndrome from supporters - assured as they are that McMahon won't change his mind on something, fans often gradually tolerate and even enjoy what they're given.
Though it's been one of the crudest secrets of his success, it's opened up enormous chasms between WWE and its core audience. Countless fans speak of times where they went 'dark' on the product, with even more openly admitting to a casual interest and nothing more. WWE's astronomical fanbase is still ultimately controlled by the whims of its audience of one.
It's why the formal announcement that Fabulous Moolah's name had been dropped from the inaugural WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal was so surprising. WWE presumably weren't blind to the potential backlash, but the adoration Vince held for the former Women's Champion clearly usurped any concern. An immediate outburst from the public transposed itself upon 'Show Of Shows' sponsors to force the change, in a rare win for voices of reason that didn't have the surname McMahon.
Rare. But not impossible...
10. Guidance
On July 22nd 2008, an episode of WWE Smackdown aired with a PG rating at the top of the show. It reflected a move away from the company's long-held TV-14/TV-PG DLV (suggestive Dialogue/infrequent coarse Language/moderate Violence) benchmarks that had carefully positioned the show as potentially unsuitable for children since the Attitude Era.
For many years, it was a tightrope the company walked with aplomb - though far from the chaos and carnage on display weekly at the turn of the century, WWE were still able to do virtually anything they wanted on Monday Night Raw whilst guiding parents to their weekend vehicles for safely packaged and edited snatches of Raw's best bits. It was an open secret that kids watched anyway, but WWE could at least feign ignorance to the obvious reality in various meetings with notoriously testy sponsors and advertisers.
An impending action figure deal with toy giant Mattel in 2009 solidified the stance. It was posited as the biggest licensing agreement in company history at that point, and would indirectly dictate several key decisions made for real and in kayfabe in the years that followed. The most recent deal extended the relationship through until 2019. Those still clinging on to faint 'RIP PG' hopes have at least another year to stew.