10 Tough Questions WWE Must Ask Itself In 2021

WWE isn't self-aware.

Self-aware companies don't look at 11 straight years of television ratings falling at a higher rate than the cable average and decide that the best course of action isn't to repair their broken systems, but not even acknowledge the decades-old habits that perpetuate the death spiral.

They don't gather top executives in the ring, placate the audience by telling them they're in charge now, then proceed to change absolutely nothing. Removing 'Constable' Corbin from power did not start a revolution.

And they certainly don't thrust 54-year-old Goldberg back into a World Title feud 11 months after a universally reviled mauling of 'The Fiend'.

WWE, like its Chairman, is a stubborn old mule allergic to change. That February's year-end financial reports will show record-breaking profits despite the ongoing global health crisis will make matters worse. While WWE is less popular than it has been since first going national, inflated TV rights fees and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have made it richer than ever. Why would they change?

Because 'latter-day WCW' isn't a comparison point for 'modern-day WWE' anymore: it's a synonym.

The questions within highlight the core issues plaguing WWE today. Perhaps 2021 will be the year WWE finally develops enough self-awareness to look itself in the mirror and find the answers...

Absent since WrestleMania 36, where he dropped the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre, there's no telling when Brock Lesnar will walk back into WWE, stomp over one of the internet's favourite wrestlers, and embark on another long, divisive reign with a top championship - but it's inevitable.

Vince McMahon will turn to 'The Beast Incarnate' until Lesnar's body gives up on him or he decides he has made enough money and is finally ready to let combat sports go. Wage structures go out the window with Brock, whom WWE invest millions of dollars in after each new set of contract negotiations, and with Lesnar technically a free agent at the moment, the next set of talks will likely bring another big payday.

What kind of return is WWE getting on that investment? Not much, if the past few years are anything to go by.

Brock's appearances rarely generate the big ratings spikes they used to. The pay-per-view business is all but dead, so he can't pop buyrates, and lord knows how long it'll be before fans are allowed back. "Ticket sales" aren't a thing in the ThunderDome.

Lesnar remains one of WWE's biggest mainstream names, and a unique spectacle performer that can still give you an excellent match when motivated. What's the point in emptying the bank for him if his impact on business is barely greater than somebody on half his pay, though?