10 Uncomfortable Wrestling Truths

8. Manufactured Moments Maintained

Asuka NXT TakeOver Respect
WWE.com

Recent dirtsheet buzz suggests that Vince McMahon's grand plan to cement the legend of the New Day is to script the group to smash the Dudley Boyz' record of nine assorted WWE Tag Team Title reigns. Big E et al. are currently sitting on three reigns - which means hot potato booking will threaten to cool the organic momentum generated through their successful switch to SmackDown.

This comes after the group approached shark-jumping territory by (de facto) breaking Demolition's reign as the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions - a nominal achievement that stymied the intrigue surrounding the late-2016 RAW doubles scene with an air of inevitability. Not that that mattered; WWE sacrificed organic storytelling at the altar of manufactured buzz, and seems intent on persisting with that philosophy in spite of the devalued investments strewn in its wake. It's more of the same sh*t that ruined the RAW Women's division late last year. The idea of Charlotte as the queen bee of PPV didn't create a legacy; it created the meme of Charlotte Wins On Sundays LOL.

It was too forced to resonate - but it at least allowed Michael Cole the opportunity to scream a few soundbites for a video package.

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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!