10 Ways To Refresh WWE's Stale Television Product
9. Stop Relying On Outdated Tropes
WWE are often said to be out of touch with modern wrestling fans, and while the company have undeniably helped push the sport forward in a number of major ways over the past few decades, there’s weight to the argument. While things like NXT and the WWE Network have brought advancement, the company’s TV product remains deeply rooted in the past, and much of this is down to their over-reliance on tiresome old tropes.
Whenever a wrestler competes in his or her hometown, you can almost guarantee they’re going to lose. With Jinder Mahal’s recent ascension on SmackDown, the outdated anti-USA heel character archetype is alive and well. Referees are as weak and easily distracted as ever. The company’s top babyfaces are often portrayed as borderline invincible, keeping Hulk Hogan’s spirit alive.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, and from top to bottom, WWE programming is littered with motifs that were highly effective in previous eras, but have become trite in 2017. Subverting these tropes would go a long way to refreshing Raw and SmackDown, and presenting WWE as the revolutionary, forward-thinking company they desperately want you to see them as.