10 Ways To Refresh WWE's Stale Television Product
7. Take The Reins Off
While WWE’s dedication to protecting their performers’ health and safety is admirable, and has likely saved them countless major injuries over the years, things have gone too far between the ropes. The PG rating isn’t quite as destructive as some would make you believe, but the in-ring restrictions placed on WWE workers hamper their ability to get over, and leaves many of the company’s matches feeling completely indistinguishable.
We’re not proposing a return to the days of unprotected chairshots and reckless head-drops, but loosening the reins would definitely breathe new life into the product. The company have never had such a talented crew of wrestlers, and in-ring standards have rarely been as high as they are today, but think how much more exciting these matches could be if the wrestlers were given greater freedom.
No group suffers more from this than the Cruiserweight division. People don’t want to see Noam Dar slapping Mustafa Ali in a side headlock on 205 Live: they want flips, dives, and all-out action. Instead, the show’s current form offers almost nothing to differentiate it from Raw & SD, and the in-ring restrictions are a huge reason behind its inability to build a following.