10 Ways WWE Are Still Stuck In The Past
8. Rampant Nostalgia
WWE have come a long way in the past decade or so. The company’s in-ring content is better than ever before, the roster has never been this diverse and exciting, and the Women’s Revolution has completely changed the business. That being said, the company still aren’t confident enough to let the current product stand on its own two feet, and frequently turn to nostalgia as a means of filling airtime, particularly when it comes to the Attitude Era and ECW.
Attitude and ECW have been romanticised to a ridiculous level in the past few years, and while the former stands as one of the most successful periods in wrestling history, looking back often does more harm than good. WWE routinely trot out the likes of The Rock to belittle and take heat away from current performers, and put the old days on so high a pedestal that it’s impossible not to think of the present era as inferior by comparison.
ECW nostalgia is rife, too. It’s in the endless stream of “Extreme” Network specials, and brief revivals like the short-lived Team Extreme vs. Wyatt Family feud in December 2015. WWE have a great history, and they own the most comprehensive library of wrestling footage ever assembled. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little nostalgia here and there, but WWE’s overuse of such techniques is preventing them from becoming the progressive wrestling empire they want to be.