10 Ways WWE Are Still Stuck In The Past

4. Obsession With "Making History"

The Undertaker Goldberg
WWE.com

The standard of in-ring competition in WWE might be higher than ever before, but it’d be a stretch to say that WWE’s product is all about the wrestling these days. Sure, guys like AJ Styles have gotten over on the strength of their skills, but WWE remains a soap opera, and “making history” has become the primary concern.

No Raw passes by without Michael Cole spewing out the phrase a handful of times, and it’s getting tedious. WWE have become obsessed not with letting their current matches and storylines succeed on their own merit, but needlessly comparing them with historical moments at every juncture. The New Day’s Tag Title run was completely derailed by WWE’s single-mindedness on beating Demolition’s record 478-day reign, for example, and John Cena’s recent WWE Championship win was done only to put him in the same conversation as Ric Flair.

WWE are always looking to the past for new records to break, regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Did anyone really need the last 3-4 months of that New Day reign? Of course not, but WWE don’t book for the future anymore. They find a record, break it, and then have little idea on how to move forward with the talent in question. This keeps the wrestlers themselves deeply rooted in the past, and keeps them from standing on their own two feet away from these needless comparisons.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.