It's been a while since WWE was truly "cool" in the mainstream, but when was the last time it felt cool to us, the loyal wrestling fans? Probably when Daniel Bryan was finally reaching the main event, then winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX. Millions of words have been written about just how difficult Bryan's journey to get to the top was, and just how reticent the company was to push him as hard as they eventually did. Once they finally relented, though, the result was one of the most powerful WrestleMania narratives of all time. Once Bryan did win the title, Raw ratings began to climb, an ascent that ended when an injured Bryan was forced to relinquish it. Why was it so difficult for WWE to give the fans what they wanted in the form of a push for Bryan? Why has WWE spent the past year pushing Roman Reigns at the expense of more popular superstars? Why does the company refuse to listen to the fans? Decision-makers at WWE believe that they know what's best, but the past several years (and the past year, especially) have proven that isn't the case. While it's a stretch to think that a random fan could do a better job, there's no reason for the company to ignore the WWE Universe en masse. WWE's customers will always have a better grasp on what's relevant and exciting than the top brass, especially a 70-year-old chairman who, in the end, calls all the shots. If WWE wants to be cool again, then the company must adapt. Taking fans' concerns into consideration is the first - and most crucial - step.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
