In the mid-1990s, WWE had hit a popularity low. Most of the company's signature stars had departed for more money in WCW, and while WWE's main-event talent was younger and more athletic, that didn't help ratings - at first. Over the course of the next couple of years, WWE started using talent like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart more effectively, then pushing new stars like Steve Austin and The Rock. All the while, the company kept hammering home that their stars were real competitors, while WCW's were old and washed-up. Eventually, that perception helped WWE win the wrestling war. Being the only game in town, though, meant that the company fell into some of the same practices that it had ridiculed. Not only did most of the WCW stars come back to WWE, but popular talent from the Attitude Era stuck around. Today, Kane and The Big Show are still active members of WWE's roster, turning away fans who expect Raw to feature superstars in their prime. Even more damaging, former stars like Triple H and The Undertaker work reduced schedules, but are treated like royalty when they do appear. The Rock is one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, but his appearances badly undermine full-time talent. In the '90s, WWE was forced to create new stars out of existing talent, and as a result, they captured millions of fans. Today, a reliance on the past has made Roman Reigns and company seem less important. While nobody is suggesting that the company stop using The Rock when they can, perhaps it's time to think about finding a better balance.
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