10 Ways WWE Has Warped The Minds Of Fans

9. There Is No Conspiracy Bias

Bayley SmackDown
WWE

"If AEW did it..."

There's a feeling across certain pockets of online wrestling fandom, not supported by something as inconvenient as evidence, since WWE NXT generates a higher star rating average than NJPW, that there is an institutional anti-WWE bias within pro wrestling media.

Here's the inconvenient truth: even if the creative model hadn't fallen into total disarray through chaotic last-minute planning, an isolated arrogance, and decades spent disconnected from reality, that model at its most robust isn't driven towards critical acclaim. That critics don't praise it is, accordingly, no surprise.

WWE is broad, mass-produced pro wrestling designed that way to capture what they perceive, through its toilet humour, soapy plots and basic match structure, the lowest common denominator. The main roster matches, generally, are patterned, comprehensible and worked with little in the way of expression. They don't want wrestling fans to like it. That's why they do not even market themselves as professional wrestling.

That's not to say, at all, that this machine isn't capable of brilliance: Page Vs. Omega, the best storyline in wrestling now is a spiritual extension of the genius Bret Vs. Owen Hart programme. And even now in WWE, Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks is fantastically detailed and compelling, some trademark braindead finishes aside. But mostly, the storylines make no sense and it is laughably sh*t at times, too tedious to analyse at others.

Of course people are going to bash it.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!