10 Ways WWE Storytelling Has Declined Since 2000
2. Retreading The Past
There’s little originality left in WWE storytelling these days. Perhaps this is a byproduct of Vince McMahon still having the final say on everything at 71 years old, but the company’s creative team are stuck in the past in many different ways, and it’s preventing them from moving forward.
Austin vs. McMahon was a huge, era-defining storyline that will stand forever as one of the greatest of all time, but how many times do we need to see it repeated? Whenever Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are on camera, a wrestler vs. authority figure feud is never far away, but these stories aren’t effectively getting people over anymore. The same goes for lame USA vs. the world angles, bulletproof Hulk Hogan babyfaces, and Stone Cold-esque anti-heroes.
“It worked in a previous era, so it’ll work in this one too,” seems to be the logic, but every storytelling technique loses its power over time, and these things have been done to death.
Focusing on new, innovative storylines over retreading old ground would work wonders to revive WWE’s product. Originality isn’t easy, but these guys are paid to be creative. They should be able to come up with something fresh and exciting, rather than relying on the past.