10 Words That Most Accurately Describe Wrestling Right Now
8. Bloated
The then WWF was more popular in the Attitude Era by all metrics of objective data. TV ratings were higher; house show attendances were triple that of today, as per the latest financial reports; Network revenues are dwarfed by the abandoned PPV model even when not at its consistent 2000 peak.
WWE's new strategy of super-serving fans with unprecedented reams of content has allowed the company to squeeze more money out of less hands. Those willing to pay are doing so in record numbers. The fallout is dire for those fans who keep up with wrestling news sites almost as a result of muscle memory, and who detachedly watch the product itself mainly for fear of missing out.
George Barrios, WWE's Chief Strategy and Financial Officer, even came out and essentially referred to fans as undiscerning seals, claiming that we will consume "just about anything" they throw at us. They don't perceive the audience as discerning. This means, unless something catastrophic happens, more transparently protracted PPV trilogies a la Randy Orton Vs. Jinder Mahal. More 50/50 booking a la Roman Reigns Vs. Braun Strowman. Stories with barely one beat dragged out over multiple months a la Goldust & R-Truth and Goldust Vs. R-Truth. More episodes of 205 Live in which talents can wrestle what are said to be minor classics, but most are simply too battered to watch. Dave Meltzer raved about TJP Vs. Rich Swann from July 4 as "the best worked WWE match in a long time" - but the grind is so relentless that even those who watched might have already forgotten about it.
The long-term suitability of this strategy is questionable...