10 Worst WWE Set Designs

9. Raw/SmackDown/ECW (2008)

WrestleMania X8
WWE.com

WWE looked to remove memories a wretched 2007 by painting the dark with colour as a move to High Definition in 2008 coincided with a shift to a PG rating for the first time in over a decade.

With John Cena back and more superhero-y than ever before months earlier than expected at January's Royal Rumble, the company marched forward with a new neon gloss that resulted in the homogenisation of their television production until the 2016 reintroduction of the brand split.

Gone for good was the SmackDown fist and earnestly sh*t ECW set as both were brought in line with Raw's all-screens all-the-time look along with some expensively assembled LEDs.

Foreshadowing most grand aesthetic shifts in the modern era, it all felt very bold and big for a fortnight or so before the reality set in that some sharper images weren't going to do much about blunt creative. DX jokes included.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett