10 Wrestling Promos WWE Regret

8. The Authority Tell Us That We Are The Authority Now

dean ambrose raw
WWE

December 17, 2018.

After ratings plummeted even by modern standards, the McMahons looked inward. They found perfection, and so they looked outwards, blamed the fictional authority figure Baron Corbin for their very real failures, and told us, the fans, that we were the 'Authority' now. They were going to listen to us and improve the product based on our feedback.

"Nope: nothing on Tout! Good job guys!"

This was a self-own that didn't enact any meaningful change but did change a wrestling fan vernacular that functions now almost exclusively to banter off WWE. This isn't ideal for WWE, obviously, since they'd prefer to be known as "the recognised leader in global sports entertainment" and not "a complete f*cking joke".

We were the Authority now, which allowed us with snarky tones to ridicule everything they did. It was a fun time.

"Who booked an automatic rematch on Twitter 24 hours after Shane McMahon got rid of the clause? I didn't!"

"So Kevin Owens is the guy Fred Ottman played after the Shockmaster now? I hope one of us got fired for that blunder!"

"Who booked Becky Lynch to apologise to Triple H and Becky Lynch? Because that sounds like a sh*t storyline driven by and reeking of WWE's arrogance.

Pal Incognito?"

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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!