With the plummeting decrease in ratings, one thing has become apparent: the people still watching WWE are the so-called hardcore fans who will stick with wrestling through thick and thin, suffering through the dark periods in hopes of a return to the glory days. That means that the viewers who have dropped off are the casual fans; those who watch wrestling when it catches their attention but have no sense of loyalty or undying interest in the product. In the 1980s, WWE managed to draw those people in with the larger-than-life charisma of Hulk Hogan, his mainstream appeal and the Rock n Wrestling Connection. Those fans drifted away in the late 80s/early 90s and the industry suffered a slump. Then again about half a decade later they came back on board during the Attitude Era, the Monday Night Wars and the rise of Steve Austin and The Rock. Once that all died down, so did their interest and the audience dwindled once again. Im not sure what the secret is to bringing those fans back on board. I know that they have to make wrestling cool again, and the homogenized, safe PG product theyre currently putting out there isnt going to do that. Take some risks, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks in the search for the next evolution of the industry, because WWE is never going to reach their previous levels of success without bringing the casual fans back into the fold.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
