12 Ups And 15 Downs For WWE In 2016

8. Authority Figures Galore

When Vince McMahon was revealed onscreen as the owner of the then-WWF, he went on to create one of the best authority characters in wrestling history. Fast-forward 20 years and we have WWE still trying to use authority figures as the main foils or plot devices on their programming.

In 2016, we saw the end of the Authority (thankfully), but then had Shane and Stephanie McMahon sharing the screen as co-GMs of Raw, then as commissioners of SmackDown and Raw, respectively. But lest that not be enough for authority figures, each commissioner appointed a GM, meaning we now have four authority types making matches on two shows. And whenever Triple H shows up, you know he’ll slide into a top-level executive position on Raw, just because. And of course, there’s always Mr. McMahon looming in the shadows.

It isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have a matchmaker or dispute-resolver on the show, but WWE has shown itself incapable of using them sparingly consistently. One week, we’ll have an authority figure in one segment to set up the show. Other weeks, we’ll get multiple scene-chewing appearances. It relegates the wrestlers to secondary characters and pawns rather than the decisive stars of the show.