It's sometimes really tough to be a fan of WWE. Quite often, the credits will roll on Monday Night Raw to the sounds of bafflement and bemusement rather than the extreme emotions the business should be provoking. As a form of scripted drama, the worst reaction to professional wrestling is indifferent silence. Unfortunately, this is a reaction that is all too common at current WWE shows. Since SummerSlam, especially, the product has felt stagnant, as if it is treading water in an effort to get to WrestleMania season. The state of the business, in general, is far from at its best right now as it attempts to transition from Vince McMahon's edgy product to the more child-friendly TV-PG future under the leadership of Stephanie McMahon and her husband Paul 'Triple H' Levesque. The team at WWE Creative has made a series of bizarre decisions in recent months, but it's instead deeply ingrained problems within the company that have caused many of the problems that it faces. There needs to be a serious rethink of the approach to talent, storytelling and ring work if there is ever going to be a return to the popularity and quality that took wrestling to its last golden age during the Attitude Era. Here are some of the myriad flaws that need to be ironed out before wrestling can be great again.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
