18 Ups & 15 Downs For WWE In 2023
6. Feuding Factions
Never let it be said that WWE didn’t recognize a good thing and tried to replicate it elsewhere. If anything, 2023 showed that WWE is guilty of trying to apply what was successful in one area everywhere else.
The Bloodline’s bickering and implosion powered WWE through the first half of the year, with everything involving Sami Zayn and the Usos as they rebelled against Roman Reigns dominating programming through SummerSlam and captivating fans.
Naturally, WWE saw this success and decided that if this melodrama and internal bickering worked for a faction like the Bloodline, it has to work for every other faction. This gave way to nearly every other stable in the company – Judgment Day, Damage CTRL, Imperium, LWO and the Brawling Brutes – all dealing with differing levels of dissension and tension throughout the year.
In some cases, the instability makes perfect sense for the faction’s story arc (see Damage CTRL and LWO), but in others like Imperium, it just feels like the conflict has been riveted onto the group for the sake of it. This then dilutes the impact of group turmoil – why should fans react for one group blowing up if every other group is facing the same problems?
Just lazy, repetitive booking shortcuts that will inevitably play out to diminishing returns.