Controversy: Fan backlash changing WWE's entire booking course A wrestling company is supposed to listen to its fan base, to a certain degree. The fans are cheering for a certain wrestler? Push that person. No reaction whatsoever for a certain person? Take them away for a while, or repackage them in some way. Your audience is spending their money, so you try to cater to them, at least a little bit. However, what we saw in the build to WrestleMania 30 was something different. Instead of hearing what the fans wanted and delivering it, WWE attempted to do what they thought was right, only for even louder and stronger crowd reactions to make them change directions after the fact. It came across as the rare instance that Vince McMahon was able to swallow his pride, admit he was "wrong", and change things. The controversy here comes from how "easy" it was to change a company's mind. Fans basically took it upon themselves to "hijack" WWE shows, chanting for Daniel Bryan in matches Bryan had no part in, wanting WWE management to hear them. Yes, it worked, but it set a dangerous precedent for the future. Don't like what is being given to you? Dump all over 90% of a show until you get what you want. It worked last year, and it's starting to work again this year. Only time will tell if it changes both the way wrestling promotions operate, and how wrestling fans react to things.
Columnist/Podcaster/Director at LordsOfPain.net for nearly seven years, with nearly 2000 total columns written. Interviewed and/or involved in interviewing the likes of Tyler Black/Seth Rollins (twice), Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, Uhaa Nation and more.
