Fans are the most important asset to WWE. Fans pay for tickets, fans watch the shows and fans give their opinions online about the shows for WWE to see. If there is one thing unique about pro wrestling, it is the feeling of having a match to look forward to or to see a storyline unfold in a sensible manner. If fans are not excited about something, they have no reason to watch the shows. Doug from rvdtito4life, one of the most viewed wrestling fans on YouTube, sums it up nicely in his latest video release: "I could miss 15 Raws and it doesn't matter." Now, what does that say about the product's quality? If a lifelong fan is telling you they could miss 15 episodes of a TV show and not caring whether or not they missed something, that speaks volumes about the content of the show. Doug's co-host and friend Bill recently tweeted "Ziggler/Harper from TLC is exactly what WWE needs more of. Basic storytelling, realism and raw emotion." If WWE was able to deliver that type of content with this match, they could pay more attention to other feuds with an off-season. The crux of pro wrestling is telling a story that fans will listen to. But to do that, time must be invested into developing characters that fans can get behind and creating buildup that fans will have to pay full attention to in order to understand the story's significance. An off-season is crucial for that time usage, because the superstars will be out of the ring and the creative team will have more breathing room to come up with great on-air and off-air concepts. The pause button is there. It's up to WWE to push the button.
Brett Deutchman is a freelance writer who has written for multiple publications including PWMania, Agents of Geek and Write on New Jersey. In the world of professional wrestling, Brett has interviewed former WWE superstars such as Mick Foley, Ted DiBiase and Vader as well as independent stars such as Adam Cole, Luke Hawx and Papadon.
