5 Reasons WWE Is Losing Fans In The Post-Kayfabe Era
4. The Rise Of The UFC
The fact that the rise of the UFC coincides with the death of kayfabe is no coincidence.
After all, the Ultimate Fighting Championship provides a natural landing spot for dejected wrestling fans who are tired of sappy comedy skits and simulated combat that requires an ever-growing suspension of disbelief.
In essence, MMA is what people used to (or could at least chose to) believe professional wrestling was in the kayfabe era — legitimate combat.
Just because kayfabe is dead, doesn't mean WWE can't produce a believable product that more closely resembles a legitimate sport. Truth be told, both NXT and AEW present wrestling in a relatively believable manner, which has helped both gain significant momentum.
The death of kayfabe has helped open the door for the UFC to fill a void that WWE has left. If WWE doesn't do a better job addressing this, then lapsed wrestling fans, particularly those who like a little more "sport" in their sports entertainment, will continue to spend their $9.99 on ESPN+ as opposed to the WWE Network.