Nobody wanted to really admit this one and WWE simply couldn't afford to, but the 2010s gave audiences so many opportunities to say hello the past that they were only too willing to say goodbye by its end.
A lack of stars created the thirst (and need) for older stars on WrestleMania cards, but the philosophy gradually extended to feature on other pay-per-views and eventually special editions of Monday Night Raw. By 2019, frontloading the red brand with old names was the only way to pop a rating but the company simply gave up trying to book them.
Smile and wave, Trish Stratus! Bury all our current stars, The APA! Do an entire opening Raw segment without saying a f*cking word, Stone Cold Steve Austin!
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett