6 Reasons The End Of The Authority Needs To Be The End Of Authority In WWE

4. Conflicts With Corrupt Authority Figures Are Overdone

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vickie Guerrero, Eric Bischoff, AJ Lee, Paul Heyman, Jonathan Coachman, The Anonymous GM/Hornswoggle, Teddy Long, John Laurinaitis, Zack Ryder, Mick Foley, William Regal, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Bret Hart, Triple H, Brad Maddox, Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Mike Adamle... are we forgetting anyone (not counting all the special guests)? Probably. Put simply: Between Raw, Smackdown, and ECW, there have been a ton of GMs, sheriffs, owners, commissioners, or whatever name you want to pin on them over the past 16 years or so. Most of the time they're heels, and most of the time they're there not to pose as a figurehead, but to be a source of conflict, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of wrestlers fighting the company they're working for. There have likely been more authority figures running the shows over the years than there have been years of the concept being active, with the figures in question dismissed without good reason most of the time, and in certain instances, brought back in some form or fashion anyway. There is some merit to such a conflict- heck, Austin vs. McMahon pretty much drove the Attitude Era and helped WWE overcome WCW, so it's not a bad idea in itself. However, it's been overdone since then as new authority figures go through the office's revolving doors, and most of the time, there is a conflict between a face wrestler and a heel authority figure. It's a different set of faces each time, but the story is pretty much the same regardless, and it's seldom had the same impact as when Austin and McMahon were at one another's throats. When there was a brand split, there was at least a sense of balance some of the time, often with a face GM running one show and a heel the other, allowing for some interesting cross-brand feuds as well. And they may very well do that again if The Authority loses at Survivor Series, giving our heroes a small breather and a sigh of relief. But it won't be long before the cycle begins anew, and it could really use some time to rest, as it's been run into the ground so much that the magic is all but gone.