6 Things WWE Can Learn From Lucha Underground

WWE certainly hasn’t been shy about utilizing authority figures on television in recent years. However, they haven’t always been used in the most effective manner.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have been two of the most prominently featured authority figures in recent memory. That being said, wrestlers have rarely benefited from being associated with the duo. Main event stars such Randy Orton and Seth Rollins were generally portrayed as lackeys taking orders. Moreover, midcard acts were often made to grovel and beg for opportunities, making them look weak to the audience.

There are also babyface authority figures like Daniel Bryan. In this instance, the role was simply used as a way to keep a popular retired wrestler on television and didn’t really benefit the current crop of talent in any meaningful way.

Conversely, Lucha Underground’s owner and proprietor Dario Cueto does help elevate wrestlers in an impactful way. Competitors often enter Cueto’s office and demand opportunities from him as opposed to begging for them. Unlike WWE authority figures, Cueto actually appears apprehensive about angering the wrestlers (and even gets roughed up from time to time) which make the talent seem a bit more imposing. Moreover, a very subtle difference that can be easily be overlooked is that the proprietor is often seated with the wrestlers looming over him - indicating the athlete is the force to be reckoned with in the particular scenario.

These subtle differences are what helps make the wrestlers seem like the stars of the show as opposed to the authority figures.