6 Ways For WWE To Revitalize The Mid-Card
3. Lean Into Superstars Who Get Themselves Over
How many times has WWE refused to push a superstar who has gotten themselves over online, with a gimmick, or through their wrestling ability? Whenever talent manage to make an unplanned, meaningful connection with the fans, WWE has taken it upon themselves to stop that momentum and, often, to bury that wrestler.
Zack Ryder, Rusev Day, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan; there are countless examples of performers who the audience were vocal about wanting to see more of but who the company actively refused to push. WWE seems to hold a disdain for wrestlers who get themselves over on their own and, while some wrestlers on this list- namely Daniel Bryan - were eventually put over, more often than not these wrestlers get punished for their independent success.
A large part of AEW's early success is that, while the quality of their shows has varied, the company is trying to listen to feedback and give the fans more of what they want to see. This, of course, can't be done all of the time, but it has been the catalyst to building a large degree of trust between the fanbase and AEW.
WWE should embrace superstars who get themselves over, as it will demonstrate that the company is listening to feedback from the fans about the product. For a company whose primary focus has always been the bottom line, this will also benefit WWE, as superstars who are over tend to sell the most merchandise.
Pushing superstars who are over is a clear win-win.