7 Things WWE Can Learn From ALL IN
A 5-hour show that didn't feel like a slog? Take note, Vince...
ALL IN was a landmark professional wrestling event that showcased the extent of what can be accomplished outside WWE, and a testament to the business smarts of Cody, The Young Bucks, and the global independent scene as a whole.
It won't threaten Vince McMahon's indomitable business empire, but it was a major step in pushing the rest of the sport forward. The movement is on fire, even as WWE continue combing it for talent, and ALL IN's near universal critical acclaim and resounding business success all but guarantees a second. The bandwagon is rolling: jump on board, or get run over.
It wasn't a perfect show (a general lack of timekeeping led to a 28-minute main event being trimmed to 12, for one), and the crew likely learned many major lessons in putting on their first wrestling event. Still, ALL IN did a lot right that WWE get wrong. From a financial standpoint, McMahon doesn't need to glean much from its success, but doing so would benefit his promotion's televised output immensely.
Will WWE heed these lessons? It's extremely unlikely, but think about how great Raw and SmackDown could be if they did...
7. Getting Commentary Right
WWE's three-man announce booths vary in quality. NXT's works, because Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness are tremendous, and Percy Watson isn't so bad that he's a distraction. The main roster combinations? Less so.
Michael Cole, though clearly talented, is a shill who speaks exclusively in soundbites. Corey Graves increasingly bitter, brittle, and tedious with every passing week. Jonathan Coachman is an awful fourth-wall shattering goober who regularly draws unwanted attention towards botches and mistakes. As for Bryon Saxton, well, what's his point?
In contrast, ALL IN's trio of announcers were tremendous, with ROH's Ian Riccaboni on play-by-play, PWG's Excalibur on colour, and the fantastic Don Callis rotating with a handful of guest announcers throughout the evening. Excalibur was particularly effective, bringing great knowledge on a number of individual performers throughout the night, adding boatloads of context every time he opened his mouth. Though he's something of a jester in PWG, he was awesome at ALL IN.
If WWE dropped the corny catchphrases and endless branding spots for this approach, their characters and storylines would feel more fully formed, and their product wouldn't be such a glossy corporate nightmare.