7 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (8 Aug)
2. The More Things Change
Nobody should have anticipated a complete creative makeover of WWE when Triple H took the wheel. Bruce Prichard is still near the top of a gigantic group of writers who entered the market leaders with minimal pro wrestling experience. Hunter has the final say, though the support system is largely unchanged (though perhaps this will alter in time).
Whether or not the motivation exists for a complete overhaul is questionable, too. WWE is currently more profitable than ever. Ratings are at least strong enough for Raw and SmackDown to finish near the top of the weekly rankings. Yes, Vince McMahon's creative was tired, alienating millions of fans, but those fans are no longer as important to a promotion expected to make 80% of its revenue from business-to-business transactions in 2022.
That Triple H's changes have been relatively gentle so far is forgivable, is the point. But, with that said, there are a number of glaring, maddening problems that could be fixed now without completely shifting WWE's creative process up - that still exist on Raw and SmackDown.
Last night remained a show of screwy finishes, distractions, and other indecisive shortcuts. Kevin Dunn remains hellbent on giving you a migraine with incessant camera cuts and zooms. Cringe-inducing verbiage like "championship opportunity" remains commonplace, despite Triple H's supposed loosening of restrictions. Impromptu matches (here, AJ Styles vs. The Miz) remain a thing.
Most of these problems could have been solved in the short term. That they haven't is disappointing, creating lower confidence for long-term change.