7 Ways WWE Can Improve The Product This Year

There’s no question that New Day is entertaining. But what are you vested in? Their personas, or their current storyline? Do you even know what it is right now? Sure, there are decent characters on the roster. The problem is that hardly any of them are involved in memorable storylines. The other problem is those who are involved in good storylines tend to be part-timers, and they don’t need the boost.

Shane coming back was a genuine mark-out moment. So much so that most of us forgave the absurd explanations that followed to develop the plot. The Undertaker is another once-a-year-or-so character. It was fun, but this does nothing to advance the careers of full-time guys.

I understand the argument of the rising tide lifting all boats, but in this case I pretty much reject it. Drawing more viewers is always great, but if you don’t capitalize on it, what’s the point? People will buy the Network to see Shane jump off Hell in a Cell. I get that. But what else are you showing them? It’s not enough to be satisfied with great in-ring action. You need fascinating stories to keep the audience invested. Wrestling is at its peak when in-ring action meets captivating stories. There’s just not enough of that right now.

You know what the saddest moment of WrestleMania was? It was when the Rock spent time praising Bray Wyatt. There’s an old adage in writing that goes, “Show, don’t tell.” The Rock shouldn’t need to spend time at WrestleMania giving effusive praise to Wyatt. The creative direction and storylines for Bray Wyatt should have already laid that foundation, not put him into mind-numbing obscurity. That segment was the writers saying, “Hey! Remember this guy? We dropped the ball, but we may want to make him something again, so, yeah, pay attention.” It’s lazy, and Bray Wyatt deserves better.

Can’t come up with good stories? Fine. Then create events that will develop some on their own. Host more tournaments for titles. Give more pay-per-views themes, such as a hardcore night where every match has to have that element in it, or a “Pick-a-Match” night, where whoever is in charge at the time posts a list of themed matches (Hell in a Cell, steel cage, tables match, ladder match, casket match…you get the point) and wrestlers have to sign up for them. Create a Champions League-style event, where the wrestlers with the top win/loss records on the year gain entry. Be more cognizant when top stars are wrestling in their hometown area. Know when you can get the best reaction out of a crowd. This isn’t rocket science.

The good news is that there’s plenty of talent there. It’s how that talent is handled that’s the disappointing part. Eventually, at some point, the best plots the writers can come up with need to be handed off to upcoming stars…