EXPOSING The Biggest Myth In Modern Wrestling

the revival
WWE.com

The WWF wasn’t entirely removed from WCW throughout the early Monday Night Wars, in that the experimental home invasion angles threatened to flush away the literal sh*t of TL Hopper. WWE is entirely removed from AEW, or at least the various, old/new philosophies Cody et al. have targeted as selling points purchased by massive TV players.

The concept of incredible, creative wrestling is unpalatable to Vince. Ricochet isn’t a phenomenon on RAW; he is the latest performer chosen to absorb a rest hold designed to pad out the flagship’s toxic three-hour runtime. The audacious, long-term storytelling of Being The Elite is too much like hard work. It was more rewarding to invest in the state of Joey Ryan’s penis than it was Daniel Bryan’s returning arc in 2018. WWE is entirely removed also from the comedy of Being The Elite, and of the Independent scene at large. The send-up camaraderie of the show compels its cult fans with the allure of a hangout sitcom, and it is actually funny.

Again, in WWE, the opposite is true. In WWE, comedy is spiteful. Comedy is lacing the Revival’s trunks with ‘Ucey Hot’. WWE is It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, only the creators don’t think that they deserve to be the punchline. Vince McMahon recognised the anti-hero appeal of WCW. He can’t compete with BTE’s meta millennial humour because he f*cking hates millennials.

But forget doing something new; Vince can’t even do things the old way anymore.

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!