How WWE Could Creatively Flourish Under Fox Sports

by Michael Sidgwick
Bobby Lashley Finn Balor
WWE.com

Increasingly, there isn’t any; per WWE’s third quarter financial report, Live Event revenue is in decline. Vince McMahon deems house shows “antiquated” and in need of “reimagining”, but it seems as if he needs to view the wider picture. Advising the most successful wrestling promoter on how to promote wrestling shows seems awfully arrogant, but then, reach the second hour of any given RAW episode, in particular last night’s, and it’s difficult to see why anybody would pay hard-earned money to watch an ostensibly popular act like Finn Bálor get battered, again, by a larger star with less value. Kane; Constable Corbin; Bobby Lashley: Bálor is the guy WWE uses to get heels over. This drives the weekly blue balls narrative, just about, but does not encourage support. WWE’s heat-centric approach has incinerated Bálor in the backdraft. That Bálor is a former Universal Champion adds a nihilistic streak of pure meaningless to the whole thing; what is already meaningless will mean nothing in future.

Say Ricochet gets the rocket strapped to him when he debuts. So f*ck.

House shows are fun; the performers enjoy them, this enjoyment is infectious, and nobody pokes fun at anybody else for dressing like an employee of TGI Fridays. House show business boomed in parallel with sky-high Attitude Era ratings. The relationship is symbiotic. Televising house shows, the latest rumoured experimental strategy, seems a niche, expensive move.

The part-timers are failing to live up to their legend. Under the modern framework, the idea of the full-time roster becoming legendary is laughable. All roads lead to fault. A new road is needed, and Fox may yet pave the way. Have the babyfaces win fresh matches we are conditioned to take seriously as milestones in their career. That’s not a novel approach, but somehow isn’t part of WWE’s “putting smiles on people’s faces” storytelling goal.

WWE once put a zombie on TV to appease SciFi. Is appeasing Fox with the pretence that wins and losses matter beyond the realm of possibility?

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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!