How WWE Is About To Expose Its Biggest Myth

Stone Cold Stunner Byron Saxton
WWE.com

The shows are so odd. They completely betray the core tenet of professional wrestling because they are impossible to believe in. So few concessions are made to this new context. WWE is largely no-selling it like Road Warrior Hawk jumping back up after a piledriver. Paul Heyman alluded to the global uncertainty and used it to put over Brock Lesnar, and production panned to the empty seats for an absurdist punchline last week, but beyond that, WWE have promoted these shows like WWE shows with precious little in the way of creativity. They are worse than uninspiring; that these shows are more or less just WWE shows brings into focus just how over-produced they are. You never want to use the word fake, because it's disrespectful, but that sh*t looks so fake.

It's a matter of cold routine; the matches happen as they ordinarily would with no acknowledgement of the situation. It's like they are obligated to get in and get out, to pose to nobody, to work strictly within the hope spot/cut-off rhythms dictated by a crowd reaction that is not there. Everything feels like a rehearsal. In the face of such a transformative, pressurised situation, WWE has not tapped in to the old spirit that we are told, ad nauseam, is what defines them. They are the sleeping giant, apparently, and it's quite something for a company built on libertarian ideals to spin: we only suck most of the time because nobody else is picking up the slack!

If ever there was a time for levity, it's now. Isn't why this is even still happening? Isn't that what Triple H said? We were to sit back, relax, try to forget about the world around us, and allow WWE to put a smile on our face.

This didn't work.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!