If WWE Was Being Honest About The Creative Writing Process

Smackdown Cancelled
WWE

What the f*ck? This was harder to decipher than Bray Wyatt’s old promos.

To answer Sonya’s question, Rose had in fact spent all day rehearsing this 40 second segment. Obviously, Deville botched, and was meant to say something to the effect of “Are you saying that, if we beat the IIconics, we get a Tag Team Title opportunity?”

This is one, crucial problem with the process. So many of the performers are ill-equipped to deliver the material. The Performance Center promo class is entirely redundant. The students are encouraged to craft their own spiel; on this evidence, they’d be better off strictly performing memory exercises, perhaps by focusing on a piss-flooded toilet bowl with zen-like concentration, to get an authentic flavour of what awaits them on the main roster.

The match, whatever the stipulation, didn’t even happen. The formula is currently thus:

Basic, horrendously-delivered promo scripted to build upcoming match

Match is cancelled

???????

Profit

Vince McMahon cancelled the match during a trademark last minute rewrite, negating about a week of totally unnecessary work. As best as can be inferred, the process, the horrendous process, is as follows. It isn’t quite as facetious as the formula outlined above, but it is lengthy, lame, pointless and damaging.

CONT'D...(2 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!