It's Official: We Are In WWE's Endgame

CM Punk Kevin Owens
WWE.com

The matches are increasingly botched, tropey, inessential. Fans have been conditioned solely to react to an unimaginative closing stretch of ref bumps. WWE is configured to be vapid by design; TKO is far more interested in chasing viral moments than acclaim. A Yeet chant looks better on social media feeds than a slow-burn pro wrestling match, which only wrestlers with leverage are afforded the privilege to undertake.

What’s incredible about WWE’s post-TKO approach is that the few great performers doing anything worthy are those with a real and sharp pro wrestling sensibility. CM Punk, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens are incredible talkers who can generate drama of real substance between the ropes (even if at least one of these names is increasingly prone to finisher spam slop). The good news is that the heartbeat of classic pro wrestling pulses through WWE’s main event scene. The bad news is that these guys are getting old. They are not the model, quite the opposite: they are the last of a dying breed. This should act as a stark warning to WWE (it won’t). The irony is that, if WWE was composed entirely of talents recruited and developed and promoted in the TKO era, you’re looking at the most loveless and sloppy and silent pro wrestling product perhaps ever. So what does that tell you about the state of WWE in ten years’ time?

There are some promising signs. Oba Femi rules, and looks destined to headline WrestleMania at least once - but then, people said this about Bron Breakker a year ago. Stephanie Vaquer exudes real presence. Kendal Grey is proof that you don’t need to get over in a classic era of an acclaimed super-indie to emerge as a pro wrestling prodigy. The talent exists - but that might not be the issue.

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!