The Disturbing Truth Behind WWE’s New Monopoly

Goldberg Bald Head
WWE

Goldberg became a WWE-style sports entertainer babyface in 2003, to the complete detriment of his destructive WCW aura. He had to sell. When CM Punk delivered a piledriver to John Cena in their famed RAW match of February 2013, it was celebrated as an act of transgression as much as a potential match-ender. That is because the move, like so many others, is banned. Imagine if he decided to dust off the Pepsi Plunge. You can’t: nobody has Punk’s balls any more, and even he didn’t have the balls to ascend that turnbuckle.

Daniel Bryan, a performer unique in WWE’s context, ran through a John Cena-like sequence in his babyface pomp, one that relied on the temporary amnesia of his opponents. He did this in every match. The mass-produced WWE model encourages this sort of homogenisation. Bryan, incidentally, is credited with tearing up WWE’s recruitment policy.

But did WWE learn to love the Independent circuit, and its lucrative diversity—or learn to tolerate it?

Those aforementioned examples were all drawn from WWE’s pre-NXT history. A return to the values of professional wrestling spearheaded by a man who grew up on and did not resent it, Triple H’s TakeOver represented something of a paradigm shift. No longer was size or dreaded popularity a barrier to success; if you were good, NXT made good on you. Generating an unprecedented level of critical acclaim and hardcore fan engagement, NXT was and is as outstanding as it is refreshing.

But.

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 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!