The ONE Department WWE Needs To Get Rid Of…

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WWE.com

One could very easily, by citing Lio Rush’s promo ahead of that dull match, make the argument that WWE could get rid of Creative, replace it with an algorithm, and be much better off.

“Finn Bálor. Some people call you an extraordinary man that can do extraordinary things, am I right? Well, the Man of the Hour thinks that you are just an extra-not-so-ordinary guy that got lucky last week!”

Did Rush botch this horrific “more like…” joke, or was the material just sh*tty? “Not-so-ordinary” is quite a good thing, is it not? The material elsewhere is so bad that it’s impossible to tell. But Randy Orton has proved recently that WWE acts can get over as characters without even reciting promos (or because they don’t, most likely—see also Strowman, Braun). His torture porn schtick is great heel work. It’s appropriate that such a toxic organisation is fairly adept at writing down awful things, which Becky Lynch has knocked out of the proverbial park. Scripted promos aren’t ideal, but Christ, we’re used to them, and the Road Agents are far more damaging. We’re not used to action this awful. WWE’s in-ring output has regressed massively over the past two years.

It’s a shame the Saudis aren’t fussed about good babyface promos, but if pressed, we can just cheer the heels. You can’t possibly cheer or take perverse pleasure in a minute-long rest hold.

Perhaps WWE should get rid of Creative and the Road Agents. But the Road Agents really are a redundant bunch. Pointlessly, pointlessly expensive: WWE could simply copy the following paragraph and paste it across the first two hours of most given undercard RAW scripts:

Heel dominates. Kicks. Punches. Rest hold. Separation created. Dive! Commercial break. Rest hold. Comeback. Cut-off. Near-fall. F*ck finish.

CONT'D...(3 of 4)

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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!