The REAL Reason WWE Fans Are Living In A Fantasy World

Vince McMahon SmackDown
WWE.com

Fantasy booking scenarios and the Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns conspiracy theories might sit on opposite ends of the severity scale, but they're all born of the same problems.

Each is WWE's fault for creating an environment in which daydreaming is often more gratifying than the televised product itself. Vince McMahon's modern product is a mess. Long-term storytelling is dead, nothing has staying power, and nothing matters. Angles and pushes are established one week then forgotten about the next. Remember the excitement for Robert Roode's reinvention? 'The Glorious One' lost to Ricochet a fortnight after debuting his new gimmick and hasn't been seen since.

Wade Keller's recent interview with a close associate of three WWE writers painted a dismal picture of the promotion's creative process that, if accurate, goes a long way to explaining the televised output. Much of what is produced for Raw and SmackDown is complete dreck. There are exceptions (Becky Lynch's continued excellence, the 24/7 Title, Kofi Kingston's run, etc.) but most of what these shows bring to the table isn't satisfying the audience, as reflected by WWE's tumbling viewership.

People will inevitably retreat to a fantasy world when the real-life equivalent isn't giving them what they want. The problem is that WWE fans have spent so long playing make believe that they've fooled themselves into thinking that their fabricated utopias should be made reality, then get annoyed when WWE, those mind-readers, don't deliver them.

CONT'd...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.