WWE: The Fall Of An Empire
It was easy to see why Vince McMahon would think promoting himself as a key feature of a kayfabe wrestling show just hours removed from his standing down as real life company CEO was the move. It's hard to imagine many within his organisation agreeing with it. Especially after what he actually did.
Splaying his arms wide as he entered, McMahon offered out an embrace to all that were willing to give it to him. And unsurprisingly there were plenty of his punters that were only too happy to oblige.
It's a strange phenomenon best highlighted by Bryan Alvarez that WWE fans are now so content with the company's content that they'll do what they're told as cast members rather than paying customers. Lacey Evans was his cited example, with a recent segment featuring Evans ordering respect through ring announcer Samantha Irvine actually working rather than raising eyebrows that she might not quite be on the up-and-up.
There are other examples too, and they all serve as a reality check for those that assume the days of the Yes Movement or booing a babyface out of the building will come again. They won't. For its faults, WWE has at least established a core of folk that earnestly enjoy this version of the product for what it is rather than pining for something it can never be again. That product, amongst other things, is apparently a place McMahon can still go to preach about togetherness (!) and get the "we're not worthy" treatment as internal investigations seek to discover if he passed a female employee "like a toy" to one of his feckless underlings.
McMahon said nothing, but the whole scene said everything. The ludicrous hubris of the "Stand Up For WWE" propaganda campaign distilled into one bewildering segment, McMahon's presence doubtlessly inflated a television number, speculatively put some fans back on his "side", and ensured that SmackDown would have to featured on any rolling news coverage of the days events. (CNN's Jake Tapper's weary assessment was a bleak reminder of that).
McMahon's ran this race before, and more often than not he wins.
CONT'D...