5 Dumb Things WWE Still Needs to Change

Roman Reigns
Source: WWE

WrestleMania weekend was jam-packed, wasn’t it? And it wasn’t just the show itself, as stacked a card as it was. An even more solid wrestling program, concentrated on in-ring action and no skits, took place the night before at NXT: TakeOver. WWE is certainly focusing more on ring work. Such is the case with 205 Live, which is night-and-day from where it was last year.

Credit goes to the son-in-law, HHH, who is taking a more active role in the product, whereas Vince, often vilified – including here at the Vulch – and responsible for the worst ideas WWE generates, is slowly handing over the reins. The company seems to be undergoing an about-face for the new era that will dictate their future.

It’s a good sign but everything is not alright, as the saying goes. Still there lingers something to be desired and the stench of Vince’s flair for kitschy entertainment value. Left unchecked, any progress will be marred in the long run and the product won’t become what it’s aiming for. To illustrate, here are five things about WWE that have yet to change.

 

1. Triple H and Stephanie’s role

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at Wrestlemania 33
Image Source:
WWE

Two decades ago there was a thing called the McMahon-Helmsley era/faction. Triple H was the top guy as the champion and Stephanie was his second. 18 years later, it doesn’t seem like they’ve given it a rest. Trips remains near the top of the card, sometimes winning a title, and Stephanie is never far behind.

And they were Ronda Rousey’s first foes in the company, they had to be. Not only couldn’t they help it, but no one is there to fill that void. They are the go-to heel authority figures. Sooner or later the torch is going to have to be passed, an inevitability to prepare for.

Hunter is largely out of title contention for the moment, devoting more time to NXT and booking, which are the best places for him. Steph, on the other hand, should find another role besides head of creative or TV. What she’s done the last few years has been hit and miss and people are sick and tired of her. Let’s say company viability depends on it.

 

2. Pushing Randy Orton

Randy Orton Sami Zayn

Randy Orton has had a pretty decent run at the top whether or not he deserves it. 15 years since his first world title and ten since the Legacy, he sticks around, stagnating although persistently pushed at the expense of other talent. Nobody in a position of power or creative seems to notice or care.

Instead he wins the US Championship – for some reason. This is after winning the WWE title last year from Bray Wyatt – for some reason. In the same program, he outdid Bray at his mind games because he’s Randy Orton and they call him the Apex Predator? (He doesn’t really live up to that title, by the way.)

Their feud didn’t help Bray, his presence in the US Title picture does nothing for anyone involved, and he doesn’t bolster guys he works with (from Cody to Kofi to Daniel Bryan). Granted, Randy went from the WWE Championship to the US Championship in the span of a year. That’s a slide down the card but it should be quickened. Either put him in a non-wrestling role or take him off TV but quit wasting ring time on him.

 

3. Too much content

205 Live

The Network is one of the greatest things to come from WWE ever with its endless hours of content. And more and more is being created every week, at times with a breakneck pace. Following that, the single longest show of the year was five more hours of programming on Monday and Tuesday.

More wrestling is always acceptable when business is good but the risk of burnout is invited too unmitigatingly. Yeah, WrestleMania was exciting but you need to give us fans a break every now and then.

The same is true for the roster and nobody deserves a break more than they do. While injuries are a more serious possibility, stagnation is also a problem. It’s tough coming up with new material in a short span of time, almost day to day.

Always pining for them, we fondly tout and remember the good old days. One of the reasons wrestling was so good prior to the current era was because they only booked week by week – for an hour or two of TV time. Events were spread out throughout the year as opposed to there being one or more a month.

One more thing that makes NXT’s model so special. Sure, the business has changed for better or worse and will probably never go back, but there has to be a way to have a happy medium.

 

4. No Idea What to Do with Gifted Talent

Becky Lynch
Image Source:
heavy.com

Stale never-ending content and putting the wrong people in key segments on RAW and Smackdown inevitably lead to a mess when it comes to booking. Look no further than Dolph Ziggler. He is one of the best performers WWE has to offer but they never know how to utilize him appropriately. The same can be said for Zack Ryder, Becky Lynch, and others.

You’d think the easiest thing in the world would be giving somebody who has the “It” factor and no difficulty getting over the tools to succeed. But, no, Vince and his machine have their own ideas which sometimes means the opinions of others can take a hike. And that brings us to the next grievance.

 

5. Listening to their audience

Roman Reigns
Source: WWE

It’s almost mythic in this day and age but fans used to have a say in who got over. Whoever got the biggest reaction, heel or face, usually got the big push. As much as that worked for Steve Austin, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and a host of other superstars across generations, Vince, on the contrary, thinks he can get his way and dictate to the WWE Universe what they’ll like.

Hence, Roman is anointed The Guy and locker room leader – no matter how much he wants to call Brock “Vince’s Boy.” While I can respect sticking to a plan, getting everybody behind The Big Dog and on the Ro Train hasn’t worked the way they hoped.

Nothing against Roman, but the pet project is getting old and wasting time when his spot might be a better fit for a Rollins or Strowman. Turn the ship around and make one of those happen – fast.

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