WWE Can Be Creatively “Saved.” Here’s How.
Post-WresteMania, let’s take a sane look at righting WWE’s creative ship.
Yes, that’s a picture of Dusty Rhodes. This story begins, as all great pro wrestling things should begin, with the now deceased Hall of Fame legend and creative genius. WWE needs to captivate its audiences yet again, and in foremost depending foremost upon those who, like Rhodes, know how to create that excitement (as well as differently cultivating a new crew of up and comers to do the same), World Wrestling Entertainment could potentially be onto something great.
In honoring not just his legacy, but the legacies of Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Blackjack Mulligan, The Wild Samoans, Eddie Guerrero, Extreme Championship Wrestling and a bunch of other people and things that pro wrestling has forgotten as an industry how they existed and why they were relevant at their height, World Wrestling Entertainment can right it’s creative ship.
Note that I did not state that WWE needed to right itself as a business. The company’s heavy-on-content and ubiquitously placed in all manner of mainstream media model is solid. The online and app-driven WWE Network is Netflix for pro wrestling, and literally places the history of the industry at fans’ fingertips in as many styles of broadcast as possible. As well, WWE’s a multimedia brand that has spawned successful reality TV programming, a direct-to-video/streaming film company, an in-house developmental promotion with nearly 70 non-main roster talents being trained and developed, plus feel-good corporate relationships with the likes of the Make-A-Wish Network, Susan G. Komen Foundation and the United States Armed Forces.
However, it’s the actual in-ring product that’s televised weekly that’s suffering…but that can be fixed. By using a forward-thinking concept that’s some mix of Game of Thrones-meets-Risk (the board game), there’s high potential for high drama that could encourage more viewership of WWE.
Of the 11 matches scheduled for April 3, 2016’s 32nd WrestleMania event, it’s one where Vince McMahon’s son Shane wrestles The Undertaker in a “Hell in a Cell” match for control of the company that’s the most important, storyline-wise. In being able to place storyline “control of the company” into the hands of a person-as-character that has not been seen on WWE programming in nearly a decade (and is known as a progressive-minded creative disruptor in real life), WWE has a real opportunity to affect dramatic changes for the on-screen presentation of the product that could allow WWE’s televised programming to drive the progress of the evolving sports entertainment company.
This is all contingent upon Shane McMahon winning the match. If Shane wins, it removes Vince McMahon from being an on-again and off-again 20 year on-screen dictator. As well, it removes the notion that any McMahon has to control the program. Also, it effectively removes The Undertaker — aka the most “powerful” storyline competitor — theoretically from the company for good. In creating a vacuum insofar as “control,” there’s a chance to really re-captivate a “WWE Universe” of fans who may be getting eye and ear tired of the same voices and storyline paradigms having been presented for two decades.
The idea of Shane winning the match is thus very important. Also important is bizarre and Undertaker-like cult leader character Bray Wyatt and his Wyatt Family crew of goons assisting McMahon in his victory. Undertaker being wiped out by a “new” Undertaker establishes that things will be different moving ahead.
The next night on Monday Night Raw, Shane McMahon — as he has throughout the build to the forthcoming WrestleMania match — mentions how important “family” is to him. Presuming that Triple H retains the WWE Championship, he says that in what is the first decision of what will be many in the one month that he wants to “make WWE great again,” Triple H would wrestle Wyatt Family head Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, as a manner of Shane repaying the Wyatts for their assistance. Bray would win the World Championship without interference from his Wyatt Family goons, and part one of changing Raw’s presentation is complete.
The next week, Shane would return, and he’d say that he’s still thinking about “family,” and in that mind, is instituting two separate divisions for WWE moving forward. The WWE Championship would be only held and defended by a group of wrestlers who met the standards of six family-driven legacies. As well, all other secondary titles would still be available for legacy or non-legacy aligned wrestlers. But, if you were in a legacy and held a secondary title, it’d allow for any other wrestler in that “legacy” group to have a shot at the WWE Championship. Also, whatever “legacy” had the WWE Championship would be able to set the rules that governed WWE during their champion’s reign. These “rule changes” by the legacies would actually allow for changes that would not just create storyline issues, but also impact the real-life WWE as a company. For instance, it would give WWE the space to say, lower the cost of the Network for a month, etc. McMahon would then define the “legacies” as follows.
The Authority — John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Charlotte
These are all marquee names with clear allegiances by family or positioning to the definition of “excellence” in the industry. Vince McMahon’s real-life son-in-law Triple H bringing out third generation performer and 12-time World Champ Orton, legendary Ric Flair and his daughter Charlotte and then for the kicker a returning (and now bad guy) Cena would be a shakeup.
Samoan Dynasty — Roman Reigns, The Usos, Naomi and Tamina
The Wild Samoans’ legacy in pro wrestling extends back 50 years. All five of the aforementioned people have been aligned by family on TV for quite some time, so this makes sense. As well, given Roman Reigns’ documented issues in being a captivating “good guy” character, giving him all of the help in the world to be a compelling performer via four other family members would be of great assistance.
The Uncommon Alliance — Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Bayley, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady
Dusty Rhodes was a bona fide American hero. His vibe must be reflected here. Rhodes’ son Cody is a 30-year old ten-year veteran, and from mirror-obsessed “Dashing” Cody Rhodes to his current incarnation as David Bowie wannabe “Stardust,” he’s slowly put together the pieces to be a truly impressive all-around entertainer and wrestler. Presenting Cody as JUST Cody, plus adding in his bizarre veteran (and legit) brother Goldust, plus Bayley and the uniquely entertaining tag team of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady — three NXT performers that their father Dusty had a hand in crafting in WWE’s developmental program — would go far in adding to WWE’s retooling.
Gallery of Rogues — Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Paige
Paul Heyman was the owner of groundbreaking outlier wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling and in 15 years in his sports agent-as-advocate role on WWE television has done well to create a “is this real or is this surreal” vibe around performers like former NCAA wrestling WWE and UFC champion Brock Lesnar that makes everything feel panicked at all times. Performers like Canadian jerk and Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens, devil-may-care attitude possessing Dean Ambrose, “Swiss Superman” Cesaro and damned near lifelong wrestler and punk/rock loving female British grappler Paige all have aspects of their character that if aligned with Heyman could create a whole other energy for WWE television. Given that the IC title could be in their “family,” there would be immediate cause for a big-ticket Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt match.
Viva La Raza — Seth Rollins, Kallisto, Sasha Banks, Eddie and Orlando Colon
Eddie Guerrero was not just a great Latin performer, he was also a great wrestler overall. Combining these into one group that would pride itself on showcasing the best in Mexican lucha libre, high flying wrestling and also performing with heart and skill would be the goal here.
Seth Rollins is the returning former World Champion, Kallisto the current United States Champion, Sasha Banks potentially the Divas Champion and the Colons poised to be presented as two great wrestlers who as Los Matadores really haven’t gotten a fair shake. Of course, given that they have championships in the family already, the space for Seth Rollins to re-gain a championship he never lost would exist.
The Wyatt Family — Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman and Bo Dallas
Bray would be the WWE Champion in this scenario, plus his family is full of wrestlers. Bray’s the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, the son of Mike Rotunda, his uncles are Barry Windham and Kendall Windham and his brother is Bo Dallas. Here, and alongside his trio of seven-foot monsters and maybe Bo re-packaged as a faith-healer type minister/manager would be presented as a 21st century “Undertaker” of sorts, this dark character with a super-natural air who’d appear to be pretty much unbeatable. He’d have a ton of possible contenders for the WWE Championship as well, from Triple H in a rematch to Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, potentially Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, too.
Shaking up WWE’s television product by placing approximately 1/3 of the main roster into a grouping that has only one story attached to it would change the way stories are told. Imagine if The Authority wanted to get their hands on the WWE Championship so Triple H put together John Cena and Randy Orton as a tag team to wrestle WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day. The New Day are a great act on TV at the moment, and being in a match with implications on both their tag team titles on the line as well as two established veterans attempting to secure a World Championship shot would make that match have added value.
As well, note the idea that women’s wrestling is important here, too. WWE’s women’s division is on fire of late and redefining how people connect with the brand. Thus, the idea of a match between Bayley and Sasha Banks being contested with the WWE Championship and a modicum of control over the company being on the line, definitely allows the space for said match to possible eclipse the intrigue of their matchup last August at NXT Takeover Brooklyn.
Speaking of NXT, imagine Paul Heyman’s “Gallery of Rogues” having control of the WWE Championship and Heyman changing the rules of WWE to allow for NXT wrestlers to appear on Raw without “main roster contracts.” Thus, NXT Champion Finn Balor and his one-time New Japan, now currently WWE signed friends Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows could be Heyman’s “Bullet Club” and be a mid-card attraction whose storyline goal it could be to keep non-legacy and legacy wrestlers alike from contending for the WWE Championship or winning the Intercontinental and US Championships held by Balor, as well as Anderson and Gallows’ tag straps.
Or, imagine the underdog push of say, Cody Rhodes against someone like a Bray Wyatt, and the idea of when the Rhodes Family has control of the WWE Championship, that in the name of competition, they’d install a ten-match series where a wrestler NOT in a legacy could contend for any championship held by someone in a legacy. Upon winning, the new champ could choose the group that would be able to use them as champion for leverage. The idea of talented grapplers like Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler and others being elevated through such a concept would provide a reason to watch Raw or Smackdown for certain.
Even further, the matches contested that are outside of the main Game of Thrones-style story arc would be able to have this hyper-athletic and more realistic presentation to them as there would be this idea that you’re watching wrestlers either trying to exist without or within the “legacy” structure and are hungry to excel in either regard. If UFC is in theory better than WWE at-present because it’s “fighting” and not “wrestling,” then what about shifting the paradigm of pro wrestling by *actually* giving wrestlers something to “fight” for instead. In that sense, the idea of having a cash bonus for “fight of the week” as voted upon by the controlling “legacy” group and fan balloting awarded to the two best wrestlers of the week would add something, too.
As was showcased above in the vignette chronicling the life and career of Dusty Rhodes, pro wrestling is one of those unique forms of entertainment that when executed well, is colorful, emotional, wholly engrossing and generally fun. By adopting a few old concepts, WWE can adapt to a new era and present a corporation that’s truly on the cutting edge of the modern age.
