5 things that changed the WWE

Seth Rollins is expected to play a huge role in the next era of WWE programming.The WWE has certainly been through several phases, more commonly known as eras. The promotion has grown from the era of career-based or more outlandish gimmicks through the Attitude Era and into the modern, more realistic programming.But what sparked these transformations? There are several contributing factors at play that came from a variety of directions, both internal and external, and they’ve all worked together to bring us the product we see today. Here are the top 5 factors that got us to this point.

#1 The Internet

Zack Ryder carried his digital popularity to a complete gimmick and his own championship belt.

No factor has played as big a role in modern professional wrestling as the Internet has, and perhaps no promotion has been affected by it like the WWE.

For one, the Internet has brought the fans into the process more than ever, as the immediate reaction of the fanbase can be seen in real-time through social media outlets like Twitter. And while rumors and dirt sheets were always available, the connected nature of the digital world allows leaked information to travel faster than ever.

On top of all that, the WWE has created the WWE Network, where fans can watch pay-per-view events and other WWE programming online for a much lower charge than before.