5 productive things WWE can do while on a "hiatus"
If you're like me, and I know I am, you're probably getting weary of the non-stop coverage of the current worldwide health situation. After all, you're living it right now. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting pretty much everything, including pro wrestling, it's hard to not mention it. In fact, it looks like the virus is possibly about to do the one thing nobody thought could ever happen.
It may just get WWE to shut down. Well... not forever. Just for a while.
That's right, the sports entertainment company that prides itself on declaring they have no "off-season" is possibly about to get an off-season. Rumors are flying that the biggest wrestling company in the world is going to take a break and not produce any shows for a bit. At least, not any that involve any new wrestling matches. No empty arena shows. No pre-taped on-location segments. Nada.
That doesn't mean that the company is just going to hide under a blanket and cry until this all goes away. They still have nearly ten hours of TV time on both cable and network television - hours those networks expect them to fill, lest they don't get the contracts for those hours renewed. Also, just because WWE isn't putting on wrestling matches doesn't mean they can't produce something original.
So, let's run down five ways WWE can fill their airtime, improve their company, and generally make use of this time off they may or may not see themselves having.
#5. Let their talent heal up
This may come as a shocker but pro wrestling is a tough business. It puts a lot of wear and tear on the human body. Compound that with the fact that nearly everybody on the roster is performing about 90% of any given year and you can imagine that any time off is a welcome relief.
For decades, fans, media, and industry figures alike have been clamoring for WWE to give their talent more time to rest, heal up, spend time with their families, and more. It's not as if the company refuses at all to give their performers extra time away from the ring - just not all at once. Unless it involves a serious injury, you're generally only going to see one, maybe two, wrestlers taking time off at any given moment.
So, a couple weeks - even a month - of time off, whatever the circumstances, can only be a good thing. Especially after a greuling WrestleMania season, as well as the stress this pandemic has put on everyone. Wrestlers can recharge their batteries, spend them with their families, and let some nagging injuries heal a bit more.
When it's time to come back, WWE will have an entire roster in much better shape and, more than likely, ready to get back on the road after being cooped up in their homes for who knows how long.