7 Times WWE used real-life situations as storylines
While many may believe so, pro wrestling involves much more than just putting up good matches inside the squared circle. Ask any WWE Superstar and they'll tell you just how important the art of telling a good story is as far as captivating the crowd is concerned.
And thus we have the WWE Creative in place which is tasked with the job of taking into consideration a Superstar's gimmick, past history, ability on the mic, and in-ring wrestling ability to concoct engaging feuds and storylines.
While most storylines in WWE are scripted, the company has often taken note of real incidents playing out in the lives of the company's Superstars and used that to good effect to spin a yarn inside the ring. Let us now look at seven such instances where WWE blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe to give us storylines based on real-life situations.
#7 Drake Maverick gets released by WWE
Let me start off by using the most recent occurrence of a real-life situation finding its way into a WWE storyline. Drake Maverick was one of the umpteen Superstars let go of by WWE on 15 April 2020 as a result of budget cuts.
Maverick put up a very emotional post of Twitter moments after the news of his release had become public but did confirm that he will still participate in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship that was yet to commence at the time.
We've seen WWE make good use of the angle as Maverick has been portrayed as a distraught individual fighting the world and himself in a bid to win the tournament and get his job jack.
Interestingly, the former 205 Live General Manager is still in the running for the ultimate prize. He will square off against Kushida and Jake Atlas in a Triple Threat match next week on the Black and Gold brand that would decide who will face El Hijo del Fantasma in the final of the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
The angle certainly has been a hit with certain portions of the WWE Universe who've found a piece of themselves in the quest of a man trying his best to keep hold of his job in trying circumstances. And it's not just the underdog story, it's the fact that Drake Maverick has actually put up great matches in the process that really has the fans hooked.