"It would get old" - Former WWE personality has a word of caution for the company over big change
It's a completely new era in WWE if you haven't already noticed. In addition to the ever-changing stories and characters, the sports entertainment giant's production has also gone up a notch. However, Freddie Prinze Jr. has warned the company about overdoing certain things.
The exit of Kevin Dunn marked the beginning of a change in how WWE presented its content on live TV. Since the arrival of former ESPN production executive Lee Fitting and Triple H getting complete control of the booking, the way segments and matches are shot has seemingly been different in recent months.
While speaking on his Wrestling with Freddie podcast, Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed he particularly loved how the company was getting in and out of matches these days.
The former pro wrestling writer felt the company was finally doing something that they had avoided for decades, as he explained below:
"I love the new direction they are going in, Jeff, as far as they are getting out of matches and coming back into matches. The way they are shooting segments backstage now and not leaving viewers hanging out to try as they did in the last 25 years." [From 11:00 onwards]
There was a single-shot angle on a recent episode of RAW, which saw Jey Uso bump into Sami Zayn backstage after his match. Freddie Prinze Jr. called it one of his favorite moments but believed WWE needed to be cautious about not repeating the filming technique every week.
Prinze Jr. was hopeful WWE could be creative with its production, and given how the company has fared recently, he seemed pretty confident:
"I thought that was the coolest thing. It was so different for WWE, and it was an organic transfer from this match to that match instead of the same old stuff. I don't want them to do that kind of shot every week because then it would get old. But I hope they find cool and organic ways to get in and out of the action like they did. And I feel, when you see stuff like that, it makes you confident that they are good." [13:47 - 14:06]
Freddie Prinze Jr. is not a fan of the 3D graphics during WWE entrances
Technological advancement has benefited media as a whole. When it comes to the Stamford-based company in particular, it has tried to incorporate various new additions to its presentation.
A few years ago, the promotion began experimenting with augmented reality (AR) graphics during the entrances of superstars. While there might be some fans who like the 3D visuals, Freddie Prinze Jr. found them "weird" and was glad the company had recently pulled back on its usage.
Prinze Jr. opined that some high-tech possibilities, while great on paper, are best left ignored:
"Yeah, man! That was weird. I never got that. Sometimes, if we've got the technology, it doesn't mean we've got to use that." [15:30 -15:45]
Triple H and his team are changing the way fans perceive WWE, and while the performers have a significant hand in that, the personnel in the production truck are equally important in the grander scheme of things.
Please credit Wrestling with Freddie and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.