WWE: The slow decline into mediocrity

Growing up as kids, WWE/WWF formed an integral part of our childhood. Evenings would be set aside for two hours as Monday Night RAW and Smackdown would premier. The over the top action, gimmicks, fake storylines – all combined in a delightful adrenaline-filled amalgam that captivated viewers. It was like any popular TV show, but it just seemed so much more real. Wrestlers like The Rock, Stone Cold, The Undertaker, etc. had tremendous stage presence and great storylines to back their characters. Such was their popularity, that they became global superstars. Those were the golden days of the WWE. This was what Sports Entertainment was all about.

Attitude Era: The golden age of WWE

Fast forward to the current day, and one will realise that the majority of the core WWE fan base has become disillusioned with the product on offer. The rebellious teens of yesteryear that reveled in the risqué product that was once on offer have now been replaced by kids. While WWE was an escape for teenagers from their mundane lives, it has now become the equivalent of a silly cartoon show.

This is the PG era of wrestling, where quantity has been given impetus over quality. The top brass at WWE is now concerned with the amount of tickets they sell at pay-per-views like Wrestlemania rather than putting up a good show. Don’t get me wrong, the roster is as good as it ever was. Young upstarts with great in-ring ability like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Shield etc, combined with the experience of John Cena and other older superstars, are a very potent mix of talent. Yet, despite this, the storylines are weak and insipid, the dialogues and gimmicks are lame, and the action not as good as it should be.

During the glory days of wrestling, audiences tuned in every Monday night to watch WWF and WCW slug it out for ratings in a battle that was named the Monday Night Wars. Superstars would put their bodies and reputations on the line every night to ensure that each company succeeded. This was a great time for the fans that were treated to quality wrestling and a quality product.

These days, the WWE rules as the superior wrestling entity. Total Nonstop Action wrestling may exist, but it is nowhere close to competing with Vince McMahon’s company. This lack of competition has led to complacency on the part of WWE, who feel they can get away with mediocre product and yet still rake in the moolah. It was the competition with WCW that led to WWE raising their game in a bid to compete and ushered in the Attitude era – by far one of the biggest and most successful gimmicks in the company’s history that transformed it into a global brand.