As fans return, it's time for WWE to get back to basics
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
WWE took a lot of risks this past year using cinematic elements to enhance the shows, but as audiences return next month, it would be best to get back to basics.
Don’t get me wrong. The cinematic elements came at a time when out-of-the-box thinking was undoubtedly required.
The Boneyard match and The Firefly Fun House match changed the game for WWE and gave the company the creative spark that was needed to help them get through the start of the pandemic.
I mean, c’mon – they boldly did a match with John Cena that took place believably inside of Bray Wyatt’s sick fantasies, and they made Undertaker look badass enough to where he finally felt comfortable retiring.
The Money in the Bank contest at WWE Headquarters that followed was fun, too. Mixing the men and women’s matches into one long race to the top of the building was a unique twist on the MITB concept and, with everything that was going on, it was nice to have something like that where we could watch some wackiness.
Unfortunately, that’s where the cinematic highs ended for me. Yet WWE continued to journey down the rabbit hole. Instead of just focusing on the fact that Randy Orton may have inadvertently created The Fiend, for example, stunt effects became a large part of the program between Bray Wyatt and the Viper.
I don’t have to remind you where this went (but I will for the sake of word count): Orton burning The Fiend alive on PPV.
Even though it looked cool, this torching and the subsequent follow-up seemed to burn up a lot of goodwill among a portion of fans. Each attempt to recreate the magic of those matches fell further and further from what was enjoyable about them to start, for me and for many others.
We all know WWE is scripted like other TV shows that feature characters who murder people and storylines where demons run amok, but at a certain point, you can become less invested in the product if you think the level of creativity is slightly off.
As Johnny Gargano put it on my show last week, you need to reward viewers for giving their time, because no one wants to feel like their time is being wasted.
So, how could they move forward?
The easiest way, in my opinion, is to get away from the horror-based storylines that have been dominating Raw in particular and transition back to a more reality-based product on the whole. When you can believe in what you're watching, it's much more enjoyable.
Give us heroes and villains again, not shades-of-grey characters in horror movie-like settings delivering cheesy dialogue. We fans want to see relatable Superstars in compelling storylines competing in good matches. As oversimplified as that sounds, I truly believe that is the core need from fans in 2021.
When we don't get that at the start of the week, it can affect people's feelings on the product throughout the week entirely.
For some helpful guidance on how to get re-focused, though, I suggest the company look to the "K.I.S.S. Principle" which states that most systems work best if they are kept simple, rather than made complicated. In other words, "keep it simple, stupid."
As a fan, I'd love to see WWE focus on just three things right now – relatable stories for all ages, more character development across the card and strong in-ring action.
People describe wrestling as an athletic soap opera, not a weekly horror show with cool special effects, so let's get back to that.
Things that have worked in the past like Hulk Hogan fighting off bad guys for the youth of America in the 80s, Stone Cold rebelling against his boss in the 90s, John Cena freestyling in the 2000s or CM Punk quitting with stolen office equipment were all successful because people could relate in some way.
All you have to do is look at what is working on SmackDown for proof of that.
Roman Reigns is compelling because the pressure of having to live up to expectations placed on you is relatable. Same goes for inner family struggle.
Bianca Belair wanting to be a champion for positive representation in her community resonates with those who are doing the same in theirs.
Rey Mysterio just wants to be a good dad to Dominik Mysterio.
Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Big E, Sami Zayn, The Street Profits and more are all characters that people from various walks of life can feel seen within.
The characters from Raw resonating with fans – like Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Riddle and Drew McIntyre – are doing so for the same reason too.
That is what WWE's product needs even more of in the weeks and months ahead, not horror-like antics and cinematic special effects. As WWE hits the road and the WWE Universe makes its presence known once again, we are all going to be ready to blow the roof off of every event.
And if the stories we watch unfold in front of us are built on the basics, there's no limit on how loud we'll get.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
