Vince McMahon

For most people in the world, April 10, 2000, was just another day. The American President was a hit at the box office, Pope John Paul was on the cover of Life and Destiny's Child was climbing the Billboard charts with "Say My Name."

For pro wrestling fans, this was the day Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo appeared on WCW Nitro for the first time together to announce the company was going through a total reboot.

Every champion was stripped of their title, and the Superstars were told they were working with a clean slate. It was up to them to make an impression and find their own success.

The idea was risky at best. WCW had been struggling to regain the dominant position it once had over WWE in the battle for Nielsen ratings, and there had been trouble brewing behind the scenes for some time.

According to Bischoff on an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, the idea for the reboot was something he and Russo came up with together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9WZKDB3L9c

This was Bisch's return to the company, and he was looking to collaborate with Russo to turn around the product. On paper, the idea was brilliant and terrible at the same time.

Talents were leaving WCW for WWE at the time, and the two men who found themselves running the No. 2 promotion together wanted to find a way to build new names and ensure WCW had a roster full of young and capable performers.

Tournaments were held to crown new champions, but less than one year later, WCW closed its doors on March 26, 2001. WWE had won the battle for supremacy, and World Championship Wrestling had ceased to exist.

WWE's programming has been receiving criticism from fans for a long time, but the kind of radical thinking that led to WCW's reboot might be exactly what the company needs to revive itself. 

The concept has potential, but WCW's execution and other drama backstage led to more mayhem. WWE can do it right and make it work with the resources it has available.

                            

Either Get Rid of the Brand Split or Make it Matter Again

WWE's ridiculous wild-card rule has been a disaster from the start. CEO Vince McMahon settled on four Superstars from one show being able to appear on the other, but it seems like the line between Raw and SmackDown has been all but erased.

Roman Reigns regularly pulls double duty along with Becky Lynch, AJ Styles and many more. WWE should either combine everyone back into one roster or keep the split alive by restricting people to one show.

With the size of the roster, management should consider keeping the brand split in place. WWE needs to create as many new stars as possible while featuring the veterans we know and love.

Rebooting the company would allow WWE to make concrete changes. As long as it sticks to a decision, we would all have one less thing to complain about.

                            

Streamlining the Championship Scene

Stripping every champion of their title would mean 14 people on the main roster would be starting from scratch. Once this is done, WWE could work on creating a better set of championships.

There would only be the need for one world title,  one women's champion and one set of Tag Team Championships each for the men and one for the women.

The titleholders would float between Raw and SmackDown, while each show would have one or two exclusive midcard titles like the United States and Intercontinental Championships.

The 24/7 title needs to stay so we can continue enjoying the antics of R-Truth and Drake Maverick, but the nature of the belt would allow them to show up wherever they wanted.

This might upset certain pro wrestling purists, but what we all have to remember is a championship belt is nothing more than a prop for a TV show. The people who hold them are no less talented without them.

Besides, WWE could always have a few of the former champions regain their titles right away if they were already popular and performing well with the belts around their waists.

                             

Combine NXT and 205 Live

205 Live being on WWE Network, unfortunately, means it ends up being seen by fewer people than Raw and SmackDown despite the cruiserweight show regularly putting on show-stealing matches.

If WWE plans on making NXT a bigger priority so it can compete with AEW's weekly show, combining it with 205 Live would help add some depth to the roster.

The purple brand should be filmed at Full Sail University so it can benefit from the hardcore fanbase NXT has built up in the area over the years.

Unless the plan is for NXT to start airing live every week, WWE could film several episodes of 205 Live in blocks. This way, WWE could keep the cruiserweights on the road with the main roster while also having their own weekly show alongside NXT on WWE Network.

Mixing the roster would also allow WWE to test the waters with different feuds. We could see combinations like Drew Gulak vs. Johnny Gargano or Akira Tozawa vs. Velveteen Dream.

                                  

The Announcement Would Create a Lot of Buzz

Stream #WWEUntold: The Failed Relaunch of WCW anytime on demand on #WWENetwork. pic.twitter.com/M13371Xa0l

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) June 9, 2019

Imagine being a lapsed fan who hasn't watched WWE in months or years, or if you are one of those people, just be yourself for a moment and think about how you would react if you read a headline saying "WWE to reboot the entire company."

If management announced something like this ahead of time, a lot of fans would be curious to see what was going on. Once those people have their eyes on the product again, it would be up to WWE to keep them there by putting on great matches and creating interesting stories.

When WCW rebooted itself, there was little to no warning. Some people knew Bischoff was returning to WCW  but few were aware of how drastically the company was going to change.

That was a mistake. People were caught off guard and had no idea what was happening. Advance notice of a week would be enough to make sure everyone knows what is coming when the reboot finally happens.

                           

Fulfilling a Promise

Triple H and the entire McMahon family came to the ring on the December 17 and promised to listen to the fans and make the kind of changes necessary to keep the WWE Universe and the Superstars happy. 

While some things have changed since then, many people still feel like WWE has a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to pushing the right people.

Luckily, WWE has Paul Heyman and Bischoff in positions of power again, and they would be able to help the company avoid the mistakes WCW made during its relaunch in 2000.

Rebooting the product would allow management to address all the biggest concerns at once. It would be a big change to handle, but if WWE took its time planning everything out for a few months beforehand, it just might work.

                     

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What do you think? Would a reboot help WWE? What other unconventional ideas would help the company?

WWE CEO Vince McMahon said Thursday during a conference call with investors that there are no plans for WWE to revert to the risque and extreme type of programming that dominated the product during the Attitude Era.

According to CBS New York, McMahon acknowledged that while the product will evolve to some degree, it will continue to target a younger and family-oriented audience:

"We're going to be a bit edgier, but remain in the PG environment. At the same time, we're not going to go back to the Attitude Era. We're not going to do blood and guts and things of that nature such [as] is being done on, perhaps, a new competitor. We're just not going to go back to that gory crap that we've graduated from. It's a more sophisticated product."

The Attitude Era was arguably the zenith of WWE's success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Weekly television ratings were through the roof, and legendary stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and The Undertaker ruled the roost.

During the Attitude Era, the product was sexually charged and featured no shortage of profanity and bloody in-ring battles.

McMahon mentioned a "new competitor" on the call and was likely referencing All Elite Wrestling. AEW's weekly television show is set to debut Oct. 2 on TNT.

At AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May, brothers Cody and Dustin Rhodes waged war in a bloody battle. Then, at Fyter Fest, Shawn Spears hit Cody in the head with a steel chair, which busted the AEW executive vice president open.

There may be some pressure on WWE to mimic those tactics now that there is seemingly a legitimate contender entering the landscape, especially since Raw and SmackDown Live ratings have suffered this year.

WWE also has to worry about the impact an Attitude Era-esque product would have on advertisers, which are largely interested in younger audiences.

When WCW emerged as a legitimate contender in 1996 by going the edgy route, WWE countered and eventually beat it at its own game. If AEW does something similar, perhaps McMahon's sentiment will change down the line.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

WWE reported a five percent dip in revenue during the second quarter of 2019 compared to the second quarter of 2018 in its earnings report Tuesday.

According to the report, WWE brought in $268.9 million in revenue during 2019's Q2 after making $281.6 million in revenue for 2018's second quarter.

It was noted that a drop in media, live-event and consumer product earnings led directly to the fall in revenue. Specifically, the house-show revenue went from $52.3 million to $48.8 million and merchandise revenue went from $26.7 million to $23.1 million.

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said the following regarding the results:

"During the quarter, we made progress on key strategic initiatives. We completed content distribution agreements in key international markets, prepared for the next phase of our WWE Network service, and achieved steady improvement in engagement metrics. As indicated previously, we remain excited about the future, particularly with our debut on Fox in October."

Although revenue is down, WWE reported a 17 percent increase in digital video views (9.0 billion), 22 percent increase in hours consumed across digital platforms (324 million hours) and 10 percent increase in social media followers (1.02 billion).

WWE also reported 1.69 million paid subscribers to WWE Network, which was "consistent with the company's guidance" but down slightly from the 1.80 million paid subscribers in Q2 of 2018.

With WWE Network's transition to a new platform beginning this week, WWE announced that it will allow for the addition of free and premium tiers, which is something that has long been speculated.

WWE Co-President George Barrios provided a positive outlook for the company moving forward:

"In the quarter, our earnings exceeded guidance, however we anticipate a portion of this to reverse and we continue to target full-year Adjusted OIBDA of at least $200 million. The guidance presupposes the staging of a second large scale international event and the completion of a media rights deal in the MENA region. As we optimize near-term results, we will continue to focus on content creation, localization and digitization, including the evolution of our direct-to-consumer network, to drive long-term growth."

Presumably, the "second large scale international event" Barrios referred to is a show in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to occur later this year after WWE Super ShowDown took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in June.

WWE heralded improvement in television ratings from the first quarter to the second quarter in 2019. Raw went from a 14 percent decline in viewership during the first quarter to an 11 percent decline in Q2, while SmackDown improved from a 13 percent decline to a seven percent decline.

Also, house-show attendance went from a 12 percent decline in the first quarter to only a four percent decline in Q2.

                

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Kevin Owens laid down a SummerSlam challenge to Shane McMahon in a video posted to WWE's YouTube account Monday night:

KO also suggested that if he is unable to beat McMahon at SummerSlam, he will quit WWE.

The former Universal Champion's promo came ahead of McMahon's scheduled segment on SmackDown Live to address the recent issues with Owens.

Owens and Shane-O-Mac have been embroiled in a bitter feud over the past few weeks, beginning with McMahon attempting to eject Owens from the building. Instead, KO got on the mic, criticized McMahon and called for WWE's underutilized talent to be part of the show instead of Shane.

Last week, Owens launched a sneak attack on Shane and laid him out with a Stunner, which seemed to confirm that WWE was setting the stage for a SummerSlam match.

During the video, Owens called McMahon a "disgusting rotting piece of garbage," and said SmackDown has been a "one-man show" for far too long.

McMahon has been a constant presence on both Raw and SmackDown in recent months, and he has taken part in high-profile matches against the likes of Roman Reigns, The Undertaker and The Miz.

If McMahon and Owens face each other at SummerSlam, it will be a rematch of their clash at Hell in a Cell 2017 when KO beat Shane in a Hell in a Cell match thanks to a helping hand from Sami Zayn.

The roles would be reversed this time around since Owens is now a renegade babyface, while McMahon is a clear heel.

It can be argued that the quitting stipulation makes it more obvious that Owens will win at SummerSlam, but since it is so easy to work around those types of stipulations in the world of professional wrestling, it could just as easily lead to a shocking win for Shane.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

NXT Superstar Oney Lorcan told a bizarre story involving WWE Chairman Vince McMahon on Friday in a tweet.

According to Lorcan, McMahon banned him from WWE for life and had him escorted from the building in 2011, but WWE Superstar Fandango called him in 2015 to inform him the ban was lifted:

https://twitter.com/_StarDESTROYER/status/1152358624141987840

Lorcan's timeline is somewhat questionable since he signed a developmental contract with WWE and made his debut at an NXT live event in October 2015, which is before he said Fandango told him the lifetime ban was over.

Also, the only match Lorcan appears to have had for WWE before signing with the company came in 2009 and not 2011. In that match, Lorcan wrestled as The Carolina Panther and lost to The Great Khali on SmackDown.

Lorcan was a big-time star on the independent circuit as Biff Busick, and he has brought his hard-hitting brand of wrestling to WWE's yellow brand.

He is currently in a tag team with rough-and-tumble Brit Danny Burch. They have come close to winning the NXT Tag Team Championships on numerous occasions and put on several great matches along the way.

Whether Lorcan's story is fact or fiction, it stands to reason that WWE is happy to have such an impressive in-ring talent in the fold.  

      

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

     

Fox Planning Preview Show Before SmackDown Debut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LclYv5MEYc

Fox has a plan in place to introduce non-wrestling fans to the WWE product prior to SmackDown's debut on Fox on Oct. 4.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Fox held a summit meeting Wednesday with its affiliates. During the meeting, Fox revealed it plans to air a one-hour special in September to showcase some of WWE's Superstars to the Fox audience.

Per Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Middleton), the show will air on Sept. 27, which is one week before SmackDown's Fox premiere.

Alvarez reported that while it isn't believed any matches will air on the special, that has yet to be confirmed.

Since Fox usually airs sports like football, baseball and MMA (prior to UFC's move to ESPN), it is seemingly a smart move on the part of Fox and WWE to get the viewing audience accustomed to what they can expect to see when SmackDown begins airing.

Fox is putting a lot of eggs in the WWE basket to replace what was lost when UFC left, and it appears as though every possible step is being taken to ensure the partnership is a success.

     

Bully Ray Reportedly Turns Down Raw Reunion Appearance

Several legends are scheduled to appear on Monday's Raw Reunion show, but Bully Ray (aka Bubba Ray Dudley) reportedly won't be among them.

According to Meltzer (h/t Middleton), Bully Ray was invited to the show by WWE but apparently turned it down.

The 48-year-old Bully Ray was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last year alongside Dudley Boyz tag team partner D-Von Dudley, who works for WWE as a backstage producer. D-Von is being advertised for a Raw Reunion appearance.

Bully Ray currently works for Ring of Honor and is also part of the Busted Open radio show on SiriusXM.

In addition to their stints in ECW and Impact Wrestling, Bully Ray and D-Von teamed together for much of the time they were in WWE from 1999-2005. They made their long-anticipated return in 2015 and remained with the company for a year before departing again.

Another Dudley Boyz reunion on Raw would have been a fun moment for fans, but there will be no shortage of nostalgia regardless.

WWE has announced a who's who of legends scheduled to appear on Raw Reunion, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, among others.

    

Morgan Reportedly Set to Change Look

After finally making her SmackDown Live debut this week, Liv Morgan is reportedly set to change things up.

According to Meltzer (h/t H Jenkins of RingsideNews.com), Morgan is preparing to revamp her look, which could include ditching her signature blue tongue and pink hair. Meltzer added that Morgan is aiming to become more "real."

Morgan was moved from Raw to SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shake-up after WrestleMania, but she didn't appear on the show until Tuesday when she took part in the SmackDown town hall meeting and cut a promo on Charlotte Flair.

That led to a match against Flair, which Charlotte won. After the match, Morgan took announcer Corey Graves' headset and said, "When I come back, I'm gonna be real."

Prior to getting moved to SmackDown, Morgan was one-third of the Riott Squad along with Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan. The trio received plenty of television time and performed well as a heel stable, but Morgan now has a chance to shine on her own.

She showed potential as a singles wrestler in NXT, and she looked good from an in-ring perspective during her match against Charlotte on SmackDown as well.

Morgan is still young in the business, and at just 25 years of age, her best years are likely ahead of her, especially if the reinvention goes well.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

        

Jon Moxley Offers Thoughts on Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff

Since leaving WWE, Jon Moxley has been candid with his opinions regarding the company. When it comes to new executive directors Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff, Moxley echoed the general refrain of many wrestling fans.

During an interview on The Store Horsemen (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Erich Pilcher), he argued Heyman and Bischoff will largely be as successful as Vince McMahon allows them to be:

"They definitely made some kind of move. Paul Heyman is really smart it sounds like that is a great idea. I just hope Vince lets them do their ideas. It's not just, 'I made him head of creative, but I'm telling him what to do type of thing.'

"Eric Bischoff was behind the NWO, he also presided over some crappy WCW shows. He is probably pretty motivated to make you forget that part of the resume. The more wrestling that is good, the more fans that there are and the better it is for everybody."

Moxley knows better than most how much influence McMahon has on WWE's creative direction. He expressed his frustration in that regard in a wide-ranging interview with fellow All Elite Wrestling star Chris Jericho.

Perhaps the arrivals of Heyman and Bischoff showed McMahon is willing to take a step back.

         

Bella Twins Had to Abandon WWE Return

Nikki and Brie Bella returned last September for a brief run that culminated in Nikki's defeat to Ronda Rousey at Evolution on Oct. 28.

The Bella Twins revealed on their podcast that WWE had penciled them in for the SmackDown Live after WrestleMania 35 to kick off a feud with The IIconics (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc.).

However, Nikki said she underwent an MRI that revealed a herniated disc, inflammation in her neck and a cyst on her brain. Her doctor advised her to retire from wrestling altogether or risk further injury.

The fact WWE had to quickly shift gears could partially explain why the women's tag team division has largely been devoid of a direction since The IIconics won the titles at WrestleMania.

          

WWE Reportedly Considers 18-34 Demographic 'A Major Target'

WWE offered a change of pace to open the July 1 edition of Raw. The show began with a Falls Count Anywhere match between Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley that ended when the two stars crashed through part of the stage.

That may have set the tone for Raw's tonal shift under Heyman.

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported WWE is hopeful of attracting more viewers between the ages of 18 and 34: "The edgier nature of Raw was pitched as a 'third hour' idea months ago, and was short-lived. After the success of last week's episode of Raw under a new direction for the duration of the show, the company is hoping to recapture that magic, and the lost teenage audience."

The Attitude Era was commercially successful for WWE and beloved by fans, but it was far from perfect. Women's wrestling was largely an afterthought, and WWE's willingness to push the envelope occasionally led to some tasteless moments that look bad in retrospect.

But there's a balance WWE can strike between the Attitude Era and the more family-friendly product it has delivered in recent years. Perhaps that's where McMahon can be valuable as a moderator for Heyman in the creative room.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

           

Gallows, Anderson Reportedly Sign New WWE Deals

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are reportedly staying in WWE for the foreseeable future.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Joshua Gagnon), have "absolutely signed" new deals with WWE.

Exact terms aren't known, but Meltzer noted that WWE is "making bigger offers than people think" in order to retain its talent with All Elite Wrestling emerging. Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports 360 reported that the contracts are five years in length and feature a "significant raise."

After being used only sparingly on television over the past two years, Gallows and Anderson have had a much bigger role as of late. It started with them interacting with AJ Styles, and on Monday's episode of Raw, Styles turned heel and aligned himself with them by attacking Ricochet.

The greatest success Gallows and Anderson enjoyed with WWE came early in their tenure in 2016 when they formed The Club with Styles, and WWE is seemingly hoping to recapture that magic.

Gallows and Anderson won the IWGP Tag Team Championships together three times in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as part of the Bullet Club, and they are one-time Raw tag team champions in WWE.

Aligning with Styles guarantees they will be a significant part of WWE programming moving forward, and that may have been what they needed to be convinced to stay.

With WWE reportedly re-signing Gallows and Anderson, a potential big-time signing is now off the table for AEW.

                 

Batista Talks Wanting Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania

The match between Triple H and Batista at WrestleMania 35 was an all-out brawl that featured some brutal spots, but Batista had even more grandiose plans in mind before WWE Chairman Vince McMahon shot down his idea.

Appearing this week on Talk Is Jericho with Chris Jericho (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Batista discussed his desire to face The Game in a Hell in a Cell match:

"Originally, we wanted to have a Hell in a Cell, but Vince because of the [Hell in a Cell] pay-per-view, he didn't want to have a Hell in a Cell, and we really wanted Hell in a Cell. They're just great matches, they're violent. We needed bells and whistles. We're two older guys, we hadn't wrestled in a long time and we needed the drama. We've already got the history, so we just needed the violence."

Hell in a Cell matches have primarily been relegated to the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in recent years, although The Undertaker did face Shane McMahon in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 32.

Batista and Triple H likely would have benefited from the stipulation since their history and long-running rivalry could have been put to rest in one of the most violent match types imaginable.

While they didn't get that opportunity, they still put on a memorable match that featured some unique spots, including Triple H pulling Batista's nose ring out with pliers.

Triple H won the match, which resulted in Batista having to retire from in-ring competition.

Batista has been steadfast in saying that the match against Triple H was the final match of his career, and he seems pleased with the manner in which he went out even though he couldn't convince McMahon to agree to a Hell in a Cell stipulation.

            

Vince McMahon Reportedly Pleased with Monday's Raw

Vince McMahon reportedly liked what he saw during Monday's episode of Raw.

According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, McMahon was "immensely pleased with the pacing, tone, and essence" of Raw.

It was the first episode of Raw since Paul Heyman was announced as the show's executive director, and while it isn't known precisely how much influence he had over it, Meltzer (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Marc Middleton) reported that it was a "very heavy Paul Heyman" episode and that Heyman had "his fingerprints" all over the show.

Raw undoubtedly had a different feel from Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley opening the show by crashing through the entrance stage to the increased use of profanity to Styles turning heel on Ricochet to close the episode.

The WWE product has largely been stale in recent months, but that may be changing. The hope is that the same thing will happen on SmackDown Live with former WCW President Eric Bischoff stepping in as executive director.

With AEW looking to step up and challenge WWE, the world's biggest wrestling company appears up to the challenge, and this week's Raw was a sign of that fact.

                

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

With all of the blockbuster headlines, emerging promotions, revealing podcasts and talent out there, 2019 is shaping up to be wildest year on record in the wrestling world.

Vince McMahon's WWE remains king of the proverbial kayfabe castle. In recent years, the company has focused on global brand dominance. That strategy paid off financially, as the company's stock jumped from $11.26 per share in January 2009 to over $70 per share in June 2019.

Revenue has also followed suit. According to Macro Trend, the company's year-over-year earnings ending in March 2019 increased by 15.58 percent.

"Vince dreamed of getting Coke and a car," a former WWE creative staffer explained to Bleacher Report. "He got it."

McMahon's company is a household name. And like Coca-Cola, name recognition has led to bigger infusions of cash.

But while McMahon's fiscal dreams have come to fruition, the product that got him here has struggled to combat poor television ratings, low attendance, a rival upstart promotion and growing backlash from fans.

              

Sinking Ratings

In 2014, Raw was hovering between 3.6 and 4 million viewers per week, according to Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats and data provided by Wrestle Zone's Mike Killam. Today, we've seen numbers gravitate around 2.24 million and lower.

WWE's ratings situation isn't good news for anyone. It has even garnered unwanted attention from corporate America, despite the company's recent efforts to bolster its product.

NBCUniversal, home to Raw through the USA Network, and Fox—the soon-to-be new home of SmackDown—have both expressed concern, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Fox seems especially wary after shelling out more than $1 billion to host SmackDown for the next five years, according to the Hollywood Reporter's Marisa Guthrie. Pro Sports Extra's Brad Shepard reported Fox executives recently held a meeting with WWE's leadership team to "address any concerns and changes."

"WWE has been tracking downward in the ratings since I was at WWE in 2007," Major League Wrestling CEO Court Bauer told Alfred Konuwa of Forbes. "Fans are sophisticated. They're selective."

In April 2019, McMahon blamed the ratings dip on temporary talent absences, according to Chuck Carroll of CBS New York. Roman Reigns took a leave of absence to undergo treatment for leukemia, while other mid-card Superstars were recovering from injuries.

But with WWE's talent pool now mostly back intact, ratings have still continued to slide.

         

Live Attendance

Ratings aren't WWE's only issue. Audience attendance levels are also dipping.

"Maybe" 6,000 people attended the latest pay-per-view, Stomping Grounds, according to Defy Wrestling's Matt Farmer. "Probably smallest PPV crowd in a long time," he added.  

One theory around shrinking attendances is the lack of mainstream stars left in WWE.

John Cena, the company's last tried-and-true crossover name, barely wrestles anymore. At 54 years old, The Undertaker is a shell of his old self, as his clash with Goldberg at WWE's Super ShowDown demonstrated.

Bleacher Report spoke with a former WWE Creative staffer who believes the company inflicted this damage on itself by not investing in long-term talent.

"This is where the erosion of making the talents of 2008-2014 hurts them," they said. "Name a star who is over from that era who was actually made in that era. The Shield guys were the major breakthrough."

Compounding this issue is how WWE seems to squash a good thing when it comes to star-making.

This issue was never more obvious than with the rise and fall of Bray Wyatt. After being built up in 2016 and finally winning the WWE Championship at the 2017 Elimination Chamber, for reasons we can't explain, he gave the title up a few months later at WrestleMania 33 to Randy Orton.

This not only crushed his momentum but also ripped away the menacing star power he had built up over the past six months.

Looking back at Wyatt and the entire original brand split of 2016 and you'll see examples of this. From the SmackDown side, Dean Ambrose, Cena, AJ Styles and others were all creating "must-see" moments. The blue brand's product was hot, and ratings—while not staggering—were better than they are today.

"Last night's SmackDown on the USA Network averaged 1.833 million viewers, the lowest number for the show since the 2016 brand split and its move to airing live on Tuesday nights," Paul Fontaine of the Wrestling Observer wrote, referring to the last show in April 2019.

Between futile storylines and stalled momentum, this genuine lack of star-building has helped cripple ratings and live attendance.

          

All Elite Wrestling: Threat or Fiction?

Sometimes outside forces can invoke the biggest wake-up calls.

All Elite Wrestling's attempt to emerge as a mainstream alternative for fans—the company recently signed a deal with WarnerMedia to host original weekly programming on TNT—could force WWE to push its boundaries and improve. 

"Wrestling fans have wanted—and needed—something different, authentic and better for far too long," AEW owner Tony Khan said, per Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari. "AEW is answering the call."

AEW already boasts more than 660,000 followers on Instagram. Compare that to an established brand like Impact Wrestling, which has around 432,000 followers, and you'll begin to see why wrestling fans have high hopes for the new promotion.

AEW has also attained star power thanks to Khan's deep pockets and is letting longtime wrestlers have a say in creative. Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks have all generated significant attention for the company.

By allowing talent to be fostered organically through creative angles and decisions, AEW hopes its product will remain fresh and cutting-edge. So far, it's worked.

AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view drew between 98,500 and 113,000 buys worldwide, per the Wrestling Observer (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), without a weekly television program to help boost ratings.

It's easy to fall in love with the idea of AEW for all of the reasons stated above. However, it's important to remember WWE remains at its peak financially.

While WWE should remain wary of AEW, a startup promotion isn't likely to end its tenure as the top dog in professional wrestling.

         

Creative Solutions

With sagging ratings, low attendance and the threat of AEW on the horizon, is there any hope for a WWE Creative turnaround?

WWE recently hired Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff to take on executive director roles with the company—Heyman will oversee Raw while Bischoff will lead SmackDown—according to Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso. That could be a step in the right direction.

Both men have a decorated pedigree not only running rival promotions but working within the confines of WWE itself. Plus, with a 73-year-old McMahon leading the charge to bring back the XFL, perhaps hiring two former show-runners will be his way of easing out of every creative decision WWE makes.

Bischoff and Heyman can't be the only change.

"When WWE gets weird and creative with its product, it wins," David Bixenspan wrote at Deadspin.

Bixenspan nailed the crux of the matter.

Look at WWE programming today. The two best things going for the company can be classified as weird and creative.

Wyatt's compelling Firefly Fun House gimmick has become must-watch TV, with videos generating millions of views on YouTube alone, while WWE's 24/7 Championship has also provided fans with a breath of fresh air. A source within WWE reportedly told Pro Sports Extra's Brad Shepard that R-Truth is the company's "biggest draw on all platforms."

YouTube content starring Truth routinely receives millions of views, which is amazing for someone who is perceived to be at the mid-card level.

Innovation from guys like Truth and Wyatt begs the question: How does this type of creativity not translate to the main event scene?  It seems like McMahon wants to protect the brand and not take any huge risks at the top, which has led to frustration among fans.

There's been no better example of destroying the main event picture than the re-emergence of Dean Ambrose, or as he's called today, Jon Moxley.

Making his shocking debut at AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view, Moxley closed the show by decimating Jericho and Omega. In a span of 10 minutes, he set a tone, lit the crowd on fire and pushed his character into hyperdrive.

Why didn't WWE use this approach when he came back off a lengthy injury in 2018?

Moxley vented about his WWE return on the Talk is Jericho podcast: "Basically, their idea for me coming back was exactly what everyone expected, no shock, nothing different, just good ol' Lunatic Fringe, again."

He then pulled back the curtain and opened up about McMahon and the creative team: "I think Vince is the problem. Not so much Vince, but the structure he built around himself."

The former WWE Creative staffer we talked to verified this way of thinking: "I think Dean's comments are in line with the system that is in place. WWE television is written and produced the same as it was in 2000."

Limited creative freedom awarded to talent and staff has resulted in marquee feuds fizzling out, repetitive matches taking place and storylines that seem to go nowhere or never reach a logical conclusion.

"I think it's the erosion of the product mattering," the former WWE Creative member said. "Payoffs don't matter anymore. Take the recent wild-card rule, introduced by Mr. McMahon as evidence. We were told it was four wild cards. Now it's not even a real thing. It's just whatever fits."

It's time to make creative matter again. WWE could even pull a few pages out of Triple H's NXT brand. It should nurture homegrown talent and give them a pivotal role when they're called up to the main roster.

At this point, who doesn't believe Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole could lead Raw into the future?

To turn declining attendances around and boost TV ratings, WWE must move forward in a cohesive manner and allow its talent to dictate the product.