Vince McMahon

It was hard to understand what WWE's new wild-card rule meant as Vince McMahon bumbled his way through another promo, but thankfully, WWE.com released a full explanation.

The company's official website describes the new rule as, "limited number of Superstars from Raw or SmackDown would be invited to cross brand lines for one-night-only appearances, with unauthorized jumps to be penalized by fines or even potential firing."

Regardless of why the wild-card rule was implemented, it won't fix the company's awful booking, which is the real root of the problem.

Each week, the WWE Universe complains about the poor quality of the product and the television ratings reflect that. According to F4WOnline.com, last week's episode of Raw reached just 2.16 million viewers, an all-time low for a non-holiday, non-football-season show.

The implementation of the wild-card rule looks to be a direct reaction to the low ratings, but if McMahon and company thought the idea would save the show, they're addressing the symptoms and not the actual problem.

Without in-depth stories that fans can understand and relatable characters who can draw emotions from the WWE Universe, the ratings will continue to plummet despite the new rule, no matter how much McMahon says he's a genius.

Instead of focusing the attention of WWE Creative on booking The Usos to add Bengay to the trunks of former tag team champions The Revival, fans would be more excited to see the two teams locked in a serious war of words that leads to a series of matches with escalating intensity.

Or we can get another back-shaving segment.

Another problem with the new rule is the oversaturation of Superstars. As seen with Becky Lynch performing on both Raw and SmackDown, any glaring issues with the character will be exposed when paraded out twice a week. While she has been doing well in her role, it's been too much of a good thing and the reaction to Becky 2 Belts has dulled.

On most nights in the Attitude Era, WWE saved the appearance of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin until the last possible moment, giving the fans only a small taste and leaving them both satisfied and still somehow wanting more. In today's WWE, it's hard to want more after watching Raw.

It also doesn't help that McMahon and his family continue to put themselves on TV and think it will increase the ratings. Not only have they become an afterthought on the show due to a lack of respect from the fans, but they also take away from the time and momentum of the Superstars who need to be built up properly to help draw higher ratings in the future.

It's telling that when Raw is the most desperate for TV ratings, it calls on the top three Superstars from SmackDown to come over to the red brand. This week's show was main-evented by Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan, a well-told storyline with two distinct characters from the blue brand.

With the wild-card rule, the company is putting a band-aid over a severe booking problem and thinks over time it will bring viewers back to stay. WWE couldn't be more wrong.

              

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).

WWE Superstar Lio Rush responded Wednesday to rumors that he is dealing with backstage heat that has impacted his position with the company.

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported last week that a source told him Rush would be "very lucky to be back on the main roster anytime soon, if ever" because of multiple incidents.

One of the incidents Sapp reported involved Finn Balor telling Rush that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon would not approve of Rush's wife sitting in on rehearsals, which Rush allegedly "responded unfavorably" to.

In an update, Sapp spoke with Rush, who suggested that false information was being spread about him because of a vendetta:

"Me and Finn are cool, and my wife has never been an issue. There is someone who works for WWE who has hated me since the day I've worked for ROH [Ring of Honor], and now that they work for WWE they're leaking false information to get me released.

"At a certain point, I have to defend myself, so that's what I decided to do. We're all human, and we're all grown ass adults. The kind of s--t [that] flies backstage is ridiculous, and I'm surprised more people aren't speaking up."

In addition to addressing the rumors, Rush discussed his financial struggles despite being part of the world's biggest and most successful wrestling company:

"My issue has never been with Bobby [Lashley]. Being with Bobby has helped the both of us out tremendously. It's given me speaking confidence I didn't know I had. I never was a promo guy on the indies. But being with Bobby made me a promo guy.

"My issue isn't with my on-screen role. My issue is the fact that I haven't been on meet-and-greets with Bobby, haven't been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them. [I] have been sent to live shows and TVs and forced to pay for my own rental for five days as well as hotel while not making enough money to do so.

"Walking around broke in the biggest sports entertainment industry that there is while having two kids and a wife to support."

The 24-year-old Rush signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2017 before making the leap to 205 Live last year. After a short stint as a 205 Live exclusive talent, Rush debuted on Raw in September 2018 as Lashley's "hype man."

Rush continued to serve as Lashley's mouthpiece and an occasional wrestler until recently, as he has not appeared on WWE programming since Lashley dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Balor at WrestleMania 35.

While Rush's immediate future on Raw is unclear, he is a young and supremely talented Superstar with the ability to make a big impact in NXT or on 205 Live if WWE opts to keep him off the main roster shows.

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

Sunday marks 16 years since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin retired from in-ring competition, and while a lot of big stars have come and gone in that time, WWE has never been able to replicate The Rattlesnake's success.

A lot of factors led to Austin's rise to becoming one of the biggest draws in the business and one of the most popular Superstars of all time.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why nobody has come close to the level of success Austin had during his WWE career.

                                 

The Attitude Era and Monday Night War

Austin had been wrestling for years before coming to WWE. Most fans knew him as one half of The Hollywood Blonds alongside Brian Pillman.

When he arrived on the scene in WWE, things were beginning to change. The company was no longer focused on pushing colorful characters like Doink the Clown and Men on a Mission. It wanted to push the envelope.

The fierce competition with WCW led to WWE losing in the ratings for 83 weeks in a row, but during that time, WWE was rebuilding its roster.

After losing Hulk Hogan in the early '90s and the duo of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall a few years later, CEO Vince McMahon had to think on his feet to fill those top spots.

After he won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament and delivered the famous Austin 3:16 speech, McMahon knew he had a megastar on his hands.

With the product becoming edgier with each passing week, Austin was able to say a lot of things Superstars would be punished for repeating in today's PG environment.

Being able to perform without many restrictions allowed Stone Cold to win over the crowd, even if it meant parents stopped letting their kids watch the show.

Being in the right era is often the key to getting a character over with the crowd. Had Austin debuted today, he might not have fared as well under the current content restrictions.

                         

The Right Opponents

It takes a minimum of two people to put on a great match. No matter how good somebody is, they will never be able to put on a five-star performance against someone who doesn't have a similar level of skill.

Austin had the luxury of being in the company at the same time as some of the greatest performers to ever lace up a pair of boots.

The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Goldust and many more all had memorable matches against The Rattlesnake.

A Superstar is only as good as the person standing across the ring from them. With so many current and future Hall of Fame inductees as his rivals, it's not surprising Austin succeeded in the way he did.

                        

A More Aggressive Strategy

When WCW was crushing WWE in the ratings every week, McMahon had to try whatever he could to tempt fans back to Monday Night Raw.

During an interview with The Steve Austin Show on WWE Network, McMahon surprisingly admitted the company tried harder during those years because its future was uncertain.

When WWE regained the upper hand and was able to buy its competition, McMahon tightened the reins and things slowed down considerably.

This is why so many people feel like the company has gone downhill since the Attitude Era ended early in the 21st century. If there is no serious competition, WWE doesn't have to try as hard.

This may soon change with the addition of All Elite Wrestling to the weekly lineup of shows wrestling fans have to choose from. If the Tony Khan-backed venture is successful, McMahon and Co. may be forced to revisit some of the ideas that made the Attitude Era such a big deal.

Austin was lucky enough to be in the company at a time when it was trying anything and everything to stay afloat, and that led to some amazing television.

Watching Austin drive a beer truck in the arena and pour cement into McMahon's Corvette are moments some people remember more vividly than Austin's matches.

Seeing Braun Strowman tear apart a Ford Mustang just so WWE could sell a new toy doesn't have the same impact.

                             

The Perfect Storm

Austin deserves a lot of credit for his success. He was a great wrestler who was even better on the mic, but he also had the benefit of a set of perfect circumstances.

He was in WWE at the right time with the right character and was working with the right opponents. Had he been in WWE five years earlier, his story would be much different.

WWE has employed many incredible talents over the years, but none of them have been able to reach the same level because things haven't lined up in the perfect way.

This doesn't mean it can't happen again. If WWE is forced to fight for its life, as it was during the Monday Night War, we could see someone come along whom people refer to as "the next Stone Cold."

                     

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What do you think? Does WWE have anyone on the roster who is capable of reaching the same level of success as Austin?

Dean Malenko quit as a backstage agent for WWE, according to Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso.

Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin confirmed Malenko was out after eight years with the company, though the reason for his departure remains unknown.

Malenko was widely considered one of the world's most technically sound wrestlers during his prime with WCW. A staple of the cruiserweight division, he and Chris Jericho engaged in a fondly remembered feud.

The Iceman made the jump to WWE in 2000 as a member of The Radicalz but didn't enjoy much success in his new surroundings. Not surprisingly, WWE tabbed him for a backstage role when he retired in 2001.

Barrasso noted Malenko excelled at "booking tag matches, finding ways to highlight shorter talent, and his knowledge of a technical style that is far different from the WWE brand of wrestling."

Barrasso speculated All Elite Wrestling might be a good fit for the 58-year-old should he want to continue working in a similar capacity elsewhere.

Malenko's exit represents another notable behind-the-scenes move for WWE. Satin reported earlier this month Brian James, who wrestled as Road Dogg Jesse James, stepped down as the head writer for SmackDown Live and is working in another capacity.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon blamed the company's disappointing Q1 financial report on the absence of high-profile stars. 

"When you don't have talent, you don't have storylines. When you don't have storylines, you're not going to do that well in terms of live events and television ratings. It was like a cascade of things that happened," McMahon said on a call with investors Thursday. 

WWE made $182.4 million during the first quarter of 2019, compared to $187.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The company's operating income took a loss of $6.8 million versus an income of $21.8 million in the previous quarter.

It's not entirely clear what McMahon means by "superstar absences." John Cena and Roman Reigns were off television for most of the first quarter of 2019, but that was the case for the majority of the fourth quarter of 2018 as well. Brock Lesnar also essentially appeared in WWE programming as much as he had during other WrestleMania cycles. 

The rest of the WWE injured list doesn't have much in the way of bottom-line superstars who are out of action. 

WWE co-president George Barrios said it was "the magnitude all at one time that felt unique" in regard to the big-name Superstars out of action. 

WWE stock had been on a steady rise over the last year, especially following the company's announcement of a broadcast deal with Fox. 

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon tweeted a heartfelt message to John Cena on Tuesday in celebration of the latter's 42nd birthday.

McMahon showered Cena with compliments:

Happy birthday to @WWE’s Babe Ruth, @JohnCena! I really can’t describe in words how much @JohnCena means to me and the @WWEUniverse. #HustleLoyaltyRespectLove pic.twitter.com/6VOumWBxJs

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) April 23, 2019

While Cena now only appears occasionally on WWE programming due to his burgeoning Hollywood acting career, he was the face of WWE for well over a decade.

McMahon's comparison involving baseball legend Babe Ruth is fitting since Cena's appearance at WrestleMania 35 a few weeks ago was accompanied by a video package celebrating The Great Bambino.

At WrestleMania, Cena reverted to his Dr. of Thuganomics character and dressed down Elias in a one-sided rap battle that resulted in Elias' getting laid out.

Although Cena appears for nostalgic purposes more than anything in WWE these days, there is no denying the impact he has had on the company over the years. In terms of how popular and recognizable he is, Cena can be mentioned in the same breath as Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.

Cena's 16 world-title reigns are tied with Nature Boy Ric Flair for the most of all time, and he is a surefire Hall of Famer.

Business is booming for WWE, as evidenced by the massive, $1 billion television deal it signed with Fox to begin airing SmackDown Live in October, and there is little doubt that Cena played a big role in helping WWE reach that level.

             

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

Roman Reigns, who moved from Raw to SmackDown after the WWE Superstar Shake-up, did not waste time announcing his blue-brand presence as he unleashed a Superman Punch on WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in Montreal on Tuesday:

Move over, @IAmEliasWWE AND @VinceMcMahon...#SDLive is @WWERomanReigns' yard now! #SuperstarShakeUp pic.twitter.com/INNWy67f9Z

— WWE (@WWE) April 17, 2019

Reigns first interrupted another musical number of questionable quality from Elias, who Mr. McMahon introduced to SmackDown and called the future of the WWE, per Rev. Claire Elizabeth of Cageside Seats.

That apparently didn't sit too well with Reigns, who attacked Elias before going after the chairman of the board.

Reigns let his Twitter followers know who the new SmackDown sheriff in town was as well:

New yard. Same rules..

...my rules. #BigDogOnBlue #SDLive

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) April 17, 2019

Reigns, whose real name is Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, recently took off four months after learning that his leukemia returned. Thankfully, Reigns' leukemia is now in remission, and he returned to the ring on Feb. 25. He beat Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35.