5 biggest screw-ups of WWE in 2014

Running a wrestling promotion is never easy. It requires a lot of effort, guts and determination to have a successful run.Vince McMahon is someone who has always had all that ammunition in his pocket. He has done a great job in pushing forward his empire all through these years, and 2014 was supposed to be a milestone for the genius with the launch of WWE Network.Those dreams however came crashing down thanks to some forgettable booking by the creative team. The writers failed to give a credible product for the fans to buy, and all the hype regarding the Network went in vain.The WWE is at a crossroads at this moment and the booking is to blame for that. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the decisions that messed up the year for the company.

#5 Expecting a lot from Batista

One of the biggest paradoxes about the WWE Universe is the excitement about part timers. The fans go wild when they hear that some old star is returning, but that excitement turns into hatred when they see the same old star getting more priority than the regulars.

This was the situation with Batista. The news of his return was a big hit with the WWE fans but when the Animal made it into the ring, the cheers turned into jeers.

The WWE Universe didn’t want Batista to end up winning the Royal Rumble but that’s what WWE did. From there on, the Animal started getting a lot of heat wherever he went.

There were a lot of missed opportunities while booking Batista, and WWE would have to be extra careful the next time he comes in.

#4 Screwing Cesaro

After proving his mettle in the independent scene, Cesaro came into WWE to conquer the wrestling business. Apart from the lack of great microphone skills, Cesaro had everything he needed to make it big in the company.

With WWE in desperate need of new superstars, Cesaro seemed to be apt for the situation and WrestleMania was looking like the starting point of the rise. He won the Andre the Giant Battle Royale and then went on to have Paul Heyman as his manager. But Cesaro never lived up to the expectations.

The creative team is to blame for that as he was putting in solid performances while not being backed with a good narrative background. He is currently a jobber for other midcarders, which is pretty sad.

#3 Breaking up the Shield too early

Shield was the hottest stable in professional wrestling ever since they made their debut. The fans loved the idea of a gang of young guys fighting among the stale characters, and the in-ring performance of Shield backed up the idea perfectly.

There were rumours of the team breaking up for a long time. All three superstars had the potential to break out on their own but WWE might’ve pulled the plug a bit too early.

After breaking up, everyone has had a good time but there were endless possibilities with the Shield intact. The current angle of the Authority against Cena could’ve been the Authority vs. Team Vince, with the Shield by Vince’s side.

A turn at a Survivor Series match like that would’ve been mighty effective, and Reigns could’ve gone on to feud with Hunter instead of taking turns at Rollins.

#2 Feeding Wyatt to Cena

It’s been said a million times before, but here is the truth: Bray Wyatt is the best character that has come into WWE in a long time.

He knew how to captivate the crowd and knew how to stay true to the gimmick. The initial feud that he had with Kane and the one that followed against Daniel Bryan were doing wonders for the character. Bryan even managed to project Wyatt as the monster that everyone feared.

And then came John Cena, the superman without a kryptonite. For a moment, the fans were dreaming about Cena putting Wyatt over as a big star and the feud turning out to be the best in Bray’s career.

However, the exact opposite happened. Not only did Bray end up looking weak, he completely lost his credibility too. WWE is currently trying to revive him with a Dean Ambrose feud, but the damage has already been done.

#1 The Network

2014 has been a financial disaster for WWE. They wanted the Network to be a big hit and had all their hopes pinned on it. But not only did the Network sink big time, the company also lost revenue from the pay-per-views too as they were giving away $60 pay-per-views for just $9.99 per month.

This big blow forced McMahon to cut many superstars from the roster and fire some of his staff as well. On top of all that, having the wrestlers selling the whole $9.99 crap didn’t turn out looking good since the fans got tired of all the promotion.

The latest setback for the Network came in the form of a delay in United Kingdom, and McMahon should figure out something to undo all the decisions he made about the Network.