#2 Superstars are more restricted in their promos
One of the specific side effects of a decline in the need for controversial content is a distinct lack of original, engaging promo work. Stone Cold might not have been the greatest technical wrestler of all time, but fans loved him for what he said on the mic most of all. Compared to today's top stars, Austin was a genius when it came to hyping up matches and making his opponents look inferior.
In 2017 we are more used to seeing most of the company's top stars delivering the same kind of promo each and every week. Nobody is really afforded the opportunity to stand out, and you can very much tell that when they're speaking, it is pre-determined and presented in the least controversial way possible.
We might be more accustomed to a wrestling product that focuses mainly on the in-ring action these days, but as the WWE has shown in recent years, it is highly difficult to get yourself over as a heel or face if you're not capable of shocking the crowd with a good, hard-hitting promo.
If there was to be another Stone Cold in the WWE's future, they would need to give their superstars much more free reign to come up with their own words and not be afraid to offend people. There might be a bit of a backlash from the media, but this is what would be needed to return to the days of the Rattlesnake.