Not only did Goldberg’s return take a lot of us back to our pre-pubescent years of wide-eyed appreciation for pro-wrestling, but it also provided a direly needed bump in ratings for Monday Night Raw. For the first time in forever, Raw’s viewership numbers consistently floated above the 3 million mark for the duration of the show.
Obviously, with Goldberg slated to appear in upcoming weeks for building up his feud with Brock Lesnar, some degree of spill-over effect in ratings is to be expected. All this does, however, is paper over the cracks.
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A legitimate special attraction like Goldberg is not always available to the WWE, and turning back the clock to open their doors to yesteryear Superstars who can still “go”, is an exercise that will only end up jeopardising their vision of looking towards the future.
So what can the WWE do to ensure that they revitalise their viewership in an organic and self-sustaining manner? Here are 5 solutions that could do the trick.
#5 NXT
This is the most obvious solution that comes to mind, especially given how useful NXT has proven to be as the ultimate breeding ground for next-gen WWE Superstars. NXT’s burgeoning presence in the main roster today, has gone a long way towards washing away the staleness espoused by the PG era.
Be it by replacing cookie-cutter gimmicks with edgy and intriguing characters, or replacing predictable in-ring action with a highly technical, fast paced and realistic repertoire, NXT has established itself as much more than just a secondary brand under the WWE banner.
If the WWE want to plan for the future and long-term success, NXT – like its name suggests – should be at the fulcrum of the project.
#4 Indie Talent
Much like how WWE bought out WCW to end the Monday Night Wars, the WWE has wisely chosen to cut the legs from underneath its main competition today – the independent circuits – by poaching the best talent from various promotions.
Don’t get me wrong.
No single promotion today, unlike WCW back then, poses the same kind of threat, or even caters to the same demographic as WWE does. However, today more than ever, pro-wrestling fans worldwide are spoilt for choice when it comes to the availability of myriad kinds of programming to dip their toes into.
This diversity is something that the WWE has chosen to deal with by acquiring the top talent from other promotions like NJPW, ROH or TNA; a ploy – propped up by Vince McMahon’s formidable chequebook – that seems to be working soundly in their favour till now.
#3 Changing up Creative
WWE Creative has come under intense scrutiny for falling short of the mark when it comes to the believability of storylines and characterization. This has, sadly, been the cancer that has ailed the WWE for the better part of the decade past.
While the PG era required pro-wrestling to be watered down so as to make it less controversial and – in theory – more palatable to the mainstream audience, the New Era has shown every sign of shedding the chains that have reined in the product previously.
Perhaps a wise organisational move to squeeze the most out of the new beginning would be to reshuffle the Creative team that functioned within the restricted democracy that was enforced by the requirements of the PG era.
If you couldn’t imagine Vince Russo heading WWE Creative during the PG era, what makes it okay for the New Era to be built using old spare parts? It’s really quite simple. Horses for courses is the way to go.
#2 Making the brand split work
The brand split, ever since its advent, has revitalised the product and provided a shot up the arm for the numerous fans that were beginning to tire of the repetitive nature of programming that the WWE had been shoving down their throats.
If through nothing else, then at least through the kayfabe competition between the brands that is fuelled by a sibling rivalry; a rivalry that is perhaps syphoned off a fabric of reality that doesn’t really meet the eye.
One gets the sense that more than just through storylines, both SmackDown and Raw truly want to outdo one another in terms of how much product appreciation and traction each brand can garner from fans.
This only bodes well for the WWE in the long term as competition on an equal footing often begets improvement. While Raw still holds on to the mantle of ‘flagship’ show and attracts the big names on paper, SmackDown has quietly perused a roster perceived to be underwhelming to its fullest potential.
While star attractions like Brock Lesnar and recently, Goldberg, steal the headlines for Raw, SmackDown’s revolutionary segment, Talking Smack, chips away steadily, week after week, at the hearts of hardcore pro-wrestling fans.
The WWE has to continue feeding both brands unequivocally if they want this healthy yet competitive dynamic to continue. To quote a notoriously overused phrase, it is what is truly best for business.
#1 Triple H taking over from Vince McMahon
As much as fans deride Vince and would like to cast him as the scapegoat for all their misgivings about the product – with good reason – it is also noteworthy on the other hand that there would be no WWE as we know it today, had it not been for him.
It took gumption and vision in equal measure from Vince McMahon Jr to purchase the company from his father then, the fallout of which has overseen its transition from a territorial player into a global juggernaut today.
71 years young and as involved with the product as ever, it is common knowledge that Vince McMahon’s stewardship of the company is unlikely to cede until he breathes his last. However, what the WWE have done astutely meanwhile, is formulate an organic succession plan that would ideally ensure a seamless transition when the proverbial torch does need passing.
And If NXT was intended to be the dress rehearsal to gauge how worthy Triple H is of the mantle, his performance thus far has left us – somewhat begrudgingly I might add – eagerly awaiting the actual curtain raiser.
‘Then. Now. Forever’ reads the WWE’s slogan, proudly reminding us of the historical roots of the company that run deep enough to ensure that the future is, but a guarantee.
After his success with NXT, it only makes sense that at least tomorrow, if not forever, belongs to Triple H.
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