WWE takes pride in calling itself the go-to destination for young and upcoming superstars. The company has always made stars out of rookies who have gone on to etch their names in the Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. But looking at the current state of the company, is WWE making enough stars for the future?
To this answer, we'll have to go a few years back. The Chairman of the WWE, Vince McMahon, revealed on Stone Cold's podcast that current crop of talent was not willing to take risks and grab the brass ring like the Superstars of Attitude Era.
He named John Cena as the last Superstars to have done it and that Superstars like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Bray Wyatt have been able to grab the brass ring.
While McMahon might be partly correct in his assessment of the current crop of talent, this doesn't take away from the fact that a lot of the younger Superstars haven't been afforded the opportunity to shine on the main roster.
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When you put a superstar in the main event of your biggest event of the year for four consecutive years, how do you expect other Superstars to grab the brass ring if one isn't even given the opportunity to grab one?
Roman Reigns' recent absence has left a huge void in the company due to the fact the fact that the company has been pushing Reigns over the moon, burying other talents in the process. If one takes a look at the Attitude Era, the WWE lost some of it's biggest Superstars to injuries or them moving to WCW, but the company had a lot of talent to bank on which they don't have at the moment.
Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart left the company at the peak of their stardom while Triple H got injured when he was at the very top. One of the biggest stars in wrestling history, Stone Cold Steve Austin left the company in his heyday but it didn't affect the company as much because they had superstars like The Rock and Triple H take his place. But that isn't the case anymore. Imagine someone like AJ Styles leaving the company right now.
Smackdown will be in complete tatters and the company's backup plan would put the title on some part-timer like John Cena or a returning Batista.
As per reports, Lesnar's win at Crown Jewel was a decision taken due to Reigns' announcement and Reigns was initially set to retain his Championship.
The company could've gone with Braun Strowman, whom they have built up for the past two years and someone who is over with the fans, but the company instead chose to place its faith in Brock Lesnar, a part-timer who will only appear a handful of times on TV and take home a huge amount of money.
While some might argue that the WWE has opened their Performance Centre and NXT which is meant to groom future WWE superstars but the cold-hearted truth is only a few PC and NXT superstars have tasted success n the main roster while others have buried six feet under.
At this point, NXT has become more like a third brand which essentially caters to the hardcore fanbase and gives independent stars the opportunity to shine on the WWE stage before they make their way to the main roster and achieve whatever is destined for them.
The company's inability to put its faith on Superstars like Strowman is the reason why the company has been in the midst of some of its poorest live show attendance and TV Ratings. Going by the current trends, it seems highly unlikely for the FOX-WWE deal to run its full course.
The company's over-reliance of part-timers and nostalgia acts along with its stubbornness is costing them dearly and WWE have no one else but themselves to blame for this mess.
The views are the author's own and do not reflect Sportskeeda's stand!