The PG Era (2008-2016)
Chris Benoit’s murder-suicide.
John Cena’s rise as the face of the company.
A sudden change in the nature of WWE’s content came after Chris Benoit’s murder-suicide in 2007 which brought the company under intense media scrutiny. Following Eddie Guerrero’s death and subsequent steroid trials, WWE had gradually veered towards an audience-accommodative product which was further fanned by a number of other factors. Besides Benoit’s tragedy which led to the company’s complete disavowal of the wrestler from their records, there were also major sponsorship deals such as those with toy manufacturers and Linda McMahon's senatorial run which prompted WWE to undergo a massive content re-evaluation. Slipping away from the shock value of the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras, this new style endeared to a larger audience demographic by removing all elements of blood, gore, sexuality, coarse humour and general indecency from its broadcasts.The PG Era officially took flight with a public announcement on WWE’s website.
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The Benoit family was discovered inside their home by the Fayette Country Sheriff’s Department on June 25, 2007. Nancy Benoit and their son had been strangled, while Benoit had killed himself by breaking his neck using a weight machine. Benoit was slated to perform at the Raw tapings of that day and WWE, upon hearing the news, put up a statement informing the Universe of the same. Instead of the three-hour long live show, the company put up a tribute to the former champion which contained among other things, excerpts from several wrestlers and announcers. However, once the grisly facts of Benoit’s involvement came to light the next day, WWE was quick to alter their stance on the matter. In a statement aired right before that week’s ECW broadcast, Vince McMahon declared the complete removal of Benoit’s name from that night’s show. This would lead to a further distancing of WWE from Benoit, as they deleted all proof of his association with the company, including public mentions, merchandise, and even archival video footage.
This was one of the factors which spurred WWE towards a carefully examined creative decision. Of course, most of it was to ensure better audience reception and sponsorship deals. The product began acquiring a cartoonish, impractical, over the top character in order to make up for the discrepancies left behind by the absence of any violent or stimulating programming. This reached an all-time high with the meteoric rise of John Cena and the company’s adoption of him as the face of the promotion. Burying his lock and chain, Cena went from the leader of ‘Cenation’ to the most booked performer in WWE’s newest era. Portraying a character which he had himself described as a “goody two-shoes Superman”, the fifteen-time world champion began donning colourful, childish ring gear replete with inspirational quotes. The point here is, Cena’s character post 2010 embodied in a microcosm everything that WWE wanted to endorse. It had become more intrusive than ever, reaching out to fans in a capacity far beyond that of a wrestling show, such as through charities and foundations. Cena’s mirthless sermonizing and unbeatable reputation came to have a resounding echo of Hulkamania ringing through its veins. The formation of his larger than life personality, thus, was essential to the further development of the PG Era.
