I’ve been a fan of the WWE (then known as the WWF) since I was 5, and obviously, as times change so do my points of view in the matter. I used to believe the story-lines and I used to want the fan favorite to always win. Now, I criticize how the segments and promos play out while hoping the happy-go-lucky baby face loses to the heel for doing a great job at convincing the fans to hate him (or her). Though I’ve remained a fan, I find myself sadly yet objectively feeling its present state will lead to its demise and the rise of legitimate fighting, the UFC. As the UFC changes by incorporating pro-wrestling tactics, the WWE tries to stay the same, and that’s the problem.
The WWE is pure story-lines, segments and matches meant to end brawls. Most feuds are meant to culminate in a final battle to take place at one of their PPVs. Before, their attempts were concentrated on wowing the fans as often as possible to create a solid fan base. PPV caliber matches could be seen on free television, from a 60-minute Iron Man Match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed Championship to a fatal 4-way TLC match for the Tag Team titles. They would always try to up the ante and everything was fairly unexpected.
Since they have become a PG-rated show, their focus has been changed towards selling to children. With credit to the WWE, they have apparently become more financially successfully just on t-shirt sales alone. Back then, as great as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were, I wouldn’t see many people wearing their shirts. Now I see a bunch of little kids with John Cena t-shirts, backpacks, wrist bands - the whole nine. But it was their process of building up and trying to consistently be entertaining that got them to the point of comfortably changing focus, which is something the UFC has adapted.
The UFC has always tried to hype fights up, but now more than ever do they incorporate forming emotions to the audience to further connect the fans to the fight by creating personal feuds. It’s a fighting promotion, where fighters compete for pay, regardless of who they go against, it’s the money they’re all after. You’ll often see fighters shaking hands and some are even friends outside the octagon but what makes the money for the company, is the emotional confrontation between them.
From Conor McGregor trash talking everyone, Kevin Lee trying to go up the ranks by talking a lot, to the interviews, and weigh ins; it’s all about raising the stakes, which is something the WWE has used forever. When Cormier almost fought Jones during their stare down, to McGregor throwing bottles at Nate Diaz, the theatrics are clearly present. Dana White could always enforce strict rules to penalize these actions so that they never happen again, but that’d only ruin the fun. Much like the WWE, the UFC is trying to create characters through their roster. This is becoming more effective with the UFC than the WWE because of their glaring differences.
One is built to entertain while the other comes with a legitimate sense of unexpectedness. You truly do not know what to expect in terms of the fight itself; in any sport, people can often tell who will win or lose, but not necessarily how. This is what makes using WWE’s tactics even more enticing for fans. Fighters will win boring fights, such as Tyron Woodley’s recent snooze fest, and then get criticized for it by their boss on live television. In the WWE, Stone Cold got famous for feuding with Vince McMahon, but you never see wrestlers, who are signed to the company, complain to the media because everything has to be kept private so the story-lines are not tampered with. In the UFC, there are of course things they’d like to keep private, but fighters will talk and the owner will reciprocate. The entertainment aspect has real life repercussions, and that’s what connects fans.
People these days get the gist of how television works, and that includes children. Even with all their merchandise sales, many kids know how the WWE works as a business so it’s constantly losing its aura. I haven’t even mentioned banned moves, another issue that may make matches safer, but tarnishes the possibility for greater moments to highlight for their wrestlers to gain more fame, thus helping the company grow.
Other promotions are steadily progressing because they understand everyone knows how it works, so they try to keep it real, in the ring. NJPW, Japan’s #1 wrestling promotion, is known for great matches that include many stiff strikes and spots that could potentially injure their wrestlers. This has led to matches like AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WK10 and Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada at WK11, which were praised and helped the company further elevate its audience on a more global scale.
Just like the UFC knows its bread and butter are produced in the octagon, no matter how well it does promoting their PPVs prior to the event, the WWE needs to follow suit and deliver in the ring, always. Much like Dana White encourages knock out victories, and entertaining bouts by delivering bonuses to the fighters that wow the audience, the WWE should do the same with their guys. The UFC has taken the WWE's strategies and utilized them to not only get butts on the seats, but get the fighters to make them want to come back. The WWE is too focused on the sales, not the effectiveness of the product they’re selling.
