It’s been a tough year for WWE. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the wrestling world on its head and the absence of live crowds is really hurting the on-screen product.
Hopefully, fans will return to arenas in 2021, but there are also plenty of things WWE can do to improve their overall product. With that being said, here are seven things Vince McMahon and co. should change in the new year.
Keep Goldberg out of the title picture
Remember when Goldberg squashed Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam 2019? This was a nice dose of nostalgia that didn’t overstay its welcome or damage any major storylines. Why can’t it always be like that?
53-year-old Goldberg shouldn’t be anywhere near the title picture, but this year WWE thought it would be a good idea to have him beat one of the biggest current stars clean and enter WrestleMania as champ. While it might draw in some lapsed fans in the short term, the long term damage it could do to the company just isn’t worth it.
Our very own Louis Dangoor recently revealed that WWE are considering bringing Goldberg back to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at the Show of Shows. The best-case scenario is a dominant win for Reigns to further his awesome heel run, but a Goldberg win isn’t out of the picture.
Save Hell in a Cell for special occasions
Hell in a Cell matches used to feel like a big deal, but sadly this is no longer the case due to the annual pay-per-view. With three cell matches taking place at this year’s event, it’s clear to see why the famous stipulation has lost its shine.
These bouts should take place at the end of a big feud, not just because it’s that time of the year again. A series of horrible finishes in recent years has also played its part in the stipulation’s downfall (who could forget Seth Rollins’ infamous match with the Fiend?)
Scrapping the Hell in a Cell event would give WWE the opportunity to bring back a pay per view from the past. Who wouldn’t want to see Armageddon or Vengeance return?
Less scripted promos
Eddie Kingston’s recent AEW run is a great example of what can happen when companies give their stars freedom on the mic. Kingston managed to turn a one-off match into an epic feud culminating in the main event of Full Gear, one of their biggest shows of the year.
You only need to look at the likes of Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns and Mustafa Ali to see WWE has some great talkers on their roster. But no matter how good you are on the mic, it’s always difficult to make scripted dialogue sound convincing – sufferin’ succotash anyone?
WWE’s stars won’t truly be able to shine until their shackles are loosened and they can express their personalities throughout their promos.
50/50 booking
It’s hard to think of a better pairing than WWE and 50/50 booking. How often do we see someone score a big win on pay-per-view, only to lose a meaningless rematch the next night on Raw?
WWE has struggled to build new stars in recent years and this isn’t going to change until they start booking decisively. If the company doesn’t care about feuds, why should the fans?
While AEW’s ranking system has its flaws, it has generally made wins and losses feel important. Perhaps it’s time for WWE to introduce a similar system.
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