Something big has
been brewing in the McMahon-Levesque camp, and if all the recent changes
are really just the tip of the iceberg, we could be looking at a
completely new generation of World Wrestling Entertainment. Oh, excuse
me... WWE, Inc. That's right, the same family that popularized
theatrical grappling, coined it “professional wrestling”, and evolved it
into what we know today as Sports Entertainment has succeeded in
completely removing all traces of “sport” from their name. The WWE is
now just a three letter company with no meaning behind its name. When
your friend asks what the logo on your Nexus shirt stands for...you
won't have an answer! And for all you skeptics rolling your eyes
thinking it's just a name change...brace yourself.
For a long time
we've heard the rumors that Vince has wanted to somehow remove the
“wrestling” name from his family's business. Honestly, after the deaths
of dozens of athletes in the past decade, professional wrestling bears
the weight of a very heavy burden. It's not surprising that Vince wants
to move away from the pre-conceptions of the media and mainstream
ridicule. I don't blame him. Hell, if he had done it sooner, perhaps his
wife would have a different job right now... I don't believe that this
name change is a stand-alone incident. It's just another step (albeit a
large one) towards being a company of pure entertainment. And if that
happens... well, let's just say Ring of Honor may be finding a network
sooner than people think.
The Rock's return
and all the PG-14 material that followed may have fooled people into
believing some sort of Attitude Era rebirth was upon us. When Triple H
cracked Undertaker's skull with that blatant chair shot to the head,
many people's suspicions grew. But the chair shot was probably Trips'
idea to add drama to the real main even of WrestleMania, and the Rock's
usage of the word “ass” is nothing but temporary fan service. One last
hurrah for the old school fans longing for more cursing and violence in
their wrestling experience. If you way that up against the obvious signs
staring us in the face for the past two years, you almost feel shame
for not seeing it sooner...
Celebrities have
always been a part of the WWE's way of doing things. Ever since the very
first WrestleMania stars have been flooding in to sell tickets and
promote events to the world outside of Hulkamania. Snooki in a match
with guys like John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler should come as no
surprise to anyone. It's been happening for years, and it will continue
happening as long as people pay to see it. But the celebrity guest host
concept changed a lot of things. Week after week a different star from a
different genre and era of entertainment came to Monday Night Raw. Even
though most of the segments were awkward garbage and the live fans
couldn't care less, Vince stuck to it. For a VERY LONG TIME. Even though
the ratings didn't show any signs of improvement and the value of the
WWE's product was dangerously close to hitting TNA levels of suck, Vince
stuck to it. There is nothing that will stop Vince McMahon from turning
the WWE into a mainstream source of entertainment. Unfortunately for
him, I don't see today's audience catching on like they did back in the
80s. He's going to spend a billion dollars to change a name, bring in
celebrities, have more gimmicks, and at the end of the day... be in the
same place he was last year. Pee Wee Herman and a terrible product.
The Rock's return
has nothing to do with wrestling. Booking The Rock vs. John Cena at
WrestleMania 28 twelve months early is a brilliant tactic for somebody
looking to captivate on mainstream entertainment. Take a name like
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and put him in the ring with one of the most
popular pre-teen megastars in the world today, and you have an almost
guaranteed recipe for success (I say almost because you have to keep
Cena healthy and the Rock interested). Not only will the wrestling fans
buy it because it's one of the last dream matches we have left to see,
but I guarantee you Vince will put it out on every major news media
outlet in the world if he has his way. Rock vs. Cena isn't a wrestling
contest, it's a publicity stunt, and we're all going to buy into it. And
if the wrestling world wasn't so completely saturated today, it would
probably have the same effect that Hogan vs. Andre did at WrestleMania
III. But it won't...because wrestling isn't new and cool anymore. But
maybe that's why Vince wants to reinvent the WWE's image so badly. You
can't sell crap in a bag. But if you put crap in a iPhone 4 box it'll
fly off the shelves.
Don't get me wrong.
Most of what I've said so far has been negative mud-slinging against the
titan of pro wrestling, but I do have some faith in the WWE. Vince
McMahon has reinvented professional wrestling once or twice before, and
there's no doubt in my mind that he could do it again and come out with
an even better product. I just don't know that I want to be around to
watch the WWE become even MORE about cheap gimmicks and Fruity Pebble
jokes than it already is. In the 80s pro wrestling was a new form of
entertainment that people flocked to see because there was nothing like
it out there. In 2011 we've got televisions and video game consoles in
every room of the house. We've got Netflix bringing us unlimited movies
wherever we go. I don't need a new source of entertainment in my life,
I've got all of that within 10 feet of me right now. I watch wrestling
because I love wrestling. There's very little of that going on in the
WWE these days, and I don't see it getting any better. Label me a cynic,
but #iwantwrestling.
On a side note...I'd
also look for Chris Jericho to get a new offer in the next few
months... If the WWE wants him around because he's a phenomenal pro
wrestler, how much more will they want him now that he's a
pseudo-celebrity dancer?
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