PWP Nation’s Brennan Daly expresses seven things that WWE must do in the new year of 2016.
The New Year is upon us and even though last year was a decent one, it is clear that there are some adjustments that need to be made to help improve the product. We, the fans, expect a lot more from what we’ve been given. WWE will always be the top promotion in sports entertainment, but other wrestling companies are arguably putting out a better product.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor are perfect examples of companies that have closed the gap regarding who has the most entertaining product. 2016 could be a pivotal year for the WWE and here are the things WWE must do to improve.
#7. Daniel Bryan must be cleared to wrestle
This is an easy one to start off with. Yes, yes, we all want Daniel Bryan to be in the ring again. There are a ton of great matches that he could still have. Unfortunately over the past couple of years he has been hit with the injury bug, which has caused him to be absent from our television screen.
Rumors have circulated that his doctors have cleared him to return, so maybe they are holding him out for the Royal Rumble. If he does not appear, then it is pretty safe to say that he won’t ever be cleared from WWE doctors. The most over baby face we have seen in awhile has wrestled for over 15 years and it is clear that he lives, breathes and eats wrestling.
He deserves one last chance to see if he can help this company that is struggling at the moment. No matter what the decision from WWE is, it should ultimately be his. WWE should show him the respect that he deserves and let him wrestle wherever he wants. I know I would love to see him back in Ring of Honor or test the waters in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
#6. Refrain from relying on legends; invest in the future
This is one of the big things that really bugs me about the current product. We have guys like Kane, Undertaker, The Big Show, The Dudley Boyz, Sting and the list goes on; all these guys have had great careers, but there comes a time when you need to move on and focus on the present. There is nothing more for these guys to do. We have seen it all.
Luckily, Triple H is (and is going to be) a great successor to Vince McMahon and has proven with NXT that he gets what we want to see. Bad booking that makes no sense for the future is one of the reasons people keep complaining about the current product that we see.
It’s 2016, not 1999!
The roster is as deep as it has ever been and the potential for pushing new talent is there. This is the year that guys like Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose all need to get the push that they have rightfully deserved. Over the past couple of years, we have seen glimpses of Superstardom from each of these guys only for them to shoved off to the side.
Let these guys be themselves and find their own niche and it will be damn entertaining watching them become Main Eventers.
#5. Invest in the Tag Team Division
2015 proved that things are looking better than ever for the Tag Team division. For years and years Tag Team wrestling was not a focus of the WWE. Once in a blue moon we got a title match but that has changed. Very similar to the Divas Division, the WWE has shifted its booking of the Tag Team Division. With teams like The Usos, Lucha Dragons, The New Day, Gable and Jordan, Dash and Dawson, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy the division looks bright and is in good hands.
So, what has made all these teams great?
The simple answer to this question is the chemistry. The circle of the same challengers over and over again was terrible. That is why we should get a couple of Tag Teams from the Indy world. We have been accustomed to seeing a bunch of new blood lately, how about we get a duo that has been around each other and had success.
I am not sure about the contract situations but if they could grab a couple of teams like reDRagon, The Hooligans, The Young Bucks or The Wolves, they could push the tag team division over the edge.
#4. Push Bray Wyatt as a credible main event talent
Man oh man; I get frustrated every time this guy is on my television. The obvious reason is that he loses every big match. I am tired of people saying wins and losses don’t matter. I would have had Wyatt go over Undertaker at Survivor Series but I understand that he had to win because it was his 25th anniversary. Big losses against John Cena and Roman Reigns also have not helped this guy’s credibility. Even if he would have won just one of his three big feuds, people would take this guy more seriously.
As a heel, the guy has that look that puts fear into his opponents. Wyatt can go in the ring. Just look at his matches with Ambrose and Bryan. Those are some of the most underrated matches the last couple of years. If you want a unique heel World Heavyweight Champion there isn’t anyone on the roster that can pull it off. If you want to turn Wyatt face, the WWE can also do that. The fans love his entrance and he has a connection with the audience, which is one of the most important traits in Star.
They are not limited with this guy at all. Wyatt is young and has plenty of time to get those marquee wins but for him it needs to happen sooner rather than later. By this time next year Wyatt should be a viable contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.
#3. Make SmackDown important again
I don’t know about you but I don’t even watch Smackdown. Smackdown is basically a recap of what we see on Monday Night Raw. Why would anyone want to watch the same thing twice? Raw would be better off being 2 hours but that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Rumor has it that Smackdown is going to be changing things a little bit.
With the addition of Mauro Ranallo you can expect him to expand the Smackdown brand. His previous work as an announcer/commentator is really good and in due time he could be the best in WWE. I love wrestling and I’m disappointed that I could care less what is going on Smackdown.
New writers and some creative storylines is something that is desperately needed for Smackdown to become relevant again. Smackdown was at its best during 2003-2005, because it was purely a show with the best in ring talents. Take a page from the history book and make it similar to 2003.
Now the first Smackdown of the year showed glimpses for the future but will they keep it up? I hope so because Smackdown can be the entertaining show that we all want it to be.
#2. Give Kurt Angle a retirement tour
Now I know I said that we should stop relying on old timers, but come on its freaking Kurt Angle. This is the perfect time to make a comeback, as the guys that the company has been backing for so many years have been going down with injuries left and right. That is not a good sign if the WWE want to get 100,000 people in AT&T Stadium. Angle is a guy that we have not seen in over 10 years.
Can you imagine the pop that he would get if his music hit?!?!
I would mark out if he faced someone like Alberto Del Rio or Dolph Ziggler. These matchups would be potential show stealing matches. More importantly Angle could put at least 10,000 more people in the Stadium. The upside far outweighs the downside.
Bring him back WWE, we need/want it!
#1. Implementing a lighter work and road schedule; maybe even an off-season
Now, I know most of you all will skip over this change and say no way in hell. Hear me out though. 2015 was the year of the injury for WWE. Wrestling isn’t an easy career and it takes a toll on your body. Just ask CM Punk. As you see, these guys are stronger and more athletic than ever. Here are the list of guys that will/have missed significant time: Seth Rollins, Cesaro, John Cena, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Jey Uso, Rusev, etc.
I fully expect this to continue to be an issue in the future if something isn’t changed. No wrestling promotion in the world can overcome the loss of a ton of critical guys. I cannot remember a worse month in WWE history than what we saw in December. How about you give these guys December off?
You can still push the brand by doing more interviews/shows on the WWE Network. Looking at this from a company perspective, December stock is always mediocre at best due to the holidays. Would it really cost the company that much money? I don’t think so, especially if you push the WWE Network with new content.
Overall giving these guys just a month could make a big difference. A WWE break will provide an opportunity for superstars to recover from injuries so that they can perform in the ring. Having this time off to recover could help stop injuries from occurring in the first place. More importantly this could allow for WWE writers to come up with exciting new storylines heading into WrestleMania.
Thanks for reading, everyone!