Let’s face it: empty arena wrestling just isn’t working right now. If this was an occasional thing, fine. It would be refreshing. But every week? Ouch.
Without the excitement from the live audience, there is something sorely missing from the show. I think that’s obvious. There is an overall lack of excitement, and this is why WWE needs to focus more on storytelling. The current creative playbook needs to be ripped up, and quite frankly, it’s a long time coming.
During the build-up to WrestleMania, there were some very promo heavy episodes of RAW & Smackdown, featuring superstars either backstage or in the ring, staring directly into the camera & using the platform as a way to push their rivalries. It reminded me of old episode of “ECW Hardcore TV” where Raven would be sitting in a dark corner somewhere in a Philadelphia bingo hall, explaining to the audience at home why they should care. Looking directly into the camera, telling you the story.
WWE did this on The Road to WrestleMania with The Undertaker, Edge, Kevin Owens & others…and guess what? It worked!
These promos were engaging & pulled you into the reasoning behind the matches that were set to take place on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Post WrestleMania, with ‘Money in the Bank’ looming, there is an enormous void in rivalries with heat behind them. I do understand the challenges that the roster faces considering the circumstances. Not every wrestler is available.
But this is where vignettes, backstage segments & filming from remote locations outside of The Performance Center could work wonders.
The cinematic matches at WrestleMania WORKED! That’s why another cinematic match, with Money in the Bank, should work as well. This is the type of ‘outside the box’ thinking, pushed by Lucha Underground & Impact Wrestling in the past, that should be instituted on a semi-regular basis.
Additionally, I feel for the wrestlers having to wrestle without the rabid live audience.
In fact, I reached out to the unceremoniously future endeavored MIKE BENNETT (who you may know as MIKE KANELLIS) for a comment on what it’s like to wrestle without a live audience:
“It goes against everything you are taught. You put matches together to manipulate the emotions of a crowd.
When there’s no crowd how do you put the match together?
You have to throw the playbook entirely out the window.”
Mike Bennett, 4-21-20
“The Prodigy”, “The Miracle”, whatever you want to call Mike Bennett, he’s right. And Mike, as well as many other recently released wrestlers, are a victim of an antiquated style of storytelling.
To dig even further into Mike’s point, take this as an example:
There is no denying that a hometown advantage in the world of traditional sports can sway the momentum of a game.
Similarly, the reaction of the crowd can signal to a heel when to cut off the babyface…or when exactly the heat has built up enough to start that ‘babyface comeback.’
Imagine Hulk Hogan “Hulking Up” without the audience cheering for his every move? Or The Rock setting up The People’s Elbow without the audience?
WWE is seemingly doing their best to make “chicken parmesan” out of “dried up KFC”, but it’s just not working. This is why they need to be as creative as they’ve ever been.
It’s a perfect time to dig deep into the character of a superstar like Aleister Black and shed some light on his mysterious background.
Where did this guy come from? Why is he so dark? What are his motivations? WWE did a bunch of vignettes and interviews with him in the past…it’s time to dig deeper.
The same can be said for every WWE Superstar that they feature on their programming. Allow these wrestlers to really showcase WHO they are and give them the opportunity to tell us WHY we should care.
With all of that being said, this past week’s NXT on USA Network fit an unfathomable amount of wrestlers in meaningful matches & vignettes on the show. It was a prime example of what a wrestling show can be during these trying times.
AEW does a great job of this as well. They are leveraging their podcasts, YouTube shows & pre-recorded vignettes to continue telling stories during The Quarantine of 2020.
WWE, It’s time to step outside of the comfort zone and try something different on a more consistent basis. The squash matches have got to go & they need to be replaced with well thought out chapters that build the arc.
Jay Alletto
@JayAlletto on ALL social media platforms…hit me up.
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