Ever since Bobby Lashley was rumoured to be returning to the WWE, fans have been clamouring for a Brock Lesnar-like monster push for the former MMA star. With the popularity of #RusevDay, fans have been demanding a push for Rusev. Instead, Rusev gets buried in a casket by the Undertaker, while Bobby Lashley talks about how he loves his sisters. Exactly how out of touch is the WWE?
Two weeks ago on Monday Night Raw, WWE fans watched in intrigue as Bobby Lashley sat down with Renee Young for an interview. The viewers were about to see Lashley talk for the first time since re-debuting on the RAW post-WrestleMania. Why did he return? What are his motivations? Does he have unfinished business? A dream match that he perhaps would like to have? Pursuing the Universal Championship, maybe? What followed was three minutes of absolutely cringe-worthy television as Lashley told the world about his childhood memories with his sisters.
Last week on Raw, Sami Zayn came out and said that all was not well in the Lashley household, and that Bobby told lies when he spoke about his sisters. Now, I, for one, absolutely do not trust WWE with this storyline. Is it intriguing? Yes. Is it necessary? No. When Braun Strowman debuted on RAW in 2016, he went through a series of jobbers to build him up and his subsequent growth in popularity was organic. When Brock Lesnar debuted in 2002, he ruthlessly and mercilessly beat up one-legged superstar, Zach Gowen, to build him up as a nasty heel. Why does Lashley first have to give justifications for his character? If this is to show his human side, there are other ways of showing an individual’s sensitive side.
Now, in no shape or form am I saying that this is some sort of racist ploy. The WWE is not racist. Vince McMahon is simply either oblivious to, or intentionally chooses to ignore, what his viewers want. In less than two months, we have already seen four matches between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura which is three more than how many they had in their two overlapping years together in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
In July 2017, the WWE decided to cancel one of the most beloved and unpredictable shows on its network, Talking Smack. Talking Smack’s unscripted nature had endeared itself to the hardcore fan following. The show would take place immediately after each week’s Smackdown Live television programming and be hosted by Renee Young and the Smackdown general manager at the time, Daniel Bryan. The show saw a host of memorable moments, perhaps none more so than The Miz’s now famous rant on his eternal rival, Daniel Bryan – calling him a coward for not quitting to go wrestle in the independent circuit.
In 2017, the company introduced a new pay-per-view, called ‘Great Balls of Fire’. If that wasn’t enough, the show’s logo featured a not-so-flattering image of what looked like male genitalia. Even RAW superstar Sasha Banks acknowledged the uncanny resemblance as she responded to a fan asking about the logo on Twitter.
Yes
— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) June 7, 2017
As recently as Backlash on 6th May 2018, the WWE Championship took a back seat to a Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe non-title main event. Fans were seen, on the WWE Network itself, to be leaving the arena during the match. Roman Reigns has been rejected by the majority of the fan-base for the better part of four years now, but Vince McMahon’s belief, obsession, or whatever you want to call it, is unrelenting and the product is suffering because of it.
The more we keep putting money into the WWE through our subscriptions and buying tickets to pay-per-views, the more Vince thinks fans are liking the product he puts out. The only solution is to hit the company where it hurts and that is by cancelling the Network subscriptions and emptying out the live shows, but even that is easier said than done. The WWE has built a monopoly in the United States and has a major stronghold over the business as a whole, with NJPW the closest international competitor – and even that is not saying much.