Quann’s Corner: This Is Not a “New Era” in WWE
Payback was the dawning of a “New Era”. According to the WWE, times have changed. This has come out of nowhere, as the pay-per-view was built all around this “New Era” that the company has entered. I can see reason as to why this would be true; there’s so much new and fresh talent on the roster now, with Enzo and Big Cass, AJ Styles, the Vaudevillains, Baron Corbin, and Sami Zayn, just to name a few. I appreciate these new names on the roster, these new feuds and these new stories to tell. However, if this is a new era, then why is the rest of the production, booking, and writing remaining the same?
My first issue is with one man, and this will come as no secret or surprise to people; Roman Reigns. The perfect example of everything that’s wrong with WWE at the moment. Roman won his match with AJ Styles at WWE Payback with a single finisher, after being beaten up by Gallows, Anderson and Styles, the latter delivering multiple finishers. Roman has been fed everyone that the fans like, and in the process, has sent them to the midcard. This happened with John Cena and Hulk Hogan, which is an old, tired formula, with the goal of “desperately make them all look strong and win the fans over”. Roman is a failure.
The experiment needs to end, if this is truly a new era, and Vince, Stephanie and Triple H need to listen to their fans, which they have claimed to do on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, Vince must be the most stubborn person on the planet, so I am not holding my breath. Which is an issue in itself; the fans are the most important thing to the WWE, but they don’t listen to their audience. You like AJ Styles? Fed to Roman. You like Dean Ambrose? Fed to Roman. You like Daniel Bryan? Fed to Roman. I could do this all day.
Something that is just as stale is the LED stage design. The current set is the most uninspired and overused design in history. I could be fussy, but the set is an LED nightmare that’s used for every show (except for WrestleMania). If this is a new era, change it. The set has been a part of WWE television since RAW 1000, which was nearly four years ago… it’s time for a change.
The Authority figures need to change as well. Having Shane and Stephanie run Raw is not a change. In fact, Shane and Steph had run Raw previously in 2008. A real change would be to just have Shane permanently. This storyline may be a part of a grand plan, but regardless, it’s not new and fresh. Even if there was a fresh authority figure, the show is still three hours long. In addition to Smackdown, NXT, Main Event, Superstars and PPV events… It’s too much. The shows have provided great matches, but the shows are far too long. The fact I would need to dedicate seven plus hours a week to WWE programming alone is ridiculous.
The booking does not help either. The fifty-fifty booking hurts pushes; everyone has to get their win back, so no one progresses, and makes matches predictable and stale. I also get the feeling that, judging from past PPVs and Payback, WWE seem to be booking the shows as they go along… see the ending of the Women’s Championship match at Payback. What was the point in a screwjob finish? Why is Charles Robinson facing no repercussions for his corruption? What did this add to Charlotte’s career? Winging it does not mean things will make any sense, guys. Invest in a long term plan.
In comparison to other eras, there is still any significant change to take place. With the WWE Universe, Attitude, and New Generation eras, there was a build-up and significant change from the beginning. Take this classic clip for example:
Now I am not suggesting that WWE “bring back the attitude era”, because I have always argued that TNA has attempted this, and look how well that turned out. I am instead suggesting that every era in the WWE has had a moment of build-up, as to what the fans can expect. Even the PG era had the gradually toning down ofthe product before the company officially became PG. This “New Era” is sudden, nothing has really changed, and there is no indication as to what this era will entail, which just makes this “New Era” sound like a terrible marketing ploy. Sure, it’s early days, but this simply does not feel like a new era in the WWE at all.
Until next time,
This has been Quann’s Corner.
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