He notoriously tinkers and rewrites episodes of Despite widespread condemnation, WWE has continued its relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By all metrics of fan engagement, WWE is less popular than it’s ever been, and yet it’s making more from its TV deals than ever. That's pretty hard to believe given The Shield's immense popularity and WWE would probably be a fool to give up that massive merchandise check this early in the game. While other wrestling companies have regularly tested its crew and talent, and in many cases stopped running shows altogether during the pandemic, WWE holds events regularly at its Performance Center in Orlando, and didn’t perform any testing until after a COVID-19 outbreak hit the company in late June. You'll also like. Dozens of people affiliated with the company have tested positive since late June, which resulted in a temporary delay in the company’s taping schedule. Despite his huge successes in the ‘80s and late ‘90s, Vince McMahon’s legacy at this point is that of a stubborn tyrant who is utterly out of touch with the wrestling audience, and who has become politically toxic because of his mistreatment of labor and close connections to Donald Trump. It had already lost a large number of its viewers since the highpoint of 2000, and despite being the only wrestling promotion with national television for years after the end of WCW, WWE continued to lose viewers from 2002 on. As with all things in WWE, all creative goes through Vince McMahon, and he’s failed to create or stick to any clear-cut creative vision since at least the year 2000. Let’s get into the details. The WWWF’s relationship with the NWA and Verne Gagne’s AWA was never great, but they were able to coexist for decades.With the advent of cable TV in the ‘80s, it became easier than ever for a regional wrestling promotion to go national. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. If a wrestler is injured or can’t perform for any reason, WWE will often extend their contract by the amount of time they miss in a legally dubious practice that apparently has yet to be challenged in court by any of the wrestlers.

The company has almost entirely failed to make any major new stars over the last half-decade; other than Becky Lynch and A.J. AAA, one of Mexico’s two major lucha libre promotions, regularly runs shows on This came several weeks after WWE started using Performance Center trainees and NXT wrestlers as an audience for its main roster shows, having them stand around the ring behind plexiglass barriers with no masks on. After all, they’re closely tied to Donald Trump, who has consistently tried to downplay the severity of the virus. Hill: Then New York was invaded by aliens, and they were beaten back by among others, a giant green monster, a … That was exactly Vince McMahon’s plan when he took over the company in 1982, by which time it was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The tide fully turned two years later, when WCW brought in two more of WWF’s top stars, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, and kicked off the NWO angle that briefly helped them overtake WWF on a national level. To most Americans, pro wrestling means one thing: Vince McMahon’s WWE.

It’s especially bad now, with NXT stars getting only a short window to establish themselves on the main roster before having their pushes evaporate or simply disappearing without explanation. New Japan’s show on AXS was cancelled, but the New Japan World streaming service carries their events live around the world, with a healthy on demand section. Some disgruntled Superstars have called WWE COO Triple H a hypocrite, listing a number of times The Game has defied authority. With that being said and WWE planting the seeds of Dean Ambrose turning on The Shield, what exactly would the company stand to benefit by putting this on the back burner for a while. WCW beat WWF in the ratings consistently for almost two years; WWF retook the lead in 1998 on the backs of Steve Austin, The Rock, and other top stars, along with a shift in direction away from the child-focused cartoon world the WWF was known for, and into an edgier, more lurid sensibility that appealed to teen and twentysomething viewers. His only challenges came from two surprising sources: the World Wildlife Fund, the animal rights charity who had uneasily shared the WWF trademark with McMahon since 1982, and who won a lawsuit in 2002 for the sole rights to the initials; and from his own fans, who quickly lost interest in pro wrestling after WWF no longer had competition, and who tuned out in droves starting in 2001.In 2002 McMahon rechristened his company as World Wrestling Entertainment, a name it still holds today.

Without its wrestlers WWE wouldn’t be in a position to sign those TV deals or produce content for its streaming network, and yet it treats almost all of them as interchangeable cogs. In the end, it is ultimately up to WWE on what they want to do here, but here are some reasons why The Shield shouldn't break up yet.As always, let us know your thoughts on The Shield breaking up in the comments below and when you think it will happen. The fact is WWE’s creative, which has been sorely lacking for the better part of two decades, has become a complete disaster over the last 10 years.