Wrestling 101 emphasizes good vs. bad, with wins and championships meaning something. It’s a simulation of real sport. Personal issues creep into real sport, but almost never, ever supersede winning.
WWE currently chooses to bastardize Hollywood, not sport. That’s to WWE’s detriment, because their acting and storylines suck. ROH is much more episodic than WWE, as a one-hour show should be.
Then again, ROH isn’t ashamed of being wrestling.
I’m not sure if the Divas Revolution is going to take the fall for Raw’s horrible ratings. But giving Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch a mere four minutes last week was not a good sign.
WWE road agent “Road Dogg” Brian James tweeted that despite falling ratings, WWE has never been more profitable. No doubt WWE still makes big dough. Part of that is due to diversifying revenue streams. Part of that is due to cutting budget, which is why this is the lowest-paid generation of wrestlers in quite some time.
But TV ratings still reflect interest in the product. If they keep tumbling, that will ultimately be reflected in the bottom line. There are many different ways to view the product, true. But until those are properly monetized, TV matters most.
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkMaddenX
