All it took was an A-list return and some swift fan backlash, but WWE is off to a white-hot start for the Road to WrestleMania. This last story with the Rock and The Bloodline will signify great things, but it should also signify an end to the nostalgia return in WWE.
At various points, the promotion has relied on stars from the past popular eras to make a show or story feel more important. It will usually bring a massive response online and in arenas nationwide.
That has been the case less recently, though. On a few occasions, the WWE Universe has been less than impressed or downright angry about returning stars from years past. With a new era beginning and a lot of changes each week for the company, there is reason to expect that the stars of the past might stay there by and large.
A Complicated Past Puts an End to the Nostalgia Return in WWE
In addition to the Road to WrestleMania 40, the allegations against WWE and Vince McMahon are the biggest stories in professional wrestling. His resignation from the company and the ongoing case being brought against WWE are still fresh. His departure and the seeming involvement of Brock Lesnar highlights a problem that has come up before in wrestling.
Namely, that childhood stars are people capable of doing all manner of things that might harm your brand. Even less horrific claims, inappropriate segments, or gimmicks in a time when sensitivities were considered different and inclusivity was uncommon. The “Attitude” and even “Ruthless Aggression” eras became prominent among others. Circumstances.
"ARE YOU READY?!" 🔥🔥🔥@TripleH says road to #WrestleMania XL starts NOW! pic.twitter.com/1ozYXQr2Q7
— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2024
WWE, and really all of wrestling, pays respects to the past. The industry is built on that history, and it is built into the fabric of wrestling. Some of that past works well, even today. However, not all aspects of the past are positive, and some, not even nostalgia, can’t be made up for. Part of WWE’s marketing is that they are entering into a new era.
That is the right time to quit bringing in so many folks from the past and rebuild the culture and structure of the company for the sake of the industry as a leading promotion and to the benefit of everyone involved professionally.
Conflicting Evidence That Returns Matter Much
According to data recorded over the past several years by Wrestlenomics, there was a noticeable overall decrease in total viewership, with 2020’s Smackdown being the sole exception.
The recent ratings success of the past two years has been primarily powered by more consistent usage of current talents. Cody Rhodes, Judgment Day, and The Bloodline have anchored the WWE product, with numerous other characters growing in popularity.
When returning stars like The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, and Goldberg were the primary draws in the company, viewers were down, and their average age was increasing. Now, and well before The Rock’s return, viewers are going up broadly speaking, and the average age is heading down.
The nostalgic acts of today were young stars in more popular eras. The rationale for their booking today is they can create those television circumstances again. All of TV defies that. Television has changed, and so have tastes. The older fans these legends bring back are typically among the fans still watching based on age, and those that have yet to return likely aren’t going to in the long term.
It is a modern product built for today’s audiences that has proven to draw television ratings, and the average fan’s age means that audiences stick around when the product is fresh.
There are many reasons why the ratings may have yet to matter and models that would still favor these older talents. However, switching to ratings and streaming deals for massive revenue streams means keeping an eye on the product, which is key. By that metric, the past is falling behind.
Diminishing Star Power For The Future of WWE
The Rock is 51 years old; Goldberg is 57; Stone Cold Steve Austin is 59; and John Cena is 46, a relative youngster. These significant draws from the past few decades are getting older. Each rose to prominence when their promotions needed a star because the old guard was no longer available.
That all of these performers have made returns in the past five years in prominent roles is good. Wrestlers are living longer. It is making it more challenging to develop the people meant to replace them today. The Rock’s controversial reemergence has highlighted just how small he makes today’s stars feel.
In the case of WWE, names like Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, or Seth Rollins would be the company’s top faces. Each is in their 30s and has significant fan support. Yet, whenever one of those superstars is mentioned, they feel small.
Competing in the present with people’s memories of the past will almost always be a losing position, and one that wrestling constantly puts its talent in. Building the product, all of the product, around these new faces is how today’s superstars become the legends of tomorrow. This requires hard work and strong creativity, but the first step is to pull back on using the old guard.
An Overreliance: The End to the Nostalgia Return in WWE
Each successive generation of the WWE Universe has nostalgia in their eyes when certain superstars make their return. Ric Flair, The Rock, and John Cena are all cherished parts of people’s childhoods, with nostalgia being a strong feeling. However, each generation had top stars who were able to grow the business and make themselves household names in the industry and beyond.
At their heights, they brought ratings success and scores of new fans. WWE’s reliance on these stars has been different from the magic touch for long-term sagging ratings in the modern era. It also has hampered the ability of newer talents to carry the torch finally.
Most importantly, some names deserve to stay in the past. Ratings are on the upswing now, and an Attitude Era star has returned to help facilitate that. However, a backlash to his return is partly powering that surge. With new momentum, the next generation is positioned to ascend.
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