Thought of the Day: The WWE Treadmill
I’m finishing Smackdown and this became even more obvious.One of WWE’s biggest problems is that the year is so repetitive and it’s the same pattern over and over again. Think about this.
The year starts the night after Wrestlemania where something big happens to set up Extreme Rules. After that PPV we go to the start of the big summer angle which usually culminates at Summerslam or the next month’s show. During the big summer angle we hit MITB, meaning the next few months are spent teasing cash-ins, usually starting around Summerslam. Then we lighten up a lot until the end of the year through Survivor Series and TLC. The new year brings the Rumble and the start of the Road to Wrestlemania. The Rumble establishes one of the major matches, the a few weeks later we get the return of the big name for the other Wrestlemania main event. Then it’s the Chamber to establish the other title match and six weeks later it’s Wrestlemania to close out the WWE year.
How many years in a row have you seen that exact sequence?
I don’t think it matters that the year is set up that way at all. Also its only been doing itthis way for a few years really as Elimination Chamber and MITB are relatively new PPV’s. Its the one thing that resembles sports and since WM is the Superbowl of wrestling you ALWAYS have to build towards it no matter what. They have to do the same thing save MITB cash ins every year given the schedule.
Even though it follows the sequence its quite easy to make it feel fresh and not so repetitive, they just don’t do it, nothing to do with the schedule itself.
I think it’s to bad that survivor series isn’t treated as part of the big 4 anymore. It was always one of my favourite ppv’s.
I suppose 2010 when they first started having MITB during the summer.
I think the better question is how would you fix it? And personally I think this would make a really good thread in the WWE Television section just saying.
I’ve seen that a lot; you’re absolutely correct in saying that there’s a loose pattern that can be observed in the annual happenings of the WWE. The creation of storylines/angles, the intensity of storylines/angles, debuts, etc. are elements that tend to have a seasonal cyclic nature. WWE tries not to be predictable, and it’s not when looked at in isolated moments, but the broader picture tells something entirely different.
You have pretty much hit the nail on the head.