WWE in Need of ‘Walking Dead’ Changes to Programming
By Josh.0
Like a zombie horde, the WWE seems to be moving slowly towards nothing in particular but devouring our brains in the process.
This past Monday night on RAW we were treated to the always-entertaining Paul Heyman who played his role as the confidant-turned-coward to perfection. After verbally berating Goldberg by describing how his family will watch in helpless horror as Brock Lesnar folds him in half like an old wallet at Survivor Series, it seemed that Heyman would be on the receiving end of a violent spear. But before that, the two men were interrupted by Rusev, who proceeded to question Goldberg’s WWE credentials.
Wait, what? Yes, Rusev, who has been in the WWE since 2010 and has been wrestling professionally since 2008, was questioning the validity of a man who began his professional wrestling career in 1997 when Rusev was only 12 years old. You could chalk it up to the Rusev character acting as the brash young whipper snapper who doesn’t respect his elders since Goldberg had departed the WWE long before Rusev’s debut. Or it could just be poor booking because it doesn’t make any sense for Rusev to be out there.
Goldberg needed to jackhammer someone, so they chose Rusev. Maybe it’s because Rusev is a burly guy, so WWE wanted Goldberg to show us that he could still perform his signature move on a large human. The subsequent spear to Heyman added a truckload of gasoline to a feud that seemed like it was missing something. Goldberg is selling his comeback as best he can while Lesnar is treating it like just another match. Lesnar’s pithy interviews seem as if he wants to get the match over with as quickly as he can because actually working for his WWE paychecks bores him. The WWE needs something to shake up their landscape. The WWE needs someone for their top competitors to unite against.
The WWE needs a Negan.
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In case you aren’t one of the 17 million people who watched The Walking Dead’s Season 7 premier on October 23rd, allow me to elaborate. Negan is a new villain in the highly acclaimed television show who announced himself at the end of last season with a calm demeanor and a few swings of his barbed wire-entwined baseball bat. Loyal viewers waited almost 7 months to find out which of their beloved characters was on the receiving end of Negan’s wrath and his actions will undoubtedly shape the future of the series.
The WWE is in desperate need of a Negan of their own. No, I’m not advocating for some new incarnation of Cactus Jack who dispenses Louisville Slugger justice, but the company is in need of someone who can make such an impact that their actions reverberate across the entire brand. It doesn’t have to be a single wrestler either; it can be a match or a feud that changes the power structure of the company in ways we don’t expect. Those unexpected moments often provide the greatest satisfaction. For several years The Authority filled such a void (as did Vince before them) but in the post-draft era each program has an opportunity to create a bona fide villain(s) of their own.
Based on the disappointing Hell in a Cell conclusion, it’s apparent that what the WWE will not be doing is anything resembling maturation. Like the zombie herds that are forever chasing survivors across the steadily decaying landscape of The Walking Dead, WWE shuffles along in a brainless rage, mindlessly attacking and attempting to devour any smark who crosses its path. Any member of the company who has not become fully zombified will find themselves chased down, bitten, and reborn as a semi-sentient corpse, wandering around backstage while looking for a meaningless feud with The Usos.
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Unless some significant changes are made, it is a bleak and dystopian future we face. Best to lock the doors and protect your supply of canned goods until WrestleMania 33.