Is WWE’s Lack of Long-Term Planning Understandable?

After Monday’s edition of RAW, WWE insider and Reddit user MetsFan4Ever reported that Triple H held a talent meeting with the roster to make sure that they step up and stay motivated heading into the busiest period in the professional wrestling calender. Although this has been recently denied by Cody Rhodes, if proven true there was one element of the speech that stood out from the rest. That was the statement that the winner of the Royal Rumble and the main event of WrestleMania had yet to be decided, and would be evaluated heading into the event itself.

Live Feed

Bam Smack Pow

Many people would see this as indicative of the problems that plague WWE’s creative direction at the moment. In spite of their immense team of writers and Vince McMahon’s lifetime at the helm of professional wrestling, it often comes across that plans come about at the last minute, damaging the long-term effect of storylines. In the past, angles that were once red-hot such as the Nexus, the Summer of Punk and the build-up to the Ending of the Streak have seem utterly rushed and overly improvised, damaging the impression they left on the fans. The Nexus in particular looked to become one of the biggest money-spinning concepts in wrestling history with the impact they made upon arrival, but as time wore on repetitive booking and lapsed direction dried up their push.

Thus, hearing that less than a month before one of the most pivotal matches in the year that the winner was still yet to be finalized is the continuation of this worrying trend. Whilst it is important to make sure fans are unsure as to who the winner will be, that shouldn’t be preserved due to nobody knowing what the result is. At this point, the decision appears to be between Roman Reigns, who dominated last year’s event and has been pinpointed as a main event star for the future, and Daniel Bryan, returning from injury to try and get back into the WrestleMania main event after last year’s heroic effort. Bryan also stated that he is greatly anticipating a match against Brock Lesnar in the near future, but there is also no indication that Lesnar will be WWE Champion heading into the Grandest Stage of them All.

WWE.com

Yet, is it right for fans to be overtly critical about the lack of long-term direction seemingly in the creative team? I remember for years watching angles and feuds unfold on television and questioning the reason for the course it took. I became a wannabe critic, analyzing every aspect of the story as it progressed, recognizing points where they were stalling, moving too quickly and trying hard to surprise and shock the audience. Like many other fans I’m sure, it was difficult to comprehend with such a huge body of writers, creative individuals and former wrestlers on the payroll how stories could lose steam when everything was pointing towards success. Especially when people considered the success that was NXT Takeover: R Evolution was overseen by one writer and Triple H as a filter system.

Nevertheless, 2014 has opened my eyes to the struggles they are under in making long-term plans stick and being able to organize rivalries a year in advance. This isn’t designed as a ploy to protect the WWE writers and bookers from criticism. They have made mistakes that have absolutely derailed the excitement of storylines and have rushed angles, especially towards the bottom of the card, which have rendered those performers devoid of crowd response. However, particularly at the top, there are a number of pressures that befall this creative team that other writers do not have to consider.

WWE.com

Look at the number of significant injuries that befell the roster in the past 12 months. Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, Bad News Barrett and Randy Orton to name but a few have been in and out of active participation over the course of the year. That added to the departures of the likes of CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio and Batista makes it incredibly difficult for the creative team to prepare definitively for the long-term future, where one misstep or botched spot could destroy those preparations.

Whilst wrestling is disparaged for it’s scripted nature and its ‘falseness’, the reality of the action the athletes perform is a variable that most other entertainment programs and dramas don’t have to contend with. No stunt doubles or crash mats protect their bodies, as injury could strike at any time. The writers are seemingly tasked with expecting the unexpected, and plans will change with the snap of their fingers. So, whilst the Royal Rumble winner is yet to be finalized if this report holds true, it is difficult to entirely blame the creative team. They have to contend with the threat of injuries, as well as trying to appease a very vocal and passionate audience, so there is a great deal of pressure placed on them to construct impeccable, calculated stories.

WWE.com

Yet, there is one final obstacle that appears to be an ever-present when work is rushed and decisions are changed without warning: Vince McMahon. The Chairman is still as hands-on as ever, as more and more often reports suggest that episodes of RAW in particular are scrapped hours before the show starts and re-written by McMahon himself. His iron fist over the editing process is admirable for his devotion to the product, but also brings into question why he employs such a vast team of writers if he makes such massive alterations towards the curtain raising?

In the end, I for one sympathize with the difficult circumstances that the WWE creative team has to contend with and understand why it is hard to develop long-term storylines. They are not infallible, far from it in certain cases, but they live with a great number of uncertainties and time constraints that will inevitably mean snap decisions are necessary. However, with the filter of Vince McMahon still in full function, maybe it is time that he curtails his responsibilities and allow some of his writing team to present new concepts that may make compelling, extended feuds and angles. Either that, or he needs to replace them with some writers that can make a script that doesn’t need scrapping hours before broadcast.