When it comes to WWE PPVs, it’s time they try something new and interesting.
On February 21, 2017, New Japan Pro Wrestling celebrated the 20th anniversary of one of its most tenured active wrestlers, Togi Makabe. The so-called ‘Unchained Gorilla’ had debuted in 1997 and had achieved everything possible in NJPW.
He had reached the top of the mountain by winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He had also endured many painful injuries, including one that forced him out of the 2005 G1 Climax tournament. But despite all those ups and downs, NJPW showed great respect for one of their most loyal wrestlers by giving him his own show.
This is something WWE should start doing without hesitation.
Few wrestlers ever last very long in WWE. Many wrestlers’ WWE careers go no more than six or seven years on average, with only a few particulars going further. Those wrestlers that manage to stay in the company for ten years or more end up treated like legends in WWE, but mostly behind the scenes.
If you look at WWE’s roster, it actually contains several wrestlers that have been active for a very long time: John Cena, Randy Orton, Kane, Chris Jericho, the Big Show, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler and of course, the Undertaker. All of these men have wrestled in WWE for an incredibly long time, but only one of them had anything resembling an anniversary show dedicated to celebrating everything they’ve achieved in WWE.
With WWE’s PPV line-up being composed mainly of randomly-named shows, it’s time they try something different with wrestler anniversary shows. Here are the three best reasons for them to start putting on such shows.
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3. It Creates Something Fresh for the PPV Line-Up
As mentioned earlier, WWE’s PPV line-up is incredibly boring and saturated. WrestleMania’s the biggest show of the year and SummerSlam is a somewhat distant second in terms of importance. Survivor Series has the traditional elimination match and the Royal Rumble has the eponymous Rumble match.
Outside of a select few shows like Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber, WWE’s PPVs lack any major reason for fans to tune in, especially since the matches on those PPVs are likely to be repeated the following night anyway.
Adding a special, one-time show to commemorate the accomplishments of a veteran wrestler would be fresh and exciting. It would give the fans a taste of something different, as the show would be structured around that particular wrestler, their achievements, and their greatest moments. All in all, it would be something different for WWE to put on, but it wouldn’t require that much work.
With WWE’s current habit of repeating a feud or match-up so much until it loses any semblance of interest or importance, doing something fresh like an anniversary for a long-tenured wrestler would be great.
The PPV line-up needs more themed shows, but that does not mean the same ideas every year. With 15, 20, and 25-year anniversaries being rare in WWE, it would make sense to showcase those milestones as much as possible, and to make as much money off of them as possible.
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2. It Makes for Great Nostalgia and Genuinely Happy Moments
When WWE did the Undertaker’s 25th anniversary special as part of Survivor Series 2015, they showcased many great moments throughout his career. If you hadn’t seen all the best moments in ‘Taker’s careers, you were given a glimpse of some of them on this show. This made sense and made the show feel even more special.
If WWE did this for other tenured veterans, it could get the same reaction. Many fans today feel fond nostalgia for things that happened in the past, especially in terms of older veterans. While some wrestlers have gotten better with age (John Cena, Chris Jericho), others were much better years ago. A prime example of this would be Kane, whose career transformations over the past few years have turned him into a shadow of his former self.
With a career spanning almost 20 years, Kane is one of the last embodiments of wrestling nostalgia. Fans remember his earlier career more fondly, as he was one of the most badass characters in WWE. A show dedicated to such a longstanding employee filled with career highlights would definitely bring some genuine happiness to a crowd of loyal fans.
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1. It Allows Them to Show Appreciation for Tenured Talent
Kane’s career makes for the perfect example for why WWE should have an anniversary show. He has been in WWE as ‘Kane’ for almost 20 years. Since his debut at Badd Blood 1997, Kane has done everything there is to do in WWE except win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania. He has nonetheless achieved quite a lot, and has shown tremendous staying power.
But more than that, Kane has earned tremendous respect from wrestling commentators, wrestling fans, and his own peers. He’s respected for his accomplishments, for his intelligence (seriously, Kane is probably the most articulate person to ever enter a wrestling ring), and most importantly, for his loyalty.
This is a man that was more comfortable in giving the world title and its accompanying spotlight to others, even if he had earned it, because it was better for their careers. He’s also notable for always going with whatever the company asked of him, even if it was terrible (Katie Vick, for example). Because of this, many people respect both Kane the character and Glenn Jacobs the person.
So why not allow all those fans, coworkers and commentators to show their combined respect and appreciation for him in an anniversary show dedicated to him and his career? It would be an awesome show, with various wrestlers commentating on how Kane managed to remain an asset to WWE for twenty years. It would also allow fans to give him a proper sendoff if he chose to retire at that point.
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Because when all is said and done, despite all the criticism, complaining and arguments, wrestling fans appreciate what wrestlers do to themselves to entertain others. Since wrestling is often considered a ‘thankless’ profession, perhaps it would be a good idea to start thanking those that have done so much for us in a more proper way.