WWE in the Reality Era Should Mean More Than Worked Shoots

Just this week on WWE programming, there were at least three different promos that could be considered “worked shoots.” That’s overkill, even in the so-called Reality Era.

In 2011, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan tweeted out a message to his fans and detractors alike. Nearly seven years later, that single tweet has been mocked, referenced, and repurposed by a lot of people. The part that everyone went nuts for? The phrase, “…work yourself into a shoot.” (For the uninitiated, a “work” is a scripted part of the story, while a “shoot” is a legit fight/diss/what have you.)

To add some context, the entire tweet also talks about “working a work,” and if anyone would know about working a work until you work yourself into a shoot, it’s Hogan. The master of backstage politics has ruffled feathers in locker rooms the world over, leading to blurred lines between kayfabe and reality.

But now, WWE has entered into its “Reality Era,” where kayfabe is on life support more often than not. Reality television shows, social media, and the rise of “smarks” and insiders have all contributed to this new normal. It’s strange, sometimes – certain scripted actions don’t jive with what “real life” is like, or a story takes a ridiculous left turn out of the blue. Overall, though, it’s been mostly positive for WWE.

There’s one part of the Reality Era that is starting to become a little much. And that’s the worked shoot. Vince McMahon and company absolutely love to have a superstar cut a promo that sounds like it’s off script. Remember CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb promo? That’s a prime example of a worked shoot. Punk was unhappy with the creative direction of WWE, so he was (loosely) scripted to vent his frustrations. While no one knew exactly what he would day, they knew he would sound legitimately angry.

While that may be the most famous example in recent memory, there’s a ton more examples. Any Miz promo from Talking Smack. 90% of what Paul Heyman says. The promo battles between John Cena and Roman Reigns last fall. The entire build to two WrestleMania matches between The Rock and Cena. The positive response from crowds for the realism seems to encourage WWE to continue.

This week, though, there were three separate promos that could be considered worked shoots. For two shows, that’s too many. Big E did most of the heavy lifting on SmackDown Live, but The Usos brought up their lack of WrestleMania matches. On Raw, Cena broke the fourth wall regarding his WrestleMania plans (and wishes), while Roman Reigns ethered the absent Brock Lesnar.