WWE: 3 possible ways to improve the new Wild Card Rule

Like Spider-Man Says, Everybody Gets One

I’m sure I seem like a fun guy when every idea I have involves limiting some aspect of the Wild Card Rule. Don’t do it every week! Don’t let people just show up, they need to earn it! Well, I’m happy to report that this last proposed rule change ensures that the entire roster gets to get involved! Woooooo!

Of course, it requires another limitation, because that’s how this monkey paw works.

In an effort to ensure that everyone from Seth Rollins to Sin Cara has the chance to head to the other side for one night, a rule needs to prohibit the same superstars crossing brands multiple times in a row. If the same six or seven superstars are the only ones taking advantage of the rule, then it’s less like we have a brand split and more like we have a half dozen free agents.

Assuming all of the changes I’ve proposed here happen, this is possibly the easiest of the ones to make. Now we’d be down to one Wild Card Week per month, with superstars needing to earn the right to take part in it. Once they make the jump, they can’t participate in the next one, opening the door for other superstars to get in on the action. Easy, right?

Now, I freely admit that as far as ratings go, this is probably counterintuitive to WWE’s goal. Obviously, the goal is to get the best of the best all on the same show to encourage people to watch. So the most likely candidates to cross would be Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Charlotte Flair, and the like.

But let’s say those particular superstars can’t jump because of this rule. Now we can see mid-card talent like Chad Gable, Ricochet and Ali move around. Women’s division superstars who seem to be forgotten about at times like Sonya Deville, Ember Moon, and Ruby Riott can cross over, as well. And who knows? Maybe someone outside the box who has a match on the opposite brand turns some heads, and now they earn a bit of a push.

Of course, these aren’t the only ways to make sense of the Wild Card Rule — should some superstars be totally exempt from crossing over, and truly exclusive? Even these proposed here would require some other tweaks that I’m not super confident in WWE’s ability to deliver. But step one is to try and make sure there’s some consistency with the rule, so fans see it as more than a ratings grab, or a band-aid to bigger problems.