WWE: Abrupt turns are emblematic of a broken creative process

All isn’t lost

That said, WWE hasn’t done any irreparable damage…yet. They could easily have Bliss and Flair explain some semblance of their slight change of heart over the next week or so and render this long column unnecessary.

Neither of them needs to have their hearts grow three sizes to accomplish the goal, either. Flair could come out and talk about how she’s always been upfront about who she is whether the fans have booed or cheered her, juxtaposing herself opposite the duplicitous Bayley.

As for Bliss, it could be something as simple as confiding in WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship partner Nikki Cross that she hasn’t always been the best friend to past allies before thanking Cross for looking past those transgressions and seeing her for the person she could be.

Anything would be better than what WWE has done so far.

In wrestling, the smallest plot point is as important as any chain wrestling sequence or highspot. All of those great angles mentioned earlier required meticulous planning and months — even years or decades — of build-up to achieve the best possible result. And oftentimes, it did. They kept the fans interested and rewarded that good faith.

And that’s what WWE needs to do more than ever on the main roster. Explaining these turns won’t bring back the millions of fans who have given up on WWE in one week, but it would signify to the fans that have stuck around that their engagement with the stories the company tells isn’t for naught. They at least owe them that much.