WWE is in the midst of an identity crisis at an inopportune time

Last week, professional wrestling gained more attention than the industry has seen in over a decade. However, WWE doesn’t seem to know what to do with this resurgence in popularity.

It has certainly been an eventful two weeks for WWE following the season premiere of WWE SmackDown on Fox.  The company has faced a lot of backlash over the last seven days, but they’ve made some big plays to bring in more fans. Unfortunately, they seem to be alienating the last group you would expect: hardcore wrestling fans.

Yes, we all heard Fox would treat SmackDown more like a legitimate sporting event after the move. So, there were bound to be some noticeable changes, but WWE seems to be going through an identity crisis at moment. Honestly, it couldn’t come at the worst time.

It’s clear that the largest wrestling promotion is feeling some pressure right now. Fox has invested a lot of money into SmackDown and they assuredly have expectations for it. On the other hand, there are more viable alternatives to WWE programming than ever before.

It would be dishonest to say All Elite Wrestling is the only driving force. Still, it would be naïve to dismiss the effect the new promotion has had on the industry since January. With that said, attempting to bring in new fans is the right call. WWE can’t merely pander to established or lapsed fans.

The company that creates the biggest new fanbase will come out on top, but WWE’s plan to do so seems counterintuitive at best. Last Friday, they unceremoniously ended Kofi Kingston’s reign in favor of a feud between Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar.

Now, on the surface that doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world. However, they essentially invalidated six months of their own programming to chase some of UFC’s audience, again. There’s nothing wrong with trying to reach a new audience, but why go out of your way to snub fans who invested in KofiMania?

Even more, a large percentage of their consistent viewers don’t know who Velasquez is and Lesnar is one of the most hated characters in the company by design. Isn’t it a bit odd to make that the centerpiece of this new era of SmackDown? It’s definitely confounding when you consider how excited your average fan is about the prospect of more wrestling.

Shouldn’t they reward those fans instead of giving them something they don’t want, especially when other promotions are lining up to get their attention?

AEW, IMPACT, NWA, and New Japan aren’t marketing to boxing fans or MMA fans; they’re speaking directly to people who love wrestling. Meanwhile, WWE is sort of saying we don’t need your viewership.

At the very least, they’re pawning that fanbase off onto NXT, which they are presenting as a show with no filler. Still, that’s such a bizarre strategy when there is some evidence that the mainstream fans, they’re courting aren’t even consistent viewers.

After all, they consider Lesnar and Ronda Rousey two of their biggest draws and ratings are still near an all-time low. In fact, there is no real proof Rousey, their biggest acquisition from UFC, boosted revenue.

This isn’t to say, WWE should only focus on their core fans. Again, that would be foolish, but it’s probably not a good idea to push them away either.

If you weren’t convinced the company was going through an identity crisis, that awkward press conference for Crown Jewel should have made it crystal clear. The “sports entertainment” theatrics and ham-fisted acting clashed with the serious press conference they were trying to present. UFC fans wouldn’t buy into that and your average wrestling fan could see right away this wasn’t intended for them.

Cain Velasquez is a great pick up for the company. Having Tyson Fury appear on the card for Crown Jewel couldn’t hurt either, but it feels like WWE is underestimating their competition. Moreover, they don’t seem to realize why some of us still enjoy wrestling and that’s a little troubling.