WWE creative issues lie in Vince McMahon’s lap

The creative issues that show their ugly head on WWE television each week line up directly with the impact that comes from decision-making being in the hands of one person.

There is a longtime adage for the creative process within the WWE, claiming it to be a show that is being booked to entertain one person. That person is Vince McMahon. McMahon’s whims and views can drastically alter the careers of professional wrestlers. Several examples of this happening have been told throughout history, but another came out this week. This time, it was multiple “big men” that were wrangled up into the matter; but that is not the point. WWE does not have a creative problem; it has a Vince McMahon problem.

Wrestling media outlets such as Fightful Select reported that multiple “big men” on the WWE roster drew the ire of McMahon for their performance in the ring. Otis, Omos, Dabba Kato, Dio Maddin, and Keith Lee were among the group ordered to attend classes led by Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak at the WWE Performance Center.

While it is understandable that some names may need additional work, to see Otis and Lee on this list should ring an alarm to a real issue. Lee is widely considered one of the best performing big men in the industry. His volume of work on the independent scene speaks to what he can do in the ring. Plus, he has a strong catalog of matches in the WWE as well.

At one point not long ago, there were multiple reports about Keith Lee being in line for a push. However, the exact opposite would happen. He would drop two titles in NXT in unceremonious fashion, then fall to mediocrity on the main roster. Why? Perhaps it’s time to start looking at the man whose name is on the door.

Then there’s Otis. Yes, Otis is far from the best in the ring. But to see his character fall from the heights of winning the Money in the Bank and being paired with Mandy Rose, to being cut from his tag team partner Tucker and that same MITB title shot ripped away from him. Just like Lee, there was a time when McMahon was high on Otis as well. But his fortunes have changed as well.

While the “big men” on the main roster are the focus of the reports that came out Friday, the problem does not end there. There are multiple people that have been caught up in the suddenly changing tides of creative direction. Ricochet, Aleister Black, Chelsea Green are just a few other names that have seen the same thing happen – especially after they leave the pseudo-covering that is NXT. It is frustrating for fans to watch their favorite performers get mismanaged by WWE, especially since it comes from one single person is saying favoritism. But it must be even more disturbing for the men and women that experience it each day.

Viewership for WWE SmackDown and Monday Night Raw continues to decline as the promotion struggles to put out good content and creativity. The issue stands with the man behind the promotion. Calling out WWE creative is becoming a tedious response to the bad television that has put out each week. Especially when Vince McMahon’s vision is the blockade that no one can overcome.