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Let’s Analyze: “WWE– We’ve got a Problem…”

Tommy Starr takes a dive into the Mich Foley video after All Out. Do you agree with his analysis?

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Mick Foley’s YouTube video, “WWE– We’ve got a Problem…” has sparked much conversation among the wrestling community in the last several days.  The video is a short and sweet minute long warning message to WWE, insinuating a distrust among its employees and overall lack of morale from young talent.  And while WWE plays the corporate game of its unwritten rule that employees should not disparage the product in anyway, the bottom line is that Foley’s message is not inaccurate.  In fact, to say that Foley is “disparaging” WWE is a bit of an overreach; rather, Foley is simply waving a red flag in front of WWE regarding a longstanding issue that they need to address.

While Foley’s message is not groundbreaking news, especially for longtime WWE fans that have conveyed this issue for decades, the relevance of this video speaks volumes today, particularly with the growing success of All Elite Wrestling and its business model of managing talent.  Bluntly put, WWE is not the “be all/end all” for up and coming talent to succeed in the wrestling market now.  And while AEW continues to sign and feature independent wrestlers with less name recognition on a mainstream level, WWE is taking the polar opposite approach with their developmental system.  They are no longer adopting a former business model of signing a lucrative pool of independent talent and locking those wrestlers into contract to rebrand and modify their careers; now, their focus is back on running an OVW/FCW-like system with mostly inexperienced talent, no name value, and little to zero independent experience.  All the while, a handful of the most recent NXT call-ups (i.e. Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, Shotzi Blackheart, Tegan Nox, Toni Storm, etc.) are either being booked/featured poorly or not booked/featured at all.  And Foley is rightfully concerned about this “business strategy.”  If an indy worker or a young talent sees how WWE manages its current developmental system, why would he or she have faith that WWE would treat them any differently?

As independent wrestlers are looking for pathways to break into the business and acquire more income, they now have choices beyond WWE.  And for a lot of young workers today, the pitches to work for WWE are fewer and fewer.  Aside from the satisfying paycheck, what benefits do they reap?  WrestleMania?  That implies that they are either good enough to earn a spot on the card or if the company has booking plans for them, period.  And while income is extraordinary important, there are studies that show money is only a small portion of what satisfies peoples’ careers; purpose and direction are equally, if not, more important.  Granted, young wrestlers would risk the pay cut by signing with AEW over WWE.  However, what is that pay cut in the grand scheme of things?  15%?  20%?  Is that a real significant pay decrease, especially if they still have a drive to work for WWE at a later date?

Now you analyze this from AEW’s perspective and the benefits for younger wrestlers:  a quality paycheck, a reduced hectic road schedule, more creative freedom and liberty, an enjoyable working environment, room for growth as a worker and attraction, easy access to executives and administration, etc.  And while, yes, there are plenty of issues to breakdown among the descriptions listed, it is hard to argue that a young talent would have trouble discerning which company offers a more promising work experience.

The discussion of “the forbidden door” should not be dismissed from the conversation either.  If a young talent decides that he or she would rather hone his or her craft in Impact Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance, or even New Japan Pro Wrestling, that talent would have a probable chance of being able to work cross-promotion deals with AEW at some point.  Wrestlers that sign with WWE do not have that option.  And if a wrestler is trying to keep as many doors open as possible, AEW provides those wrestlers with the opportunity to work other promotions (with permission, of course) and make even more money.

In essence, Foley’s YouTube video is a minute long discussion that sparks hours and hours of open-ended conversation for many wrestling fans.  To say it is culturally relevant is an understatement.  The real important question to come out of this is how long it takes WWE to catch up with the reality that Foley is not wrong in his message.  They may not like what he said; they may even try to pass it off as wrestling psychobabble.  However, he is speaking truth.  It is also important to remember that Foley’s message does not merely apply to “young wrestlers” in the business; it applies to ALL wrestlers!  They have options.  Just ask CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, etc.

Sources:

  • YouTube. (2021, September 7). Wwe – we’ve got a problem… YouTube. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpFrI10eH0g&t=1s.
  • Zucker, J. (2021, September 7). Mick Foley: WWE has a PROBLEM, ‘is no longer the place for talent to aspire to’. Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10011928-mick-foley-wwe-has-a-problem-is-no-longer-the-place-for-talent-to-aspire-to.

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Opinion

Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE

Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.

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Wyatt Sicks WWE

Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.

It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions, 

The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight. 

This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail. 

The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions. 

After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama

gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania. 

It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company. 

We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!

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Opinion

Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?

Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns 

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WWE Jacob Fatu Roman Reigns Backlash

Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call. 

Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story. 

The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line. 

 In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years? 

Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus. 

I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?

Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!

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