By Cool McCain (The Average SportsGuy)
WWE Superstar Ryback has enjoyed a fast rise through the midcard ranks recently
The WWE is in a very stale place right now. The storylines are predictable to anyone over age 13. The same people are always on the shows and it feels like no new stars are being developed. There are whole divisions in the company that are not even being addressed by creative and the company. It has been years since a powerful group or faction has emerged and there have been no real OMG moments besides what CM Punk did on the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw. Before people begin to decide to tune out or tune into Impact (TNA) Wrestling here are 15 things that can be done to improve the product. I will be revealing the list from 15 to 1 over the coming months.
10. Scale back Squash Matches and feature more Undercard Wrestlers on TV
Building on the changes suggested in the previous parts the next thing that needs to be done is to decrease squash matches to once every 2 or 3 weeks and take that time to highlight Undercard Wrestlers. In the past 6 moths Broadus Clay, Ryback, (Lord) Tensai, and Wade Barrett have had multiple squash matches. There has not been a Raw or Smackdown that I can remember in the same time period that has not had at least one squash match. Squash matches do have a place in WWE but not every week and not to build up new or returning superstar into a believable threat for any championship.
I would love for squash matches to go back to what they were meant for. Meaning they should be used sparingly in situations such as a last match for a contender before the championship match, or to build up a current wrestler who has been on a losing streak, or as a debut match for a returning, repacked or debuting wrestler. Instead of the huge amount of squashes let’s have talent fight Mid-Card wrestlers and look strong even in losses and occasionally win one to help them get over with the crowd as either a face, heel or tweener.
Speaking of the Mid-Card where has it disappeared to? Mid-Carders are the lifeblood of pro wrestling. You take the young guys put them in the Mid-Card after they beat a few low card wrestlers and allow them to grow and develop there while still allowing them to stay relevant. Another function for the Mid-Card is once a top guy has passed the torch to a younger guy or is no longer able to be a top guy the Mid-Card is a great place for them to work and help bring along the young guys. This is a major part of the business that needs to return. The US and Intercontinental Titles would be defended in this area of the card. Part of bringing prestige back to those belts is to have them held by guys who are future or former champions and not guys who will never get a push.
Having several Mid-Card talents always ready to make the jump to the top will keep rivalries fresh and open up new and exciting possibilities in case of situation like what the WWE has now where you have to keep John Cena, Sheamus , CM Punk and others are being overused and overexposed. When guys have to wrestle all the time to keep the show ratings high they will get injured more, the fans will get tired of always seeing them, their character will become stale quicker, they will not get the same pop, and their storylines have to be rushed.
Using the Mid-Card to get a wrestler’s character over will allow them to already be a household name and be selling merchandise when they become elevated. They could go from Mid-Card to a feud with another Mid-Card wrestler which could elevate one or both of these wrestlers to the Upper Mid-Card which is right on the cusp of Main Event status. Once in that group, where a guy like Dolph Ziggler is now, they could be propelled into the Main Event scene very easily by feuding with a top star over a Championship, a past situation or a female wrestler. This is where tying in a feud between female wrestlers could help further their storyline, as well as get new Main Event guys developed. Variety is the key with the Mid-Card just give them the ball and see if they can run with it, but in order to run with it they need to be seen on the flagship shows Raw and Smackdown. Let the fans decide who gets over with them as a heel or face and then build them up.
