WWE Expected To Limit Its Use Of Top Stars For The Foreseeable Future

WWE’s creative direction has taken a noticeable shift since WrestleMania 36, when a slew of part-timers were on the show but disappeared from TV shortly thereafter and have been replaced by the company’s rising stars.

Among the high-profile part-time and full-time stars who have not appeared on Raw or SmackDown since WrestleMania 36 are Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Edge and Kevin Owens. That has resulted in WWE focusing heavily on new talent, particularly on Raw where names like Liv Morgan, Andrade, Austin Theory and Angel Garza have suddenly become centerpieces on the red brand, but also on SmackDown, where The Forgotten Sons have quickly gone from forgotten in NXT (pun intended) to pivotal assets in the blue brand’s tag team division.

WWE’s sudden shift from highlighting major part-time names and established top stars to elevating up-and-coming talent is nothing new. That strategy is typically employed by WWE each year after WrestleMania during the post-Mania season that tends to be a downtime for the quality of its product as well as its TV viewership. This year, viewership for both Raw and SmackDown have descended to historic lows, and Vince McMahon essentially put the blame for that on WWE’s rising crop of superstars when he said during WWE’s recent investor earnings call (h/t Fightful) that the company’s spiraling TV ratings are due to its focus on cultivating new talent.

In other words, many of WWE’s biggest names will be gone for a while until it’s the right time to bring them back.

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McMahon, after all, specifically pointed to the lack of Lesnar as a reason why Raw ratings are down, and yet, “The Beast” probably won’t return anytime soon. As pointed out by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson (h/t WWF Old School), “It would be a waste to use Lesnar in this environment,” a clear reference to WWE’s audience-less Performance Center shows that have become the norm over the past two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It isn’t a coincidence that Lesnar vanished into thin air following WWE’s flagship pay-per-view the same way that WWE’s TV viewing audience has. Just this week, Raw generated its “lowest non-holiday week RAW viewership in history” with a lowly 1.817 million viewers, according to ShowBuzz Daily (h/t Wrestling Inc).

WWE is in a bizarre situation in which its TV programming is continuing but overall interest in it is very low and the star power gap is incredibly noticeable. The biggest names who helped carry WWE in route to WrestleMania 36 largely aren’t there anymore, and WWE’s audience has reflected that. That’s not expected to change anytime soon, either. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said to The New York Times (h/t Sports Illustrated) that “we’re not ready” to return to live sports (and other forms of entertainment) with fans in attendance yet, and truth be told, we still may be a long ways away from doing so.

Thus, Cageside Seats says that “the word going around is the pandemic is the reason we haven’t seen multiple top stars working shows, and why Raw is particularly light,” although certain superstars taking scheduled time off may be playing a role as well while some stars—like Orton, Edge and Styles—are likely selling the effects of their respective WrestleMania matches. Indeed, Raw reportedly had a “very limited crew” for this week’s TV tapings in which multiple episodes of the show were taped, signifying that WWE’s TV product will continue to focus largely on midcard names and up-and-comers as the likes of Lesnar, Edge, Orton, Styles and others remain off TV during the post-WrestleMania lull. That might also explain why Ronda Rousey says she won’t return to WWE full-time and has bashed WWE fans, reinforcing her heel status but also essentially setting the stage for a delay in her return to programming that many feel is still inevitable.

So, moving forward WWE will have no Lesnar, Rousey, Cena, Edge, Orton, Undertaker, etc. as many of WWE’s biggest stars, including Roman Reigns, remain off TV at a time when TV viewership is going to plummet anyway due to the company’s audience-less shows. That gives WWE a golden opportunity to create and cultivate new talent, but it may come along with some growing pains in the form of consistent viewership woes.