WWE has had a heck of a year thus far, with the company making numerous jaw-dropping changes to their administration and booking strategies.

Given the fact that WWE fans are easily bored and have a short memory and attention span, WWE has been forced to make more drastic decisions than they've done in the past, when Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior came out to the same music and won in less than a few minutes using the same few moves, and not being considered boring. A few of their decisions have turned out to be fantastic business decisions such as their reducing the number of Pay-Per-Views. On the other hand, a good number of their decisions have raised eyebrows besides serving as a boost to the trailing pack that includes New Japan Pro Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor, with their decision to make every Pay-Per-View involve both brands after this year's WrestleMania being a prime example.

The following article looks at eight moments that prove that WWE is failing and seven that show us they will continue to be the leaders in sports entertainment for a very long time. If you think we've failed to discuss more significant moments, drop those in the comments section.

15 Failing: Taking Asuka's moment away

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We’ll kick off the list with a significant moment that made wrestling fans scoff in unison. When Asuka won the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match, many expected her to finally have her big moment in a WWE ring. Given the fact that their first-ever women’s Money in the Bank match had an anti-climax, with a chinless creature grabbing the briefcase instead of, well, a woman, many believed that WWE, having presumably learnt their lessons, wouldn’t make a similar mistake again. However, make a mistake, they did, as they let new arrival Ronda Rousey take away her momentum.

It’s true that the former UFC star is already a more popular figure than most other WWE employees. However, taking away a moment that their top female star and hardcore wrestling fans would have cherished for an eternity proved that WWE sometimes don’t learn from their mistakes.

14 Thriving: Shinsuke Nakamura Winning The Royal Rumble

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While Royal Rumble saw Asuka denied her share of limelight, they definitely didn’t drop the ball with the men’s Royal Rumble match. After booking three polarizing figures - Roman Reigns, Triple H and Randy Orton - to be the last man standing in the ring in the previous years, they finally handed the hardcore wrestling fans their chance to actually cheer the winning babyface at the end of the match.

When Shinsuke Nakamura threw The Big Dog out of the ring to earn a spot in the main event of this year’s WrestleMania, the arena erupted, with Twitter going haywire likewise. While seeing one of their favourite wrestlers was a moment to cherish in itself, the fact that his win was going to set up a huge dream match between him and AJ Styles put the more ardent followers of the art form in cloud nine.

13 Failing: Beating John Cena Is No Big Deal Anymore

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Although it’s true that stars of the past such as Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan refused to put younger talents over, their losing meant a lot. Their losing stunned crowds. Although today’s big stars such as John Cena and Randy Orton losing clean to up-and-coming stars has become commonplace, WWE should definitely protect at least the former, who still draws like no other wrestler they have at their disposal today.

In a recent triple threat match that decided who entered the Elimination Chamber match last, WWE made Elias pin their franchise player in the middle of the ring, with Braun Strowman thrown out of the equation by a tactful Elias. It’d truly be ridiculous to make Elias pin The Monster Among Men in a short match, but they should have made a big deal out of Elias pinning Cena. Instead they hardly even mentioned it afterward, as Cena went on to lose clean to Seth Rollins days later. Perhaps, Vince McMahon and co. should protect him a little bit more.

12 Thriving: Signing indie veterans and Sports Stars

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WWE or at least, Triple H wants WWE to be the holy grail for indie wrestlers. Although Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi have shown us that they don’t view WWE as that, there are numerous wrestlers who view wrestling for the McMahons to be their peak. For instance, WWE’s recent acquisitions of Ethan Carter III, Ricochet and Mahabali Shera tells one that, as long the wrestlers view WWE as the holy grail, it will remain one. However, it’s not just the indie talents, for they still seem to boast the pulling power to not just bring Ronda Rouseys and Rob Gronkowskis of the sporting world on board for a one-off but on a full-time deal. All these signings prove one that WWE is definitely thriving.

11 Failing: Making Broken Matt the Laughing Matt

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While it’s now proven that WWE’s pulling power is second to none in the sports entertainment industry, WWE doesn't seem to be creatively equipped to handle the talents whom they bring on board. The most recent example that proves that WWE is creatively handicapped is their handling of Matt Hardy’s Broken Brilliance. Even though his antics on the indie circuit with the Broken gimmick turned heads and eventually produced one of the loudest WrestleMania pops in recent memory, Vince McMahon has chosen to tone his character down so much so that he’s no longer Broken or Woken Matt. He now comes across as just Laughing Matt. Perhaps, they should have made him lock horns with someone who’s the polar opposite of his character rather than Bray Wyatt, who seems to boast a lot of characteristic traits similar to The Woken Laughing One.

10 Thriving: Vince McMahon giving Triple H more power

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While Vince McMahon remains a divisive figure among the more hardcore fan base, Triple H is generally praised by hardcore fans when it comes to his handling of NXT creative and talent acquisition. With the former now reportedly focusing on the relaunch of the XFL, 205 Live has been handed over to Triple H. Given the fact that the fans seem to be loving the work he’s doing at NXT and what’s he’s done with 205 Live in the limited time he’s been in charge, it’s safe to say that, even if the business side of the company takes a hit, the fans will definitely be a happier bunch when he’s in charge of things.

With Triple H having his finger on the pulse of the wrestling audience - bringing down indie legends such as Jushin Thunder Liger, re-introducing War Games matches and incorporating the more popular indie elements to the WWE style of programming - why he’s loved is obvious. Triple H taking over the company is definitely - pardon me - what’s best for the business.

9 Failing: Braun Strowman's Stop-Start Momentum

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WWE has managed to create a modern day giant in Braun Strowman. Given the kind of response he receives from the fans wherever WWE goes, it’s safe to say that he’s easily one of the the most over WWE wrestlers today. However, throwing him into a feuds with Brock Lesnar, who’s held on to his unbeatable status since winning the Universal Championship title off Goldberg, has surely not helped things, as his inability to capture the - dark red - gold has made him look weak. Despite his losses, he’s managed to look as ruthless as any WWE wrestler inside the squared circle.

Given the fact that WWE has previously failed to capitalize on the popularity of many wrestlers while their momentum was at it's peak, one may easily think that they may mishandle The Monster Among Men in the long term. That said, as he’s touted to be Vince McMahon’s last pet project, in an ideal world, he should win the title sooner than later.

8 Thriving: John Cena's direction taking a turn

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We discussed John Cena’s downfall previously. On the bright side, the change in direction has made him a character the most hardcore fan base will heavily invest in. After seeing his efforts to make WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble match and Elimination Chamber fail, he's now in a place where he doesn't have a proper Road to WrestleMania. His not having a storyline is easily the best storyline heading into WrestleMania today.

Given that he's super hungry to have a high-quality feud heading into WrestleMania, he's certain to make significant changes to his character that may be as interesting as a heel turn. If the losses he's had in the recent weeks helps him be a part of a compelling WrestleMania feud, it's a job well-done by the WWE creative team.

7 Failing: Bullet Club growing in stature

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Cody’s becoming a crucial part of Bullet Club was seen as a sign of the fall of the legendary faction, but he's definitely helped the faction become more prominent than it's been in the recent times. While it's a fact that a few BC members such as Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale haven't had much air time as a BC member since his arrival, his work with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll has ensured that even the more casual wrestling fans now pay attention to them. Given that they're now outselling major WWE stars in terms of merchandise, are going to host what will be one of the biggest indie wrestling show in history called All In and a proper Golden Lovers reunion is in the pipeline, it's a good time to be a BC member or a BC fan.

While the New World Order separating into two factions marked the fall of the phenomenon, their alleged split has only made the wrestling fans care about BC after an extended lull. The rise of the Bullet Club is something that WWE would definitely not be very happy about.

6 Thriving: Ability to produce 5-star matches

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WWE was once known as the land where you find top-quality production and promotion. However, after almost a decade of facing criticism for turning PG and not producing high-quality matches to make up for it, WWE have finally tweaked their style of wrestling to appease their more loyal and more hardcore fan base. WWE now gives due importance to work-rate and in-ring storytelling, which are two factors that fans seem to drool over in the recent years.

NXT wrestlers, having been handed more creative freedom inside the squared circle, often produce top-quality matches, but they have never been able to impress the online wrestling fans and their messiah Dave Meltzer, for 4.75-rated matches between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne and Sami Zayn and Neville had remained their best-rated until TakeOver: Philadelphia, which saw Andrade Almas and Johnny Gargano produce a five-star showcase for the NXT Championship title. With elite talents such as John Cena, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles now producing stellar matches after stellar matches, it’s safe to say that their being able to produce high-quality matches today is going to keep them atop the pro-wrestling pyramid.

5 Failing: Losing Enzo Amore and Rich Swann

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While they've been able to bring in top indie talents and big names, one big problem they've had this year is losing their big names in their prime. While 2018 started off with the news that Paige, a former Divas Championship winner, won't be able to wrestle anymore due to a serious neck injury, worst came to the worst as, within a week of her career-ending injury, news broke that their then-Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was embroiled in allegations stemming back to an October encounter with a woman in Phoenix. Left without a choice but to let him go, they stripped him off the purple belt, but unfortunately, he isn't the last departure from 205 Live this year, for Rich Swann was sent home after his domestic abuse case made headlines. They've essentially lost two championship-calibre talents and one decent mid-carder in a matter of weeks.

4 Thriving: WWE's Future Is Set

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With AJ Styles, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton and Sheamus belonging to the late 30s or early 40s tier and Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre and Dean Ambrose all in their early 30s, it’s safe to say that WWE aren’t short of top stars for at least a decade from now. However, their being stacked hasn’t stopped them from signing up youngsters with the potential to become world-class talents.

Their raid of the England’s indie scene has helped them unearth amazing talents such as Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, whose average age is a measly 22. They have other prodigies on their payroll besides them in 22-year-old Velveteen Dream and 23-year-old Lio Rush. Given the fact that they all can already produce five-star matches, one assumes that WWE aren’t going downhill, save for stupid business decisions, at least for two more decades.

3 Failing: 205 Live being unstable

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Despite Neville walking out on the company and Enzo Amore ruining his chances of becoming a huge star himself by being involved in a sex abuse scandal, WWE have managed to keep 205 Live fairly relevant by constantly letting the show evolve. However, the fact that the company has been forced to make many changes to the way they book the show shows that they’d never had a concrete plan in place for the show initially. Given the fact that they have many world-class talents on the roster such as Drew Gulak, Gran Metalik, Roderick Strong and Mustafa Ali, the show hasn’t been able to rival NXT in ratings despite the latter only broadcasting taped shows.

Their plans to scrap their UK show in favor of making the division a part of their NXT programming and the UK Championship title a mid-card title in the yellow brand also shows that they don’t seem to put the amount of thought required to launch a show.

2 Thriving: More Firsts For Women

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This year has already seen WWE take more steps in ensuring that going forward, the women's division will be taken as seriously as the men's. The WWE made history this year by putting forth the first ever women's Royal Rumble and even featured it as the main event of the Rumble event. They booked the match well, providing a good mix of current stars, NXT up-and-comers and past names like Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly and Michelle McCool. The event was well received and the result was very satisfactory, with Asuka continuing her undefeated streak with a win.

The WWE then followed it up with the first ever women's Elimination Chamber match just a month later. Along with Ronda Rousey now joining the women's division, the WWE is set to have a golden age of female star power, which will forever change the perception of women's wrestling.

1 Failing: The Raw 25 debacle

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Very few things in wrestling makes the fans feel as good as a nostalgia trip and, oftentimes, it’s easy for wrestling promotions to produce such moments, as all it takes is to book the retired legends and throw in a couple of their catchphrases or signature wrestling moves. WWE, however, managed to gloriously bungle it. Although they managed to bring down numerous legends such as Ted DiBiase, APA, MVP, Trish Stratus, Torrie Wilson, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Scott Hall and The Dudley Boyz, among others, they booked it horribly.

First off, they decided to air the show live from two arenas, with one arena holding thousands of fans and the other hosting just about 300 'lucky' ones. However, the latter crowd were forced to watch a huge chunk of the show on a screen. There were even reports that the fans even looked to get refunds. This proved that WWE, despite boasting the experience of doing similar shows such as Raw 1000 previously, still put on a show so boring that even the commentators dozed off at one point.

Verdict: All things considered, WWE are thriving in 2018 while the factors that suggest that they’re failing seem fixable.