Now that WWE is back to performing in front of live crowds, we're about to get a serious glimpse of where the product stands today. For better or worse.
After a long 16-month wait, WWE returned to touring last week — beginning with Friday Night SmackDown at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This was the first stop of a planned 25-city tour that will conclude on Labor Day, with Monday Night Raw taking place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.
Since returning to touring, WWE has wasted little time in bolstering the television product. John Cena returned at the end of Money in the Bank to set up a showdown with Roman Reigns. and he appeared on the following night's episode of Raw.
Keith Lee and Goldberg also made their long-awaited returns to television on Monday. Nikki A.S.H. became the new Raw Women's Champion after successfully cashing in her Money in the Bank contract against Charlotte Flair.
So far, so good. But there's a long way to go.
Can WWE really fix a product that has been far too predictable and often dull during the "New Era"? We're about to find out.
Will WWE Listen To The Fans/Give Them What They Want?
For the most part, the ThunderDome was a brilliant success. One main downside? There was no way of telling which superstars were truly over with the fans, and which ones weren't.
Every now and then, WWE will make their booking decisions based on the crowd reactions (see the Daniel Bryan saga in 2014). They obviously couldn't do this for 16 months, however, without any live audiences.
But things are finally back to normal. WWE officials can now get a firm idea as to which superstars are popular and over with the fans. For example, WWE Champion Bobby Lashley is getting plenty of strong reactions despite playing a heel character. Ditto for Roman Reigns, who pulled off a stunning bad guy turn at the end of SummerSlam 2020. And Bianca Belair is flourishing as a babyface SmackDown Women's Champion.
So in this regard, WWE knows which superstars they can build around. If most of the top main event stars were getting booed constantly, this would be a concerning sign for WWE.
If it becomes a problem down the road, then it'll provide another sign that the product is once again in need of drastic changes. Simply put, the fans can have a say again in regards to how WWE should go about its booking.
Will WWE let the crowd reactions dictate their booking long-term? That's the million dollar question. If so, then it's an encouraging sign that the product is only about to get better. If not? Well, that's an entirely different story.
Pushing New Superstars
The massive drop in television ratings strongly indicated that a large portion of WWE fans were fed up with the product. Now that WWE is performing in front of live crowds again, they have the opportunity to bring in new ideas and superstars.
WWE greatly underused the likes of Aleister Black (now Malakai Black in AEW), The IIconics, Andrade (Andrade El Idolo in AEW), Tony Nese and Ruby Riott, who were all released earlier this year.
It's time for the company to put a stronger focus on pushing new and ultra-talented superstars, rather than continue to underuse them. Names like Keith Lee, Shayna Baszler, Naomi, Cesaro and Ricochet come to mind.
It has been encouraging to see Lashley, Belair, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre and The Usos receive giant pushes over the past year as opposed to the same old faces (you know who they are).
But WWE shouldn't stop there. They need to continue towards the path of building the next generation of stars, which is where main roster stars like of Lee, Baszler and Naomi come into play.
What WWE can't do is tease all of these major pushes (see Baron Corbin in 2017, Shinsuke Nakamura in 2018 or Cesaro this year), and then halt them altogether. This is the opportunity to focus on creating a deeper main WWE roster
Wait And See
If WWE runs the same old storylines and matches, and if they continue to rely on part-timers like Cena, Goldberg, Edge and Brock Lesnar to carry the show? Well, it won't take long for the fans (the live crowds now) to voice their displeasure and frustration.
It's a short sample size and all, but the crowd reactions for SmackDown, Money in the Bank and Raw are exactly what WWE is looking for long-term. The best way to sustain that? By listening to the fans, making the product unpredictable and by experimenting new things.