There could be a lot of reasons why ratings have dropped across WWE but there is one thing that proves that it is WWE’s fault. With NXT’s rating doing considerably well, the brand’s pre-recorded matches are being held in a very small area in a university with no fans.
It’s still doing pretty well in the rating. Then there’s Raw and Smackdown with ratings dropping most weeks. They do have spikes here and there when they do something new like the THUNDERDOME and UNDERGROUND, but the rating spikes don’t last, let’s have a look and see why this happens.
The lack of rules
In WWE, there’s a lack of rules, double standards and contradictions from episode to episode. This only really works in PPV’s when the fans want to see a good finish and not a DQ or time out.
WWE’s Raw and Smackdown do this on a weekly basis with someone getting a DQ one week for doing one thing. While in the next week, someone else will do the exact same thing and not get a DQ.
If they put a rule book together like other companies, There would be more of a sports feel and atmosphere and that’s what wrestling is meant to be. Other companies like AEW and NJPW both stay true to the rules and both of them have a sporting feel to them.
If WWE did this small change, we could see a change in the format. It would also keep a fanbase as people want to know what’s going. If you don’t understand a sport, do you really want to watch it?
50/50
Then there’s probably the most damaging one, 50/50 booking. This has been a big problem in WWE and it most likely due to the last minute decision throughout the company. There were rumours of a Summerslam match between Randy and Drew being decided on the night. This ended in a 50/50 booking with Drew winning with a roll up.
WatchCulture (YouTube channel) calculated the number of roll ups over this year in WWE which is currently 66. This nearly a roll up in every show. Watching other wrestling shows, nearly all have a finish that has a clear winner with good booking and good matches.
It doesn’t even affect the end that much. Look at Keith Lee, he came into Raw after a loss and still came in like fire. This is one of the biggest problems in WWE and the reason why we don’t have many massive Legends anymore. Someone who is good at wrestling going up against another.
There is a huge chance that it’s going to end in a 50/50. This is the same if a good wrestler goes up against a current Legend. It doesn’t end clean, how can they expect to build a new star when they can’t beat the old.
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