Another year has gone by and there have been significant changes in the WWE. The company also promised changes a year ago… Did they listen to their fans? Stephanie McMahon believes they have. Here’s what we think:
Becky Lynch Takes WWE’s Center Stage
Becky Lynch would not have gotten an opportunity in the old WWE. Despite the fan support she had enjoyed in the past, her opportunity only came later.
Because of the massive show of support for Becky Lynch, the company was almost forced to give her a prime role. Even though the presence of Ronda Rousey helped, the huge fan support for Becky was finally heard by the WWE.
Kofi Kingston Gets a Lengthy Title Reign
Another indicator of the company listening to their fans is Kofi Kingston’s lengthy title reign. Before the company started to pay more attention to fan opinions, a singles run for Kofi Kingston was out of the question. While he had enjoyed great success with The New Day, it did not seem like the company had any interest in giving any of the members a singles run.
When Kofi replaced another wrestler at a pay-per-view, fans got behind the prospect of a Kofi title reign pretty quickly. The company eventually listened and Kofi spent six months with the championship belt. If the company was not listening to fans, this would never have happened.
The Brock Lesnar Change
Before the WWE listened to their fans, we were seeing a lot of Brock Lesnar. While we still have plenty of Lesnar on pay-per-views, he no longer holds the title hostage. His appearances have been more frequent and he does seem to try harder compared to previous years. This indicates the WWE is listening.
Longer Title Reigns
The length of title reigns seems to have changed this year as well. While title reigns seemed to be shorter or less interesting in previous years, these title reigns have changed considerably with the reigns of Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston.
Of course, we do have to mention that Brock Lesnar had a lengthy title reign in previous years. However, his title reign was less than exiting because his appearances were few and far in between. He was also lacking in storyline, but things have been more substantial in 2019.
First Women’s Main Event At WrestleMania
The arrival of Ronda Rousey in the WWE eventually led to a main event for female wrestlers at WrestleMania. This was the first main event for female wrestlers in history.
While one could argue that Ronda’s arrival was the sole contributor to the event, fan support definitely played a part. Many fans have been crying out for a woman’s main event for years, but it only happened recently. If 2019 is a measure, then the future should be bright for women’s wrestling.
It is important to realise that WrestleMania was not the only pay-per-view that had a women’s main event. Even after Ronda Rousey’s departure, the WWE decided to put women in the main event during Survivor Series and Tables, Ladders and Chairs.
More Heel Turns Than Ever Before
The WWE had more important heel turns than ever this year. For years, fans have been crying out for certain characters to turn heel, but it would never happen. This year the company is actually listening to wanted heel turns.
One of the men who turned heel because of fans turning against him is none other than Seth Rollins. Even though he started the year as one of the most popular wrestlers, his social media spats and comments about fans during interviews backfired. The company heard the opinion of the WWE Universe and eventually turned Seth heel.
In addition to Seth Rollins, there are other superstars who have turned heel this year. For some superstars, it was simply a case of giving them something new to do. So, it is no surprise that Bayley, AJ Styles, and Sasha Banks have taken a turn to the dark side in 2019.
From Heel To Babyface
Some heels become so popular, the crowd cannot help but cheer when they come out. Evidently, this becomes a problem over time, as faces get booed and heels get cheered. By listening to the universe this year, the company has turned many heels into faces.
One of the most prominent heels to be turned this year is Rusev. Even though the company nearly let the “Rusev Day” gimmick die, they finally did something with it. The Rusev, Lana, and Bobby Lashley storyline may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly brought more TV time for the three of them.
Like the faces who have turned heels, there are many heels who have turned face, too. In addition to Rusev, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, and Alexa Bliss have all turned face.
Paul Heyman Brings More Creativity In Main Roster WWE
Raw is far from perfect, but it is a lot better than it was over a year ago. Paul Heyman is trying to add more creativity on the main roster and I believe he has partially succeeded in 2019. True, there is more work to do, but the difference with past episodes is unbelievable already.
Even if some of WWE’s management haven’t been listening to fans, Heyman certainly has. He has put more of an emphasis on some of the newer guys on Monday Night Raw including Ricochet, Humberto Carrillo, The Street Profits, and The Viking Raiders. So, he is quickly building new timeless superstars for World Wrestling Entertainment.
While the appearances of newer wrestlers have increased, Raw has decreased its use of veterans. Fans have been complaining about the lack of new superstars who are being pushed, and Heyman has certainly tried to make a difference. Of course, these superstars will need to enjoy continued pushes to become superstars to rival John Cena, Triple H, and The Undertaker.
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