What do you make of WWE moving forward by teasing Murphy, 32, and Aalyah Mysterio, 19, in a relationship? I saw where Alexa Bliss seemed to encourage the storyline?
A relationship between a teenager and grown man should not even be teased in WWE or any professional wrestling promotion. I understand while technically “legal,” you have to consider the landscape of today’s world and “read the room.” WWE did something similar when a 26-year-old Randy Orton kissed an 18-year-old Brooke Hogan in October 2006 and a lot of people rolled their eyes and criticized that. It was not the right thing to do then and it’s not the right thing to do now. The Mysterio/Rollins/Murphy storyline has been a bright spot on Raw but it has been effective without teases of a romantic relationship involving a teenager. Alexa Bliss defended the storyline on Twitter and got hammered. The Attitude Era was a phenomenal time in professional wrestling but it does not mean everything done was acceptable. WWE does not need to try to rehash the Attitude Era, it’s a different time. They need to focus on building characters that engage the audience, making them want to tune in each week. Booking a group of outsiders that terrorize the product for months only to end up getting contracts as Mace and T-Bar is the anthesis of that perspective.
Do you think the XFL will return in 2022 as announced by The Rock?
2022 is a much more realistic target than 2021. The XFL has failed twice and while the attempt this year ended under completely unforeseen circumstances, the league was not thriving before COVID-19 shut down the world. The Rock and his partners will make every effort to get a league together but as he stated, it is an uphill battle. I am not optimistic but I will keep an open mind and hope for the best.
What is next for WWE after the ThunderDome?
WWE plans to run all events from the ThunderDome at Amway Center through the end of October. As reported here on WrestlingNews.com, they have begun negotiations to extend their lease but are also considering other options. Vince McMahon wants fans back but the pandemic is still a major problem throughout the world. The company has looked at other venues but their deal with Amway Center is seen as “good as it gets.”
What is the point of secondary shows such as AEW Dark and WWE Main Event?
The shows are meant to allow AEW and WWE to evaluate talent and give them “TV reps” without the pressure of it being on the main stage. They can see how performer’s do, which can help for future booking plans. They are also properties that are monetized and help the promotions generation money. The reason you do not see top stars on these programs is because they are meant for the lower to midcard talent for the reasons I just mentioned.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Monday, October 5, 2020.
You can submit a question for the next installment of Ask WNC at this link. If you have problems with the form, you can send your question to AskWNC@wrestlingnews.com.
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