Why do you think WWE decided to take the Universal Championship off Bray Wyatt after one week?
It was more about WWE wanting to get the Universal Championship on Roman Reigns than taking it off Bray Wyatt. Essentially, Bray needed the rub following the program with Braun Strowman and was protected as Roman pinned Strowman at Payback. It was Strowman that was downgraded, not Wyatt.
I was just looking at the Raw viewership numbers. Things are still ugly. Even if with the ThunderDome. What is it going to take to bring the audience back?
WWE Raw is too long. That’s the biggest problem for the red brand but as I have written many times, it will only change when the USA Network is no longer willing to pay for three hours of it weekly. I never thought it would last but it has lasted over eight years. Three hours of Raw is a difficult commitment for the viewer and difficult for the creative team. WWE introduced Raw Underground as a way to provide incentive to watch the third hour, but it is consistently the lowest hour each week. WWE’s biggest problem is a creative lull as fans need characters and storylines that engage them. Even with the ThunderDome, WWE suffers from not having a live audience. I understand the other shows have weathered the storm better, which tells me this is more than a live audience problem.
What’s the future of Dominik Mysterio following the angle with Seth Rollins?
Dominik Mysterio’s future in WWE remains unknown following his program with Seth Rollins. He obviously is getting this push because of his father and I wonder how it played into Rey re-signing with them. Vince McMahon is high up on Dominik and feels he has made the most of his opportunity. He is green as grass but has had some impressive moments. When you impress Vince, it is always going to help to keep you in storylines. We’ll wait and see but Dominik is young and seems to have a very bright future.
Do you think AEW is at fault for the way they handled the Matt Hardy situation?
The situation with Matt Hardy is complicated and Reby Hardy’s vocal public outbursts did not help things. Tony Khan tried to handle it but Reby’s comments got the attention of a lot of people, including people from TNT. I do not blame Reby for being concerned about her husband but it would have been better had she gone to Tony Khan directly. Social media is a great thing but some issues are left better off private. This was one of them. Head injuries are a tricky thing in today’s business and deserve to be treated with utmost seriousness.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Thursday, September 17, 2020.
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