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THE LESSON VINCE MCMAHON DIDN’T LEARN FROM BEATING WCW, ROMAN AT MANIA, HEALTH OVER WORK AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2021-12-01 10:00:00

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Assuming the Rock wouldn’t appear this year do you think their best bet for the main event at Mania would be to have Drew McIntyre challenge Reigns?  Last year at Survivor Series they had a great battle so I think if built up right it could be huge.  If Reigns were to defeat Lesnar at the Rumble, and McIntyre could either win the Rumble or Elimination Chamber.

I would be fine with it.  That match would be strong, for sure.  As I say all of the time though the reason why the people are fighting is just as important to me as the fight.  I hope whoever they put against Roman they actually tell a good story to get us there.

While I doubt WWE will do it, what do you think of them releasing all there unreleased documentaries Christmas week? This way the WWE universe has a bunch of new things to watch while many will be off from work/school.

I would love it.  I don't understand why they do the documentaries and then don't release them.  It seems pretty bassackwards to me.

Do you think we could be heading into another WWE/WCW battle? And if so, who do you think will prevail, or do you think that wrestling will divide itself into two camps, one being for those who enjoy the wrestling and sensible storylines, and another for those who enjoy the entertainment aspect?

I talked about this a bit with Mike Johnson on our show last week.  I have been thinking about this a bit lately.  While there is a direct comparison to WWF-WCW battling 20 plus years ago, there are some similarities.  The one big difference is that back then, WWF was the king, then fell behind WCW, only to pass them again and win the war.  Clearly that isn’t the case with AEW but the irony is, WWE is now in the WCW position in many ways.

Back then, WCW had created the formula that drive WWF into second place.  While it was great to take the lead, it also led to an heir of complacency to just continue doing what they were doing, since it was working.  That is the exact position that WWE is in today.  They just churn out the same thing, week in and week out.  In the 90s, WWF was desperate so they took chances and went outside of the comfort zone that Vince McMahon put in place for the previous decade.  As I have said many times, had WCW not take the lead and made Vince desperate, we would have never seen The Attitude Era.  We got it because Vince was forced to leave his comfort zone when his vision of wrestling wasn’t connecting with the masses the way that it used to.  So, he tried the new things while WCW stood pat with their formula that got them into first place, and that allowed WWF to surpass them when they started doing newer, cooler things. But, as soon as Vince won the war he went back to his old ways (like the decade of John Cena) and the product lost what it so great when it won the war.  Fast forward to today.  WWE is the one locked into maintaining the status quo.  They have almost three years left on big money TV deals in the US, and even longer on the WWE Network deal with Peacock.  Their product is extremely repetitive and not at all compelling.  AEW, on the other hand, is still establishing themselves.  They do new things and their product has an air of freshness to it that WWE lost years ago.  It’s clear to see just by watching how the fans react to both.  In AEW, it’s legitimate fanaticism.  In WWE, they have to pipe in “This is awesome” chants because the fans don’t do it the way that they used to.  Are we in a battle?  Sure, AEW is owned by a multi-billionaire with a quality TV revenue system in place.  Will either beat the other?  I don’t think it has to come to that.  WCW only “lost” due to a change in ownership.  Nitro was still drawing a solid audience share and had worth.  Will AEW ever pass WWE?  Well again, remember when Bret Hart beat Steve Austin when he passed out?  WCW was still winning then but WWF was coming for them.  Will that happen again?  Time will tell.

I ask this question half seriously and half sarcastically, but as Paul Levesque continues to recover from his heart episode, do you think it adds to his stress and blood pressure to see all the NXT, and recently added main roster talents, used so poorly, if at all, and then released?  Between NXT 2.0, and Vince/horrible creative teams on the main shows, I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul is questioning his place in the company.

I don't think he enjoys seeing what is happening but I can tell you this, as you get older and you face a health crisis, if you are smart it's also a reality check about what is important in your life.  I love my work, believe me, but if I was in critical condition with a serious heart issue, I would be worrying about getting well first and foremost.

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