WWE: The Fabulous Moolah and Trial by Social Media

Fans wanted Daniel Bryan. WWE obviously did not. Bryan reached the heights of the industry thanks to overwhelming fan support and he did in spite of the company that just never seemed to have a real plan for him. Through all of his injuries and despite his retirement, Stephanie McMahon poked fun at him by constantly mimicking his Yes chants on the air.

Why? Did she do it to get heat? She is a heel after all so why not do it? Of course at the time there was no reason to mock Bryan because there could be no payoff. He had retired. The only reason to do it at all was to upset the fans. But was it really just done for fun or was there something deeper?

Stephanie McMahon & Daniel Bryan Backstage

Many fans don’t want Roman Reigns. WWE obviously does. Reigns had great potential in the beginning and was over as the powerhouse of The Shield. But from the moment the trio split, fans could sense Reigns’ rise on the horizon and it just never worked.

WWE wanted to control him, to mold him in the image it visualized for him. He was no longer a hound of justice. He became a kid friendly action figure. Reigns is now the face of the company and WWE is intent on reminding fans that he is the man.

The same WWE that encourages fans to Tweet, Facebook and Instagram, then criticizes them for doing so. The McMahon family knows best. That’s the message. Anyone that complains is wrong. They’re dead wrong. Only WWE can get this right.

Triple H makes fun of fans

Damien Sandow deserved better than what he got during his run. WWE disagreed. Zack Ryder got over using the very tool that WWE wants its fans to use but he’s a ghost at this point. Rusev is getting over because of his personality and a trendy catchphrase. But if he fizzled out due to bad booking, no one would be surprised.

There are many more examples and there will surely be more in the future. But despite how loud the criticism can be and no matter how many times the audience makes a valid argument, WWE is going to keep moving forward with its own agenda. Exceptions like the explosion of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the rise of Daniel Bryan and the summer of CM Punk are rare and WWE reaps the benefits.

It’s a double-edged sword and it can cut the WWE faithful straight down the middle. The nature of the company is such that even when it seems as though everything is okay, nothing is okay.

WWE took The Fabulous Moolah’s name off of the battle royal due to negative publicity over accusations that cannot be fully proven. The company bowed to the pressure when in reality, Moolah should probably have never been involved. Was this yet another example of WWE moving forward even though it had no chance to work from the start?

Where does the power lie? With the fans? The stockholders? The sponsors? That answer depends on how loud and how controversial the issue is. Despite what the truth is, everyone knows that WWE is the one that has the power when it means the most. Maybe that’s all that matters.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumours. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com