WWE's Formula for WarGames Needs Overhaul After Survivor Series Snafus
The company's reliance on high-profile match-ups at the expense of cohesive storytelling has come under fire following last weekend's Survivor Series event in San Diego.
A prime example of this trend was the mismatched team-up featuring Bron Breakker, AJ Lee, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes. The usually dependable WWE tried to milk every minute of the matchup by throwing in gimmicky twists, such as a masked attacker that has been used countless times before. Perhaps most egregious was the predictable reveal of who had cost CM Punk the World Heavyweight Championship – leaving viewers feeling robbed.
To cite an example of how well a well-crafted WarGames story can work, look to the original Bloodline storyline. The tension surrounding whether Sami Zayn would secure his spot within the faction remains one of WWE's most compelling narrative arcs in recent memory. By pitting two powerful factions against each other, WWE tapped into a rich narrative and built towards a thrilling confrontation that was both satisfying and believable.
Unfortunately, this year's WarGames event felt like an amalgamation of different concepts rather than a unified vision. The absence of Seth Rollins meant the matchup on the other side of the ring lost its cohesion and became disjointed at times, detracting from what could have been a more substantial narrative.
The company's reliance on high-profile match-ups at the expense of cohesive storytelling has come under fire following last weekend's Survivor Series event in San Diego.
A prime example of this trend was the mismatched team-up featuring Bron Breakker, AJ Lee, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes. The usually dependable WWE tried to milk every minute of the matchup by throwing in gimmicky twists, such as a masked attacker that has been used countless times before. Perhaps most egregious was the predictable reveal of who had cost CM Punk the World Heavyweight Championship – leaving viewers feeling robbed.
To cite an example of how well a well-crafted WarGames story can work, look to the original Bloodline storyline. The tension surrounding whether Sami Zayn would secure his spot within the faction remains one of WWE's most compelling narrative arcs in recent memory. By pitting two powerful factions against each other, WWE tapped into a rich narrative and built towards a thrilling confrontation that was both satisfying and believable.
Unfortunately, this year's WarGames event felt like an amalgamation of different concepts rather than a unified vision. The absence of Seth Rollins meant the matchup on the other side of the ring lost its cohesion and became disjointed at times, detracting from what could have been a more substantial narrative.