WWE loves to pride itself as a global company whose talent performs all 52 weeks out of the year. And on the one hand, it’s pretty amazing what WWE can accomplish as it travels across the United States and overseas. And on the other, it’s becoming apparent the toll this takes on both the performers and the fans.
In 2018, there were 15 pay-per-views (16 if you include Tribute to the Troops which airs on the Network as well). Three of these occurred overseas; one in Australia and two in Saudi Arabia. And adding to that number was the sheer timing of them all. Wrestlemania 34, the Greatest Royal Rumble, and Backlash all occurred in less than a 30-day time span. Think about that, three separate, and fairly long, pay-per-views aired in less than a month. Another rapid fire round of events happened after Summer Slam with five different pay-per-views occurring within three months.
If the fans are feeling the fatigue, one can only imagine how the wrestlers themselves feel. Add in the hundreds of live events, meet and greets, action figure and game scans, and media obligations and it becomes even more apparent just how loaded WWE superstars’ plates are. Their schedules are grueling!
Maybe it’s time to change that. Maybe it’s time for WWE to have an official off-season.
Most sports have off-seasons. They allow the athletes time to rest and recover from small, nagging injuries as well as seek long-term care for more major injuries and problems. Even if athletes aren’t injured, the off-season allows them time to spend with their friends and families or focus on other personal goals and ventures. It also helps alleviate fan fatigue; absence makes the heart fonder after all.
The injury list as of press time includes Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Alexa Bliss, Tegan Nox, Fandango, and Braun Strowman. Sasha Banks, Zelina Vega, Bray Wyatt, Becky Lynch, Dakota Kai, and Aleister Black also missed a few weeks of action, and Dean Ambrose returned well over halfway into the year. That’s quite a lot of people. And yes, the show must go on, but the amount of injuries is a bit difficult to ignore.
Of course, correlation does not equal causation, but any athlete will tell you that putting constant strain on your body for prolonged periods makes you more susceptible to injury and illness. While an off-season wouldn’t eliminate injuries completely, a set period of time that doesn’t require matches or extensive travel might be beneficial.
For the off-season, I would propose the time between Wrestlemania and Money in the Bank. That’s about two months, not too long and not too short. Backlash, which is essentially just Wrestlemania: The Sequel, could be taken off the calendar. I chose this time period because Wrestlemania is already seen as the end of WWE’s season so to speak, with Money in the Bank seeming like the beginning of a new season. WWE could even keep its Monday and Tuesday night time slots, filling the airtime with old episodes, pay-per-views, and anthologies in the same vein that ESPN airs previous documentaries, old games, and significant moments. The off-season could even lend itself into a pre-season analysis show; that could be a big selling point since new network contracts want WWE to appear more sports-like.
Another perk for fans would be the ability to fully tune into other promotions while WWE is on a break. For example, I’m a big football and basketball fan, and while it’s perfectly possible to watch both, it is much easier to focus on basketball once the regular football season has concluded. In this same manner, WWE fans could give other promotions their undivided attention. A lot of fans have said that WWE puts out an overwhelming amount of content. Eliminating five hours of live television broadcast, even if only for a few months, could potentially help that.
But unfortunately, cash rules everything around us so I don’t expect to see any significant company hiatus any time soon from WWE. By putting on shows, doing autograph signings, and completing overseas tours all year long, Vince McMahon can pull in a lot of money. Plus a WWE off-season would make it incredibly difficult to negotiate no-compete clauses for talent who appear for other promotions such as Progress.
Maybe things might be different when Triple H or Stephanie or Shane fully take over but for now, the wheel in the sky keeps on turning, and the WWE money train keeps on chugging along.
-Wynter
It Might Be Time for a WWE Off-Season
