5 Things That Every WWE Wrestling Fan Should Just Accept

[cero2k]

Source: The Bleacher Report
Article

1. The Attitude Era Is Not Coming Back

For a few years, now, the WWE has completely given their programming a facelift. In what seemed like an instant, the WWE went from edgy, adult-themed television, to programming that the entire family could watch.

Blood disappeared, nobody drank beer or cursed anymore and women stopped wearing bras and panties to the ring. It was different to say the least, and it was clear that the fans weren't watching the taboo "wrestling" anymore, it was now officially considered entertainment.

Well, the original PG era sucked, and the WWE's ratings started to nosedive because of it. Storylines became completely ridiculous and usually very predictable, the intensity was fading and Pee-Wee Herman was on WWE television at least 25 times.

Finally, after the fans begged and begged, the WWE started to get a little bit more edgy, and it has certainly started off on the right foot. WWE programming, thanks to guys like CM Punk, has started to reach a perfect middle ground. Shows still remain family friendly, yet incredibly entertaining for every adult fan.

Don't expect things to get any crazier than this, though. WW(F) Attitude is gone, and will never come back, no matter how badly I want it to.

It all revolves around a pretty simple concept: Thanks to their current programming, the WWE is profitable, easy to promote and considered a credible establishment in today's entertainment world. Superstars are popping up all over the media world, not because they have attitude, but because they appeal to everyone, not just "Wraslin" fans.

It would be stupid and possibly financially crippling to bring back something similar to the Attitude Era, and as much as I want to see someone like Vickie Guerrero give birth to a hand like the good ol' days, its just not the '90s anymore.

I know its depressing, but the sooner we can all forget about how awesome the Attitude Era was, and focus instead on the new and improved WWE and their new, exciting direction, I think everything will be just fine at the end of the day.

2. The Rock Is Going to Leave Again

We all remember where we were when this happened. I remember hearing that music and jumping out of my chair like I was 8-years-old again, and The Rock was coming down to save Stone Cold from a Corporate Ministry beatdown.

Wrestling felt like it had returned at that very moment. The Rock was back in a WWE ring, and all was right with the world. His promo was fantastic, his verbal beatdown of John Cena made every wrestling fan over the age of 12 crack a huge smile and he promised the entire WWE Universe that he was "never, ever going away."

By the time next week rolled around...he went away.

There's been a lot of speculation over what The Rock meant when he said he was never going away, and sadly a lot of people throughout the wrestling world took it seriously. Even I thought for a split second there that The Great One was back for good.

Then I remembered that he was a movie star, and made millions more up in the hills of Hollywood. And no matter how bad some of his movies have been, there's not a chance on God's green earth that The Rock would throw all that away just to go back to the hectic schedule and lifestyle of a WWE Superstar.

I must admit that what The Rock said that night when he returned was a little confusing, and I can easily see how people may have gotten confused. I personally believe that his intention was to tell his millions (and millions) of fans that he would never forget who made him into what he is today, and he would never abandon the WWE like so many other wrestling greats have done in the past. He'll keep coming back, maybe not for another couple of years, but we will definitely see him again

Either way, he won't be around very much, and in only a few short months, he'll be gone again until Vince needs him again for some PPV purchases.

Heck, he's gone right now shooting a movie, and although the rumor mill is saying that he'll be back at Survivor Series, there's no doubt that as soon as his match with John Cena is over, The People's Champion will grab his check, pack his bags and leave the WWE in his dust once again for bigger and better things.


3. John Cena Is Not Turning Heel

Whether you like him or not, John Cena is the biggest star in wrestling right now. That's not a debate CM Punk fans, that's fact.

John Cena is easily the hardest working superstar in the WWE today, and lately he's starting to prove that he's more then just a kid-friendly, purple shirt wearing superhero. He can hold his own in the ring, proving it in back-to-back PPVs, and he's still the No. 1 reason why butts are in those seats every Monday Night.

He's even saying "ass" again and currently telling ADR how badly he's going to whip it. How TV-14 of him!

Even though some of his old intensity is finally starting to return, and the WWE has enjoyed shaking things up a little bit lately, there is still a zero percent chance that John Cena will ever be a heel. Again, that's not a debate CM Punk fans, it's a fact.

There's plenty of reasons why Cena will never be heel, for one thing the kids love him, and the kids are the ones telling mommy and daddy what to buy them, and all they want from mommy and daddy are things approved by John Cena. Not even Eric Bischoff on his worst day would stop that money train from rolling.

Second, he's the face of the company, and he probably will be until he retires. Sorry again, CM Punk fans.

Where would this company be without John Cena? There's nothing wrong with calling him the Hulk Hogan of this generation, because just like Cena, Hogan may have been hated at times, but he was the biggest reason why the WW(F) stayed afloat for so many years. In addition, Cena is a true inspiration, unlike Hogan whose legacy is falling apart on a daily basis due to his poor lifestyle choices.

Finally, why is Cena going heel even that big of a deal? It's not 1996, and the WWE isn't fighting for their lives against some rival company. What would a Cena heel turn really prove in this current landscape, and how would the WWE benefit from it in any conceivable way? Would it take away the five people left who are watching TNA? There's plenty of other equally shocking moves the WWE can pull on us that doesn't involve the destruction of Cenation.

Granted, the WWE has been a lot more unpredictable lately, but some things won't change, and they never will. Cena is their man, so you can forget about any heel turn.

4. Zach Ryder's Push Is Finished

There's no telling where Zach Ryder would be right now without his strong Internet presence and fanbase. Without the voices of the entire IWC, there's almost no doubt that Ryder's time with the WWE may have already ended a while ago. In many ways, it's amazing that Long Island Iced-Z is even back on television at all.

But no matter how many WWWYKI shirts they sell, or how many "Ryder or Riot" signs continue to pop up at live events, its might be safe to assume that Ryder's little push has officially ended. The WWE has never had faith in him, so why would they start now?

For now, he's destined to keep showing up on Smackdown! as the assistant GM to Teddy Long, which has seemed like nothing more than a cheap way to appease the WWE Universe since the beginning of his tenure. Ryder is there simply to crack a few jokes, say his catchphrase, and look like an idiot. In other words, he's pretty much a Smackdown! Santino.

And yes, I know he's the self-proclaimed WWE Internet Champion, and even has a nice homemade belt to prove it. I'm also aware that he actually has defended it once or twice in house shows. But if anyone out there really thinks that this belt will one day be actually worth something, then you clearly have way too much faith in the WWE. They won't even bring back the Cruiserweight belt, even with all the young, athletic and exciting talent on the roster, so I'm sure creating an actual Internet title isn't even on their radar.

For now, the IWC and Ryder should be proud that Long Island Iced-Z can be seen every Friday night on the blue brand, just don't expect it to get any better then it is right now.

5. There's No Big Surprise Challenger for the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 28

Back when 2011 was just getting started, every wrestling forum was talking feverishly about who The Deadman would meet for his match at Wrestlemania 27. The possibilities were endless, and there was even a good chance that maybe we'd be in for one of the biggest surprises in wrestling history.

I don't think there's anything left to say about this video, and the insanity it caused throughout the wrestling, and UFC world.

And let's not forget about that whole embarrassing incident where everybody thought this was Sting for some reason, even though every single sign pointed directly to The Deadman.

By the time Wrestlemania rolled around, we got nothing more than a predictable Taker-HHH match. Sure, the match was pretty exciting, but it still had its fair share of disappointment, and it wasn't even as good as their first WM match 10 years prior.

Now, The Undertaker has one more match to get to 20-0 on the grandest stage of the them all, and the discussion is already heating up.

Unfortunately, there's almost no chance that we're in for any surprises on April 1, 2012, and you can forget about seeing Lesnar or Sting walk back into a WWE ring.

Lesnar is under contract with UFC, and unless Dana White is tired of making money and dominating the WWE, then I don't think he'll allow one of his golden boys to wrestle, just so Brock can make a few extra million and risk injury.

And Sting? The Icon has never stepped foot inside a company run by Vince McMahon, and I honestly don't see that changing at this point in his illustrious career. He will forever and always be the best wrestler to not be in the WWE.

After those two, there's really not many people out there that would truly surprise me.

Mick Foley maybe? But in all honestly, I think both of these men aren't in the best of physical shape to put on the kind of show that we would expect from such a historic match.

Chris Jericho? Again, it would be somewhat surprising, but its not like Y2J wasn't going to return at some point, anyway.

Shaq? ......Just Kidding

I think that this match will be the perfect opportunity to put over one of the younger guys and immediately catapult him into the elite. The Undertaker is no longer in the shape he was even five years ago, and he needs someone to carry a majority of this match. There's also always Kane, which I believe would be a perfect way for both men to end their legendary careers.

Either way, don't expect to be that surprised once we start rolling on the Road to Wrestlemania. This opponent will be nothing more than just another victim to add to The Undertakers' prestigious record.

[Big Red Machine]

GREAT read

[kirbs2002]

I agree with and have, in some capacity, been thinking and/or saying all of these.

Re: #1

Even if WWE had a true, credible threat like WCW was in the 1990's, we STILL would not see the attitude era back. We would see something remotely similar, but there would be so much different that you could not in any way call it the Attitude Era. The reason being that the 1990's are just not profitable some 12-14 years later! Case in point: the first TNA HardCORE Justice, a.k.a. Heroes of Extreme Championship Wrestling (credit to BRM for the nickname). Everybody wants to see something new, otherwise it dies out VERY quickly. Could you imagine someone else of the Undertaker's stature taking on the Undertaker's gimmick?

Re: #2

Nothing additional.

Re: #3

All these armchair bookers who endlessly pine for Cena to go to the "dark side" are forgetting that professional wrestling is, first and foremost, a business. Yes, a good 80% (conservative estimate) of Cena's fans are tween-aged marks. His mark fans are also the largest and single most profitable group that the WWE has. Nobody in ANY business, let alone a pro wrestling business, would alienate over 3/4 of their fanbase for a minute 10% who will likely just change their mind about it in a few months anyway! Like the author said: "Not even Eric Bischoff on his worst day would stop that..."

Re: #4

Bob-O originally said it, but I think it deserves to be reiterated here:

Where were these Ryder fans a coupe years ago?

That's likely paraphrasing, but the point remains the same.

Re: #5

I would be completely okay with the Undertaker retiring now at 19-0, because another match is a no-win critically. If it happens:

Undertaker wins
Everyone whines about how WWE's trying to wring out every last cent of Taker's marketability, likely noting the only redeeming factor of the match is that now Taker's an even 20-0 and won't stink up the WM ring again.

Undertaker loses
Everyone whines about how sacred "The Streak" was and, in short, the person who beats Taker is now universally vilified for the rest of their WWE tenure (likely longer) because they're "not on Taker's level"

On top of that, another Undertaker match hurts the draw power of this so-called "dream match" between Rock and Cena.

[Styles]

Great read and probably couldn't disagree with any points here.