Posted in: Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: Raw, recaps, wrestling, wwe

WWE is Making Storylines Out of its Own Mass Layoffs

A lot of people complain that WWE doesn't innovate anymore and that its product has become stale, but this week's episode of WWE Raw proves the opposite: WWE is the most innovative company in sports entertainment. And the way WWE is innovating is that they have turned their own quarterly mass layoffs into pro wrestling storylines, and The Chadster is totally here for it. If dozens of people had to lose their jobs so that WWE could get some heat between Edge and The Miz, well… that's just what's best for business, isn't it?

Don't get The Chadster wrong. The Chadster feels for guys like John Morrison and all of the others that lost their jobs for "budget cuts" under the rule of the only decent Khan in wrestling, WWE President Nick Khan. But what is the livelihood of dozens of workers compared to a feud between Edge and The Miz to build to a match at the Day One PPV? You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. The Chadster knows. He's tried. The Chadster is really, really bad at making omelets. Usually, the eggs end up in The Chadster's hair, which is probably because Tony Khan paid off the chickens. Thanks a lot, Tony Khan!

Anyway, Edge returned to WWE Raw last night, but he wasn't the only one. Just as Edge began his promo naming opponents he could face in the future, The Miz interrupted, with Maryse at his side, and the two engaged in some mic work that rivaled (and probably reacted to) CM Punk and MJF on AEW Dynamite last week. Edge fired back by saying, "You say I should hang it up. That I'm dancing with a body that can't hang anymore. And you know what? You're right. I can't do this for much longer. The window is small. But I fought with every single fiber of my being for that window."

Edge continued, "You have people on other shows saying your name just to get a cheap reaction. You live rent-free in a lot of heads. You built yourself an empire. You got a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. You got a beautiful family. You made it further, you made it higher, than anyone ever thought you would or could. Except for you. You thought it. You believed it. You made it happen. But the big difference between you and I is that I fought with every fiber of my being to get this small window back. You used this to get notoriety for your next endeavor, for your next reality show, for your next dance competition, while you leave your partners high and dry to get fired."

Now that's how you change the narrative. WWE's greed isn't to blame for all those layoffs, like all those haters on Twitter keep saying. It's The Miz's fault. It's Becky Lynch's fault, as Liv Morgan implied during a contract signing earlier in the night when she said that Becky's contract is the reason that Morgan's former Riott Squad teammates were fired. WWE was so proud of this incredible storytelling moment that they even quoted it in a tweet.

This isn't the first time WWE has made creative lemonade out of corporate lemons, either. WWE made an entire storyline out of rehiring Drake Maverick after he made a video crying about being laid off the first time, which led to a relatively long run in NXT and then back in the 24/7 title picture until he was once again laid off last month. Frankly, The Chadster would call this kind of storytelling creative genius. Not only does it create a compelling storyline, but it also absolves WWE of the blame that fans have unfairly heaped on them for these releases. Is WWE not supposed to do what's best for business? Come on. The Chadster hasn't seen this kind of creative genius since Vince McMahon successfully blamed Baron Corbin for Raw's failing ratings.

The bottom line is that WWE has been the subject of very unfair, very disrespectful practices by AEW and AEW fans. WWE lays off wrestlers because they need to save money, something everyone with a household budget can understand, and AEW goes and hires them to make WWE look bad?  AEW fans claim WWE misuses their talent and blames them for laying that talent off when maybe if those fans were more loyal to WWE and tuned in every week to make sure WWE Raw had high ratings, they wouldn't have needed to lay anyone off in the first place. Finally, Vince McMahon is fighting back against all of those fans that don't understand anything about the wrestling business, and it may lead to some epic rivalries that we'll never forget, even after the wrestlers involved have themselves been laid off for budget cuts. And that's the bottom line 'cause Chad said so!

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