The WWE, Are They Worth It???

So, this past week, we got some interesting emails sent to us and it all centered around the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Is the WWE a worthwhile company to work for? In this column, I will give you my opinion on the WWE.

Now, it’s no secret—I have made my views clear on the WWE before. Many feel that the WWE is the top wrestling company in the world and maybe that was true 10 years ago, but I feel differently about that.

The WWE, like many businesses, have their ups and downs. When it comes to putting on a show, the WWE does an excellent job. Their marketing and promoting is top notch, and according to their website:

“WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 25 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network.”

The WWE does get their content out there. But my issue with them is more on the labor relations side. I feel the WWE, throughout the years, has profited off the backs of their wrestlers. There are many sad stories of past superstars who were literally broke with no money to show for after working for the WWE for many years. Much of that stemmed from substance abuse and many were just at the mercy of this company which could have paid their performers better and offered them opportunities to have had a decent retirement.

Is the WWE still a viable company to work for?

The WWE has openly stated it created a program to recruit college athletes opting to move away from the traditional hiring of established journey men/women wrestlers from the independent wrestling promotions. The WWE sees a better way of doing business is to recruit athletes from non-wrestling backgrounds, so they can mold them to how a WWE Superstar should look, act and perform. In my book, it looks like this program only offers the WWE the opportunity to build robots. Better yet, sports-entertainment robots. The good part of recruiting talent from the wrestling world is that you get talent that is dedicated and has experience in the pro wrestling business. Cutting potential journey men/women out of the equation leaves me to wonder once again: Is the WWE a trustworthy company to work for?

Many of the talent that has either worked for or been released from the company throughout the years, have found themselves, at times, displaced because of potentially false promises made when they were signed to a contract. Imagine being offered a contract and you move your entire life to Florida and three months later they just let you go….is that fair? Is that just? In my book, that is far from being fair, this is just downright wrong. I feel for many of my fellow wrestlers and friends who dream of making it to the WWE and achieving their dreams.

Unfortunately, as these latest releases have shown, the WWE is not what it used to be.

If you have a question or comment, please send it to eavil183@yahoo.com and have a great weekend!