Stevie Richards thinks Triple H needs to stop telling WWE fans how they’re supposed to enjoy the product. In fact, Richards would prefer if WWE’s Chief Content Officer stayed away from press conferences altogether if those appearances are only going to leave frustrated fans feeling like they’re the problem.
Speaking on The Stevie Richards Show, Richards brought up something he believes should concern WWE. He regularly hears from people who no longer watch wrestling but still consume podcasts, clips and other content discussing what happens on WWE television.
“You want to know a scary stat that we get in comments a lot, and I’m sure you’ve seen them, too. ‘I don’t watch wrestling, but I watch your show. I don’t watch WWE anymore, but I watch shows that talk about it.’”
Richards sees that as a warning sign because those people clearly haven’t completely lost interest in wrestling. They’re interested enough to follow what’s happening, but the actual television product isn’t convincing them to come back.
“You’re in trouble if people would rather consume the people talking about it, and you get satisfaction and fulfillment off of that more than actually watching the thing they’re talking about.”
That eventually brought the conversation around to WWE’s attempts to attract new viewers. Richards questioned how serious the company is about bringing back lapsed fans when he doesn’t see enough being done to turn their existing interest in wrestling into actual investment in WWE.
“They seem very content with the people that are already, like Mark Shapiro, ‘We want new fans,’ but you’re not doing anything to get those millions of people with the affinity for pro wrestling, but not the intention of investing in your product and supporting your product.”
That’s where Triple H caught the criticism. Richards questioned the idea that fans who aren’t enjoying WWE simply need to change how they watch it. He then pointed directly to Triple H’s comments during press conferences, arguing that they can come across like WWE is chastising people for being the “wrong kind” of fan.
“Do they just need to enjoy the show? You know, I, I, I don’t, I don’t get how they’re saying at the same time, and please Hunter, do not do any more press conferences because every time he talks, all he does is chastise the fans for being the, being the wrong kind of fans for the company.”
That distinction is really Richards’ issue. He doesn’t think WWE has a lack of people interested in professional wrestling. He thinks there are plenty of fans still paying attention from a distance, and telling those same people they’re watching or reacting to WWE the wrong way isn’t exactly a great sales pitch to get them back.
Do you agree with Stevie Richards that Triple H’s comments can push frustrated WWE fans further away instead of bringing them back? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
