Lane points out that Seth Rollins did an interview recently where he implied that WWE doesn’t need crossover stars, and they’re doing fine on their own right now with one of the most talented rosters in the history of professional wrestling. Gilbertti says the notion that this is the most talented roster of all time is fake because the declining ratings don’t lie.
Russo agrees and adds that today’s wrestlers have no business sense when it comes to what it takes to build a successful wrestling company. Crossover stars are essential for wrestling companies because that’s how you draw in new viewers.
Gilbertti says that the wrestling business has a very niche fanbase today and even with WWE’s best efforts to build that base, it simply isn’t working. He points out that ‘great workers’ are what all these smart marks care about, and if great draws from the past such as The Ultimate Warrior came along today they wouldn’t even get a sniff in WWE.
Gilbertti goes on to say that WWE supporters continuously defend the company by saying that people consume entertainment differently today than they did 20 years ago, and that’s why ratings are down so much. He points out that Game of Thrones is setting ratings records on a weekly basis and people continue to watch it because it’s a good show. WWE has failed to give their fans a good product.
Russo says he’s sick of Dave Meltzer and other ‘insiders’ giving today’s wrestlers an excuse to work this dangerous Japanese style. Gilbertti believes that the wrestling business is one bad concussion away from a total change, and he thinks it’s only a matter of time before a significant injury occurs.
