It's funny how posts like this where "If (wrestler X) is out for a substantial length of time, they're freaked" have appeared over the years, yet here they still are....
with ratings that are about half what they were at peak, a stock price down about 50% in the last year, touring business that's off, a network that is looking like a massive money loser that also has killed their PPV business, and a wave of negative publicity coming from one of their top stars accusing them of ignoring injuries. After the last earnings report there were calls from institutional investors for the McMahons to sell the company, and talk of shareholder lawsuits.
Things aren't pretty in WWE-land right now. They did build a new star in Daniel Bryan but his injury really hurt. The rest of the guys they elevate seem to get torn right back down. Rollins should be a huge mainstream star but they've got him dressed like a fool. Ambrose, Cesaro, and Wyatt were on fire but got pushed out of the spotlight So week after week the audience is left with guys that are largely not over. They are banking on Reigns being a big star but he's still pretty green and not much of a talker. Their champion hasn't been on TV in months, and may not sign a new deal at the end of the year.
IMHO the biggest mistake is to continue to push the product as a live-action Saturday morning cartoon rather than as a serious athletic event that can lure some of the MMA fans back into the fold and maybe even attract back some of the older fans who grew up on the attitude era. That doesn't mean adult humor/content, but it means pushing a more serious product that's focused on the contests between the guys and less on "the authority." ROH is following that approach with some success though with minimal TV. TNA can't decide what it wants to do, but its best years and PPVs came when they were pushing stiff, athletic contests. New Japan is doing monster business with a very realistic style. If you haven't seen the new Lucha Underground series check it out, the matches have been really really good and the production style is much different from WWE.
In WWE land the hottest act is a guy who is supposed to be another guy's stunt-double and who thus mimics everything he does in the ring, even taking bumps outside. The shows are just embarrassing to watch.
