Undertaker. Shawn Michaels. Triple H. Randy Orton. John Cena. Edge. Big Show. Kane. Rey Mysterio. JBL. Batista. Chris Jericho. Jeff Hardy.
What do all those names have in common? They're arguably the list of top-flight main event talents that the WWE has on their roster right now. If you add in such names as CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Mark Henry, Jack SWAGGAH, MVP and Umaga, guys who may not be there, but are on the cusp of being there and can be booked to be credible in the ring against the above-mentioned guys, that would give the WWE an unprecedented number of top-flight main eventers.
On the surface, that might seem great. So many guys you can put at the top of the card, so many guys you can rely on to draw money for you. It's a booker's paradise, especially when you can spread that wealth across three different brands and have strength at the top of each card. Booked properly, all three brands should have hot feuds to draw for the whole year.
However, there is one potentially huge problem. Assuming that all of those guys remain relatively healthy for long periods of time, and fortunately for them and the 'E, most of them have (Batista's the only one on the shelf now), it essentially stagnates the movement of newer talent in the lower portion of the card.
Let's face it. Wrestlers do not have small egos generally speaking. The backstage antics of these performers have been well-documented over the years, from the bigtime offenders such as Hulk Hogan, Trips and HBK to the minor offenders like Jericho (who played politics when RVD was getting his push).
The more main eventers who fully develop, the more camera time they're going to expect. The WWE only has five hours of broadcast time (which really only boils down to three if you factor in commercials), and a huge chunk of that goes to guys at the top of the card. You expect that, those guys are your stars, your draws. So the more stars you have, the more camera time they're going to demand. Even then, among your main event/almost-there crowd, tenured guys like Trips and proven megadraws (that term is relative) like Cena will demand more than Mysterio or Punk.
So, with all the main eventers taking up the time, what camera-time is left for the mid-carders? Granted, right now everything is magnified because the 'E is building towards WrestleMania, and the brand split leading up WM traditionally becomes non-existant. During the year, when RAW focuses on RAW and SD focuses on SD, mid-card and rookie talent gets more of a chance to shine, but it's still not as much as it used to be.
Take for example Priceless. They first got a good angle and push to work with in the middle of last year, from debuting and screwing over Hardcore Holly, to the Legacy angle with Orton. But after that was resolved and they booted Manu to the curb, what has Priceless been? Nothing more than job boys and heat absorbers for Orton. Yeah, they get time on camera, but that time has been nothing more than taking punches from Shane McMahon or running away from Triple H for the most part. In the past, when there weren't as many main eventers on one roster, Priceless may have been in a secondary tag feud, or they could have been absorbed into a six-man tag match with Orton against Trips and say, Cryme Tyme.
It was chic to complain about the glass ceiling back in the late 90s/early 00s. Lord knows I did enough of it, and I still do have residual hatred against the guy perpetrating most of the holding down. That being said, if there's a glass ceiling today, it's out of necessity. For it to break and to have way more time devoted to getting midcard stars over, one of two things has to happen:
1 - A rash of injuries to main event stars happens
2 - Viable competition to the WWE emerges
I would never wish scenario one to happen because I don't like wishing harm on another human being. Scenario two, though, would be great. I know that people will rush and say "TNA!" in regards to competition, but I'm with Vince McMahon on this one. I don't think TNA is viable competition to the 'E at this point. Lord knows I want it to be, but their house is in disorder right now, and from what I'm reading on the Internet and what I'm hearing from TNA fans, they're trying to recreate 1998 all over again. The problem is that 1998 is long past and people by and large don't want to see Crash TV rehashed.
So, until TNA gets it right or another company comes on the scene and starts pulling numbers comparable to what the 'E gets, I don't think we're going to see a change in the formula any time soon. The one saving grace for the Christians, Kofi Kingstons and Ted DiBiases of the world though is that a couple of the guys listed above are close to retiring. Michaels, 'Taker and Kane have all sort of hinted that their end is near. Still, it would be nice to see a return to the days when a midcarder could hope for more than just competing at Money in the Bank at WrestleMania.
Banner by K. Sawyer Paul
