How Badly Does WWE Mic the Crowd?

Why didn't Dunne's reaction come off as the BIGGEST EVER on TV? Blame Dunn
Photo Credit: WWE.com

RAW was not aired live last night, obviously, as it aired from Manchester, UK. With the six hour time difference, it'd be hard to put on a live broadcast from across the pond for Americans here (something to think about when clamoring for a UK pay-per-view), but the unintended consequence for giving British fans the experience of the primary telecast is that spoilers leak for fans over here. Anyone trolling the NEWZ sites knew going in that Pete Dunne would make his main roster debut in a match against Enzo Amore. Those sites reported that Dunne got the loudest pop of the night, perhaps the loudest pop they'd ever heard. It makes sense, to be honest. Dunne is the ace of that British Indie scene, and him appearing on RAW was both thrilling and wholly unexpected.

Yet when he came out, the reaction seemed muted on television. It's not the first time a big-time appearance seemed to have a flat reaction on the telecast, and it definitely won't be the last. It's bad in every case, but for someone like Dunne, whom the commentary made a huge fawning deal over and whom WWE has placed as the centerpiece of its UK brand so to speak, it's disappointing to hear an underwhelming pop on the broadcast at home, and it's not something that is his fault at all.

Kevin Dunn gets a lot of hate for his supposed political machinations, a lot of which are based on hearsay. While it's easy to place hate on a Vince McMahon crony, I still feel a bit uneasy heaping scorn on a dude based on the accusations from Jim Cornette. Besides, the real reason to hate on Great Value Brand Peter Pettigrew is that he's bad at his job. Whether it be the policy of camera cuts that require a Ritalin prescription, routinely missing the best angle on essential spots in a match, production flubs (like having Kurt Angle come out to Dunne's music before introducing him), or generally anything related to WWE's live production, Dunn is the paragon for cronyism actively detrimenting the show over merit.

So when the disparity between live show and broadcast occurs, it's clear that it's another reason why Dunn can't handle the live broadcast. And if WWE fucked up levels on Dunne's debut, how many other superstars' reactions are unnecessarily muted at home? Sasha Banks? Asuka? Even Braun Strowman, whose return pop last week felt quieter than someone of his stature? Whose reactions are legitimate, and whose aren't as loud because one of Dunn's grunts has the live mic somewhere next to the video board above the ring instead of over the crowd?

The really baffling thing is that WWE's production team routinely turns in tremendous work on recaps and promo segments. The camera work and the aesthetic on those Asuka stingers alone have done wonders creating mystique around her for people who've never seen her in NXT and transferring it for those who have. The thing is I don't know if her crowd reactions are valid or not; they certainly have reason to be since she could be unfairly seen as a scapegoat for Emma's firing, but that's getting too much in the realm of speculation. The point is though, Dunne at least got done dirty by poor crowd amplification. That should never happen for the company with the biggest production budget and the most reach worldwide. Ever.