{"id":206209,"date":"2025-10-20T11:31:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T16:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=206209"},"modified":"2025-10-20T11:31:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T16:31:21","slug":"paul-levesque-has-dropped-the-ball-on-these-five-key-elements-of-booking-this-year-better-than-vince-mcmahon-isnt-an-automatic-pass-top-five-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/10\/20\/paul-levesque-has-dropped-the-ball-on-these-five-key-elements-of-booking-this-year-better-than-vince-mcmahon-isnt-an-automatic-pass-top-five-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Levesque has dropped the ball on these five key elements of booking this year &#8211; better than Vince McMahon isn&#8217;t an automatic pass &#8211; TOP FIVE LIST"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3981589869\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>For the most part, I\u2019ve really enjoyed a post-Vince McMahon WWE. Most of the things I dislike about the current product have been faults of TKO. The constant brand-integration sponsorships, rising prices to attend a live event, and having to have access to six different platforms to watch WWE are at the top of my list. While not perfect, WWE&#8217;s Creative has been better than what we were getting from WWE in the last decade of Vince McMahon. Better is not an automatic pass, though.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Levesque will never be a perfect booker, nor should he be expected to be. Look at any era and there are stories that didn\u2019t work. The same shows with The Undertaker\u2019s debut had the Gobbledy Gooker, and while Steven Austin and the Rock were on top of the world, Mae Young was delivering Mark Henry\u2019s baby hand. Any writer will tell you that not everything is a hit. I know that different ideas in my head will play differently when put out into art for others to appreciate.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve had great moves like Cody\u2019s story, the introduction of mid-card women\u2019s titles, and the rise of brilliant talents such as Dominik Mysterio. We\u2019ve also had some misfires that were more than simple undercard angles that were dropped.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Tag Teams (or Making Every Title Matter)<\/h3>\n<p>If you watch Smackdown in a vacuum, they have a really good tag team division. There\u2019s even a team in Charlotte Flair &amp; Alexa Bliss that are a pretty fan act as champions right now. But there\u2019s a lacking of depth in the company when it comes to tag team wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>Raw has been the worst offender, as Finn Balor &amp; J.D. McDonough have only defended their titles once on television before the match with A.J. Styles &amp; Dragon Lee &#8211; two guys who have been feuding with another guy in their stable, showing there are no actual tag teams that are taken seriously on Raw as contenders right now. With a roster with more members on it than ever before, there have to be more green guys who can learn in teams or established stars without storylines, like with Styles &amp; Lee.<\/p>\n<p>With the women, it will be the same 3-4 teams, not leaving enough teams to have personal grudges as established teams. Makeshift teams end up being the majority of the women\u2019s tag roster. We need the male equivalents to the Road Warriors, Dudleys, and FTR who make tag wrestling their established division to work within.<\/p>\n<p>As stacked as the Smackdown tag roster is, you do have to watch Smackdown to catch the matches. With USA not having streaming abilities outside of a cable package, this leaves many people without access to Smackdown. While personally loving tag team wrestling, and one that has watched the majority of WWE PLEs, I miss watching tag title matches on the big cards. The biggest moments are saved for these PLEs, and their tag team champions aren\u2019t priority to get those moments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Wyatt Sicks<\/h3>\n<p>While on the topic of tag team champions, The Wyatt family not being a major part of your October PLE makes no sense to me. People adored Bray. We miss him and want to celebrate and honor his work that was left. After a stellar debut, it quickly became just another faction. There were injuries, but instead of using the healthy members, they\u2019re removed from television until all were healthy. There\u2019s a Universal Studios exhibit, and they\u2019re tag team champions, but we missed a lot in between, and now fans have less invested in the group than we should.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4247737814\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wwe-smackdown-post-show-10-17-keller-adams-react-to-jacob-fatu-write-off-angle-dragunov-s-surprise-classic-u-s-title-win--68190672\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN POST-SHOW (10\/17) - Keller &amp; Adams react to Jacob Fatu write-off angle, Dragunov's surprise classic U.S. Title win\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=68190672&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Karion Kross<\/h3>\n<p>I remember when Claudio Castignoli was in WWE as Cesaro and how everyone he worked with seemed to have great things about him, fans were strongly behind him, and even &#8220;Stone Cold&#8221; Steve Austin was pushing for Cesaro to get pushed to the top of the card on a live podcast to Vince McMahon. Alas, that glass ceiling withstood, and there was no shattering it by proving yourself if the right person who made the decisions didn\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n<p>Kross was a viral sensation and top merch seller, while being at the bottom of the mid-card. He was getting ovations in multiple cities that didn\u2019t match his presentation. The fans liked him. I guess the new WWE offices have those glass ceilings too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Ron \u201cThe Truth\u201d Killings<\/h3>\n<p>The man cut the Promo of the Year after returning from being released from his contract. Interrupting the broadcast, taking over the show, and ending that monologue by cutting the braids from his hair he\u2019d been known from for decades\u2026 and nothing.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s now the same R-Truth comedy character he was before. I was ready for a matured version of his TNA run. I wanted to hear from the man who was always held back. Especially when the fans &#8211; and fellow wrestlers who disagreed with the decision &#8211; were very vocal in their support. It was his chance to visit the main event in the twilight of his wrestling career, but now\u2019s he\u2019s another missed opportunity.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Cena Heel Turn<\/h3>\n<p>We all wanted to see it. We got it and the wrestling world was on fire. Crossover attention on memes, fan reaction videos creating internet traffic, and the venture fandom wanting to hear that first promo afterwards. Then he came out in jorts and a retirement T-shirt that celebrated his career as brightly as a cereal box.<\/p>\n<p>When Eric Bischoff recalls working with Hulk Hogan, he remembers how, no matter how good an idea was, that Hulk Hogan would always ask, \u201cWhat happens next?\u201d Hogan knew that no matter how big the moment could be, there was a show to do next week and a new PPV to start building towards. WWE has attempted to build too many shows around \u201cmoments\u201d without there being a payoff or a move to something bigger.<\/p>\n<p>In any narrative, you need a reason for a character to change their motivation, and it needs to be plotted out, as a shocking moment should be a stepping stone, not the ultimate moment itself. TV dramas have shown how this can go down for years. Kill off a character in order to alter the relationships of the characters for a storyline payoff, or a ratings ploy that left them in a hole they couldn\u2019t get out of. The Cena turn ended up being the latter.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-908514008\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><em>(Griffin is a lifelong fan of wrestling, superheroes, and rebellious music of all forms. He is the owner of Nerdstalgia, and you can shop online, learn about visiting the store in Colorado Springs, or catch him at a comic con in the Rocky Mountain area by going to <a href=\"http:\/\/nerdstalgia.shop\">http:\/\/nerdstalgia.shop<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (10\/17) - WWE Smackdown w\/Keller &amp; Adams\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/npIdBxrYzgQ?start=4&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2273741834\"><div id=\"pwtor-1092330035\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>For the most part, I\u2019ve really enjoyed a post-Vince McMahon WWE. Most of the things I dislike about the current product have been faults of TKO. The constant brand-integration sponsorships, rising prices to attend a <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/10\/20\/paul-levesque-has-dropped-the-ball-on-these-five-key-elements-of-booking-this-year-better-than-vince-mcmahon-isnt-an-automatic-pass-top-five-list\/\" title=\"Paul Levesque has dropped the ball on these five key elements of booking this year &#8211; better than Vince McMahon isn&#8217;t an automatic pass &#8211; TOP FIVE LIST\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":194145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,27,4488],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists","category-top-five-lists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-07-at-11.23.14\u202fAM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206210,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206209\/revisions\/206210"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}