With the premiere episode ofMonday Night Rawbehind us,WWEis ready to push full speed into the Netflix Era.WWE released a promotional trailer package forRawthat featured the history of WWE and professional wrestling, but also saw Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque using “inside” wrestling vernacular like “shoot”, “work”, and “heel.” The Internet reaction was polarized by the usage of these words, as those inside the industry generally shun the use of the terms outside the bubble.
By allowing the fans to co-opt the existing verbiage, Triple H took this opportunity to not only pull back the curtain on some of the inner workings of the professional wrestling business, butto reset the paradigm and prevailing narrative as to what WWEis. In an exciting new era defined by deep storytelling and enhanced visual presentation, Triple H is using his creative authority to chart a new course for the WWE Universe.
Triple H Made a Creative Decision to Use Insider Terms Publicly
Levesque Sees The Use, And The Response, As A Win
During the post-show press conference, Levesque responded to some of the internet critiques and criticisms regarding his use of “inside terms” in professional wrestling. Words like “shoot”, “heel”, and “work” have long been the accepted nomenclature for wrestling and were unofficially co-opted by wrestling fans, reporters, and writers. Levesque saw this as an opportunity toshow the audience that WWE no longer shies away from who they are.
“The reaction seems like we did a good job with it. That was the intent, to capture the emotion and let people know we’re not hiding what we do. I saw a lot of chatter today from people saying, ‘Oh my God, they said heel and face and shoot and work in one promo.’ We’re not hiding what we do. That’s what we do."
Levesque has made significant changes to the previous creative approach in WWE, after taking over from Vince McMahon in July 2022. Levesque started forcefully with some changes, including the re-signings and returns of Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, and the late Bray Wyatt. Some changes were incremental, including the transitions of Max Dupri and the Viking Raiders back to their NXT presentations of LA Knight and the War Raiders, respectively.
Levesque has also leaned into the “realism” approach, allowing the product and storyline to appear more realistic as opposed to some of the more gimmicky approaches of the McMahon timeline. It should come as no surprise that, when the $5 billion Netflix deal was announced, which included the transition ofMonday Night Rawoff linear broadcast for the first time in its 30-year existence, Levesque had, and took, another opportunity tore-brand and repackage the existing WWE Universe presentation.
Triple H Wants Everyone To Understand What WWE Really Is
Levesque Sees Wrestling as an Art Form
Levesque explained that most, if not all, wrestling fans are aware of the insider jargon, and that the uses and meanings have evolved from just being inside the wrestling bubble. He feels that, for the fans,it’s important not to take this business too seriously, because WWE itself doesn’t.
To be honest, I think most of the world understands those terms and they’ve almost transcended our business. It’s transcended our business. It’s what it is; people know what we are. We talk about it. We’re not insulting anybody’s intelligence. We’re an art form. Absolutely an art form that captures people’s emotions. We don’t take ourselves as seriously as most other people take us. It was all part of trying to capture that and say, ‘If you’ve watched, watch this and hopefully we honor what you love. If you’ve never watched this, watch this, we’ll explain to you what we are.’ That was the attempt."
The promotional video, filled with callbacks and appearances from WWE Legends and Hall of Famers likeAndre The Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, to current WWE Superstars like Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and Bianca Belair, is equal parts a love letter to the WWE Universe and a “Welcome to the Show” primer for viewers who may be tuning in for the very first time. With Levesque’s “art form” approach now integrated with his existing creative movements, Levesque feels they hit the target with the audience’s perception, and reaction, to the video.
The Netflix Era Has Begun, So What’s Next?
WWE is just around the corner from its first “Big Four” premium live event, andits official start of WrestleMania Season, the Royal Rumble, which takes place on February 1stin Indianapolis, IN. With the Netflix Era upon us, Levesque may use this opportunity to re-shift and reshape what “The Road to WrestleMania” may look like. Levesque has, for better or worse, taken creative gambles with his authority, and can utilize WWE’s new visibility to build and create larger narratives or build on impressive current feuds likeCM Punk and Seth Rollins.
Rawon Netflix started with a bang, setting the tone and tenor with a new approach to the WWE Universe for longtime and new fans. The new creative choices and revolutionary approach to the presentation of the product, if utilized and presented correctly, can only bring more success to a company that continues to fire on all cylinders.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a global entertainment company primarily known for professional wrestling. Founded in 1953, it produces live events, television programs, and streaming content. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, WWE operates multiple brands, including Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.
