Man on Fire: The WWE Becomes The WTF?

I've come to accept that the Attitude Era is over.

These days, I see that half the roster of wrestlers that I remember are gone. Many of the ones that are left aren't spring chickens anymore and the younger ones just aren't as controversial and now, the ones with whom I'd grown up have their kids wrestling these days.

But I have to ask Vince McMahon one thing. Is this the WWE or the WTF?

I mean, seriously, what the fuck? Am I going to have to watch football for some entertainment value?

Here's why I'm burning...the total shit writing. I know it's scripted. I don't mind that but look, what happened to the controlled chaos that even made me believe at one point that maybe the WWE had something different than just what I saw in the '80s. Reducing DX to a couple of pitchmen and a midget was pathetic. Now, even the bad guys have a long list of accolades that used to make up the heroes. What? Really? Are you serious?

So actually having standards is a bad thing? Is this really what you're trying to convey to fans?

Case in point: CM Punk and The Straight Edge Society.

Give me a break, Vince. Even YOU should have spotted this writing SNAFU. CM Punk, a man who doesn't smoke, doesn't drink and doesn't do drugs. Where's the problem? Well there is the overbearing nature of his character along with the newly-found god complex. Vince, you obviously have missed something very important...the fact that people that drink, smoke and do drugs will now do them twice as much and twice as blatantly. I've even given consideration to smoking again when he went on his tirades. Is this where you're going with it? If so, congratulations, you now have tobacco companies in your back pocket.

Case in point II: The All American American Jack Swagger.

Jack Swagger has a list of accolades far too long for me to list, though he'll be more than happy to list them for you ad nauseum.

Vince, seriously...why is this guy supposedly a villain? Whose decision was this one? The guy's a former Eagle Scout for fuck's sake! As proud as Jack is of all of his accomplishments, they earn him not one modicum of respect from the crowd? Come on, get real.

Vince, it's jacked up that I'm listening to the same "You Deserved To Be Screwed" and "Your Father Would Be Ashamed of You" bullshit directed at Bret "The United States Champion" Hart but what is more jacked up is that your lack of attention to what attracted fans to the WWE. I started watching because there was going to be Chaos and Disorder in the ring. I wouldn't know what to expect. I tuned in because I wanted to know, just what the hell was going to happen next. By then, WCW Monday Nitro had become predictable. It was how WWE won the Monday Night Wars even though they were way behind.

What's happened since the competition was gone? Well, we only have the archives to which to turn. Even Misty who has only been a fan for the past few months can predict what's going to happen. She's seen what it was like when Stone Cold Steve Austin was the face of the WWE and even though she missed The Attitude Era, she found herself wishing it would return.

Vince, get on the ball and waste no time, you have a product that is seriously devaluing and quickly. I've been seriously getting ready to bail for TNA on Monday nights.