The WWE Must Concentrate On Character Building Over Wrestling

The WWE's recent injection of new talent and the rise of several midcard warriors has been long overdue. However, these wrestlers are not going to stand the test of time without copious amounts of television time dedicated to their characters.

Time restrictions would necessitate the need for less wrestling on Raw and SmackDown, but the long-term benefits of creating well-rounded individuals that the crowd are passionate about would greatly outweigh the short-term negative of less in-ring action.

Many of these wrestlers are already skilled in-ring competitors with many years of experience, but their one-dimensional characters are being ignored, or chastised, by the WWE's unforgiving crowd. Additionally, the plastic nature of their characters has been unfairly illuminated against the backdrop of returning legends on an almost weekly basis.

These wrestlers have not been able to add character into their matches or feuds, either, as they struggle against WWE's creative decisions.

Dissatisfaction at the amount of squash matches featuring new talents like Ryback, Tensai and Brodus Clay has been rife for several weeks. The negative reaction towards Lord Tensai has even seen his character start to change.

Many of the midcard wrestlers have been given short runs, which has peaked the audience's interest, only to see the rug pulled out from beneath the wrestlers' feet as the next talent is pushed on the former's success. The lack of concrete character development behind the push means that the initial wrestler falls back into midcard obscurity.    

Even independent wrestling favourites such as Damien Sandow and Antonio Cesaro are in line for some type of backlash without more development than they are currently receiving. Their skills may excite wrestling purists, but short and—for the most part, incidental—backstage skits will not entice the part of the WWE universe that values character and emotional investment.

Luckily for the WWE, this is a great time for extended periods of backstage action.

John Laurinaitis' rise to power happened via backstage politics that has been mostly unseen by the audience. But now, with Laurinaitis secured in his role, is the time to reveal all.

This would allow new talent and mid-level guys alike to show their true colours and see who is affiliated with who. These connections are not only important now but for the future, creating a framework of alliances and hatreds that could establish great rivalries for many years to come.  

Even the timing works brilliantly for the WWE.

No Way Out is a relatively minor pay-per-view with three headline matches that need little advertising. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan will put on a good enough show on their own to please purists, while the younger fans have matches involving both John Cena and Sheamus. This leads into Money In The Bank, which is a pay-per-view set up to bring talent up the roster.

This gives the WWE six clear weeks to run a heavy promo-orientated product without damaging sales or interest too much—a situation that will not occur again until after WrestleMania next year.

Some may argue that this need for character development is the reason why Raw is moving to a three-hour show. However, the additional time will only emphasise the lack of defined characters. This heightens the WWE's need to develop its superstars now rather than later.

Of course, this view will be unpopular in some areas. The WWE has been criticised for having too little action on several occasions, and fans do choose to follow wrestling over a soap opera due to the physical nature of the show.

However, character development can be seen in backstage brawls and cynical underhanded attacks as much as in 10-minute promos. A general mix of these different elements would soften the blow of not having the in-ring minutes that many would expect.  

The key to this strategy is that this development needs to happen now, but only for the short term.

A fully committed period of time where gimmicks become people who have loves and hates, friends and enemies, hopes and desires. A period that sets out the foundation on which to base the future.