WWE Playing a Dangerous Game with Reported Interest in More White Rabbit-Type Angles

One of the most captivating things in pro wrestling right now is the White Rabbit saga.

For those out of the loop, it has been an innovative, viral campaign that weaves in and out of WWE programming while allowing fans to participate. The endgame is some massive reveal of a returning Superstar, whether it's Bray Wyatt or something else entirely.

It's an uncommon thing for WWE to do, implementing hints before shows on social media, hidden QR codes during segments that lead to minigames for fans to play and just straight-up giving fans a major reason to watch every show—if not every second of every show.

To top it all off, it has been a sign of a new era for a WWE that underwent the dramatic creative change of Triple H taking up Vince McMahon's role.

So naturally, it makes sense WWE wants to lean heavily into this sort of thing well beyond the White Rabbit saga.

According to Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Triple H "told people in the financial community that part of WWE’s new creative approach is dropping ‘Easter eggs’ that appeal to hardcores.”

That's a no-brainer of an idea to keep fans engaged and give them more reasons to watch shows.

But it's not without major, major risk.

While the strategy is downright brilliant, WWE has to avoid stepping on any major mines along the way because doing so will have irreversible ramifications.

Just look at the White Rabbit saga. All signs appear to point to Wyatt's major return, be it alongside The Fiend, solo or with some other new creations to bring a supernatural element back to WWE.

But imagine if it's not Wyatt. What if all this was simply an extended buildup to something fans aren't clamoring for?

Even something much bigger, like White Rabbit actually being some sort of build for a returning Cody Rhodes, would fall flat. And it wouldn't do just that: It would discourage fans from getting too hyped and actually participating in the next format-versatile build.

To a lesser extent, this goes beyond the end result of the reveal, too. If White Rabbit is Wyatt, just how long can WWE string this along and see fans remain as invested as at its peak? What's the expiration date on something like this before fans just lose interest in the current one and shy away from the next?

On paper, almost anything beats the way old WWE used to do things. The company made no qualms about spoiling what could be major surprises for the sake of boosting ratings for a single show or pay-per-view. Given this new approach, it's a safe bet the company will see those same rating bumps, anyway.

But to the old way's credit, there wasn't a ton of risk. If fans saw a promo that spoiled the return of Brock Lesnar or John Cena, they were bound to tune in and watch if interested.

This new way's approach is much riskier but always plenty more rewarding. Looping in social media platforms and technology, potentially even not during a broadcast, is a way to better relate with younger fans. That's by far the most important viewing block to capture right now, especially with the pressure applied by All Elite Wrestling, so the risk certainly seems worth the reward.

Like anything in pro wrestling, it's all about the execution. In the past, WWE has taken a good thing and run it into the ground. This might have more legs to avoid such a scenario if each path to a reveal is unique and that reveal isn't a letdown.

Tricky, but not impossible. And because of this, there's more weight than it seems on the White Rabbit outcome and whether it receives proper pacing and the anticipated Bray Wyatt endgame.

Anything less could do more harm than good for those involved and future attempts at this refreshing new approach.