Who Is in Charge of the WWE Universe?

Monday night's fiasco, where John Laurinaitis seemingly hired Big Show to interfere in his match with John Cena in direct violation of the WWE board's mandate, has opened up the key question:

Who Is In Charge Of The WWE Universe?

There are plenty of options, but no one has satisfactorily filled the power vacuum created when the Mr. McMahon character left television. This weakness opens up the WWE to more inconsistencies and fundamental errors that cannot be hidden from scrutiny by the desperate explanation of a commentator.

Here are the current group of authority figures and the issues that currently inflict their roles.

WWE Board

Real Life Position

Unknown. Possibly the figurative representation of the Head Quarters in Stamford but more likely a literary device.

Kayfabe Position

The arbiter of all that is good for the WWE. Their interest revolves around what is best for the company, so there stance is always neutral.

Problem With Their Current Role

The WWE Board is a rather toothless organisation that may have ultimate power but has no way of enforcing their decisions. The faceless nature of the group also make them difficult to relate to which  further emphasises the random nature of their interventions.

Vince McMahon

Real Life Position

WWE Chairman and majority share holder of the WWE.

Vince is the husband of Linda McMahon and father of Stephanie.

Kayfabe Position

McMahon no longer holds an official position on WWE television after being relieved of his position as WWE chairman by Triple H in the summer of 2011.

Problem With His Current Role

There is nothing wrong with Vince McMahon retiring as an on-air performer; however, the loss of clarity caused by his departure is the reason for the current issues. A transition of power should have been more thoughtfully developed. 

Linda McMahon

Real Life Position

Linda McMahon cut official ties to the WWE in 2009. Before that, Linda was the CEO of the WWE.

She is Vince McMahon's real-life wife and mother to Stephanie McMahon Levesque.

Kayfabe Position

Before leaving the company, Linda played her real-life role as CEO on television.

Problem With Her Current Role

Few people worried about Linda's departure in 2009 but her presence as the voice of reason was invaluable. In many respects, Linda was the face of the now faceless WWE Board. No longer associated with the company, Linda can no longer fulfill this role.

Stephanie McMahon Levesque

Real Life Position

Executive Vice President of WWE Creative.

Stephanie is the daughter of Vince and Linda McMahon and her husband is Triple H.

Kayfabe Position

Stephanie has an undefined role as a general authority figure.

She can over-rule decisions, but on what grounds has yet to be declared.

Problem With Her Current Role

Stephanie should have been the figure who filled the void left by Vince and Linda McMahon's departure, however her absence from television has been necessitated by family commitments.

Stephanie's position would be strengthened if her on-screen role had more definition as many WWE fans wonder exactly how much power she wields. This leaves her in no man's land when she appears on WWE programming as the audience is undecided on how they should react. 

Triple H

Real Life Position

Executive Vice President Of Talent and Live Events and part time performer.

Triple H is married to Stephanie McMahon Levesque.

Kayfabe Position

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE

Problem With His Current Role

Triple H had the opportunity to establish himself as the new higher authority figure when he replaced Vince McMahon in the summer of 2011. However, a combination of bad booking and Triple H's desire to remain an active in-ring competitor meant this his power was undermined from the very beginning.

This has left Triple H in a difficult position where he outranks the General Manager but cannot be used to convey authority as this has become the clichéd way to start "The Game's" next feud

John Laurinaitis

Real Life Position

Executive Vice President and most senior member of the WWE who is not related or married to a McMahon

Kayfabe Position

Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the General Manager of both Raw and Smackdown.

Problem With His Current Role

Laurinaitis is the most powerful political figure currently on WWE television and the most developed character with authority. He needs to change the least about his character, as the evil dictator is slowly starting to draw ratings.

However, the lack of structure has allowed the John Laurinaitis character to do more than his position should allow which, combined with continuity errors, has led to the questions about who exactly is in charge of the WWE Universe.  

Assorted Legal Advisors

Real Life Position

Hired talent paid to perform on WWE television

Kayfabe Position

Legal advisors are used to undermine authority figures so that their clients (other wrestlers) can get an advantage.

Problem With Their Current Role

Undermining an institution that is already on shaky grounds just exposes the flaws further.

This does not mean that this role does not have great potential to add something to television, but the effect would be far better if there were clear causes and effects from their actions.

WWE and World Heavyweight Champion

Real Life Position

Hired talent paid to perform on WWE television

Kayfabe Position

The two wrestlers who are considered the best in their brand. This role has traditionally come with extra powers such having an influence on match-making.

Problem With Their Current Role

Taking out the current issues with the brand split collapsing which has created two champions where only one is needed, the biggest issue is that their power seems to change wildly week on week.

Sometimes a champion can issue a match for their opponent, yet the next week the champion will have no control over his or her destiny at all. This is most notable when there is one heel and one face champion. Often the heel seems to have inherited a great deal of power while the face becomes powerless.

This means that WWE fans cannot rely on the champion as a point of control. 

Conclusion

The WWE needs to implement a power structure and give certain people a definable role in that arrangement. These positions should be given responsibilities that all fans can recognise and those powers need to be applied consistently.

Too many roles in the company are undefined or confused which has lead to apathy. Restoration of boundaries will help make the overall WWE experience better.

A power structure would also establish a framework for what is considered good and bad. Morality in wrestling is already a rather difficult notion to understand (at times), so the lack of a binding agreement explaining what is acceptable and what is not only heightens the issue.

Fundamental rules and structure will also emphasize the times when something irregular is happening. Right now, John Laurinaitis may be taking over, but the effect is diminished by the fact that no one is really being replaced by his power grabbing.

What may have been a simple clerical error in John Lauriniatis' script has really emphasised that the WWE does not have one person or group who are in control of the WWE Universe, and that is something that needs to be rectified.