Would The WWE Prosper With More Statistics?

Statistics and sports are irrefutably linked.

Every action that an athlete undertakes is recorded and analyzed so their performance can be turned into a series of complex numbers. These stats can then be compared to every other athlete in the same sport, which produces a list that separates the best from the worst.

These figures affect everything from a player's training to how much they are worth on the transfer market, so they are critical throughout an athletes career. Statistics even play a big part in a player's retirement, as the numbers put up in their career decide whether they are worthy of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Even fans who are not interested in the infinite amount of information available rely on statistics to tell them where their team is on the table or how good the opposing teams have been.

This makes the WWE's lack of statistics stand out like a sore thumb.

WWE's Current Statistics

Statistics are manipulated like anything else in the predetermined world of professional wrestling, but this does not stop numbers from being a useful aid in promoting talent and defining greatness.

At the moment there are only three significant statistics. Astonishingly, two of these stats manage to conflict, because "number of title reigns" and "length of title reign" directly affect one another. The WWE has never clarified which number should be most highly thought of.

Logic might deduce that a longer title reign is better than several short ones, but the WWE tends to use number of reigns when illustrating a wrestlers success. This confusion takes away from the impact of the stat, especially when several superstars hold multiple reigns in the modern era.

The third statistic of note is the Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania, which is unique not only to one wrestler but as an idea which has not been exploited again. It is a statistic that illustrates one man's greatness but does little else to help the WWE.

This means WWE superstars have no quantifiable evidence that backs up their position in the company. They have no win and loss records to show the world that they deserve their shot for a title, nor the ability to show they are better at one particular type of match which could make them stand out in a crowd.

The only other statistic that is regularly available comes from WWE.com's "Power 25 list." This list doesn't define what a superstar needs to do to get on the list, or what makes one wrestler better than another (other than a short kayfabe sentence). The one positive is that the list shows who the WWE currently believes is riding high in the company.

A few simple changes like recording win and loss records and establishing a contenders list for the titles would quickly resolve this situation. 

Advantages Of Adding More Statistics

Once statistics were enabled in the WWE, the advantages would come quickly.

The biggest advantage would be establishing credible contenders and dominant champions. The WWE would still be manipulating the results as normal, but statistics give the writers a guide to how much someone needs pushing and who they need to beat to look strong.

No longer would squash matches against nobodies hold any power, as these wins would barely register against wrestlers fighting ranked opponents. WWE creative would need to create complex scenarios that saw key fighters win and lose against different opponents, allowing them to move in and out of title contention as and when they were needed.

Champions would beat the best so the prestige of the title belts would increase, but this does not necessarily have to lead to the superhero characters that currently prevail. A character who is known for consistently winning on the big stage is far more interesting than one who is undefeatable.

Other knock-on effects include a change in perception towards some WWE events. Both the Royal Rumble and Money In The Bank would take on more significance, as a win there would effectively jump a superstar up the rankings without the hard graft.

Specialist matches could be introduced in circumstances where a champion needs a new challenge and there is no clear No. 1 contender. This opens up the possibility of wrestlers being known for particular gimmick matches. Two advantages immediately identify themselves as the specialist wrestler will have a way to connect with the fans and the champion would gain kudos if he can defeat the specialist at his own game.  

Further advantages will be seen in the mid-card who will be given a visible incentive to winning. This would be a significant change from now as feuds do not really come to a climax, instead wrestlers just move on to other feuds.

A clear chart where the contenders are clearly ranked would motivate and clearly define what the winner would get if they come out on top so the audience would finally see some feuds conclude.

Disadvantages Of Adding More Statistics

The addition of statistics would also have a negative effect on the product as creativity could be limited by the rigidity of numbers and spontaneity would become rarer.  

Right now, without restrictive statistics to get in the way, anyone can be thrust into the title hunt. The WWE would find it harder to place a returning star, like Chris Jericho, straight into the title picture as there will be contenders in the way.

There are potential ways around this problem, such as the newcomer taking out the number one contender and laying claim to the spot or someone who was very successful in a previous run insisting that there former record should be placed in the ranking so jumping to number one is a little easier, but this is still more complex than the current system.

Another issue comes from the current inconsistency in storytelling that has plagued the WWE. Problems that can be swept under the carpet by a mixture of posturing and clever media devices will be far more problematic when stats are involved as these incidents will show up far more clearly.

Possibly the biggest issue is that the WWE is not a pure sport.

Manipulating statistics may be frowned upon but isn't really an issue, but long-term they will represent the best in the company anyway.

The people who may suffer are the fans who watch WWE for the stories and they may be turned off the sport by such a distinct moves away from the soap opera atmosphere. Careful writing and development could see the stats improve feuds for these viewers but that cannot be guaranteed after the WWE's recent run of mishaps.

Conclusion

Statistics would improve clarity in the WWE. The framework that hard facts produce could create a world where the writers flourish as their imaginations would be restrained within the parameters that have come before. Fans and wrestlers would also know where they stand within the WWE which is something that would please everyone.

On the other hand, this would be a revolutionary move for the WWE and may put some fans off. The structure that statistics provide would limit certain creative aspects and reduce the likelihood of compete shocks. The situation may even add more glass ceilings if too many wrestlers who are booked like superheroes.

Preference to whether statistics should be added to the WWE is a very personal choice, each person's view being coloured by their favoured aspects of the sport.

The best solution for the WWE would be to add some statistics when the situation benefits from them and to make the Power 25 more relevant. These small glimpses would be enough to really help the WWE as the company moves forward while not overloading fans with unnecessary information.