Storylines WWE Could Use If the Company Acknowledged Win-Loss Records

As much as WWE is entertainment and its own unique brand of theater, it's at heart a sport as well, and drawing from that by keeping track of win-loss records would make the product far more interesting.

Tracking and using wins and losses would create a number of compelling stories, offer stars goals to strive for other than titles and diversify WWE's programming.

Fans of fantasy football and baseball already know the fun of stats and records. WWE doesn't need to get as stat-heavy as those things, but using win-loss records would create narratives that would make matches more exciting.

These stories would require some forethought and planning, but the expansion of options as well as the added excitement would be worth it.

WWE has teased us with how powerful wins and losses can be by making the battle to end Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania one of the biggest matches of the year. The company can go further, though, and draw on the excitement that sports gain from their use of numbers.

Chase for the Year's Leader in Wins

In 1978, George Gervin and David Thompson battled for the NBA scoring title down to the last game of the season. Gervin had to score 63 points in that game to edge out Thompson.

The excitement of that duel could easily be transferred to the WWE world.

As the year closes, two Superstars are the clear leader in wins for the year, but just a win or two separates them from each other. Jack Swagger and Daniel Bryan, for example, could be engaged in a rivalry without even fighting each other for much of it.

On one WWE Raw, Swagger defeats Christian. To keep pace with him, Bryan defeats Mark Henry that night.

A story of one-upmanship could lead to Bryan and Swagger taking on multiple challengers on a single night; to begging authority figures to be put in matches; and eventually, if they are both tied, to them facing each other in the final match of the year.

Without a championship on the line, this Swagger vs. Bryan match would be must-watch TV.

Preventing a Superstar from Breaking a Record

Imagine if Mark McGwire could have tackled Barry Bonds just as he was about to break his single-season home run record. What if the 1972 Miami Dolphins could take on the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl as they were closing in on matching their undefeated season?

That's the kind of story WWE could tell by using win-loss records.

Tally up all the stats for WWE's history and then make those records known. If fans are aware that Shawn Michaels, for example, is the all-time leader in wins, watching John Cena approach that record would be a dramatic moment.

Just when Cena is one win away from tying Michaels' record, the Heartbreak Kid could come out and superkick him during a match.

If the record for most wins in a year is being threatened, perhaps it comes down to a final match between the old record holder and the Superstar on course to break it.

In that scenario, if Randy Orton is closing in on Big Show's record, their battle to determine the record holder would be far more important that it normally is. 

Breaking out of a Slump Against an Individual

A way to further bad blood between two stars is for WWE to play up how many wins one guy has over another. Sheamus has seemingly beaten Wade Barrett a hundred times in the past year.

Even as Barrett earns a number of victories or titles, the announcers could play up that Sheamus just has his number. Perhaps it's a reason for Barrett to seek Sheamus out, or it's a way to make a Sheamus vs. Barrett world title match seem like more of an underdog story.

During WrestleMania 25, the announcers did that to a degree in the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match. They talked about how often Michaels had defeated Undertaker and wondered if the big man could finally beat him.

It can be a story of a man finally overcoming his greatest adversary, or a tale of the kryptonite that continually brings down an individual.

A Streak of Joe DiMaggio Proportions

Every time an MLB player strings together a solid number of games with consecutive hits, fans' minds turn to Joe DiMaggio. In 1941, the Yankees center fielder hit safely in 56 straight games. It's a feat that no one has come all that close to since Pete Rose in 1978.

Once the record for consecutive wins in WWE is established, the company can have a Superstar approach it and create interest along the way.

WWE has already told this story in various forms, with CM Punk holding the WWE title for 434 days and Undertaker going 21-0 at WrestleMania, but the company could go further. It could also be used as a way to stimulate interest in between some of the bigger pay-per-views.

Having a Superstar like Alberto Del Rio make a run at the record would add drama to his matches and give him a tangible goal other than a championship.

One doesn't have to break the record to tell a great story. Should Del Rio make it just one win short, it's just as engaging as having him tie, break or extend the record.

Winning to Stave off Release

One of the most compelling stories in any medium is watching someone struggle for survival.

Currently a Zack Ryder loss means very little. Imagine that at a certain point in the year, Vickie Guerrero tells Ryder that if he doesn't get at least 10 wins in the year, he's going to lose his WWE contract.

Suddenly, every squash match he is on the wrong side of would be far more meaningful. Ryder's matches would become showcases of desperation. What if it's already October and he only has three wins?

Every match from then on, whether it's on WWE Superstars or a pay-per-view, regardless of his opponent, would become an enthralling scenario. As the year closes, even Ryder vs. Yoshi Tatsu would have significance and intrigue.