Rehashed McMahon Family Storylines Are Holding Back Main Event Talent

What is holding back main event talent in WWE currently? Answer: These rehashed McMahon family angles.

As revealed on Raw this week, Paul "Triple H" Levesque will be the guest referee in the heavily-hyped Daniel Bryan/John Cena match at SummerSlam.

Considering Bryan/Cena is already a red-hot feud, you have to wonder why Triple H bothered inserting himself into it. It makes no real sense, does it? He’s not needed at all. If anything, it takes away from the title chase and the increasingly volatile personal issues between the pair. 

Basically, it can mean only one thing. Yes, McMahonmania is running wild once again. The family has now got to be the focal point of virtually everything that goes on in WWE.

And this is very bad news for up and coming wrestlers in the company.

Vince McMahon, Stephanie and Triple H have already been all over television recently building up the recent “power struggle” angle.

Per the storyline, Vince is outraged over recent events: Bryan being a top title contender and Vickie Guerrero being dismissed as Raw General Manger being his main gripes. This has brought him into conflict with Triple H, who wishes his aging father-in-law would step back from the business to go play golf or something.

And poor Stephanie has found herself caught in-between her husband and her father and attempting to play peacemaker.

It’s all very Days of Our Lives, isn’t it? 

What’s more, this storyline shows no sign of slowing down and it appears to be Raw’s main angle going forward.

Indeed, recent reports (from F4Wonline via WrestlingInc) indicate that the Vince/Triple H/Stephanie saga will likely culminate in a top match at WrestleMania XXX next year between Triple H and a Vince-appointed wrestler. A “Winner gets the company” stipulation seems likely.

While this McMahon storyline will fill time and maybe even pop a big rating or two (PWTorch mentions the trio’s job evaluation of Vickie back in June did a very good number), overall it’s bad news for the product.

First of all, it has to be said that Triple H and Stephanie are pretty wretched dramatic actors. Stephanie, in particular, often comes off like someone out of Troll 2 or The Room (Why do they script this woman to cry on a regular basis?).

Vince himself isn’t too bad, but is clearly phoning it in. He seems almost bored by it all. Maybe age and all those 20-hour work days have taken their toll, who knows? But he’s not anything remotely close to the fabulous, dynamic performer he was in 1998 and 1999. 

The dialogue is also hilariously bad. An actual Vince quote: "Stephanie, you told Paul (earlier on) that I wasn't getting any younger...what exactly did you mean by that?" Yeah, this isn't exactly giving Breaking Bad a run for its money.

Mainly, though, the continued overexposure of the family is damaging because it continues to emphasize one point to the WWE Universe: The McMahons are the true stars. Not the wrestlers.

Should we really be surprised that the McMahons draw so well in the ratings? Viewers have been taught to believe—for years—that they are such a big deal you have to tune in to see them. And, of course, they will likely tune out soon after because who wants to watch matches with all these unimportant and lowly wrestlers?

Of course, one way to use the McMahons star power would be to pair them up with newer stars, ideally giving them the rub. Just think: How much would Damien Sandow or Dolph Ziggler’s career be helped if Vince choose them to be his enforcer in his upcoming battles with Triple H?

As it is, the main name thrown around for this angle—Steve Austin—is a retired star who has been done with the business for almost a decade now (F4Wonline via CageSideSeats).

So, what’s the point? Who exactly is supposed to be helped by this in the long run?

Is this whole thing just another way for the McMahon family to feed their already-swelling egos? Or do we already know the answer to that?