3 Recent WWE Booking Botches That Must Be Fixed

Sometimes it almost feels like WWE goes out of its way to make mistakes. 

Sounds silly at first, but if the power players in the promotion subscribe to the any publicity is good publicity idea, then it starts to make sense. Pro wrestlers say all the time that cheering and booing from crowds is a good thing, while silence is bad. 

Alas, the major booking misfires of late in WWE since another WrestleMania headlined by Pat McAfee-like mistakes seriously threaten to create some of that worrisome silent disinterest from fans. 

And if WWE doesn't figure out how to reverse course on these points, the hole it's digging might not be escapable by the time the next WrestleMania arrives. 

The Cody Rhodes-Gunther Mistake

Cody Rhodes and Gunther are a perfect match, at least in terms of WWE mishandling top guys. 

Over the last few years, Rhodes has been far, far better on the chase, not as a top champion. And one would think that Gunther is due for an ascension to top dog. He's the guy who retired John Cena, among other accolades, right?

And yet. 

Rhodes and Gunther linked up at Clash in Italy at the end of May and…Rhodes retained his title. So he's off to keep doing the same old Cody Rhodes champion thing. 

Gunther, meanwhile, was a risk to miss WrestleMania outright before a last-second cobbled-together match with Seth Rollins. He should be a top dominant heel by now, and yet instead, we're wondering if he'll ever be able to recover the aura gained from retiring Cena. 

Oddly enough, WWE recently let Drew McIntyre get a much-needed title win over Rhodes (before unceremoniously and foolishly ripping it back off him for 'Mania). Why Gunther isn't even getting that level of treatment is mind-boggling, but it might be too late to save both of these guys now. 

WWE Botching Oba Femi?

This one stings. 

Oba Femi appeared to retire Brock Lesnar. So much so, Lesnar went meta and threw up the "X" at 'Mania and left his boots in the ring. Good deal. A shocking end to a career and Hall of Fame-level bump for Femi's career. A historic launching pad. 

But WWE…WWE'd it. 

Lesnar returned, and didn't just come back, he got a win over Femi in the process at Clash In Italy. 

So, rather than Femi continuing on a hot path and eventually getting in the title scene for the Roman Reigns feud in a year's time or so, this is another standard WWE series of matches, stringing out a good thing as long as possible until it's no longer a good thing. 

Some would argue that a prolonged feud with Lesnar that ends with a SummerSlam triumph would be better for Femi. But this didn't need to be a series. And in an era where it feels like part-timers are getting shoved into things by executives/TKO for the ratings game, it feels like it tarnishes Femi's status a bit. 

Make no mistake, Femi putting down Lesnar for good at SummerSlam needs to happen now. But it's probably not a good sign for his next arc that this one got dragged out in this manner. 

WWE's Other (Many) Booking Botches

Speaking of not great signs, let's just wave a hand at the rest of the roster and stuff. 

How about…where and what in the world are they doing with Liv Morgan? Why was the hyped Chad Gable return so…mid?

And on the topic of mid, why does WWE refuse to push LA Knight? It's a silly internet talking point and nothing more at this point, sure, but his almost Attitude Era-level crowd reactions for a bit never fully got capitalized on in a notable way. Since being involved in a silly 'Mania tag match, he's had a few nights on the European Tour…fighting Austin Theory. It might just be all the way over. 

And speaking of over, Jey Uso isn't. It feels like the non-kids part of crowds have even started to tire on the whole thing. A miserable title run and interference with Royal Rumbles and stuff for yeet sessions, nevermind the botches, has finally worn out his welcome. 

Yet, here is Uso, making a deep run in the King of the Ring bracket, even shoving past guys like LA Knight and others. It wasn't enough that he's sort-of back around the Bloodline stuff for the time being and it would appear WWE is going to keep trotting him out as a solo Superstar juggernaut of sorts in the main event scene, too. 

It's not hard for WWE to fix some of these issues. Bettter booking helps. Knight doesn't need to be in tag purgatory. Uso might need to be. Get Morgan on screen. But if nothing else, all of the above shows a serious lag to WWE course correcting, oftentimes until it's too late. The corrections here need to happen on the road to SummerSlam, or the problems could bleed into the winter and start impacting the build to the next 'Mania.