Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Public Relations Reeling in Wake of Terrible Week

1. Controversy and Tragedy Dominates WWE News Cycle 

WWE is in dire need of some good news. Over the course of a tumultuous week, the company's name has popped up time and time again in disturbing cases.

While WWE wants the world to be talking about Sting vs. Seth Rollins or how the Night of Champions card is shaping up, the discussion has instead been about racism, a shooting outside a facility and a Hall of Famer facing murder charges. The sports entertainment giant's public image is hurting as a result, darkness overshadowing WWE's positive contributions for the moment.

It's a storm that the company will withstand, though. WWE has been through worse. 

Still, Vince McMahon had to be considering locking himself off from the world for a few days.

Over the weekend, a NXT prospect made waves thanks to her controversial social media posts. As TMZ and other outlets reported, WWE fired Zahra Schreiber for Nazi-themed images on her Instagram account. 

The fact that Schreiber is dating WWE world champ Rollins made the situation worse. Rollins' name was now everywhere in headlines featuring the word "Nazi" and "racist."

WWE did the right thing here in letting Schreiber go. It will be awhile, though, before the buzz from this story dies down. The same is true for the tale of Hulk Hogan's downfall, partly due to The Hulkster not staying out of the public eye long enough.

Rather than let the controversy over his recently leaked, racially charged remarks fizzle out, Hogan went on a campaign to clear his name this week.

He delivered a tearful apology on Good Morning America and sat down with People magazine to explain his actions. In the TV interview, he partly blamed his upbringing for using the N-word. He said that it was part of his culture growing up.

That has generated some backlash from his old neighbors. Jennifer Titus reported for WTSP-TV in Tampa, Florida, that some rebuked Hogan's claims while "others in the neighborhood wish he'd start to grow up and take responsibility for his own actions." 

WWE has distanced itself from Hogan as much as it could, but he will forever be associated with the company that shot him into superstardom. The more he keeps this story on the front page, the more frustrated the company has to be.

The week didn't get any better from there.

The WWE Performance Center became the center of a disturbing story. Writing for the Orlando Sentinel, Henry Pierson Curtis reported on Aug. 31, "An Orange County deputy sheriff shot a man this afternoon outside the WWE Performance Center on Forsyth Commerce Road in east Orlando."

The performance center, per the Sentinel, reported to the Orange County Sheriff's Office that the shot man was “obsessed with a wrestler" and "returned to the facility despite a trespass warning."

It's not as if WWE did anything wrong here, but this isn't exactly the kind of press the company wants. That is nothing compared to the unsettling news that emerged a day later, however.

A case involving the death of Jimmy Snuka's girlfriend in 1983 resurfaced. The high-flying star stood at the center of the investigation. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced, per the New York Post, that Snuka "was busted Tuesday morning at his home in Waterford Township, New Jersey, and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter."

It all adds up to a vortex of scandals that makes it impossible to focus on anything else. It's hard not to have a sky-is-falling mentality at this point.

WWE won't though. Unfortunately, it is all too familiar with repairing its public image following controversy and tragic events. The company survived the negative press born from a steroid trial in the early '90s. Owen Hart's fatal accident during a WWE pay-per-view in 1999 left a black eye that WWE still wears. 

History reminds us that the storm will calm eventually. 

2. Rate of Defense

As Nikki Bella closes in on AJ Lee's record for the longest-reigning Divas champion ever, comparisons between the two are only natural.

For those criticizing how infrequently Nikki has put that belt on the line, it's best to take a look at the numbers. The average days between Nikki's title defenses is not far off the rate that AJ defended.

Nikki and AJ actually boast quite a gap between themselves and their fellow champions who surpassed the 150-day mark. 

Champion	Length of Reign (in days)	Total Title Defenses	Average Time Between Defenses
AJ Lee	295	14	21 days
Nikki Bella	280-plus (on-going)	11	25 days
Kaitlyn	150	4	38 days
Michelle McCool	155	4	39 days
Beth Phoenix	204	5	41 days
Maryse	216	5	43 days

Seeing how little WWE utilized Phoenix and others as champion, it's no wonder those title reigns weren't more memorable. Not every titleholder needs to pull a John Cena and defend on a weekly basis, but going a month and a half between title bouts is a recipe for minimal momentum. 

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Ken Patera

Braun Strowman's arrival continues the tradition of the power lifter-turned-WWE Superstar. Patera was one of the finest to make that transition.

The Olympic weightlifter became intercontinental champion, a memorable heel and one of Bruno Sammartino's toughest tests. Patera's power was central to his gimmick as seen in this clip from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:

This offers a look at the cockiness and dismissive attitude that garnered so much heat for him during his prime.

4. Rey Mysterio Post-WWE Chapters

In his last years with WWE, Mysterio seemed just a few small steps away from the end of his career. While he certainly hasn't reverted back to his '90s form, he seems reinvigorated and more focused.

Perhaps that's a result of being able to compete outside of the strenuous WWE schedule or just the fact that so many fresh opponents are standing opposite him these days.

The latest in the category is Low Ki. The electric high-flyer should make a stellar opponent for Mysterio when they compete at an upcoming Jersey All Pro Wrestling event:

"

Official Press Release Rey Mysterio Jr vs Low Ki DREAM MATCH! Hardy Boyz, LAX, MVP, Evans http://t.co/amEJoxUxHh pic.twitter.com/XxJoZ5LBcf

— JAPW Wrestling (@japw1997) September 1, 2015"

This is the first time these two will collide. That's been the pattern for Mysterio as of late. He has faced both Amazing Red and Myzteziz (formerly the original Sin Cara) in never-before-seen matchups this year. 

5. New Face of the Division

Sasha Banks is a revelation in the ring. Charlotte has an impressively high ceiling thanks to her athleticism. It's Bayley, though, who may end up ruling the division for the foreseeable future.

It may come down to how fast her merchandise moves.

Bayley has a powerful connection with the crowd. One can see that every time from the passionate responses she gets when she competes for NXT. WWE has apparently noticed.

A company employee reportedly told Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline (h/t Wrestle Zone) that Bayley is "so ungodly over, especially with little girls, that if she were to start granting wishes through Make-A-Wish, she will destroy John Cena." Alvarez also noted that Bayley's merchandise is the highest-selling among the Divas.

That will certainly make her a top priority when she moves to the main roster.

6. Big Man Borrowing from Japan

Braun Strowman's arsenal is a far from a cruiserweight's as one can imagine. Still, one of the powerhouse's signature moves comes from that faster, more athletic division of wrestling.

Susumu Mochizuki, better known as Susumu Yokosuka, brought the wrestling world the Yokosuka Cutter. It's one of his favorite weapons in the battles he puts on for Dragon Gate in Japan.

He has since inspired others to flatten their foes in the same manner. Samoa Joe has employed the move in the past. And Strowman introduced it to a wider audience when he hit the move on Roman Reigns during his debut.

7. Ryback's Repetitive Journey

WWE needs to freshen up the Intercontinental Championship picture. There has been too much Big Show and not enough of anyone else.

Each one of the three title defenses during Ryback's reign have been against Big Show. Ryback has had 17 televised bouts since becoming champ, and eight of those have involved The World's Largest Athlete.

The Big Guy has now defeated the giant five times after winning the IC title. What else does he have to prove against him?

With a roster stacked with rising talent, WWE needs to have Ryback lock up with someone else.

8. Recommended Mark Henry Moments

There may not be a surplus of chances to see The World's Strongest Man in action. Henry told the Times of India, "I may retire next year. It may be the swan song of my wrestling career."

With that in mind, maybe it's time to start re-watching the biggest and best moments of his WWE run:

• Henry debuts against Jerry Lawler: In Your House Mind Games 
• Henry joins the Nation of Domination: Raw, Jan. 12, 1998
• Henry makes Big Show the first inductee into the Hall of Pain: Money in the Bank 2011
• Ring collapses during battle with Big Show: Vengeance 2011
• Fake retirement speech: Raw, June 17, 2013

Henry is the type of wrestler who doesn't have a great collection of bouts. His resume is more about his promos, the aura he brings to the ring and the explosive incidents he was a part of. Henry vs. Show at Vengeance was no classic, but seeing those two giants destroy a ring with their girth is unforgettable.

The big man improved dramatically as a performer over time. From the time he first stared down Lawler to when he was on the hunt for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011, he had grown into a far more compelling figure.

9. Time Issues Creeping Up Again

WWE's progress with better showcasing its women is a stop-and-start process.

The company deserves kudos for booking the first Beat the Clock Challenge for its women's division. It then proceeded to fall into old bad habits, though. 

Charlotte, Paige and their peers were forced to tell compact stories. WWE gave them just a sliver of the available ring time.

The women did get three matches on a single edition of Raw on Monday night, but they were short and hurried contests. As listed on ProFightDB.com, the three bouts lasted just three minutes and 21 seconds, 1:40 and 1:41. 

Not in the Hall of Fame offered the perfect commentary on the situation:

The women continue to find themselves trying to pit a novella on a postcard.

10. Revolution Terminology

Aside from expanded ring time and more complex storylines, the Divas Revolution needs a rebranding.

PWInsider's Dave Scherer pinpointed the issue, "WWE also needs to ditch the Diva name if they want to get the women over as athletes. I don't exactly think 'diva' when I think of Ronda Rousey. I think athlete."

And it's hard to imagine someone like Rousey holding up the butterfly-emblazoned belt that WWE currently has its women fight over. 

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.