WWE WrestleMania 38 Will Be About Moments, Not Storylines

It would seem long gone are the days WWE's WrestleMania marked a triumphant end to strong storytelling with must-see payoffs for feuds and storylines. 

WrestleMania 38 would seem to be the greatest example yet of WWE going all-in on moments as opposed to something more substantial. 

This might seem like an overreaction with 'Mania still a few weeks away. But stepping back and really looking at the known cards for the two-night event so far says it all. Charlotte Flair will fight Ronda Rousey. Brock Lensar, Roman Reigns. Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair. Edge, somebody. Logan Paul in a tag match. 

That's it. 

A note from WrestleVotes says it all: 

That we're this close to 'Mania and the storylines are still open isn't a good thing. In fact, it's overly concerning from a company that routinely has whispers around it that Vince McMahon tears up booked shows hours beforehand to mix things up. 

So the question is, what are fans really getting with 38? Flair and Rousey have something of a history, but the build has been minimal. Lynch and Belair have history, but only because of bad moments booking that saw the former return to steal the latter's title in two moves at a major event. 

Edge will probably fight an AJ Styles or somebody, but the lack of an actual feud and story could leave it feeling like another Raw match, nothing more. Big names like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, RK-Bro, Rhea Ripley—it goes on and on—all don't have established stories yet. 

And as for the celebrities, Logan Paul will have some sort of spot that will go viral on social media. So will Johnny Knoxville.

'Mania has always been about celebrities, too, make no mistake. You can pull up pretty much any 'Mania in history to find some funny or notable celebrity moments, for better or worse. Back then, WWE had to earn that pay-per-view buy while appealing to as many people as possible outside of the wrestling fanbase. 

Nobody would suggest that emphasis on celebrity needs to stop, even if WWE doesn't need to live and die by pay-per-view buys anymore. But it says oh-so-much about the product that entering 38, Johnny Knoxville—of all people—has one of the card's longest-running storylines. 

The only major exception to this long-term booking rule right now is Lesnar-Reigns. But that's a feud that has already headlined multiple 'Manias, and the fact it managed to totally derail the Raw men's title scene, the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber has created a sour taste around the whole thing. 

That WWE appeared on track to give Shane McMahon one of the only big doses of longish-term booking by his final-three appearance in the Royal Rumble says it all—'Mania has become the apex of the moments mountain, which is a good summation of WWE as a whole right now. 

That...is extremely unfortunate. It might make sense in some ways. There's something to be said for a moment going viral or racking up the YouTube views. But it's hard not to look at the long-form storytelling going on in All Elite Wrestling and now feel let down by what fans are missing with WWE booking. 

Think about the long-term rise of top champion Adam Page or the slow burn on MJF, to name two brief examples. WWE has the best roster on the planet, and instead of unforgettable payoffs between icons, the scattershot booking with no direction that has ruined the company's ability to build top stars has finally laid claim to 'Mania itself. 

There was a time when 'Mania felt like the end of a season for an annual show, and the Raw after 'Mania was the must-see fresh start. But this year, it sure feels like—after two nights of moments aimed at social media impressions—the Raw after 'Mania will just be more attempts at quick pops and numbers. 

By taking this sort of approach, WWE has, inadvertently or not, gone all-in on altering the perception of its biggest event. The mega-shows in Saudi Arabia have a brand of blasts from the past like Goldberg featuring prominently, and 'Mania's brand is slowly becoming just another stop on the calendar that sacrifices the long-term for the short-term. 

Again, this might not be so jarring in the era of short attention spans thanks to phones and social media if AEW was not right there building prominent stories for a year or more. It's clear talent wants to do it, and the audience is smart enough to handle it. There's a trust between company and fan there that is, admittedly, pretty surprising and refreshing. 

Wildly, one might think WWE could focus in on some long-term stories after trimming a gaudy roster of more than 80-plus Superstars over the last year and the gutting of its NXT brand. But instead, things have been business as usual, which makes the roster cuts that much more damning. 

Instead of using its biggest platform to perhaps change things up, WWE has doubled down. And that could leave 'Mania akin to like scrolling a Twitter feed—a brief moment might entertain, but it's gone and forgotten as soon as the next thing pops up.