WWE: Are We Possibly Witnessing a New Era?

After last Monday night's events that saw Vince McMahon "fired" and HHH become the new "CEO" of the WWE, it shook the landscape of pro wrestling.

People have wanted Vinnie Mac to step down for years and give the reins to another individual to lead the company. Rumors have it that this is not just kayfabe; it's an actual reality.

Former WWE star Sean Waltman (X-Pac) made news by basically saying that HHH is really taking over the operations and that Vince is stepping aside.

For now, we don't know the truth of those rumors. Regardless of whether they are or not, all we know for now is that Vince, at least onscreen, is no longer leading the WWE. HHH is.

What does this mean for the future of the WWE?

Nobody knows, but it doesn't hurt to at least ponder.

When you look at the current state of the WWE, just purely from a fan's point of view, I can't remember the last time WWE fans were this entrenched with the product. This increased interest stems largely from the CM Punk angle.

If you look at just over a month ago, before Punk became the No. 1 contender for Cena's championship, and R-Truth was facing Cena at Capitol Punishment for the title, it seemed like the WWE was just "treading water" as usual. It seemed like they were going through the motions. But then all of a sudden in late June on Raw, CM Punk gave one of the most memorable promos in wrestling history, in which he basically ripped apart the WWE and the politics that are associated with the company.

Now from a business point of view, WWE's stock is apparently dropping. Not just on a small scale, but on a large scale. The ratings also remain about the same, averaging around the lower three's. So it's not like you're going to be hearing comparisons to the Atittude Era and talks of a wrestling boom revival.

But obviously that takes time.

I'm not here to proclaim that the WWE will reach unexpected peaks business-wise. But from a wrestling fan's point of view, the WWE is more interesting than it has probably been in almost a decade.

CM Punk is clearly involved in the WWE's future plans, as he has been seen invading Comic-Con while HHH and Cena were present; carrying around the WWE belt to various events such as Cubs games; and taking pictures of himself and Cabana with the belt and posting them online.

Angle-wise, I can't remember the last time the WWE came up with a plan this intriguing.

It opens up the door for so many possibilities. And it keeps the viewers glued to the TV set wondering if and when Punk will return with the belt and where the angle will lead to from there.

Will Punk continue running rampant as the WWE's new anti-hero with the belt, or will he lose it in quick fashion (his contract reportedly expires in September) and disappear from WWE television for a few years?

Obviously, there are still problems when you look at the product as a whole.

The tag team division is terrible with the Otunga and McGillicutty as Tag Team champions. They've lost three or four straight times, including the past two editions of Superstars to teams such as Zack Ryder and Santino Marella. So there is no Tag Team Division to speak of.

The IC and US Titles are kind of just there to give guys like Ziggler and Jackson something to do, but it's not as if they're having record-breaking feuds with anybody as of late.

The point is, this era may not be considered a "Golden Era" like the Hogan-led WWE of the eighties or the late-nineties Attitude Era, but it feels like the WWE is heading in the right direction, for once.

Maybe this is me getting way too excited over two angles, one involving Punk, the other involved the firing of Vince/promotion of Hunter, and the WWE will just go back to the way they've always been: stale and boring.

But for the first time in at least eight years, I actually look forward to watching the next episode of Monday Night Raw. I feel like that it's must-see television. I feel like the WWE is being innovative and is actually trying to keep the viewers glued to their product. 

And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?