Dwayne Johnson and John Cena’s return to WWE from their high-valued Hollywood career is a sign that things are changing around in the entertainment industry. Both these WWE stars used the pro-wrestling platform as a step-up to their big Hollywood career. However, their return means that pro-wrestling has now come on par with Hollywood in international reach, money, and content.
Last weekend’s high-octane WrestleMania event marked a new defining moment in American television entertainment. The returning stars were not the only factor for this new pique of interest. WWE’s systematic change is something that Hollywood could learn from.
Dwayne Johnson’s Return To WWE Should Not Be Taken Lightly By Hollywood
WrestleMania XL became Peacock’s most-watched broadcast in history with 1.3 billion minutes of viewing (via Deadline). Professional wrestling saw a surge in audience interest with WWE stars like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena returning to the ring. It is notable that the WrestleMania fever happened amidst the shocking allegations against Vince McMahon and his stepping down from WWE.
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The Rock made a successful transition from WWE to the Hollywood industry in the early 2000s. By the 2010s, he was one of the most successful action stars in the industry but faced allegations of leaving his WWE career behind. The Rock’s abandonment of the company during this period was understandable since WWE was a monopoly in wrestling and made no efforts to stay relevant.
However, things have definitely changed, especially after the emergence of competitors like All Elite Wrestling (AEW). WWE began spending some time, effort, and money on its stars and storytelling. Cody Rhodes‘s Universal Championship Title win last week was the culmination of critically acclaimed storytelling in WWE. It saw Roman Reigns conceding his title after holding it for a whopping 1316 days.
Most interestingly, Johnson took a break from Hollywood to participate in a three-month-long storyline leading up to the WrestleMania XL. The star with $800 million net worth (via Celebrity Net Worth) teamed up with Reigns to win the tag team title on night one of WrestleMania 40. The Final Boss’s WWE re-entry may have repercussions on Hollywood as an entertainment industry.
What Is WWE Doing Right That Hollywood Is Not?
One factor that WWE is currently thriving on is good old storytelling. The Cody Rhodes v. Roman Reigns drama in the WrestleMania final event was too entertaining to take your eyes off the TV. The chief content officer of the company, Triple H, is working extra hard to remain the top pro-wrestling brand in the industry. He is now answerable to a parent company TKO that has also brought under them the UFC championship.
International stars find the WWE a more lucrative platform to reach American audiences than Hollywood. While Hollywood is big on representation in recent years, there has been a tug-of-war sort of game going on there. However, pro wrestling provides a more comfortable co-existence of international stars. WWE and AEW have capable talent agents who set out to find top players from across the world.
The pro wrestling entertainment companies are not only finding the right talents but are paying them lucrative paychecks. The companies do not follow the heavily distorted salary system in Hollywood and hence some of its players receive more than what many actors could be making from movies. This very factor makes WWE a lucrative offer for many movie and TV stars, who could make guest appearances.
Hollywood Needs To Break The Monopoly Like Pro Wrestling Did
WWE could only make such massive improvements in their game when the monopoly in the pro wrestling industry was broken. Hollywood is currently under the monopoly of a few production houses and streaming services, which decide what content should be made for the audiences. It has led to a worrying condition of lack of originality, with studios only eyeing to make money from established IPs and remake movies.
John Cena and The Rock have now proved that the path between wrestling and cinema is two-way. This golden period of pro-wrestling wouldn’t be complete without some celebrity guests on the scripted show. Remember the time when Arrow star Stephen Amell won over Cody Rhodes? Or when Daily Show host Jon Stewart ruined John Cena’s world title chance? Or when Hugh Jackman appeared to support Zack Ryder? Those days are definitely coming back.