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A New Era cometh?

I have taken a few days to relax after a crazy Wrestlemania week.  I wanted to take the time to digest the crazy events of this past week.  I also started to realize that we might be seeing some amazing things in the near future.  Is it possible that after all this time, after so many let downs and the company relying on Cena being the only guy, that we are heading into a new "era" in WWE?  They are certainly acting like it, and hell they are even saying it!  The "Reality Era" has been mentioned in the past by CM Punk and wrestling journalists.  It wasn't until recently, when Triple H stated we were entering the Reality Era, did I think that was possible.  On top of that, Wrestlemania XXX and the Raw afterwards felt like the biggest breath of fresh air in over a decade.


I was have a debate of sorts with my friends about whether this was the start of a new "era" or if it had already begun long ago.  Jesse, one of the guys who will be joining our team in the near future, believes that the "PG/Super Cena" era ended at Capital Punishment with the goofy main event of R-Truth and John Cena and the new era started with the "Pipebomb" by CM Punk.  I think it's an interesting argument as the product did shift away from a purely kiddie program into a more "insider" product.  Personally, I think that was a seed, but the product did revert slightly into the Cena era with shilly promos and the drawn out rivalry with the Rock. I think the product was different than before, but it was ultimately a two year transition.

Triple H turning on Bryan at Summerslam 2013

I believe the new era began at Royal Rumble.  This is where you felt a definitive shift from a previous direction.  The crowd just said no, and WWE had no choice but to adjust their game plan.  You could certainly argue that it began with the Summerslam build and the beginning of the "B+ Player" story.  That would be a sound theory.  Either way, the talent is there.  The storytelling has been there for a number of weeks.  The product feels rejuvenated  in a way it desperately needed.   The Shield becoming faces to fight alongside Daniel Bryan against the Authority/Evolution 2.0 could be one of the hottest feuds yet in this new era we live in.  WWE has successfully created multiple stars in a short period of time and we are reaping the rewards.  The Shield, Daniel Bryan, the Wyatts, and Cesaro have all become big time players in the past year. That is nice to have when you add it to the established guys like Cena, Sheamus, Orton, and Big Show.

There is one other component that has changed the product significantly... the WWE network.  The live shows and original programming has opened up the door for more opportunities.  Guys have a chance to make a name for themselves outside of the traditional cable format.  On top of that, the PPVs are included! This could change the game with a higher percentage of people watching the secondary PPVs.  The possibilities are endless with the WWE Network, and so far it's been a smash hit.

This could ultimately all be wrong.  We could just be in a short term story until everything is back to "normal" with Cena ruling the roost and everybody else placing distant second.  But until that happens, I have to believe. If you were looking for a time to jump back in, I think now is a great time to start.  I would just suggest getting the WWE Network if you can afford it. The mix of having thousands of hours of old stuff and having a consistent barrage of new programming make it well worth the money and invests you even further into the current product.

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