In 2008, World Wrestling Entertainment announced that it planned to become more family friendly.
During the so-called ‘Attitude Era’ of the late 1990s and early 2000s, scantily clad women, blood, and raunchy behavior and language became the norm. It was also one of the hottest periods for professional wrestling.
But from 2008 onward, WWE’s product was more suitable for all ages and less adult.
Yet reports insist that kind of PG product that wrestling fans have gotten used to for over a decade and a half is changing.
The Rock and Cody Rhodes Have Been Indicators That Things Are Changing
One indicator of the change? Recent promos and actions by The Rock and Cody Rhodes in the lead-up to WrestleMania 40 earlier this month.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently reported segments and social media content from The Rock and Paul Heyman have been cited as “the official end” of the PG era.
The Rock, Rhodes, and Heyman have all used expletives in their promos recently and Cody has bled. A lot.
The Observer reports, “It was said to us that the Rock interviews and Heyman promo are considered the official end of the PG era. This isn’t to say that the TV shows will be changing. That is something talked about but no decision has been made, but I’m guessing a decision will be made at the end of the year when Raw goes to Netflix and NXT to CW, based on what those broadcasters want and also what sponsors will be comfortable with.”
End of An Era
“So that will be determined months from now, but the attempts to keep things PG in the big picture which had been a big thing to the point of the memo being sent out about it several weeks back, such as in social media or in non-television shows, is now no longer the case,” the Observer noted.
WWE, in an unusual move, has not yet announced the location for WrestleMania 41. WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia was certainly different – and more adult – in its presentation than the event in recent years.
Could we expect 41 to be even more so? Signs are pointing to yes.
