Ariel Helwani hopes WWE can right the ship after WrestleMania 42 had left him wanting more.
WrestleMania 42 took place over two nights in Las Vegas, and the event was capped off by an incredible main event between CM Punk and Roman Reigns. Despite having some clear highlights, WrestleMania 42 was also criticized for short match times and the broadcast featuring too many ads and commercials.
Helwani addressed the latter on Monday’s episode of his Ariel Helwani Show, explaining why he didn’t like what he saw. Helwani encouraged WWE to make things right and “get the soul back.”
“I will be 100 percent honest, it felt soulless. The whole thing felt soulless. And that’s the term I use for the [UFC] Apex, and that’s the term I use when I see the AI stuff. It feels soulless. And they have to realize, because I know there are very smart people involved there. They are not new to TV and not new to sports,” Helwani explained. “They have to realize how to get the soul back into their product. It does not exist [now] and I thought it was very apparent on Saturday and Sunday. It does not exist.”
Ariel Helwani says WrestleMania 42 wasn’t the ‘Showcase’ that it used to be
Helwani said things like the stage stood out, noting that it wasn’t as elaborate as in the past. He also called attention to WrestleMania not feeling as big as it should, despite praising Roman Reigns and CM Punk’s respective entrances.
“Everything just felt off, it felt off and soulless and cheapened, if I’m being honest. I’m not against advertising. I know that you need to sell ads,” Helwani said. “But there are ways to do it with some sort of gravitas attached to it, some sort of grace and class attached to it. And I felt like when ‘everything is for sale,’ it gets lost.
“It was upsetting to see. That did not feel like WrestleMania. That did not feel like the showcase of the immortals, that did not feel like the biggest night in pro wrestling,” he added.
Helwani said he’s not sure if it’s a TKO problem or not. However, they need to find a balance between making sure the soul and the product are there while not spitting in the fan’s faces. Helwani also admitted he’s not watching as much wrestling as a typical fan, but still loves the big events. However, seeing what WWE produced this weekend left him feeling deflated.
Some fans felt the same way about changes in WWE, as the crowd chanted “F**k TKO” outside of Allegiant Stadium.
