WWE is gearing up for a pivotal year in 2026, with the potential to either reclaim its lost momentum or further alienate its audience. To ensure success, WWE needs to implement significant changes across both major and minor aspects of the company.
Whether through Triple H’s creative leadership, strategic decisions by TKO’s management, or other innovative moves, there is much that WWE can do next year to enhance the product and restore a favorable trajectory for the brand.
One major concern is the stagnation of SmackDown’s main event scene, which currently suffers from a lack of star power in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Key storylines have fallen flat, such as John Cena’s disappointing heel run and an uninspired Cody Rhodes-Drew McIntyre feud. On the women’s side, champion Tiffany Stratton’s brief clashes have been insufficient, and Jade Cargill’s title reign has lacked compelling challengers. To revitalize this, WWE should consider moving notable talents like LA Knight and Seth Rollins to SmackDown or promoting fresh faces from NXT to inject new energy.
Another issue lies with WWE’s pay-per-view events, which now feature fewer matches and heavy interruptions from ads and video packages, diluting the fan experience. In Triple H’s era, some events have been reduced to as few as four matches, causing long delays between contests and shifting focus away from the in-ring action. This format challenges fans watching live or at home and diminishes the excitement that marquee shows like WrestleMania once delivered.
Regarding NXT, many talents are spending an excessive amount of time in the developmental system—names like Jordynne Grace, Ethan Page, and Oba Femi have been held back far too long. WWE must adopt a more proactive approach by calling up wrestlers when they’re truly ready, allowing them to flourish on the main roster rather than stagnating in NXT.
Ticket pricing is also a pressing concern, with WWE’s gate-breaking runs leading to exorbitantly high ticket costs. With cheapest seats reaching into the hundreds of dollars even for regular shows, family attendance is being priced out, risking further declines in overall live audience numbers.
Creatively, WWE’s weekly programming has become predictable and formulaic. Storytelling tends to follow a repetitive pattern with limited risks, which has resulted in an overall lack of surprise or fresh narratives. For WWE to stay relevant, Triple H and his team need to experiment with diverse storytelling techniques and inject more creativity into the weekly shows.
The US Women’s Championship has been largely ignored in 2025, with talent like Chelsea Green and Julia underutilized and the title showing little meaningful activity. This title needs renewed focus and a strong champion to anchor it going forward.
Finally, WWE’s presentation and stage setups have grown stale, with fans craving more unique and customized environments for pay-per-views and major events. Although recent shows like Clash in Paris introduced thematic stage designs, WWE should revive the tradition of immersive and varied stage productions to enhance the overall spectacle.
Fan Take: These proposed changes are crucial for WWE fans who want fresh energy and compelling storytelling in 2026. If WWE embraces these shifts, it could herald a new era of excitement and growth for wrestling, recapturing passion and expanding its global appeal.
