Originally Posted by Asenath

I don't actually think Hogan, Austin, or The Rock could have carried the WWE into a boom period if the culture hadn't been ready for it. The WWE was smart, co-opting the MTV wave of publicity into the Rock & Wrestling era and using closed-circuit and cable to hype big events in a new way.

In the 90s, people were ready for trashy, tacky, low-brow entertainment. And Steve Austin gave it to them in spades with his hillbilly shenanigans and boss-punching. There was a cultural connection to the happenings of the moment.

Right now, it's a lull. But all entertainment is cyclical. If I were booking, I'd go back to vintage wrestling stories and see if I couldn't get some nostalgia/hipster momentum behind it.