Even if you look at this year as a transitional year, it's still been really, really, really bad so far. Rumble to Mania was one of the worst stretches this company has put out in a long time. The top 3 feuds had absentee workers for the build. And there's been some bright spots post-Mania, but it's still largely bad stuff overall. That's from creative and business standpoints too, as one effects the other and vice versa.
It's funny because this has apparently been the year of "pushing new stars" yet they have absolutely no new stars :lol And pretty much no one outside of Owens even made an impact, and his impact was vastly overexaggerated by the IWC. I like how hard Rollins has worked, he did his part, but HHH has sabotaged his reign from day one, and the results have been rough. He's pretty much at his lowest point now.
It's not that anyone needs to be at top guy level already, it's more so how lifeless and generic everyone comes across. No one on their roster looks like star, talks like a star, acts like a star, it's all such mediocrity. And that's only somewhat on creative. No one seems to possess that quality to rise above creative except maybe Ambrose. Everyone cuts the same promos, does the same generic crap, nobody sets themselves apart.
And this focus on "omg such a great match" is lame. Why do I want to see "great matches" between guys I don't give a shit about? Instead of trying to give every match 15-20 minutes and a commercial break, focus more on character development. Character development for people who aren't Stephanie, Hunter, Kane, or Big Show. They've wasted HOURS of TV time on those wastes of space. And save the long matches for PPVs, where they should matter.
For as much shit as Rollins reign gets, his reign is only so bad because of the Authority angle. Just like Orton's was before his. Get rid of the Authority already, and watch how guys flourish on their own. Or watch how they sink on their own. One way or another, the Authority is dead weight to every guy working it that isn't already established. They're guaranteed failure for anyone who has to work with them, so why does this still exist? All three Shield members had to be somewhat involved with the Authority in the last year, and all three of them look like utter shit right now. And these are apparently "HHH's guys".
Overall though, I think the roster simply isn't as talented as smarks want to believe it is. And creative deserves a lot of blame for a lot of things, but lots of you use it as a crutch for the fact that certain performers just won't get over with the WWE audience. It's mostly been such a god awful year because there's little going on in terms of breakout talent.