It's Mania 42 Weekend (It Sure Doesn't Feel Like It)

It'll be 12AM BST, on Saturday 18th April, when this post sees the light of day.

WWE Smackdown will be an hour away. It'll be the final show before WrestleMania 42 which will dominate this coming weekend.

Dominate?

Maybe that's too strong a word.

WWE has been anything but dominant this WrestleMania season. In all the years I've watched Mania, I haven't felt this negative to what is usually one of my most favourite weekends as a fan. 

There's a huge problem with World Wrestling Entertainment right now. 

Ever since TKO took over the business, there seems to be less emphasis on the wrestlers and more on the outsiders they bring in for the marquee event of the year.

Ironic as this might seem, one of the biggest outsiders for this year's Mania is Pat McAfee.

Yes, Pat McAfee who has been working for WWE as commentator, on-and-off, for many years.

He recently returned for the build to the show and has been playing a heel character calling out how crap the business is nowadays and even used words like 'Mark' - an archaic carny term used for a person who believes in the con. The word has evolved to mean anyone 'outside' of the business, which makes it ironic that McAfee used it in his diction.

An AI image of carny wrestlers and their 'customers' from another era

People INSIDE the business protects it all costs. They would never use the word 'Mark' in view of the buying public (you know - the marks).

If McAfee - or the people telling him what to say for that matter - knew that, the word would not have made it to TV.

It shows a lack of awareness for all involved. A disrespect for the business and its history, too.

I predict long-term damage from this naivety. Tickets aren't selling well as it is. 

This isn't the business I grew up following. That's for sure.