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When it comes to fight-based sports, a lot of people consider that WWE wrestling can be somewhat predictable compared with other sports like UFC and boxing. Indeed, even some dedicated fans of the sport sometimes question this aspect of it and suggest ways in which the excitement can be brought back, but how much of a problem for the sport is this issue in reality?
Well, the fact that both passionate WWE fans and a number of media outlets have begun to comment on it suggests that it is not something that can be dismissed out of hand. One argument that many have made is that part of the problem lies with the pay-per-view WWE events which are now both extremely frequent and much cheaper to purchase than they were in the past. The argument is that this has led to fans becoming more tolerant of predictable wrestling matches because of the sheer number there are available to watch and because they are paying a great deal less to be able to watch them. The theory goes that the solution to the problem would be to reduce the number of such events to increase anticipation. Sports media has backed up this argument to some extent, with analysis of this year’s Royal Rumble event in one such outlet using statistical analysis to find out how predictable it was. It looked at the preview predictions made by its writers and what percentage of matches each called correctly – and the results do appear to support the complaints being made by those who follow the sport as fans. In total, the results showed 30 accurate predictions by the writers, against 18 inaccurate ones, producing a 62.5 percent predictability score. The pay-per-views in 2016 produce a score of 61.1 percent, while it is 63.4 percent.
This certainly suggests a pretty high degree of predictability, but not so high as to present a clear cut case. Furthermore, others argue that elements such as the theatre, appearances by celebrities and the unexpected returns of wrestlers account for as much of the appeal of the sport as the bouts themselves. When examining claims that WWE has become predictable it is also important to note that betting firms are now capitalising on its popularity by providing pay-per-view odds. If the matches were as predictable as some claim, they would be unlikely to do this, as they would be certain to lose money. Not betting company could allow people to gamble on a sport where the results are all totally predictable. That said, if some are finding themselves a little disillusioned with this aspect of WWE, the slots games inspired by the sport that online casino companies have created will let them combine their love of it with an unpredictable betting scenario.
While some claim that WWE has lost its edge and become predictable, the evidence for this is inconclusive and watching and betting on the sport remains massively popular all over the world – suggesting it has life in it yet.
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