Former WWE star Maven Huffman has delivered one of his most detailed critiques of the company yet, arguing that WWE’s drastically reduced house show schedule is having two damaging effects simultaneously — it’s hurting the in-ring quality of matches on television, and it’s eroding the locker room camaraderie that historically made WWE’s roster function as a cohesive unit.
Maven used the CM Punk and Jey Uso match at Saturday Night’s Main Event as a specific example of what happens when performers don’t get enough reps together before appearing on television. “Two guys who I believe one day will be in the Hall of Fame. Two guys who I know can wrestle circles around me. And on a recent episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, they put out a match that both guys in their heart of hearts probably weren’t happy with. They looked sluggish. Their timing was off. The feeling-out process we would do away with after one or two nights of house shows.”
Maven on How WWE’s Reduced Schedule Is Breaking Down the Bonds That Made the Locker Room Special
Beyond the in-ring impact, Maven made an emotional case for what the road schedule used to provide in terms of genuine human connection. “When your camaraderie is better and when you care more for one another, the product’s going to benefit. I don’t miss the matches as much these days. What I do miss is the car rides with Al Snow, with Devon Dudley, with Umaga, and with Randy Orton. Those are the memories that I cherish the most.” He also called out what he sees as an over-choreographed approach to matches today. “Every match in WWE looks like a dance. It looks structured. This is supposed to be a fight. When you can tell it’s not a fight, when you can tell it’s a dance, it just doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look.” Maven added that wrestlers going back to repeat missed spots is one of the most immersion-breaking habits in modern WWE television, arguing that it instantly tells audiences the match is predetermined.
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