Low Morale From Scandals, Injuries & Cena, Development Issues

Partial Sources: PWInsider, PWTorch

Morale in WWE is said to be at one of its lowest points in a long while. Starting with the Benoit tragedy, followed by drug scandals, injuries and the loss of the companies biggest star in John Cena it seems WWE keep getting hit with blow after blow, causing some stars to re-think their career paths.

A lot of the younger stars are especially disillusioned with their life long dreams of being top WWE stars.

Veterans stuck in the developmental system are also said to be increasingly peeved with the company. Some wrestlers in development have been working for 7+ years and are getting tired of being told how to do things by second rate stars who never made it big themselves.

The development system is said to be a real confidence blow to potential big stars as they are constantly made to feel like they are lucky and honored to be where they are, as if they don't deserve it and are ungrateful. This despite being signed for their potential skills. It's a case of "your a piece of s–t, now prove me wrong." Some compare it to the army. Being broken down and rebuilt in a WWE mindset.

Wrestlers are being told to step up, but when it comes to it they are criticized. There is no room for creative freedom. Every aspect of promos is pre-rehearsed down to the body language and stars who were great at this sort of thing on the Indy scene are being patronized and turned in to "robots."

Even matches are being programed down to nearly every move and if a wrestler changes from the script in reaction to crowd heat or because some nice chemistry was being built, they are punished and told off, whether it worked or not.

There's no room for an "Austin 3:16 promo" with a new star being born because they'd be punished for deviating from the program.

HBK and Triple H's visit to development was said to only bring negative comments. The feeling being that "we are looking for the next big thing, but none of you can be it."