Debates can always arise about how over a pro wrestler is with their audience. If someone is, it can influence their standing on a show like Raw or Dynamite. Otherwise, it can push them down a match card or lead to changes to their persona to see if the crowd accepts a different character.
The crowd may laud one wrestler, but the backstage creative personnel often decide who is over with the audience and thus how prominent their feud and match card placement will be.
For insight into this process, Executive Director of WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown, Bruce Pritchard revealed on his Something to Wrestle Podcast how he determines who is over. He said that, while there are various factors, crowd reaction and merchandise sales are major indicators (h/t Fightful for transcription).
“Consistency, man. It’s a feel,” he began. “I will talk to new talent a lot of times in developmental or at a school or what have you and try to explain to them, man, don’t ever think about what you’re going to do. Feel it, feel what’s right to do next. Don’t think about what you should do. Feel it and know what to do.
“Without a doubt, merchandise sales, that’s a big indicator, but you have to look at those merchandise sales over time,” he continued. “If you do something hot or it’s a cool piece of merchandise that just came out, and it blows off the shelves, you’re going to take notice and go, ‘Okay, what’s different here?’, but then you’re also listening to the audience reactions. Are they sustained? Are they consistent? Are the reactions genuine, or is it due to something there that the talent is trying to do and overcompensate for? It’s just a lot of factors, and so much of it is just feel.”
This insight stands out given LA Knight’s push and the potential correlation with his merchandise sales. According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), his sales numbers were “right up there with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes” on lists that involve partnerships with third party outlets. Knight won the battle royal at SummerSlam earlier this month and entered arguably his most prominent feud yet with The Miz shortly after.
Along with the former Max Dupri’s consistent crowd reactions, it lines up with what Pritchard seeks in an over talent.
Fans should keep in mind WWE’s thought process in determining how much of a connection a Superstar has with the crowd. If the audience feels someone deserves a push, Pritchard’s words are worth returning to.