Why Vince McMahon Used So Much 50/50 Booking In WWE

WWE is known for a lot of things, and fans will often drag the company for their proclivity of 50/50 booking. Now, it seems that we know why they keep going that direction.

Under Vince McMahon’s leadership in WWE, it was common for rivalries to feature rubber matches, where both competitors would secure a victory in a series of matches. This was meme-worthy for many fans, and it also made their booking a bit predictable.

Although there has been a decrease in 50/50 booking since Triple H took charge of creative, it still occurs occasionally. One notable example is Cody Rhodes defeating Brock Lesnar at Backlash, only for Lesnar to regain his victory at Night of Champions.

Fans often express their dissatisfaction with 50/50 booking, as it can make rivalries feel prolonged and lacking in substance leading up to the rubber matches.

During an episode of his Oh You Didn’t Know podcast, Brian James provided insights into why WWE frequently employs this particular booking strategy.

“I know I did it when I was a writer and it serves a purpose though it’s hated. There’s very few people that can tell me that, that I’ll listen to.

“Very few of them have been in the shoes of writing 52 weeks a year and 12 PLEs in between those.

“So very few people have had that honor/burden, so I’ll only listen to some of y’all tell me that’s not hard and 50/50 is not necessary.

“I wouldn’t say it’s necessary, but I would say if you want to keep every character in a position to where they’re promotable, and look, it also goes into my bigger philosophy and this is going to break the internet of, wins and losses don’t matter.

“It’s about episodic television and that’s how I look at it now. You can look at it any other way you want to, but from an episodic television show, which is where we all know that’s where the money comes from now, that’s what rules the day.

“You got to keep the characters like Becky Lynch doing well, but you also got to use a character like Becky Lynch every now and then to make a newcomer look well.

“There might be an instance where I need Becky’s, and exactly what she is, a star. I need her star power to give said NXT upcoming star the carrot and the clout that he or she deserves when coming in.

“‘Oh my God. They beat Becky Lynch.’ Right, wrong, or indifferent, it’s a philosophy and it’s a philosophical disagreement if you agree or disagree.”

Road Dogg left the company for a while, but he eventually returned to assume his current role. He’s been around long enough to know what’s going on, and there’s no doubting that.

What’s your take on Vince McMahon’s 50/50 booking? Sound off in the comments!