Is the term "draw" still relevant today?

[Threadkiller [Classic]]

There are a lot of arguments I've heard justifying x-wrestler's position as top draw over y-wrestler. But I often wonder if the term "draw" is even relevant to a product that sells so heavily on its name. For instance, no single match sells Wrestlemania anymore (although it's arguable that, around these boards at least, Shawn/Taker sold Mania 25), it's the WM name. Also, merchandise is so much more important to revenue these days than it was even ten or fifteen years ago. Hell, the amount of spinner belts they sell is the sole reason they won't change it, apparently. And how many times have we heard the justification for Cena's title reigns being that he sells a ton of t-shirts?

On the other hand, how many kids went to Smackdown tapings this summer in facepaint and Jeff Hardy t-shirts? I can't imagine that those same kids would have been at a Raw taping. Then again, how many kids go to Raw tapings today in those Nickelodeon-orange Cena t-shirts?

So on the one hand, I can see how the term "draw" is still relevant in the sense that some talents draw more than others. And there are certainly some fans who are there primarily because they'll get to see that one person. But I also see how the days when one person is responsible for drawing at the top may be gone forever. The collective product is the draw now, in my opinion. But I think there's still room for a person to breakout (like Kofi, for instance) and be that guy who gets the fans over the line from "Eh, WWE is in town. Maybe I'll go" to "Oh man, WWE is in town and KOFI is wrestling? I'm THERE."

What do ya'll think? Is the term "draw" still relevant in today's WWE? Or is it an antiquated term from the territory days/MNW-era?

[rnrk supports BLM]

IIRC, RAW's ratings dipped significantly last summer when Cena was out on injury (and the main focus of the show became the Jericho/HBK feud, which we smarky fans loved), then climbed back up when Cena returned and immediately got the belt.

So, there's still something there, even if WWE generally markets itself more as the product as a whole these days.

[Hogasm]

Current-day WWE is making the term "draw" extinct

[Deleted]

Draw just means more now. It used to mean how many butts in the seats.

Now, for WWE at least, it means how much $$$ a wrestler draws in.

Its just like a lot of sports really.