I think this discussion, and some comments I’ve seen elsewhere, speaks to a lot of fans’ expectation that all HHN houses are narratively deep. It may not even be a fully conscious expectation, but it’s there. I think it’s one reason fans view watching the films/shows prior to going through IPs as a necessity. There’s a belief that—in order to fully appreciate the house—you have to know all the story-based nuances, so you can understand all the easter eggs and characters. For lack of a better term, and a needing a shorthand for that type of fan in this post, I’m going to call them Nerds (non-derogatory).
In that regard, the idea of a WWE house can be unappetizing. Even knowing a house is based on the Wyatt Sicks or the Firefly Funhouse, there’s no clear narrative for it. Do Nerds need to know the entire WWE roster to understand everything? Watch specific matches? How do you “research” a house based on promos and vignettes? Will Nerds need to know about the Demon in addition to the Fiend? How far back will a WWE house? Do Nerds need to know who Mankind, Hugh Morris, or Gangrel are? Even the Weeknd (and Billie Eilish) were easy-to-grasp IPs because the research material was limited to a couple of albums. The WWE is a sprawling, weird universe of its own design. To appreciate the Sicks, you have to appreciate Bray, who has a massive body of creative work himself. For Nerds with no prior WWE knowledge, the challenge of understanding the “story of the house” can be overwhelming.
But, the fact is, most HHN houses are designed to NOT be that narratively deep. Is there a story? Almost always. But even having a story, houses are designed for the vibe to be forefront. Last year’s Insidious is a great example where the vibe was the focus. The reason is that the designers understand most of their guests will walk in with minimal (if any) understanding of a house’s story. Expecting (or worse, requiring) them to do research does everyone a disservice.
So, for the Nerds who just cannot bring themselves to research the WWE (and if this rumor is true), maybe this house can just be enjoyed cold. Don’t try to research it. Just know that WWE does incorporate a lot of horror elements in various stripes and, in myriad ways, can support a HHN house.