Peter Klein vents some real frustration with where WWE is at right now: the same guys in the same spots, matches too short to tell meaningful stories, and a creative direction that is starting to rhyme uncomfortably with the worst parts of WCW's Monday Nitro era.

Then, a genuine concern that WWE is going to let Oba Femi cool off by holding his title win for WrestleMania when they should be pulling the trigger now.

And to close, some well-deserved credit to AEW for a genuinely strong build heading into All In at Wembley, Omega vs. Ospreay, Andrade's incredible rise, and the Willow vs. Mercedes feud delivering.

Living Room Lariat is the wrestling podcast from the Couch Potato Diary network. Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

SummerSlam is here, and it just doesn't feel like it should. Peter Klein breaks down why WWE's creative direction has deflated what should be one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The lack of meaningful stakes, results without consequences, the bloodline reunion undoing one of the best long-term stories wrestling has ever told, and a roster full of exciting performers being blocked by the same veterans cycling through the same top spots. Oba Femi had the King of the Ring. Braun Breaker should have beaten Seth. Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and others are knocking on the door, and the booking keeps slamming it shut.

Peter also digs into where Triple H has struggled to translate his NXT success to the main roster, why the Cena heel turn felt hollow, and a Christopher Daniels answer from the old Combat Central days on Sportsnet 960 that has stuck with him ever since, and might actually be the solution to what ails WWE's creative right now.

Living Room Lariat is the wrestling podcast from the Couch Potato Diary network. Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Has professional wrestling lost some of its momentum?

In this episode of Living Room Lariat, I discuss why WWE and AEW don't quite feel like must-watch television right now despite having incredible talent across both companies. Is it a lack of compelling stories? Are companies relying too heavily on established stars? Or is the wrestling landscape simply in a quieter period?

Then, I have some fun fantasy booking what a WWE version of Forbidden Door could look like using the company's current partnerships with NXT, TNA Wrestling, AAA, and Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Do you think wrestling has lost some of its excitement? And what matches would you book for a WWE Forbidden Door event?

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