As far as public interest goes, I find that when wrasslin was hot, the public had REASON to like it: I don't think it was just a trendy thing, if ever wrasslin could be considered trendy! People heard about Stone Cold, the antics, the build up...Foley and his self-mutilation (done before, but now in a way that was accessible rather than shock factor), all that made you wanna tune in each week.
I think the marketing ruined a lot of it. When you couldn't watch ten minutes of one pay per view before Jim Ross started cranking up promo for the NEXT show, it never allowed the reason why guys would actually watch a 'soap opera': unlike women, we WANT some fucking conclusion to plots, and we'd rather it be proper than some weak attempt to hype the next show. And monthly pay per views?...oversaturation for sure. When main events became little more than weekly episodes, there's trouble.
I find that today's guys are in better shape, yes, but their mic skills are waaaaaaay worse....yet they talk even more now than ever! Ok, so the Miz entertains for a while...Jericho still has it. But I was watching a lot of Vintage over the holidays, and DAMN, those promos were the best in the late 80s! I mean, Ted Dibiase: that guy can just ramble on and on and STILL be more believable than most of todays guys...just have a listen on youtube, his rants are just awesome. Same goes for Heenan. Maybe more managers might help things?
As far as the stupid plots, like Val Venis and his dick, I thought that was funny!..tasteless, lame filler, but funny enough while waiting for the good stuff. I'm not just being nostalgic, there's definitely something missing today that could, COULD be brought back.
But dollars and cents, man...why the F would Vince bother? If he's the big fish, and there's no threat, then why rock the boat? Simply dish out the slop for the pigs. But even when wrasslin wasn't popular (right after Hulkamania, right before Stone Cold), it was still entertaining...if only for its core audience, but who cares?
This is how modern economics fucks everything up. You can't just make 'some' money, ya gotta make ALL the money. Sometimes I wish some upstart would just come along and pick up where Vince dropped the ball. But even then, you know that all it takes to steal the talent would be the golden handshake from Vince and you'll left with nothing to show...money talks, and wrasslers love fucking money.
Whlie I can't pinpoint how it can be brought back, I just know that it will, somehow, one of these days. Wrasslin will never die out, but I don't wanna wait another ten fucking years. And the way it is now, it's just not fun to watch anymore.