Facing a steady decline in television ratings, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) may have to turn to an unlikely savior who possesses a brilliant mind for what wrestling fans want.

Todd Merrifield, pictured at right in the front row of a 1999 WCW event, is now 42 years old and unanimously regarded by wrestling industry insiders as a “genius” for storytelling, matchmaking, and visionary booking.

Although practically unknown to wrestling fans, Merrifield is a impresario behind the scenes of the business. Among his many accomplishments, he came up with the idea for the Bullet Club, and he is the Head Writer of both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Lucha Underground.

If recruited by WWE, Merrifield would almost certainly bring about an upswing in television ratings, given his keenly attuned sense of how sports-entertainment must evolve amid fast-changing geopolitical and demographic factors.

Sorry we couldn’t find a better picture of him. He’s quite elusive. Incidentally, the most prominent person in this picture, Vince Russo, would cause WWE ratings to further tank if brought back to the company.