So according to the radio show this morning, we are WAY off in our pointless speculation. Current direction until they change their mind again:
John Cena against someone in the undisputed main event. Not Hulk Hogan. Dave has no idea who is even left to book for the spot, but WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top.
Brock Lesnar v Undertaker
Royal Rumble winner Batista v WWE champ Randy Orton
HHH v Vince's guy
Bryan and Punk probably doing something.
Boy, that lineup sure makes you wanna run out and buy the Network, huh?
John Cena against someone in the undisputed main event. Not Hulk Hogan. Dave has no idea who is even left to book for the spot, but WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top.
Brock Lesnar v Undertaker
Royal Rumble winner Batista v WWE champ Randy Orton
HHH v Vince's guy
Bryan and Punk probably doing something.
Boy, that lineup sure makes you wanna run out and buy the Network, huh?
If that's still the lineup coming out of Royal Rumble, there will at least be two floor tickets for WM on sale on EBay shortly after the Rumble.
ReplyDeleteI wish wwe knew how to work backwards from wrestlemania and plan each ppv according to that. I know we like some unpredictability but at least it should be unpredictability that makes some sense.
ReplyDeleteMan, WWE never ceases to fuck shit up, even when you think it's nearly impossible for them to do it. Batista-Orton? Seriously? Nobody wanted to watch this match back when it happened for the first time. What makes them think it's a money match now? Fuck WWE.
ReplyDeleteThere are only two viable options:
ReplyDelete- Cena/Lesnar rematch
- Cena/Undertaker
If you had to build someone you'd have to do it now. Mark Henry could work if you let him go on an ass-kicking spree, but Vince would probably want to recreate Hulk/Andre in some way and have it be Show/Cena.
Knowing WWE, Big Show will be Vince's guy
ReplyDelete"Bryan and Punk probably doing something."
ReplyDeleteWow. Just, wow.
Truthfully, I'm hoping Vince or HHH is having someone tell Dave alot of bullshit and they're trying to swerve the internet. Cause if they run that card, the most interesting matchup is Brock/Taker, and they REALLY shouldn't do that
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see the unstoppable monster that is Brock Lesnar lose yet another match.
ReplyDeletePre show divas mixed tag match.
ReplyDeleteThe Cena item doesn't even make sense. If you don't know who you're putting Cena up against, how is it the Main Event? No build, no title, nothing to make anyone care except John Cena? Cena vs. Ryback doesn't sell out Wrestlemania, neither does Cena vs. The Shield or Cena vs. Antonio Cesaro. There needs to be a reason for people to care about it.
ReplyDeleteThat's the crappiest WM card I've seen in a good long while.
I love these 'reports'. Why not just admit you have no idea Dave?
ReplyDeleteMeltzer just makes shit up
ReplyDeleteIf Bryan is Vince's Guy, and Punk faces Cena for the title in the main event, I'll buy. Fuck that Orton/Batista bullshit, unless it's just a grudge match and the title isn't involved.
ReplyDeleteKeep calm and wrestle on.
ReplyDeleteThe Rumble hasn't even happened yet. Chill people.
He's an attraction...
ReplyDeleteI am SHOCKED nobody is talking about how this could be Undertaker's last match. It is the last 'mile-stone' Wrestlemania he could conceivably compete at (ie, mother-fucker is getting OLD). If that's the case, I could see Brock actually being the guy who Taker hand-picks to end The Streak. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
ReplyDeleteWill The Undertaker be able to stop this beast with a .500 record who is so powerful that he was begging HHH to "please stop!" in their cage match? WILL HE?
ReplyDeleteWhat I think: HAHA.
ReplyDeleteWon't happen in a million years. You're nuts if you think otherwise.
ReplyDeleteCheckers?
ReplyDeleteI actually hope this is what they run, because when it flops I'm excited to hear the excuses why....
ReplyDeleteCena-Taker for the title and Brock-Batista would be much better. And Orton can wrestle who cares.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy that Batista is going to win it, at all. I'm sticking with either Punk/Bryan. Neither guy has won a Rumble, Batista already has. From a historical perspective, it would just make no sense.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy that lineup. Cena will face one of Triple H, Batista, Lesnar, Orton or Undertaker.
ReplyDeleteCena vs HHH, Lesnar vs Taker, and Orton vs Batista would just be hilarious in its badness. Fuck at this point I hope they do that because WHY NOT.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, last year the three big winners at Wrestlemania 29 were John Cena, Triple H and The Undertaker, and I was stunned at how insane it was that those three guys would win the main events at a show in 2013. I even thought, well, THIS will be the Mania where they finally make some new guys, and then the above becomes a possibility.
I wonder how many more years they can keep mixing and matching Mania main events from just Cena/Batista/Taker/HHH/Orton? Guess we'll find out!
Good points, but the thing is that Batista is big you see.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting thought, but I don't think it happens b/c Brock isn't a "WWE" guy in that he doesn't need wrestling. He does it strictly for the money (from all reports) and it would be meaningless to him b/c he is just as likely to walk away after WM30 as Taker is. Honestly, if it's broken, my money is on HHH being the guy to do it in a couple of years.
ReplyDelete"The Cena item doesn't even make sense. If you don't know who you're
ReplyDeleteputting Cena up against, how is it the Main Event? No build, no title,
nothing to make anyone care except John Cena?"
Have you been watching the WWE recently?
So define probably something as it portrays to db and punk? Opening match battle royal?? Wouldn't surprise me at this point. But it looks like big Dave vs trips than right?
ReplyDeleteThere's also that whole starring in a Marvel movie thing.
ReplyDeleteIf Shawn Michaels comes back and wrestles Bryan or Punk that by itself makes the show worth buying for me. They can't be having him screw with both of these guys for no reason, can they?
ReplyDeleteA big ex factor in it is Sheamus. When he comes back, they're going to position him highly somewhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really THAT bad...
ReplyDeleteThis is the year for Cena vs Taker... I just feel like it has to be. It's Wrestlemania 30, and it doesn't appear that Cena will be in the title mix.
ReplyDeleteReally hoping HBK decides to wrestle. I was happy with the way he went out but he is my favorite of all time. Already have laid the groundwork for a matchup w/Bryan (hype videos would be swank w/videos from Bryan being trained). HBK might hold the keys to how the card pans out.
CM Punk vs HHH also makes sense... CM punk can get more and more Jericho'ish in his insults of Steph before HHH snaps.
I think the Shield vs Wyatt's would be a good mania match. Or a Shield triple threat for the US title and bragging rights (maybe it's not a full fledged breakup yet)
Orton vs Batista for the strap... Digging big Dave coming back.
Brock Lesnar vs RVD in extreme rules? Can't find a spot for Brock which is odd. He just hasn't been around enough. A rematch with Punk makes sense but I don't see that. Sheamus could work. But heyman firing Axel and Ryback for failing while he was gone makes sense then Heyman cutting a promo about all the "heyman guys". Leaching off of his name value. Pretty much shitting on all te heyman guys other than Brock. Out comes RVD. I don't know. I'm reaching now.
Rhodes explode!!! I don't agree with this but everyone seems to think it's set in stone. Only way I'll care is if Cody goes back to being Dashing.
Big Show, Mark Henry, Big E, Dolph, Kofi vs Alberto, Cesaro, Swagger, Miz
Sheamus vs Ryback
The reason being that HBK needed something to do to justify an appearance fee.
ReplyDeleteThe big question is... which match does HBK special referee in? Cause you can't have Wrestlemania without MR. Wrestlemania! Like, legally I don't think you can.
ReplyDeleteYup that movie coming out 4 months later will definitely create lots of buys for a match-up that people have consistently not given a shit about on several B-ppvs over the years.
ReplyDelete"WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top. " That would be an excellent thought to have in 2007 or so.
ReplyDelete2014 not so much.
Punk's idea of a mixed divas tag is when he has two at onc
ReplyDelete*PLEASE STAND BY*
HHH vs Stephanie for control.
ReplyDelete'Going to' star in a Marvel movie. GOTG isn't even out yet. It'd be one thing if it was WM31 and Batista was returning as the old legend-turned-major movie star, but his movie cred isn't there yet.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Batista in April 2014 will still only be famous as Batista the wrestler. He won't have any mainstream shine yet.
ReplyDeleteThe one good thing I will say about Batista vs Orton for the title is at least it will pay off the Batista title chase that fans have been loudly clamoring for and invested in all year. So that's cool.
ReplyDeleteAparently you don't know Vince/HHH. If they think Batista can pop a rating for a few weeks, they will bury everyone who wrestle's year round in order to do so. The only way you can become a star in the WWE is if you go outside the company and gain some kind of mainstream exposure, which is why if Miz's movie career hits big, get ready to have him go over everyone on the active roster.
ReplyDeleteBatista/Orton actually makes a lot of sense as a match given the 'face of the company' tie-in (Batista tells Orton he was similarly obsessed with that at one point but let it go) and their shared history in Evolution. Plus, while the two of them feuded a couple of times over the years, it's still a relatively fresh matchup.
ReplyDeleteWhile Batista/Orton makes sense, however, it doesn't make sense as a title bout. If Cena's match will indeed be the one on top, then I expect Cena to get the belt back at Royal Rumble.
Brock/Taker seems to be set in stone. If it's Taker insisting on the match since Brock is his UFC buddy, more power to him. If there's still choice in the matter, however, wouldn't it make 100 times more sense to have Cena/Undertaker headline and have Brock face Sheamus on the undercard? Then you get your iconic main event and also have a huge, stiff, hard-hitting semi-main that puts Sheamus over as a big deal again following his absence, even if Brock wins the actual match.
So do Punk and/or Bryan get to job to Batista at Elimination Chamber to build him up for his Mania match, or are they not big enough stars to get that match yet?
ReplyDeleteUndertaker made the mistake of putting Lesnar over once only to have him quit and fail at playing in the NFL. Won't happen again.
ReplyDeleteIf this is true, the problem remains that all of the main event matches involve part-time wrestler's AGAIN while guys on the active roster are delegated to second fiddles. No new stars are created, the mid-card continues to be non-existent, and it is the same old BS. This card, if true, is worse than last year's card and that was pretty shitty. They are venturing into Wrestlemania IX territory here.
ReplyDeleteSo they could fix the "who will Cena face" problem and the "who is Vince's guy" problem by having those two face each other.
ReplyDeleteBut man this card looks like a dog to me.
I'm not advocating it, but why wouldn't they do Cena-Batista? Batista left WWE after losing to Cena.
ReplyDeleteThe E must feed misinformation so the real dirt stays kept behind doors for as long as possible. MAKE NO MISTAKE, Bryan is your next "face of WWE" and your next champ. Vince HAS to hear all the love Bryan gets. Vince at times LOVES taking away what the fans want. It's all in the beard. The beard is there.....TO SHAVE. Bryan will be backed by the authority as their beardless, buzz cut, champion. HHH gets to stay a dick by taking away the Bryan we all love and giving him a 180 degree transformation. No more shaggy lumberjack looking YES! chanting underdog. But your clean cut, condescending Bryan. Who gives Cena his win back at Mania.
ReplyDeleteSheamus and Del Rio should have a ten year feud so that they can't interfere in anything good.
ReplyDeleteHow bout punk n d Bryan vs dancing negros?
ReplyDeleteI'll believe it when I see it. It seems obvious to me that they're planting the seeds for Punk/hhh and Bryan/hbk. I think we'll get hbk screwing db out of the title again at the rumble and they'll start building from there. Who knows, though?
ReplyDeleteIn a hate crime match?
ReplyDeleteProbably more than that.
ReplyDeleteWith the white guys winning!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, hopefully they all won't come out on elaborate vehicles and wear crazy costumes..oh wait...were in New Orleans.
ReplyDeleteHe was in one or 2 films before hand, granted they weren't mainstream or did poorly at the box office.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY guys that could salvage "HHH vs Vinces guy" aernt coming back, Austin or Rock. Since we all know they aernt coming back to work with HHH in a non main event, just fucking scrap the whole idea and build a card based on what would sell.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad Rock is apparently unavailable for this card. That would give Brock a legit, worthwhile opponent with an actual back story and free up the rest of the card as we all want it. Just imagine:
ReplyDeleteCena/Taker - Title vs. Streak
Rock/Lesnar
HHH/Punk
HBK/Bryan
Batista/Orton
That's quite the star power there and probably the last time they could ever do it. Throw in Jericho against one of the young guys and a token Hogan appearance and you truly have "the end of an era" with most of those guys having their final match on the card.
End of An Era??? HAHAHAHAHAHA.
ReplyDeleteHHH/Taker/HBK etc will be clogging up Mania main events for at least another decade. They will NEVER GO AWAY.
I also tell ya, those Face Batista vs Randy Orton 20-minute dueling promos on Raw about who was HHH's better protege are going to be ELECTRIC.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought about this on the way to work... should have worded it "two more".
ReplyDeleteGod, that's for SURE the direction I thought they go if they didn't go Cena/Taker.
ReplyDeleteA little short, but acceptable.
ReplyDeleteYou seem very bitter in this thread.
ReplyDeleteYet.
ReplyDeleteMan Dave is just grabbing at straws it seems like on this one.
ReplyDeleteEh, I just think that the possibility of Taker/Lesnar, Cena/HHH, and Orton/Batista is laughably bad. Like, to me that'd pretty much be the least appealing Wrestlemania card possible.
ReplyDeleteAs a fan, I just desperately want a Mania without the old timers and it seems like we're gonna be getting these same guys headlining for the next decade.
This comment is very difficult to understand.
ReplyDelete...in bed.
ReplyDeleteIt is like the fortune cookie rule
You should really lay off the drugs
ReplyDeleteYea, I'm with you on not liking Daves "rumored" card. Was actually enjoying the bitter comments.
ReplyDeleteGot into a huge debate over it the other day, but I think with the 50/50 booking philosophy here to stay, the part timers are the best way to sell WM. WWE doesn't do a good enough job of creating top level guys the other 11 months of the year to really have a strong enough roster to sell 1 million WMS w/o all the special attraction guys.
I'd much rather see a card with HBK/HHH/Batista/Goldberg (if he comes back) and the Hogan nostalgia act then Dolph/Kofi and whoever else at this point.
Dave is sitting in a room somewhere reading shit like this going DANCE PUPPETS DANCE!!!
ReplyDeleteVince then runs that exact card just to fuck with Dave's poor attempt at reverse psychology. And makes sure Punk/Bryan are off the show before the first 30 minutes are done.
ReplyDeleteThe last part of his idea wasn't COMPLETELY terrible, it was just hard to hear between all the bong rips.
ReplyDelete"Dave has no idea who is even left to book for the spot, but WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top."
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until they get the buy rates for TLC.
Well it's a self-fullfilling prophecy sort of thing, in that they book awfully all year and create no viable stars, so then come Mania time they have no choice but to mix and match the part-timers against eachother.
ReplyDeleteSo sure it's the only thing they can do come every January, but how much longer is it even going to be possible? Rock is never coming back again. Hogan can't wrestle. etc etc.
But I guess realistically, HHH and HBK and now Batista will just come out of retirement once a year and cash those checks into their 60s. Cena and Orton are probably perma-main eventers for at least another 10-15 years. Lesnar will come back and job to someone in the inner circle (Taker beats him this year, Orton gets to beat him next year?) for as long as they keep paying him his insane fee. (Which may not be much longer, actually, since I think this Taker loss finishes him as anything more special than "White Mark Henry.")
So yeah, you're right, its probably PartTimerMania for at least a decade.
Prediction: Wrestlemania 35's main event won't have any actual competitors, it'll just be a match with 7 different guest refs: HBK, HHH, Hogan, Batista, Vince, Steph, Taker. Which ref will turn????
If they were bringing Big Dave back in his awesome heel persona then I would be really excited to see him return... but chances are he's gonna be bought back in as a face, get stale really really quickly and get constantly injured just like he did before the heel turn.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can see Vince going with this... Shaving Bryan to turn the fans against him and make him a corporate stooge.
ReplyDeleteThis is all hypothetical since Rock ain't coming back but I'd mark out for 1 last Rock/HHH match. Guys that came up together, had a kayfabe and real life rivalry, amd both had become huge successes in their own right. It would be a great bookend to end their careers
ReplyDeleteI don't think Meltzer makes things up, but I think he posts whatever news he gets in order to get hits on his site, or mentions random crap someone may have been theorizing about to get people talking about his podcast. Because that's how "news" works in the 21st Century. There's no fact-checking on this, just "oh shit, I need to get this out there" before the "news" becomes obsolete.
ReplyDeleteI don't ever see them changing. They'll re brand Orton and Punk as the greatest ever amd bring them in for part time spots when they retire. I'm sure Cena will stick around for 1 offs for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThey always pull the rabbit out of their ass to sell mania. 10 years ago we'd never think Taker was gonna be a top mania draw at this time. 5 years ago we never thought Rock would save their asses for 3 WMs. Trump. HBK and Batista this year. This is just their way of protecting the WM brand and making it seem bigger then everything else. That's the majority of the draw, not what's on the card. Obviously a great main event will swing it a few hundred thousand buys but they're so invested in selling the bramd, the part timers are here to stay
But surely the logic has it that WM XXX sells itself, whereas 'Taker retiring' could sell WM 31 on its own?
ReplyDeleteOn the surface that does make sense, but I don't think it'll end up being able to work out too well. Basically, the guys who would someday transition into "part time Mania special attractions" will not be draws on the level that these current part timers are, because they haven't been built up that way.
ReplyDeleteSo once HHH/Taker/HBK/Batista/Brock are non factors (and I'd venture that HBK in a non-wrestling role is already a total non-factor as a draw, HHH isn't that much of a wrestling draw anymore, and Brock is dead after the upcoming taker loss.), who are the next set of part-time draws?
- Cena: Yeah, he'll work in this capacity. Biggest star of the generation, he'll draw money as a part-timer.
- Orton: Totally worthless. Not only is he not a draw, but fans just actively don't care about him. He won't affect future Mania buyrates.
- Punk: Yeah we love him and all and he has a massive following, but they've beaten him in every single huge match he's been in except cena MITB '11. (Vs HHH, Rock twice, Taker, Brock.) It's a stretch at this point for them to someday bill him as this returning megastar when he wasn't treated that way during his career, and he was effectively jobbed out to the previous generation on all the bigstages.
- Daniel Bryan: B+ player, not a big enough star for HHH to face. That type of shit takes the shine off his legacy for sure.
And then... WHO ELSE? There's nobody else even approaching that level.
The part-timer thing worked well in this period because of how insanely protected the Attitude Era stars (Rock, HHH, HBK, Taker) were and how massively over they were coming from the hottest era in wrestling history. But that's not the case now. Once the Attitude Era guys can't be used anymore, there really is nobody other than Cena that can step in. And let's be honest, Cena's no Rock when it comes to mainstream viewers.
Two words; Christmas Bounty.
ReplyDeleteAnd Batista isn't a big mainstream star, yet. He was a big star in wrestling 8 or 9 years ago, and then headlined Smackdown for a few years.
I'd love a return of the WM carts!
ReplyDeleteAll fair points. In a vacuum, I don't think any of the part timers except maybe Batista any re really a "draw." I don't think Goldberg moves the needle AT ALL. HBK moves the needle a little but not a ton at this point.
ReplyDeleteObviously there is no Rock to bring back for the next generation but the novelty of seeing guys like Orton, Punk, Cena come back will be enough to keep the special attraction stuff feeling special special. WWE will re brand them as the 3 greatest attractions ever, sure we'll know better but they'll still help sell WM.
If you think WWE can make Randy Orton a "special attraction"...
ReplyDeleteBATISTA SMASH PUNY PUNK/BRYAN
ReplyDeletePuppets = black wrestlers?
ReplyDeleteSerious question: How is 30 "selling itself" at the moment?
ReplyDeleteI think Seph made HHH tap in both scenarios.
ReplyDelete[Mills Lane] I'LL ALLOW IT!!! [/Mills Lane]
ReplyDeleteOf course they could.
ReplyDelete"LOOK!! ON THE RAMP!! IT'S COLONEL DEBEERS!!!"
ReplyDeleteIm saying this now....
ReplyDeleteIf Shawn Michaels returns to face Daniel Byran (which really it should be Cena vs Byran due to the current storyline) and if Undertaker faces Brock.... Because Hogan can't do a match, the best thing is Cena vs Goldberg. Yes Ryback is really in the doghouse and no sense to waste a Ryback/Goldberg match at WM. Cena/Goldberg match is really the only match at this point which could draw.
Honestly, I never really understood the division, but I sided with Bret vs Austin anyway.
ReplyDeleteOrton was OVER before Summerslam doing absolutely nothing. He'd be fine playing the nostalgia face apex predator role in 2 month part timer role. He's the 2nd biggest star of the Cena era. It's human nature to think "their generation" is the best amd to clamor for nostalgia. Well know better, but once they re brand him and promote the shit outta him, his HOF career, and promote him as being "Cenas life long arch rival" of course people will buy into him.
ReplyDeleteIt was anywhere in the world besides the US, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteCool, thanks man.
ReplyDeleteHe's had a much better career then Foley and Foley did part time stuff with evolution and edge that people were into
ReplyDeleteRumors were Hogan have him a nice some of money so his pin looked legit
ReplyDeleteWell, from what I remember from Wrestling With Shadows, it was more about not wanting to drop the belt in Canada. Yes, he hated Shawn, but the other factor was more important to him.
ReplyDeleteIt still kind of amazes me that they didn't have a finish booked on the day of a major PPV. I now no that happens more often than not and things happen on the fly for various reasons, but it still sort of blows my mind a bit.
Pretty sure that film would have made incredible money if it had that "money shot."
ReplyDeleteHe is in Guardians of the Galaxy next summer so he may wind up breaking through. Agreed that he is not there yet though.
ReplyDeleteI am waiting with anticipation that once Shad Gaspard starts gaining some mainstream recognition, he will be welcomed back with open arms.
That's why JTG still has a job... Shad will need someone to kill when he comes back. Why not his former partner?
ReplyDeleteThink about the quality of woman that his wife is for going along with it.
ReplyDeleteHe was over as a popular midcard face, but he wasn't a tippy top guy. Everytime WWE pushes him to that level (see: NOW) the fanbase rejects it. And Orton was NOT the second biggest star of the Cena generation: Batista was by a mile. Orton has never sniffed the level of stardom that Batista had going into and coming out of Mania 21.
ReplyDeleteHell, Edge was actually a much bigger star in the 2000s then Orton ever was— Edge was their go-to heel champ, he carried Smackdown as their main star for a few years. Other than having to retire early, Edge was a much bigger deal than Orton the entire time they were in the promotion together.
And then aside from Batista and Edge, Orton never rose above the level of the old guys who stuck around during his career (Taker, HBK, HHH) and he was eclipsed in popularity by guys who came after him. (Punk's a much bigger star than Orton, and Bryan dwarfs him in crowd reactions.)
I'm not saying they can't bring him back as a semi-useful part-time guy, but Orton is Jericho-level, not Rock/Taker/Lesnar in terms of stardom with the fanbase. Hell, I'd say Jericho had more of a connection with the fans than Orton ever has.
As for your point below about Foley, I couldn't disagree more. Foley's hot 2-3 years is WAYYYY bigger than Orton's entire career. Foley was a huge star during the most popular era in WWE history, had a massive connection with the fans, and got a good deal of mainstream fame. That's way bigger (in terms of stardom) than Orton getting overpush in a career of forgettable matches. (Seriously, what is Randy Orton's career defining moment of overness? Punting Vince a fe months before jobbing to HHH at Mania?)
Lastly, you're overlooking a very important thing that will always kill off Randy's ability to draw money as a special attraction someday: his PROMOS. The dude absolutely cannot hold the crowd's interest. Fast forward to Randy's big special atraction return, he gets the "wow haven't seen im in a few years pop" grabs the mic..and then..viper...apex...predator...I ...Am...Randy...Ort...BORING. BORING. BORING.
He's never going to mean much besides filling out the midcard on a Mania.
Jericho tapped to it, but I'm not positive he qualifies fully as a non jabroni at that point.
ReplyDeleteThe good news... unlike last year we have no idea what the 'Mania card will be. The bad news, unlike last year THEY have no idea what the 'Mania card will be.
ReplyDeleteYea, I can't agree. No, he's definitely not on the Brock/Rock level...Nobody except Cena could fill that as a part timer.
ReplyDeleteHe could easily slide into a mania 2nd or 3rd match from the top as a special attraction (like jericho vs punk) and be viewed as completely legit. That's what I mean when I say special attraction. Outside of Rock they haven't used anyone in the main event of WM who was a special attraction. Taker at this point to me is a different case then guys like Batista, Rock, Lesnar, etc. To think that Orton couldn't come back and fill a Jericho, Foley, or even HBK 3rd match from the top (like this year potentially) is laughable to me.
Good point which raises a question: were they already building to an Austin/McMahon feud as early as September 1997 (before Bret even left) with that Stunner in MSG, or was that simply retconned into the angle months later when it truly began (around December-ish)? I could see it either way since the stunner on McMahon was basically the culmination of all the other on-air figures Austin had stunned prior to that (Lawler, Ross, Slaughter) but it sure seemed to fit nicely with the eventual storyline.
ReplyDeleteas I keep repeating like a moron: there would be no drama in a regular match (because we have seen Cena lose several times) but make it a submission/I quit-match and all bets are off.
ReplyDelete(and that's exactly why the WWE would never book it. afaik neither of these two has ever lost by submission - obviously I am just counting from the time on after Cena became a big star).
So we're getting the return of big dumb good guy Batista?
ReplyDelete...
ReplyDeleteMind. BLOWN.
I'm pretty sure that would put me off of wrestling...or at the very least, I would mute the audio completely instead of largely ignoring it.
OK, Foley/Jericho level for Orton I could buy. The thing with taht though is that level of star doesn't really affect buyrates, it just makes the Mania card feel more special than say Night of Champions. Not saying there isn't value in that, because obviously there is, but just that Orton will never be the type of special attraction that really affects business.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, Cena's probably the only guy who will be able to do that as a special attraction someday, and that's the problem— Cena won't be able to fill the void of all the Attitude Era stars in a few years. The fact that they don't create new stars is gonna bite them in the ass in a few years, because there won't be any new PartTimers left (and I mean huge drawing ones, not Orton) to main event PartTimerMania.
I think so...if I recall correctly, the Hart Foundation (especially Bret) were still faces in Europe and wherever else they did shows at that time.
ReplyDeleteRock v Cena III!!
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan gets to take Rey's part as Batista's little buddy!
ReplyDeleteI don't think the "financial peril" line from Vince about Bret's contract came until September, so during Summerslam things were still hunky-dory - point well taken though.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like somebody's rejected NXT name.
ReplyDeleteA hate crime match sounds like something the Gangstas would be in.
ReplyDeleteNew Jack's not PG, though.
ReplyDeleteMmmmkay...
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what I remember. Fucking odd.
ReplyDeleteNeither are hate crimes.
ReplyDeleteVery, and another somewhat-odd, subtle thing is that Lawler was pro-Bret and anti-Austin in the US, but pro-Austin and anti-Bret in Canada and elsewhere...always thought that was pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteKanye Batista or GTFO.
ReplyDeleteThere's gotta be a joke about having 'Takers foot surgically removed from somebody's ass in there somewhere...
ReplyDelete"but WWE feels Cena is the guy and people will buy the show based on him being on top."
ReplyDeleteThis hasent been a realistic stat since 2006
Yea, think we discussed it before but the importance of the part timers and the musical acts to a lesser extent is to give WM that big show feel. This promotes and protects the "WM brand". It's subjective, but I think the Mania brand on its own will do 700-750 k just based in the name. To me that's the importance of all the part timers. Unless we organically get a situtation like WM 17 where they have 2 mega stara, I don't see them deviating from their current philosophy, for better or for worsw
ReplyDeleteSo that's how they make NXT names. Input the guys real name and use whatever Autocorrect spits out.
ReplyDeleteI'd be down with Cana / D-Bry / Punk v HHH / HBK / Kane.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm way more interested in seeing Taker face Lesnar than Cana.
Replay shows a clear tap before count #3, but I'd say Kurt's shoulders were down for 3 more than once; the ref made a show of checking the shoulder blades a few times, but prior to that, I was getting annoyed at the lack of a count. I've never seen this before; wasn't watching at the time.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it says a lot that right now I only watch Raw and PPVs because I do so while commenting on BOD. It's an effort to watch Smackdown on Hulu, and when I do, I fast forward past most of it to get to the finishes. Hell, tonight I may skip Raw because I have other stuff I want to do. Working on my music is important, but after that, I may opt for my NCCA14 game instead of Raw.
I want to see him douched up fist pumping to the ring to Lady Gaga.
ReplyDeleteBa-ba-ba-tist-a
I don't know if they have enough time to make Goldberg into a big deal for their current audience.
ReplyDeleteAre they chanting "C M PUNK?"
ReplyDeleteNo, they're chanting, umm, "BA TIS TA"
In Patrick's defense, it's not exactly like this was a finish that had been worked out months in advance. He was probably told a few hours before the match.
ReplyDeleteCementing his legacy baby!
ReplyDeleteFans want Daniel Bryan, they'll settle for CM Punk...and they're getting Batista. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteBryan wouldn't be believable against Batista's dick.
ReplyDeleteShad will come back after he needs money from all the lawsuits he'll have settled in after ripping off a bunch of comic book artists.
ReplyDeleteOh, I knew about that. Long-running rumor there. I was referring more to Patrick's comment from the shoot.
ReplyDeleteThere was also Lance Storm's run in WCW with Team Canada, which was something of a precursor to the Un-Americans.
ReplyDeleteThis guy gets it.
ReplyDeleteI'd buy that for a dollar. Literally.
ReplyDeleteBut their current audience are asking their parents, who know who Goldberg is, to buy the PPVs.
ReplyDeleteAlso what Excel did in the early nineties with their hidden FPS!
ReplyDeleteIf that ends up being the card I'm skipping WM. No ifs, ands or buts
ReplyDeleteI guess I would have been considered a "smark." I immediately jumped up and checked a bunch of sites looking for an explanation of what had happened. I don't remember if I knew that Bret was leaving, but it seems like I had heard that he was.
ReplyDeleteGod, that tag match would burn the galaxy down.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that is a better card right now. But I don't think it's a sustainable direction, and they really need to address their inability to make stars of their current generation.
ReplyDeleteWhy put the No Neck 'Roid Monkeys in that spot? HBK should wrestle DBry. HHH can fuck off for all I care and give Punk the match with Orton.
ReplyDeleteNot saying everyone but the smart fan narrative is "give the full timers wrestlemania matches so they become a star". The problem is how they book the other 11 months of the year. Even if guys like Dolph got a solid push and "a wrestlemania moment" who is to say he could ever be a top level draw? Everyone just assumes they have top level draws in the mid card, sure they could be portrayed better but the part timers/brand of WM is a given for at least 750 k.
ReplyDeleteThat card is awful, but I won't put any stock into anything until we get really close to the Rumble and afterward. If they don't pay off Bryan's run and ignore the hot reactions he's getting then I hope this produces a HUGE drop off in the WrestleMania buyrate.
ReplyDeleteI read your last sentence as "Cara" and was thinking "Taker vs. Sin Cara is not a WrestleMania attraction." Then again, the battle between the two over lighting schemes might be entertaining for a minute or something.
ReplyDeleteWasn't their first match billed as "Once in a Lifetime" or something like that?
ReplyDeleteWhen Batista used to be in the company he sort of had the CM Punk roll of sleeping with all the divas. It'd be cool if he brought that swag with him into his character, but this is TV-PG.
ReplyDeleteIsn't EVERY big first match billed that way?
ReplyDeleteThey panic and Roman Reigns beats John Cena in the main event in 8 seconds.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one that hates the Beat the Clock challenge? It just strikes me as really dumb.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Cena/Goldberg is Goldberg hasn't been around since 2004 and there's no "streak" for him either and I wouldn't support just feeding 70% of the roster to Goldberg to set that match up. Although Goldberg squashing the likes of the Miz or Los Matadores is a fun thought.
ReplyDeleteTHIS. There are diminishing returns with the older stars and I don't know what they are going to do in 10+ years when they get new guys and have these current "legends" return. Like, who is going to want to see another Orton match? Is anything going to be clamoring to see the Miz make an appearance?
ReplyDeleteWe argue about this quite a bit, but nothing is a given long term. If they don't create new stars that the audience wants to watch, that audience will shrink. 750k is absolutely not some kind of forever base level Wrestlemania buyrate. If the audience isn't given anything new to care about, and the old timers finally stop coming back (or come back past the point when they mean anything), the buyrate will fall, and if things stay the same it will continue to fall. There is absolutely no "The Wrestlemania brand will get people to spend $60 a year no matter how disinterested they are in the product" clause built into the Constitution. It's a product like anything else, and they are absolutely doing long term damage to the product by basically telling their audience NOBODY IS WORTH WATCHING ANYMORE EXCEPT THE OLD GUYS.
ReplyDeleteAnd remember, Wrestlemania's buyrate fell 200k buys last year. That is a HUGE drop, and that was on a card that had The Rock and was adding Brock in his first Mania match in 10 years. There absolutely is precedent for the buyrate dropping.
The current audience won't care about Goldberg at all. He had a hot YEAR in WCW in 1998, and pretty much bombed in his one WWE run. (Sure it was bad booking, but it's not like the WWE audience was going nuts for him other than for a few minutes at the Elimination Chamber match.) And that was TEN Years ago.
ReplyDeleteFans are chanting Goldberg as a funny thing to do during Ryback matches. WWE is fooling themselves if they think the majority of their audience even remembers who he is.
I agree the stars in 10 years wont have the same magnitude of Brock/Rock etc. (See my disucssiln with worst in the world below) But WWE has done a GREAT of doing the special attraction stuff for years. Like 10 years ago, nobody thoght UT would be this huge WM draw. 5 years ago nobody thought they get rock for 3 WMs. 2 years ago nobody thought hbk would come back. Trump..wtf but it worked.
ReplyDeleteCena will be a part time guy forever IMO. Punk and orton at least could be foley or jericho types of part ti e guys that can work 2nd or 3rd from the top of a mania card. Ill give the wwe the benefit of the doubt on this strategy until they really start shitting the bed with it
That's a pretty ridiculous statement.
ReplyDeleteAnd even if that's what you personally would believe while watching that match, the same isn't true for 99.9% of the WWE audience. People absolutely buy Cena as having a chance to end the streak. Again, I'm not saying audience members would go betting on it, but they'd accept it as a posibilities and pop for near falls throughout the match in a way they never would during a Taker vs Anyone-else-including-Brock match.
This could really be one hell of a thread at this point... two big debates on PartTimerMania vs. building for the future in the last few days.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on a stipulation UT match intrigue me. Never thought of doing it but a last man standing or I quit Taker match would be...interesting
ReplyDeleteThose early days had to be rough for him cause I know he had to hear her yammering on about how he shouldn't have left. You make a good point though, she stuck it out with him and gave him support. All you can really ask for.
ReplyDeleteHere's my other thing on the "create new stars" vs "PartTimerMania" strategy debate.
ReplyDeleteWWE popped a great buyrate with Wrestlemania 21, and that was built completely around the promise of crowning two new megastars. (Batista and Cena, plus they gave Orton the Taker match and Edge the MITB win.) Cena and Batista going over the heel champions was THE DRAW for that show, and it drew.
And then a year later they pretty much had nothing on the card other than a still-hot new star in Cena defending his title, and Mania 22 did a surprisingly good buyrate too.
And yeah, the next few years saw them pull stunts (Trump, Mayweather) to inflate teh buys, but having fresh new stars like Cena/Batista/Edge definitely were a major part of those shows doing so well.
It wasn't until Cena/Edge/Batista/Orton became overexposed that buyrates started dropping a bit. (Mania 25 was undera million, and Mania 26 did 800+k.) Then they turned it into PartTimerMania the last few years.
The thing was that at LEAST there's been modern stars like Cena that could go toe to toe believably with part-timers like Rock. What happens in a few years when the everyday roster is COMPLETELY chumps who the fans don't believe against the real stars? (Aka the guys over 50.) That shit is absolutely not going to sell.
It feels like they've already feuded for ten years.
ReplyDeleteHe has hands like frying pans. They hit as hard as typewriters.
ReplyDeleteWould Daniel Byran be considered a Byronic Hero?
ReplyDeleteSo I guess HBK for Wrestlemania is now out of the question?
ReplyDelete(At least for this week?)
I think this is it for Taker. Shawn...I really don't think he works again either.
ReplyDeleteEventually we are gonna agree on something...I know it.
ReplyDeleteTwo main points. 1) Youre extrapolating a worst case scenario to this. Like I said before, theyve pulled rabbits out of their ass for years that fans never saw coming. 10 years ago NOBODY thought a super obvious win by UT at WM would draw. He never drew huge money as a regular but they somehow evolved him to a wm synonymous draw. 5 years ago nobody thought Rock would come back for 3 manias. Hbk wasnt a huge draw on top but hed help sell manias this year. Trump and mayweather, who would have thought theyd ever help sell manais. I know the theory is "guys now aernt the stars of yesteryear so they wont have magnitude to draw as special attractions" (which weve discussed on the orton/foley/jericho thing) but Taker was never a huge draw as a regular, now he is THE draw for mania. They have enougn resources and enough invested in mania to come up with new draws fof mania, whatever that may be.
2) yea, Cena and batista helped sell WM 21. People are assuming that they have guys on their roster that they can automatically turn into stars. Seriously, would anyone give a fuck about a dolph win at WM at this point? That wouldnt sell anything. Yea, I know that the problem is largely on how theyd book and protect these guys going into mania so they LOOK like stars. If they dont see anyone of their roster that has that capability, its a moot discussion since theyd be poorly booked up to and then after their "wrestlemania moment"
I feel Meltzer just throws darts at names for these WM "reports".
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else think Jericho would fit well in this mix? He could go against Cena. He could be Vince's guy against HHH, acknowledging that he was the first undisputed champion, etc. RVD has to be in here somewhere as well (does anyone think he's not coming back?) so if nothing else, they could do a fan's dream tag match of RVD/Jericho vs. Punk/Bryan.
ReplyDeleteI would love nothing better than for Jericho to be Vince's guy, so he can finally get that win against HHH and finally prove, once and for all, that he's not the marginal player that HHH has always said he is. But that's ultimately a fantasy and will never happen.
ReplyDeleteWho thinks cena would go over? Some kid? Maybe but that's only because he doesn't know any better. Dude the undertakers streak is a lazy crutch that helps sell mania. Do you really think wwe creative is giving up that crutch for one angle? (Rhetorical) Plus calloway (look how insider I am!) is only working one match a year. Flair and funk worked full schedules into their mid 50's. Ut has at minimum 5 more of these, maybe even fucking ten of them. There is ZERO chance anyone is going over undertaker. Not cena. Not regins. Not the next guy. Not my (brilliant) fantasy booking of having him fight the shield 3 on 1.
ReplyDeleteNow would the non-smarks have as enlightened of a perspective of wwe as you and me? No but there were people who thought mark henry or cm punk would beat him too. Those dipshits will lap up whatever trash Vince serves them anyways.
I'd say its far more ridiculous for guys to pine over a taker job/cena turn or a taker job to an up and comer that won't ever happen than it is to point out that undertaker isn't jobbing at mania to anybody so attempting to use the "believability" of someone going over as the litmus test for facing the undertaker is probably being a little ridiculous.
Stupid phone. Good catch though; fixed.
ReplyDeleteThat's wwe creatives motto!
ReplyDeleteNot to beat this dead horse too hard but the to me one indicator that the streak won't end is that hhh jobbed 3 times. You know if there was any chance they would end it huntor would have made q huge power play to do it.
ReplyDelete1) I'm not totally sure what your point in bringing up Taker here is. Is it that 10 years ago he wasn't a draw, and now he is, and we never saw that coming so who knows maybe someone on the roster now will be that as a special attraction in ten years? Because that doesn't hold water. Even 10 years ago Taker was protected in a way that NOBODY on the everyday roster is, and he also has the STREAK to draw for him. There's not gonna be any comparable situation to Taker in the future.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for Rock, yeah we didn't expect him to come back, but the point is that the only reason him coming back and drawing was even a possibility is because at some point WWE had made him into a big star. Yeah it was a longshot he came back, but he did, and that was a possibility because he was a big wrestling star that WWE built. Who's The ROck in five years? MIZ? The way WWE is (not) building any new acts now, they're basically putting themselves in a position where a few years from now the ONLY thing that could sell Wrestlemania will be completely non-wrestling entities like Trump, Mayweather, Kanye West, whoever. The current roster will continue to mean shit, and there won't even be any part-time wrestlers left who could work. There'll be nothing left other than celebrity appearances.
2) "yea, Cena and batista helped sell WM 21." Correction. Cena and Batista ABSOLUTELY sold Wrestlemania 21. Batista almost exclusively. And then they went on to sell a shitload of PPVs after that, including the next few Manias. Austin and Rock sold Wrestlemanias 14-17, which were four GIANT shows built around new stars.
You're right about someone like Dolph— at this point there's an entire generation of guys (Dolph, Kofi, ADR, etc) who either have ben rejected by the fans already or booked so poorly that they will never ever mean anything. But as far as guys like Bryan, Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Punk? Building the show around them year round and then paying them off with big matches/wins at Mania could absolutely turn them into money-drawing big stars that would negate the need for part-timers.
The biggest problem is that the Head Part Timer pretty much has the book, so the focus of WWE now is how to book the show so that he and his pals (Taker, Orton, HBK, now Batista) continue to keep their spots.
"RVD/Jericho vs. Punk/Bryan" Something like that seems like a distinct possibility for an opening match.
ReplyDeleteThe match ends in a no-contest with 4 pedigrees so HHH could build some heat for his match later in the show vs Cena.
Don't even go there!
ReplyDeleteHey guys, just ran into Vince McMahon earlier this morning at a bathhouse and he told me the card for Wrestlemania:
ReplyDeleteRhodes Boys vs. Big Show and Rey for the Tag Titles - Big Show KOs all three members of the Rhodes family for the win, then he goes backstage and KOs Dusty's dog, then he goes to the hotel and KOs Cody's hot wife...if you know what I mean.
Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins - Reigns pins both guys in fifteen seconds
The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Curtis Axel vs. Rey Mysterio in a Winner Gets Unlimited WWE Title Shots, But Only on RAW and Only When the Ratings Aren't Doing Bad Match - Big Show KOs everybody, is declared winner.
HHH vs. HBK in a Staring Match - 45 minute classic. HHH wins when Shawn's eye swerves him.
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in a Respect Match - Brock reads a ten-minute prepared statement explaining why it's important to wear a suit and tie in public before stating Taker is the best submission wrestler ever. WWE loops the last part for another five minutes while Cole laughs.
John Cena vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Title - Triple pin. Abeyance leaves Wrestlemania with the belt.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the Internet Pre-Show: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, & Dolph Ziggler vs The Wyatts. Vince didn't say what the finish was gonna be, just that he didn't give a fuck and that the Internet feed would probably cut out and they'd start playing video packages to hype Cena's match.
He only does it because he knows that's how WWE Creative books RAW from week to week.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: If Bryan and Punk end up facing off in a face vs face match (or with Bryan turning heel as a Wyatt), do you love or hate that?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd absolutely hate that match. There'd be nothing on the line, neither of them would really gain anything, and it might as well be billed as the B+ Players Brawl or something. It'd basically be a confirmation, no matter how good the actual match is, that both of them are levels below the real main eventers on the card. Plus t'd be creating a feud that right now the audience isn't asking for, as opposed to all the possible feuds that Bryan (vs Orton, HHH, HBK) and Punk (vs Brock, HHH) should be paying off.
It's crazy but at this point in time, I'd be so disappointed with a Punk vs Bryan match at Wrestlemania.
Ill come back to taker but the thing with Rock...there isnt a Rock or Austin every generation. Those are once in a lifetime generation guys. No matter how many wrestlemania moments or wins youd give dolph or wade barrett or whomever, theyd never be the rock. Thats why they bring him back. The philosophy of "lets not bring in the old timers so we can turn someone into the rock" doesnt hold water because those guys just aernt on the roster. Gheyd be dumb not to use him every time he was willing to come back.
ReplyDeleteCm punk has been booked and protected exclusively as a top guy the last 2 years. Do you think him and Cena at the top sells without any special attractions sells 1 million? I dont
Hate it, unless the title was somehow involved and it went on 2nd from the top
ReplyDelete"Cm punk has been booked and protected exclusively as a top guy the last 2 years." Well, other than jobbing to HHH, Rock twice, Taker, and Lesnar with wins against none of them. So basically, he's been used to put over the entire old generation of wrestlers. But he has beaten Jericho and Ryback a lot!
ReplyDeleteObviously I'm being a little facetious, and yeah Punk has won a lot, but in no way has he been booked to create a megastar. he's been booked as a guy who isn't as good as your REAL STARS. When The Rock and HHH and Austin were being built, they were treated as the absolute stars of the company. With Punk, he's been treated as guy who is a big deal until the actual guys who are big deals come back. If they wnated to really see what they have in Punk and if he could be a draw, they would have put him over some of the old timers instead of jobbing him to ALL of them. Punk coming off wins against Rock and HHH has a much better chance of drawing PPV buys against Cena than the guy who jobs to every 40+ year old he goes up against.
Maybe there isn't a Rock or Austin on the roster, but maybe there is. They don't EVEN TRY. Fuck, if they booked like this in 1997 they absolutely wouldn't have even created a Rock or Austin, because they would have jobbed them out to Sgt. Slaughter and the LOD.
And even if there isn't a once-in-a-lifetime Rock or Austin on the roster, there's a good chance that there's a next Cena or Batista, and those guys absolutely sold a shitload of tickets and PPVs. Could you imagine WWE even booking a newer guy as strongly today as they did Batista that year, where he was the absolutely focus of the Wrestlemania build?
See, I disagree in the Punk thing. He was the only guy other then Cena to even get a 1-1 program with the rock. He didnt really come off any worse after that Brock feud. Yea, the HHH loss was inexcusable. The Taker thing is an outlier since nobody knew he was gonna win and putting up a good match with Taker at WM is still getting alot of rub.
ReplyDeleteI gotta run for a second. Im sure this wont be the last we have this debate
Since the Mania crowds lately have been pretty smarky, I think Goldberg actually would get a big reaction, so I think Goldberg would get a good reaction. The problem usually resides in what to do afterwards.
ReplyDelete"Ut has at minimum 5 more of these, maybe even fucking ten of them." There's zero to base this on. Flair's a fucking idiot and blew all of his money, and Funk is crazy, and neither of them seem to care how bad they look in the ring. I would venture to say that Undertaker isn't a retard like Flair, has a shitload of money, isn't particularly crazy, and from all reports he takes huge pride in still having the best match on the show. The idea that he's got a MINIMUM of 5 more Mania matches and probably ten just makes no sense. His body is broken down, he has more money than he would ever need— any year at this point could be his last match. And if he happens to decide one year that its his last match, there's no reason to believe he wouldn't go out losing. On who in the company do you think would be looked at as more worthy of that spot (by Taker, HHH, Vince) than John Cena? He's the fucking WWE corporate mascot, if they were ever going to have someone get that rub (whether for a heel turn or just as the ultimate Face Cena accomplishment) it would be him.
ReplyDeleteTaker doesn't care if he wins or not. It's not gonna come down to some markish "Oh Vince is gonna want to do right by Taker and let him go out with the STreak" decision. It's gonna be a decision of "If Taker is retired, can we make more money with The Streak never broken or someone breaking it?" And there's absolutely a good chance that decision falls on the side of "We can make a lot more money if John Cena breaks the Streak."
So again, I'm not trying to convince YOU that John cena will end the streak. YOU don't believe that, fine. But from a "smart fan" perspective there are tons of reasons (Taker is gonna retire very soon, Cena is the company mascot, Cena has the ultimate respect of the powerbrokers and Taker, there is lots of money to be made with Cena ending the STreak) why smart fans will absolutely buy into Cena winning. There will be WAY WAY WAY more smart fans who would order a Cena/Taker Mania match because "Oh shit, they might end the Streak!" than they would Taker/Lesnar or whatever.
Secondly, as for more markish fans (and I think you're fooling yourself if you think its only little kids who watch the show somewhat markishly) then John cena is absolutely the ultimate threat to The Streak. He is the fucking most dominant star of the decade, he's beaten every big star including THE ROCK. In kayfabe terms, he's by far the biggest opponent Undertaker could face aside from The Rock or AUstin. Lesnar has basically been turned into a White Mark Henry via their booking the last year— there's no way that fans would kayfabe buy him as a threat. In kayfabe terms, he's probably Taker's easiest opponent since Mark henry himself at Mania 22. (Also, there was noone in that Mania 22 crowd who was buying Henry as a threat. That match kinda died except for Taker's high spots.)
Didnt the Goldberg DVD sell pretty well though? Maybe they are thinking he is another name they can use to host some shit on the Network...
ReplyDeleteYea, that's that's a good question. Like I said, I'd like to think they had the Vince thing planned out bit I've never heard confirmation either way
ReplyDelete