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Cena vs Bryan

I know you are probably tired of this topic but I still can't believe this company wouldn't capitalize on Bryan's popularity at Mania.  It is about 99% that we are getting Orton vs Batista for the title at Mania and it boggles my mind that they would rather run that match when they have a huge rematch in Cena vs Bryan right there for the taking on a silver platter(Cena wins Sunday, Bryan wins Rumble...simple).  The Mania crowd would go absolutely insane for that main event.  And we all know Orton vs Batista will be Orton vs H and Jericho vs H all over again.  There is no way this company DOESN'T think the fans, especially the Mania crowd, will take a huge dump on that match.  I just can't believe they would bypass a huge opportunity like this.  Bryan finally winning the title would be a huge 'Mania moment'  I can't think of a better way for Mania to end other than all those fans chanting 'YES' as loud as they can as the show goes off the air.

They can still do Batista vs Orton.  Have Orton lose and cost Batista the Rumble win.  Again, simple.  I know Vince is stubborn but how could he not see this?  Take the crowd reaction to the ending of RAW a few weeks ago(Bryan turning on the Wyatts) and multiply that for Mania.  I just think WWE is missing a huge opportunity here.  Any thoughts?

I'll be glad when the Rumble's over and we'll know one way or another what's happening.

Comments

  1. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANJanuary 25, 2014 at 11:37 PM

    Orton/Batista wouldn't go on last. If they found a high profile opponent for Cena, it might curtain jerk. That's the difference. Trips forced that match up top and the crowd didn't care a whole lot. No way in hell is Orton/Batista going on last.

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  2. Do people realize that the WWE has worked the dirt sheets before? I'm mean, my money is on Batista winning the Rumble. But I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a 99 percent chance. I have not officially ruled out Bryan, or anyone else for that matter, winning just yet.

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  3. Just doesn't make sense to me either, which is why I'm keeping the faith that we're going off the air tonight to screams of YES! YES! YES!

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  4. ITS GOING TO BE BROCK VS BATISTA. NOT BATISTA/ORTON.

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  5. Oh please, like this will stop all the fan speculation. Instead of trying to figure out what they WILL do, it'll turn into what they SHOULD have done.

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  6. Great post. Great points. Very well said. If I could add anything, I would say as much as Vince may be possibly missing out on the strength of Bryan's popularity, he is equally missing the fans level boredom with Randy Orton. For the position Orton is currently in, with the crushing cash in & being backed by the machine, he doesn't generally receive natural heel heat. Just boring chants or zero heat. Fans were sick of Cena-Orton feuds 6-8 years ago. And although Orton has a great look, a unique work style & move-set, & has been cemented as a modern era stud, he has just become stale and boring. He peaked as the anti-hero.

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  7. Cena/Bryan headlined Summerslam, and the numbers were down for it this year compared to last. Don't think Vince won't remember that.


    The crowd at RAW after THIS Mania, though...hooooo boy. If Bryan doesn't do anything high profile at the show this year they better have him win the belt at that RAW just to keep the crowd from...going...


    Wait a minute. You don't think...? Naaahhh.

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  8. Not to be "that guy" but doesn't Bray have to go over tomorrow? Bryan got his comeuppance in the cage, knowing that the wwe is high on bray, doesn't he have to go over in some fashion?

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  9. I think that's what will happen, but then it leaves them with a situation where they're basically saying "PPVs don't matter any more... also, please subscribe to our Network so you can see all our PPVs!"

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  10. Orton will not be main eventing Wrestlemania or be champ. He is just not getting the necessary crowd response where people want to see him lose. The crowds are bored with him and just want to see him removed from this angle. Orton is not selling PPV's, so if you're not selling PPV's you best be selling merch, and if you're not selling merch you better be instigating a hot crowd, like Bryan. A hot crowd makes a show. Vince will get to a face vs face title match at Mania, with Cena or Bryan as Champion. You still get a heel dynamic with the boo's Cena will drown in. If Vince really wanted something fresh that would sell, he would do a Triple Threat, all face, main event with Cena, Bryan & Batista. It's easy to get to, would sell andnis fresh as hell.

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  11. I've mentioned before, why not have a 10 year anniversary special on Bret's RR '94 experience - Bryan loses to Wyatt due to chicanery, gets a beatdown afterwards, all hope is lost, "Flight of the Valkyries" hits at some point in the back third to send the crowd into orbit as Bryan limps out to the ring. Of course it opens up a "how would Bryan get a good number with The Authority in charge" issue, but.

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  12. "I know you are probably tired of this topic"


    Could have stopped there...

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  13. This is just getting absurd at this point. Geez.

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  14. After a summer of abeyance and Bryan never getting his revenge on anyone you're expecting natural story progression from this company?

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  15. Daniel Bryan good. WWE bad. /thread

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  16. I'd love to see cena and Bryan get another 30 minutes on a ppv. Even if its not (obviously won't be FTFMS) going to happen at mania I hope we get it on a upcoming ppv. I don't care who goes over

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  17. Unless they decided enough is enough with bray and want to flush that turd back to the mid card where it belongs. Honestly they probably don't know who is going over in any of the matches until right before the show at this point because they'd rather outsmart that reddit dude than book coherently in any direction. Also the natural story progression could also be babyface blows it off for good. I'd say flip a coin at this point. Although I honestly think Wyatt going over could be bad for him because that gimmick doesn't need any backlash or resentment from the fans. Save that for established guys like hhh and Orton I think.

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  18. Dude survivor series did 95k domestic. This thing might not do 800k even with the network

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  19. "I'll be glad when the Rumble's over and we'll know one way or another what's happening."


    I'll be glad when Wrestlemania's over and we'll know what's happened.

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  20. They changed the Rumble winner to Sheamus from Jericho a couple years ago because "everyone knew it was going to be Jericho" and not because it made a lick of sense.

    I really believe Batista isn't going over in the rumble. It's too predictable.

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  21. Or you're too gullible. You think they changed it from Jericho to Sheamus because "everyone knew" or maybe certain people just kinda sort like Sheamus more? Either way the fact that you believe they won't put Big Dave over is only going to make you that much more pissed off when they do it with a smile on their face.

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  22. Even after Wrestlemania conspiracy theorists will say "oh the night after RAW is the "iwc" night they'll do it then. Or they'll do it right before the Network renews in June to keep people from letting it lapse.

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  23. Sheamus was the scheduled winner at least six months prior to the actual event. Just another thing smarks like believing because it makes them feel important.

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  24. What? Six month commitment not three.

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  25. He picked it out of the bowl like everyone else?

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  26. The only main event they can do right now that is befitting of Wrestlemania 30 is Cena vs. Taker with the co-main event being Bryan vs. Lesnar for the title. But no, we're stuck with Taker/Lesnar because thats the match they've been banking on since 2011 and its the match we should have gotten at last years Mania if HHH knew what was best for business.

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  27. Of course it'll be Orton vs. Batista, because it's not like they've ever had the champion lose the title between now and WrestleMania.

    (rolls eyes)

    Also, WWE isn't completely stupid. They know damn well that the Batista card will only draw if he's against an opponent that makes sense for him to go against. At a glance Brock is the guy, Taker and Cena would be if he hadn't already had big matches against them... Orton is NO BUYS, it doesn't matter who his opponent is.

    What should happen is Orton jobs to Warrior a la Triple H in 1996, just for nostalgia.

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  28. SK, Why the fuck do you always do this?

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  29. I agree. This was a well thought out question and I wanted to hear what SK had to say and he once again no sells the question. It's getting annoying now

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  30. If WWE is hellbent on putting Orton and Batista in the main event at 30, put Cena and Lesnar with them in a Class of 2002 EXPLODES 4 way match.

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  31. I don't know if they will be ppvs, but I think wrestling need special shows, with only matches and no TV Show feeling.

    For the Rumble I think they could use the 97 finish with someone getting eliminated but who sneaks back in the ring and throws the rest out of it. Then they could use the final six for the elimination chamber to determine who will get the title shot at WM.

    I mean, we normally don't need a ppv between Rumble and WM, but we have it and so they have to make the stories so, that it makes sense.

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  32. If Bryan is going to win the Rumble, he's going to have to get past his two biggest threats in the match: Jey Uso and Eric Rowan.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdwVTo29GM

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  33. One thing to consider is that the WWF didn't already have a Cena in place when it became evident that Austin should be the centerpiece of the company. Bret and HBK were place holders while Vince tried to fill the Hogan void with guys like Lex and Diesel to no avail. So Austin had a clear road to the top while Bryan has come into his own at a time when the territory is much more cluttered. You might also consider the Rock who was unquestionably qualified for a run at the top and was conveniently uncontested when his time came due to Austin vacating the spot due to injury. By the time Austin returned, the Rock was already sliding into the part-time role, so the two shared the space very amiably.

    Cena got the Hogan spot out of necessity and maintains it as an insurance policy. The company is happy with the reliability that he represents and doesn't need to take the risks that competition once demanded. The spot also means a lot less now, however, as Hogan never had contemporaries of the status that Bryan and Punk have obtained. It does all seem to come back to Cena, but at least it gets away from him from time to time, which was never the case with Hogan.

    Batista and Orton have been the companies attempt at a new Rock (or Macho Man), an alternative top guy, but neither has proven long term competency in this role. Batista has been injury prone and Orton is a terrible face. The question now is whether Bryan or Punk could hold this role, but Vince will not let go of the notion that the former two are more suited, and will give them the opportunity every time ratings or fan reactions give any indication they might be ready for it.

    The x factor in all of this is Triple H who himself has failed at the Hogan role (see Wrestlemania 18) but likes to stoke the perception that he has succeeded in this capacity. As a figure (and perhaps) literal head of the company, he now plays the onscreen Vince role as well and as a still capably active competitor could recreate the Vince/Austin angle with Cena, Punk, or Bryan, acting as a competent authority figure rival and in-ring opponent.

    I question, however, whether we need this angle again in any form. Just like, do we need another invasion angle? The Austin/McMahon feud and the NWO were revolutionary angles, but with each rehash they beg the question of what else could be done. If those angles were monstrously successful because they were unique, then how could an archetypical recreation ever match that level of success. I would love to see the company drop the whole 'evil authority' scheme and try to find an entirely new plot. If there is any hope of 'making' Daniel Bryan into something greater than the new Under-Cena, I believe this is the shape it will need to take.

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  34. To be fair, he's had about 27 variations of the same question in the last week.

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  35. Someone has been reading too much of Mr. Tito's articles. That's all he talks about. Guy is obsessed with Triple Threat/Fatal 4 Way matches for Mania

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  36. One of the zillion reasons why Vince made the heel authority figure character work so perfectly is that he was a middle-aged man who was not a wrestler. If Austin so much as punched Vince, he went down and it was sold as a big deal. Later, Vince got more physical later, but was still never a threat in that respect.

    HHH is very much still positioned as a top-tier wrestler. He came the closest to beating the Undertaker in recent years. He beat Brock Lesnar. He's above almost every wrestler the company in a physical sense, and now he's been given the god-like McMahon powers of administration too. Any time you get one over on him, he still has recourse because he can still kick your ass or fire you. One way to make him a more effective authority character is for him to retire from the ring and pretend he's not as big and strong and fast as the active wrestlers anymore.

    If you're going to emulate Vince, go all the way. If not, go out and find something new instead of trying a half-assed rehash.

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  37. I'm tempted to send Scott a blank mail titled "Daniel Bryan" to see if he would post it, and to see how many comments it would get.

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  38. Didn't he just get his revenge on Bray Wyatt?

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  39. PPV? What's that? Something like a special show on the Network?

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  40. This is what I'd want if Taker gets paired with Bryan. It uses those four guys well and frees up more time for the Shield, Big E, Wyatts, Rhodeses, etc on both the leadup shows and the WM card itself. A four way also gives Lesnar a chance to do some crazy multiman spots and gives Batista more cushioning as he works out ring rust.

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  41. Autumn of Abeyance

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  42. That's when Rock was at his best, IMO.

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  43. Just thought, won't happen, but how great would it be if this was a Bryan/Kane AND Punk conspiracy to get Bryan the title at Wrestlemania? And how much better if the night after, in the closing segment all three stand tall in the ring, explain their roles, then Punk say " Oh, and Daniel, there's just one more thing I want to tell you" **WHAM! GTS** "Friendship's over, Daniel. I'm coming for the title."

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  44. If wrestling fans speculated on other sports they way they do on wrestling:


    "Russel Wilson better come out and throw a TD pass to start the game or I'm turning off the TV AND NEVER WATCHING FOOTBALL AGAIN!"


    "If I were the Broncos I'd start the game with 30 runs in a row, no way Seattle could plan for that. It would work great!" (then when it doesn't happen) "WTF is wrong with Denver!?!? I should coach!"


    Feel free to add your own.

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  45. He gotta strike the iron while it's hot, or at least to just clean out his inbox.

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  46. And Winter of Abeyance.

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  47. The crowd makes those Raws.

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  48. Yea, wwe doesn't do a great ot of cohesive storytelling in somes opinion. However, booking is subjective amd the contrarian smart base is ALWAYS going to 2nd guess their storylines bc they can. Here's the thing about "Bryan never getting his revenge on anyone"...he never was intended to. The point of the authority angle was ALWAYS to get over HHH over as the top heel act. From day 1, Orton or whomever else they plugged into that role (Sheamus, Dolph, a loaf of bread) was going to go over bc in THEIR eyes, the money was in the authority angle, not bryan. Bryan was in that angle for about 3.5 months, should the face always go over the heels in every single program, I don't think so.

    Bryan got his revenge in a cage. Doesn't that count as "revenge".

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  49. If Kobe Bryant doesn't return before the end of the season and average at least 18 ppg the Lakers will cut him and try to recoup some of his contract through an injury insurance clause. They will then resign a fat Smush Parker to take his rotation spot to further bury Kobe in the eyes of Laker fans. Dr. Jerry Buss will then appear in his childrens dreams to tell them they fucked up. Unable to cope with these dreams, the children sell the franchise to Donald sterling. He condenses the clippers and Lakers into 1 team and named the lakeppers.

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  50. Actually the idea's come up on here for a while now, probably since the "Animal Returns" promos if not slightly before.

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  51. Sports is real, wrestling is fake.

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  52. Umm. Thanks for that info?

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  53. They did that last year with Dolph... yeah, that didn't end too well.


    Once again, fuck you Jack Swagger.

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  54. Sports fans have a different.,, type... of expectation. Hopefully, a sports fan realizes that the other team is being paid to do their best... and if that happens to be better than your team's best, then tough shit.


    Also, fans already do what Mick does, although not to those extremes I would suspect.


    (Six words just wasn't enough there, Thunder.)

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  55. If wishing made it so...

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  56. Yea. I completely agree. The premise tho was what if sports fans viewed sports like wrestling fans view wrestling. Obviously my example was a slight exaggeration but not that far fetched from some of the D Bryan stuff that gets tossed around.

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  57. Jesse Baker would have Phil Jackson make Jerry Buss his bitch.

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  58. He gets a pass from me. I'd bet anything those has been discussed at some point recently amd it's gotta get tiring sifting through 60 Bryan emails a day

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  59. Hey lets bring Randy Moss back one...more...time. He needs his NFC North Moment again.

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  60. Peyton Manning is our most popular SB player, let's make him wear coveralls and play weak side linebacker for 2 weeks.

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  61. Yes. Yes he did.

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  62. He's such a good player, he should be able to be a good player in whatever we give him!

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  63. Just wanna mention that i've seen you say this argument several times, and it never seems to be acknowledged. Well I just acknowledged it, and agree. :)

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  64. Thanks. The "wwe doesn't book the way I want them to so they're idiots" arguement is a tough one to defend for some

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  65. Vince as Seattles GM: you know that Russell Wilson guy is kinda short. He's half black also. Let's relegate him to dancing on the sideline. That Bosworth guy, he had muscles and "the look", you think he can throw a football?

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  66. It's official, the blog readers care more about Daniel Bryan winning matches than Daniel Bryan himself does! I am constantly amazed at the amounts of stress some fans put themselves in.

    Looking forward to tonight, theatres are always a fun atmosphere! Go "Kofi crazy spot" go!!

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  67. And if you dare call them out on it, the pitchforks come out. Kiddie gloves needed here sometimes.

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  68. Hey, I'll split the prize with you if you pull an evil authority figure act and switch me to #30 tonight. Everyone has a price...

    :: Dibiase cackle ::

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  69. The comparison with Extreme super fans definitely does apply. 1 win = Plan the parade, 1 loss = Fire the coach and GM, blow the nucleus up and rebuild!!

    I've said it before, Sports and wrestling should REDUCE people's stress. Not add to it.

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  70. Kidding obviously

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  71. If that mentality gives Tim Tebow a shot at QB, I AM ALL IN!! :)

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  72. People with purchasing power like Bryan. Most of then don't like Cena.

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  73. Similarly, the Streak is a topic of INTENSE INTERNET DEBATE.

    The Undertaker, who holds the streak, was ready to end it for Kane and Kane was the one who vetoed it.

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  74. Actually I was shocked no one brought him in this year. The Browns and Jags couldn't have done worse at QB.

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  75. Well, Kane already put him in a vegetative state... That should count for 3 streak breaks at least...

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  76. I thought he was willing to lose to Kurt Angle in exchange for a 5 star match.

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  77. *HE* was a legit case of being buried if you ask me. I don't care if he would have gone 0-10. At least he would have had a shot. Oh well. It is what it is. :(

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  78. this. it would be like choosing your favorite band by their record sales, just makes no sense to me.

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  79. Sitting pretty right now at the Marriott, right across the street from the Consol Center. Regardless of what happens tonight, my weekend has already been made by the drunk WWE crew member stumbling to his room three doors down from mine wearing no shoes and holding a pack of Newports.

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  80. Speaking of which you ahould repost everyone's numbers in theblive thread or something

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  81. I am pretty sure that is how we lost Gideon Stargrave

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  82. I hear ya but this is where I think the "sports are real" comparison holds water. You can simulate Dolph and Bryan to win a lot of matches so eventually their size isn't as important. You can't simulate Tebow having a long delivery and completing 47% of his passes out of his skill set.

    I do agree tho, he should have gotten a shot after that Denver playoff win with someone else (obviously Denver has to go with peyton) but I can definitely understand why nfl gms would stay away from him.

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  83. I hated this idea the first time I heard it but it's really grown on me. I'm not sure if the general public would care about the OVW stuff but it'd put so much star power in 1 match i think it'd sell anyway. Book in an ambiguous authority figure "whose side are they on" type thing and I'd be on board.

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  84. To the dirt sheets with that one! I am going to apply for his job.

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  85. Are you seriously arguing over semantics on word choice? WHO CARES? A crossover could be considered a mini-event, if you will.


    You still proved my point that Forever Evil is another event involving multiple titles that will make it very hard to collect into a book later on. Also, I thought Flashpoint was a hunk of garbage for quite awhile before I finally read it. And it turns out I was right. So yes, I can have a very good idea of a book's quality just by reading a few pages from it. Same as someone can judge a book by reading a couple of pages. I didn't need to read all of Twilight to know it was a horribly written book.

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  86. Very good point. While Vince loved to bust out the tank top and show off his arms, it was always presented tongue-in-cheek as "look at this egomaniac," and Vince would then get his ass thoroughly kicked by Austin, Rock or whomever when put into actual physical combat. Vince sometimes went to uncomfortable lengths to get heat on his heel character (making Trish bark, emasculating HBK at every turn up to WM22), but he always got enormous comeuppance at the end.

    Now, Vince is being replaced with a guy who is notorious for hating to show any weakness at all, even in freakin' video game promos. Not a good sign. We've already seen this manifest itself in how HHH/Steph switch from faces to heels on a segment-to-segment basis and are untouchably allowed to rip on any wrestler without comeuppance.

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  87. Maybe Vince is afraid that twitter will explode with #BRINGBACKCENACHAMPIONSHIP the way twitter had a shitfit when Brian Griffin was "killed off" for 3 weeks (BTW, did the people complaining about that EVER even watch Family Guy?). I also almost feel like writing a research paper with the thesis "If Daniel Bryan is champion, more people will be fed up and buy the Network so they can watch Legends House and classic WWE programming like the Top 10 Cena Championship Runs" and sending it to the WWE so that maybe, just maybe, they'll give it a shot if market research, not the Internet, says something.

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  88. They don't seem good though.

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  89. No I didn't. You don't understand because you are commenting on something you haven't read. So, either read what you're critiquing or get a fucking life.

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  90. Has anyone ever ordered the live PPV stream from WWE.com? Is it reliable? I might order it tonight.

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  91. Has anyone ever ordered the live PPV stream from wwe.com? Is it reliable? I might order it tonight.

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  92. Just bumped into Ric Flair getting off the elevator. Awkward as fuuuuuck. I think he was drunk.

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  93. But I HAVE read it. Not all of it, but I have read it. I've seen the stuff with Black Adam getting beaten up to make Ultraman look cool. I've seen Doom Patrol get killed to make them look cool. Or how Luthor is going to save the day. Or Cyborg's upgrade. I've told you that several times. I've read the equivilant of several issues, which was enough to make an informed opinion about it. It's the same, overblown event crap that other events have had before.


    What I do understand is that you're confrontational as all hell about this and have personally attacked me, calling me ignorant and basically insulting my 20-year understanding of the medium and how it works. I have not personally attacked you once and even said if you enjoy it, fine. But I prefer not to waste my time on another glorified event when I could be reading much better stuff like Saga or something.

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  94. You haven't read it. Therefore you are ignorant of what you are trying to criticize.

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  95. This isn't a black and white, all or nothing thing. I have read pieces of it. Enough to make an informed opinion about it. You can't honestly tell me you've never done that before and if you do, I'll assume you're lying in order to win this stupid argument.

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  96. Never again! wm main events should be 1 on 1

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  97. If you're going to criticize The Godfather, you have to watch the movie. You can't just read a blurb in the paper and state an educated opinion on it.

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  98. Why is wyatt sp popular and where were these people during 1995 wcw, Kevin Sullivan and king Curtis coukd have used the support

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  99. Guess wwe posted a new Wyatt promo on there YouTube channel to promote tonight's match. If you ask me its brays best work on the stick
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V_0Z4LoMrSo

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  100. "he should have gotten a shot after that Denver playoff win with someone else"


    This pretty much sums up my whole opinion of Tebow. His skill set is far less than many NFL QB's but he has a certain X factor that many of those QB's don't.

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  101. YA DON'T SAY.... (And I mean that about Flair being drunk.)

    But seriously, that sounds awesome, I wish I were you today!

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  102. Eh, if it makes him happy, and he's not driving anywhere, and he's a decently amicable fellah, why not. It's Rumble Weekend!

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  103. Can't wait for tomorrow's leaked report that the drunk crew member will be Daniel Bryan's opponent at WrestleMania.

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  104. It would be cool seeing him at the rumble,ONE MORE FLAIR FLOP please?

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  105. And he can't say "Omaha" in that time.

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  106. I was reading Scott's Royal Rumble compilation on my kindle today...got to 2003 and realized that the opening match was Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show. Eleven years later, what has a good shot at being the opening match? Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show. And they wonder why buyrates are in the toilet.

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  107. Yea. It takes a lot of effort to bring him in but if your a team like Jax and aernt going anywhere, why not? He was so divisive that I think alot if nfl front office people just didn't want to touch him bc you're essentially putting your job on the line if you bring him in

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  108. I'm personally looking forward to it. Show got solid matches out of Mark Henry and Sheamus for example, and Brock can definitely toss Show around. I bet it will be relatively short, and fast paced, and will pop the crowd.

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  109. For the record I pondered this today - I wonder how hard it would be to release books and stuff with WWE Network integration. Like you click links and they open up the WWE video player or what not? It'd make rants so much more alive!

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  110. I will give you FIVE dollars to start a Blog Otters chant during the Divas Match.

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  111. Man, that's really fucking good. I've been anti Wyatts for awhile but he's def got some skills they can work with

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  112. Good point on Austin... as well as Bret & Shawn being placeholders. Vince had no problem sacrificing both of them to Austin within 6 months to help usher in that boom era.

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  113. Brock and Show can be entertaining. Brock will do some crazy power moves and can bump like a motherfucker too

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  114. I actually disagree on Trips having to make himself seem physically weaker - if anything, I think having an authority figure that actually CAN back-up their words is a nice twist on the "evil boss" trope.

    This way, when it actually DOES come time for someone to beat-up the boss, it will have even more weight than someone beating up some older guy that's not a physical threat. The victor would actually have won on TWO plains, not only upsetting the system, but also winning in a very tough physical fight. Bryan basically drawing Trips "out of retirement" and then beating him in the ring would not only be a huge moral victory for Bryan, but would absolutely KILL the "Triple H" character's ego. What does Trips do after losing on both fronts? Hell, if there's ever a time to do the "handshake of respect", it'd be at the end of THAT match, to put Bryan over the top, basically finally being endorsed by the company.

    Of course, that hinges on the idea that Trips would actually lose the eventual match, and there's obviously some trepidation there. Sure, he's "done the right thing" at times (Benoit, Batista, and Cena at "WM", for example), but he's also done the wrong thing plenty of times, too.

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  115. I did it a few months ago. It was pretty decent. No real complaints

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  116. Very well-written post, though I have to disagree that Hogan didn't have any contemporaries on the level of Punk or Bryan - no way are they as popular as, say, Warrior or Savage were.

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  117. I honestly can't wait for these two guys to toss each other around. I have loved every single one of their matches.


    Brock hitting Show with the F5 for the first time in MSG is still a goosebump moment for me.

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  118. What's with the myth of HBK being some kind of big star? He isn't, he's just a highly talented performer who's hugely respected for that talent. He was also a flop at the top of the card, during his prime one of the company's lowest drawing top guys ever. He certainly isn't at the Cena/Sting/Flair tier (speaking of which, isn't Flair above that tier, or am I overestimating his stardom?) of guys who "absolutely drew money".


    Shawn isn't even the biggest star in the Kliq, despite WWE telling you otherwise. Sad, but true.

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  119. Chris Walker is something I am always willing to discuss. Chris Walker is the #1 draw on the BoD

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  120. I'm a fan of their matches. Brock does some crazy shit to show, they throw each other and round for awhile, and I assume goes over clean in 10 minutes. What's not to love?

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  121. WWE is looking for a managing editor for its magazines. If the job was in NYC and not Stamford, I would have sent my resume in a half a dozen times already.

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  122. I think its the new face paint. Very edgy

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  123. Kane gets to veto the Undertaker's decisions? Weird.

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  124. But what if the Authority is torn on who to back... we could have a Fatal Four Way as the main event for WrestleMania for the title... WITH A MCMAHON IN EVERY CORNER!

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  125. When the Red Sox were in the playoffs in 2004 I knew a guy that insisted they should switch pitches every 2 innings from Pedro, to Wakefield, to someone else, to whoever their closer was... he thought the other team wouldn't know what to do because they were so different.

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  126. Wonderful contribution there big guy.

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  127. As others have said, there are plenty of ways that Bryan could gain entry to the match - randomly picking the number, Kanespiracy, or just beating up someone else and taking their number.

    Especially if the Wyatts are in the "Rumble", I definitely see Bryan taking one of them out and stealing their spot.

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  128. Lol. I thought this was an actual link to a wyatt promo I saw yesterday. I'm all for a kevin Sullivan/the master promo

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  129. I've done it before, although not recently. I usually started out having trouble getting the feed to work properly, but once it got going, it was pretty good. Plus, you have the ability to watch it more than once from the website, if I remember correctly.

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  130. To clarify, I don't think the match itself is terrible, and actually don't have a problem with Brock vs. Show, specifically.. It's just another example of WWE being stuck on a treadmill. Cena's been the top babyface for almost a decade, midcarders have been floating aimlessly for years with not even a hint of being elevated, the same guys on top year after year.

    There's been some bright spots, but overall I just feel like there hasn't been a lot of change.

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  131. Because for some reason these Daniel Bryan posts get more traffic than Rumble reposts.


    WE COULD ALL STILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE 1991 ROYAL RUMBLE RIGHT NOW!

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  132. ANYTHING but Orton/Batista. I'd take a Jake/Martel blindfold rematch over it.

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  133. Lol I thought you were just helping me sell my troll post

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  134. I hear ya. I think Big Show is actually a decent pick for what they want to accomplish...big monster that Brock eats up to long strong on his WM build. It could be worse, we could have gotten Khali/Brock. ::shudders::

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  135. He is probably as sick of it as many of us are and just posts it for the traffic/hits so he can get to the pat winda on da muddaship

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  136. MY SON, MY SON....

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  137. Like you, I'm a fan of their matches, and look forward to tonight's version - hell, if nothing else, both men are BETTER than they were ten years ago.


    That said, it does seem an odd use of Brock's limited schedule. I'd think that the promise of Brock being in the "Rumble" and destroying a bunch of people, as opposed to just one person, would be a better use of him.

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  138. Iv always had the idea of having the last 6 guys in the rumble all get eliminated at the same time (I know sounds ridiculous), then obviously have the 6 of them in the Elimination Chamber match for the shot at WM. Gets people interested in the EC match, plus throw a mid-career or two in their to elevate them a bit.

    This year would be perfect for it as the thought is that only Batista and Punk have a shot. Have Batista, Punk,Reigns, Rollins, Langston and Kingston or someone like that as a wildcard.

    That way you can make it believable that its not just Batista going for gold at WM. You can tease the Shield breakup with 2 members in the match (Reigns "accidentally" speaking and eliminating Rollins), etc. etc.

    Would work wonders for Langston as well as they want to push him to the moon, but the heat just isn't there and he could use a rub like this

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  139. And here I was thinking that's exactly what game demos, trailers, and reviews are for: to save you time of having to go through the whole thing by making an informed decision based on your own likes and dislikes.

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  140. I loved that blindfold match actually. Maybe the most underrated match in history (In the sense that it was fun, but it's remembered as minus 5 stars)

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  141. I would really love it if Kane was just doing everything he could behind the Authority's back to make things best for his friend Daniel Bryan.


    Big hug to close WrestleMania.

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  142. Yea. I'd be all for Brock F5 ING a bunch of people out if the rumble. I'm assuming we're headed towards Brock/Batista so why put Brock in the rumble if he won't win. I'm pretty ok with all of this

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  143. That match was awesome, and set up by a great angle.

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  144. Hmmmmm... I don't think he clicked that one.

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  145. This is literally one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. I hope this guy contributes nothing to society

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  146. Porn-Peddling Jef VinsonJanuary 26, 2014 at 10:06 AM

    Like I said, right when he got some character development and he gets interesting they kill him.

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  147. I think he went off of the reservation if you know what I mean.

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  148. "The x factor in all of this is Triple H who himself has failed at the Hogan role (see Wrestlemania 18) but likes to stoke the perception that he has succeeded in this capacity"


    He does? I've never heard of this.

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  149. Looks like a no go at any rate, it says that the service is unavailable. Maybe it's US only.

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  150. No, he didn't as he stated below

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  151. Managing Editor you say. in New England you say...I've been writing for the past 8 years about all kinds of pop-culture related things you say....

    TO THE WWE CORPORATE WEBSITE!

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  152. I know it was, I'm not being sarcastic. I would take any rehashed match-up from the past over Orton/Batista.

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  153. Do it! According to Google Maps, Queens to Stamford is a little over an hour by public transportation. Honestly, I thought it would be longer. It would be a bit of a hike, but it would likely save me money on a gym membership... and on paying for the Network. Hmmmm....

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  154. Traditionally the question becomes, "What would have happened if he wasn't there."


    If Shawn isn't there, Who does Bret feud with? Importantly, does the company survive at all without him? It's impossible to answer that question, really but it's hard to say he's worse than Sting. In any case. Lets take a look at numbers for fun.


    It's not like the buy rates were that big before Shawn main evented at WM12. In fact the WM 13 without Shawn, they dropped even further than when Bret and Shawn main evented the year prior.


    It wasn't until WM 14 that we started to see the modern boom of big buys. A main event, which did in fact feature Shawn. Admittedly Stone Cold may have helped that one. :) Point being that Shawn at the top wasn't the problem. The problem was also a non existant midcard, terrible tag teams. (Boddydonnas vs. the O'Godwinns? Yikes. 1 mInute warrior squash. Team Jim Cornette Vs. Team Mr. Fuji. No thank you.)

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  155. Lol! Yeah that's why when Scott reviews a show, he doesn't actually watch it! He just reads the blurb on the guide! You're too funny.

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  156. The company is dead in 1996 without hbk, and he played Andre to cenas hogan for 7 years. Anyone who thinks Shawn wasn't a draw or a major star is obviously just trolling unless they are a complete asshole who doesn't know shit about wrestling and its history.

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  157. The DC animated movies of the past few years tend to not rise above the comics they're based on. If they're based on a good series, the movies are good. If they're based on a bad one, they're bad. And the Justice League arc it's based on is pretty bad.

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  158. I haven't seen it either, but I've heard it's good. One thing that's nice is that it's an original story, instead of just a movie version of a comic book arc.

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  159. Like seriously, chinwins gets banned but I have to see this dog shit trolling...smh

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  160. Bryan winning is something I wanna see. Cena winning is something I don't wanna see. Is that too hard for you to comprehend?

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  161. It was called "Death of the Family" and It was actually pretty good, although I'm not as big a fan as others. Overall Snyder's work on Batman since the new 52 has been excellent, and one of the few bright spots in that relaunch. And I say that as someone who didn't like the idea behind Joker ripping his face off - he's at his best when he combines humor and evil craziness, and when he tilts to far in one direction he loses something. I'm also not a fan of the fact that even though Batman has supposedly only been active around 5 years, there are four current or ex-Robins running around. But other than that it's good.

    It tied into all the other Batman books, but as is standard now for most crossovers you don't need t read them. They're hit and miss from what I saw. Batgirl was really good.

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  162. Vince in 1998: "Okay, Stone Cold is getting the biggest reactions so first we'll have him get beat up by the Nation of Domination a few times, then we'll end a Raw with him deciding to join the N.O.D. Then we'll make him dress like Akeem and give him a Muslim name. But it'll all be a ruse so he can get his hands on Farooq. We won't put him in the Rumble because we're going to have Sid come back and win the Rumble and face Michaels. Oh, and I was thinking we could have Savio Vega face Austin at WrestleMania in a strap match or something. We haven't done that already right?"

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  163. In addition to what everyone else has said (which is right), while Shawn wasn't a huge draw in '96, both incarnations of DX were enormous money makers/draws, and no matter how much of the credit you want to give to Cena and the Battle of the Billionaires, he still headlined the most-bought Wrestlemania ever. The guy was absolutely a draw.

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  164. I'm gonna be there!

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