Can't help but feel like they're missing the boat with Ryback. Sure he isn't great in the ring, but I think they could have something here with him. Instead of having him beat up guys half his size, why not use someone like the Big Show in this situation. He could run his mouth until Ryback comes out and destroys him. I mean, they have guys like Big Show on the payroll and he's pretty useless as it is, why not roll the dice to see if it'll get a new star over? They might be waiting for the Rumble for this (which would be cool), but the slow burn with Rynack is doing nothing (and I like slow buring angles, but this is just going nowhere). Sometimes guys just need a moment and it'll get them over - sort of like Ahmed Johnson years ago storming in and slamming Yokozuna (granted injuries and other things derailed his push, but I still remember that moment years later).
Tom
It's been suggested that Ryback v. Undertaker could be a go for Wrestlemania, which leaves me wondering how they'd get there given that Ryback is their monster babyface right now. I guess the two possibilities are either Undertaker working heel (unlikely) or Ryback swerving everyone and joining Team Heyman, which is a stronger possibility because he's not really established at that main event level yet anyway. And really, if you've got a three-way with Cena v. Ryback v. Punk, there's worse ideas than Ryback fucking over Cena to allow Punk to retain. Then you can run Ryback v. Cena for a few months and see if Ryback sinks or swims in the main event while Punk does something else until Royal Rumble, like feuding with Sheamus or whatever. If you're gonna go for it, go for it all the way, ya know?
Scott, it's ideas like yours that if I ever won the lottery and could buy majority stake in a wrestling company, you'd be my first hire to run creative. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think Ryback's future could depend on what happens to Punk.
ReplyDeleteI think the best thing would be to just suspend Punk for 30-60 days and do Cena/Ryback and have Ryback win to get a boost to his rep.
This way, Punk's lengthy reign is not aborted and Ryback can get a big win.....
Wow....we really think Ryback is going to become a thing? Is that how bad things have gotten?
ReplyDeleteI grant that he's over. But he cannot go in the ring at a main event level. Goldberg Lite is being generous. They need to hold him off until WrestleMania & get one big match out of him.
I was having a discussion about Ryback today. The way I would go:
ReplyDeletePunk chooses Cena at HiTC , Cena can't compete so Vince inserts Ryback.
Ryback wins at HiTC , "injuring Punk". This serves to get him off TV for a bit (to let the fan punching incident cool off), then Heyman comes after Ryback with Brock.
Ryback beats Brock as Survivor Series. Then beats a returning Punk at the December PPV.
This would have Ryback vs Rock at Royal Rumble. Ryback wins with a Cena heel-turn interference (to give a valid excuse for the "Once in a lifetime" Rock vs Cena match to happen again).
Undertaker make a surprise Royal Rumble appearance and wins.
Ryback defends at Elimination Chamber.
WM looks like this:
Ryback vs Taker (Undefeated Steak/Title vs WM Streak)
Cena vs Rock II
Team Hell No vs Team Heyman (Punk/Lesnar) for Tag Titles
Ziggler vs Orton (WHC match)
Rey vs Sin Cara
Tag Turmoil: Rhodes Scholars vs Santino/Ryder vs Slater/Mahal vs ADR/Roberto vs BigShow/Brodus vs Prime Time Players vs Epico/Primo vs Usos
Cesaro vs HHH ? (Seems like they want to push Cesaro)
For me, this only works if Ryback destroys Cena. If we get yet another "Cena overcomes the odds to win again after calling him Rydork or Rypoopy for months", then Rybacks dead no matter how good he looks.
ReplyDeleteRyback joining Heyman would be pretty great.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he's not ready for a main event match.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the story lift a page from the Flair/Perfect/Savage/Warrior story where Flair convinces Savage and Warrior that Perfect is managing the other one. Whatever has to transpire leading up to HIAC where Cena has a match with Ryback and where's Paul Heyman?
ReplyDelete"He's in the corner of the winner!"
Under no circumstances would I have Ryback join a heel group. They have a problem getting any new faces over, this one is over (for whatever reason), protect that and don't flush it.
ReplyDeleteIf they're going to push Ryback as the new Goldberg you might as well follow the Goldberg model. Keep him in the midcard for a year and let him have the IC title and make it look like all the big names are ducking him, hoping that he learns to work in the meantime.
I feel like the quality of WWE main eventers is going to hold him back more than it did for Goldberg. We were routinely being bored by Hogan and Nash in the main events so even though Goldberg still sucked, he didn't suck any more than anyone else. Say what you want about WWE main event storylines, all the guys bring their working boots so he's going to stand out until he learns to work a quality 10 minute match.
Wait, so you want to hold him off on doing a long match until WRESTLEMANIA, when he can fall flat on his face in front of the biggest audience? Why not gradually break him in over the next few months?
ReplyDeleteI'll just admit it, Ryback coming out to stick up for JR was a pretty great babyface moment. He was an unexpected choice, but he made total sense and that alone showed that they might be very serious about him. I feel kind of bad for Brodus Clay since this was the push he might have gotten if they hadn't decided to make a walking joke out of him.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading that Vince was hard for Ryback for years and thought he'd be a top babyface. If it meant making Ryback I could see them turning Cena heel. If they're going to turn him heel to benefit anyone it'll be Vince's next infatuation/creation.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping Ryback would bomb. He's just an example of them making a guy a star simply because they want him to be, when any of their usual excuses to not push someone apply to him. But I also don't like Sheamus and most of the roster bores me so I might just be incapable of enjoying WWE anymore.
ReplyDelete"It's been suggested that Ryback v. Undertaker could be a go for Wrestlemania, which leaves me wondering how they'd get there given that Ryback is their monster babyface right now."
ReplyDeleteUm...try and write down all of the stuff that has changed and gone down since the last Wrestlemania. We're only half way to the next one...they can be literally anywhere by then.
Well that's nice of you. Do you wish anybody well at all?
ReplyDeletePunk's not getting a suspension. He's not getting anything more than a private reprimand, followed by an "attaboy!" for getting some additional heat.
ReplyDeleteThere's some guys I like, I just don't care for the guys they really want me to like. My taste just differs from theirs I guess but the guys they think I should really like I just don't care for.
ReplyDeleteIf the plan is to make Ryback their next big face, going against Undertaker doesn't get them there. I know they could have him act like a heel in the build up and then turn him face afterwards but it seems counter productive to push a guy towards being a top face, turn him heel just for one program and then hope you can go back afterwards.
ReplyDeleteMy awareness of breast cancer has increased greatly since last Wrestlemania.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the Sheamus backlash. Like you're entitled to like what you like and his character is a black hole of suck but Sheamus as a worker consistently entertains me. Within the past month he's had entertaining matches with ADR, Punk, Ziggler, Barrett and Sandow. Some of those guys are easy to get good matches out of but the last 2 sure aren't.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, nobody can force you to like what you don't like but how much the internet has turned on Sheamus within the past few months has confused me.
I dig Ryback, Feed Him More. No heel turn.
ReplyDeleteCena will surely point out his nipples. I think, since his divorce, he must be missing titties.
ReplyDeleteI'm skeptical about a ryder push. He's not a good worker and doesn't belong in the main event. He should be a sideshow attraction.
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate the match quality, I just don't care for him so whether it's an 18 second match or a 20 minute **** affair I don't really care because I don't care about him. I don't want him to win, I don't want him to be champion. If he were still heel I'd enjoy cheering against him in good matches but I don't want to cheer for him.
ReplyDeleteRyback does have some charisma, that's hard not to notice. In fact, I thought Nexus lost a whole lot of cred when he got hurt. He was the undisputable muscle of that team and coming off as a real ass kicker in a fake sport is kind of a unique talent even though it is worked and you could put anyone in that spot theoretically.
ReplyDelete"If the plan is to make Ryback their next big face, going against Undertaker doesn't get them there."
ReplyDeleteEven if he beats Taker at Wrestlemania?
Tensai destroyed Cena. How'd that work out for him?
ReplyDeleteYou can replace that with some of the most over people in the wrestling industry. Also, you'd still be wrong about all of them.
ReplyDeleteBecome a thing? He IS a thing already.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if Brock Lesnar gets involved in the main event, we end up with Cena & Ryback teaming up against Punk & Brock at Survivor Series? The Ryback-Lesnar dynamic could be interesting.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. If they can have a babyface get over because the FANS want him, they should exhaust that possibility before a heel turn.
ReplyDeleteIf depends how it's handled. If he can manage to get into that "beloved no matter what" category by then him winning and Undertaker endorsing him afterwards would do a lot for him. But it could also result in a huge backlash against him for being the one to end the Undertaker's legendary streak. If they want to push him as a dominant heel afterwards that works but I don't know if anyone can end the streak and be popular for doing it.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Tensai won only via interference from others. Where did this "Tensai totally destroyed Cena clean" thing come from that people constantly bring up? Did anyone actually watch the match Tensai won? Cena had Tensai locked into the STF clearly about to win, Otunga ran in to interfere, Cena AAed Otunga, then while he was distracted, Tensai misted him and then hit his finisher. It's cleaner than some losses but where is this coming from that it was a clean win or that Cena was destroyed? Tensai needed Otungaference to win.
ReplyDeleteSecond, not to be a dick, but are you trolling or are you suggesting that the way to get Ryback over is to have Cena destroy him? Because I suggested that Ryback losing to Cena after getting corny jokes told about him would destroy the character but you apparently take exception to that, bringing up one example where this guy they weren't all THAT high on won one match against Cena via interference as some kind of proof I'm wrong. So if I'm wrong (the way to get Ryback over would be to have him beat Cena clean), then are you suggesting jobbing to Cena will get him over instead?
Well, they can do that on house shows.
ReplyDeleteI was going by Scott's idea of turning Ryback heel (which I wouldn't do, by the way), so Cena would still be a face. I'm just saying, give Cena an out if they'd like (oh no the arm injury is still there how can this be), but if they did Cena VS Ryback, Ryback would have win clean or as close to clean as possible (like how Punk won at MitB or Summerslam last year...not really 100% clean but close enough) to not be yet another challenger where Cena overcomes the odds to win with the power of friendship. Face or heel, Ryback is only worthwhile as a monster. Take that away and start having him needing to cheat to win constantly, or needing outside interference, or only ever winning on flukes (like every single main event or close to the main event heel in WWE right now except maybe Big Show, part timer Brock, and arguably Daniel Bryan depending on which side of the spectrum he falls on on a given day, after Wrestlemania they started booking him shockingly strong for a small heel), and you may as well not bother. He's not necessarily anything special in the ring (I'm not sure we've seen enough to fairly judge him since he's been wrestling virtually all squashes, but he certainly hasn't looked great save for a few cool power moves), so if you want to push the guy, he either has to avoid Cena or he has to beat him, and clean. Look at how much it did for Mark Henry to just beat Orton clean at a time when NOBODY was beating Orton or Cena clean.
ReplyDeleteTurning Ryback wouldn't be terrible, but pairing him for a run with Cena would do him no good because there's just no way you could expect Cena to be allowed to put him over in any meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteNow, I've long approved Undertaker dropping the streak to someone on their own Mania undefeated streak.... Ryback has never been at Mania, but if he could remain unbeaten until Mania, Ryback v. Undertaker, streak v. streak could be awesome, and the ballsiest booking ever would be a Ryback win, starting his own Mania winning streak by ending the Undertaker's.
I totally agree with you on Nexus. I thought there were three CLEAR standouts in that group...Barrett for his talking ability and generally more polished style than most of the others, Bryan for his excellent wrestling ability (and eventually overall package, at the time they weren't letting him show it as much), and Skip (now Ryback) because he was a legit power guy you could buy as destroying people. Most of the rest were booked as chickenshit guys who weren't anything special outside the group, but Ryback was booked strong...I believe he pinned two people in that 7 on 7 Summerslam match, and quickly. Ryback definitely has his flaws and hopefully he can improve his in ring ability, but like you said, it's hard not to notice he has charisma, both outside and inside the ring.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm with you. Ryback and UT could do a face/face match at Mania, and Ryback gong over would put him crazy over the top.
ReplyDeleteWell, he beat Daniel Bryan, so that sucked. And he was in a never-ending feud with del Rio, so that sucked. And this program with the Big Sow... Kinda sucks. He's also beat Dolph Ziggler like a zillion times, and everyone likes Ziggler and for a group of people (Internet fans) who know wrestling is fake, we care an awful lot about the outcomes, so we think that sucks.
ReplyDeleteI agree that as a worker, he's rock-solid. But his character leaves a lot to be desired.
For me, to shake things up, nothing would be better than Wade Barrett no-selling the Brouge Kick and knocking Sheamus THE FUCK OUT at Survivor Series.
They mentioned in the Observer a few weeks back that the next guy Vne chooses as the face if his company will be the last guy he get to choose as the face of his company (maybe... Me personally I think Vince will never die cause hell won't take him). Could this be Ryback?
ReplyDeleteYou guys might be absolutely right. That said, I think they have ways to disguise it for the next few months. If he gets the shot at Punk, you have a guy who is very good in the ring who can help carry him through it, and it's probably going to be a gimmick match anyway. If they want to continue, they can work him into, say, three way matches with Punk and Cena where they can do a lot of the heavy lifting. If you're going to use Ryback in the main event when he's perhaps not ready, now is the time to do it. Except for Survivor Series, every PPV from now til Wrestlemania is gimmicked, and they could even do it with SS too (although probably not as a main event). They could even have him beat Punk at HiaC, in a Hell in a Cell, then do Punk VS Cena VS Ryback at SS (or, as others suggested, a theoretical Punk/Brock VS Cena/Ryback match), and then a gimmick match at TLC where Punk wins the title back in shady fashion. Then you give Ryback the Diesel push at the Rumble, insert him into the EC match, and he'll have been made to look strong for 5 straight PPVs. Maybe by then he adapts into at least a Goldberg style main eventer. Or maybe not, but the company has real problems right now and the guy is over, they may as well give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteRyback v. undertaker wouldn't need the title. rock/Cena for the belt is a done deal, sadly. Also no way does this infatuation with the tag belts last until Mania.
ReplyDeleteI'd also note Gabriel as a standout from the original Nexus, if for nothing else than his 360 splash was the exclamation point on the group beatdowns. Gabriel had a great look of heel disdain while crouched on the top rope, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, Scott, but I can't jump on board with the idea of a Ryback heel turn. They've invested all this screen time (with jobbers not on the company payroll) and effort in getting people to care about him as their non-satirical response to Goldberg (complete with derivative catchphrase), and just as it begins to pay off, you turn him heel? That's a one-way ticket back to irrelevance as far as I'm concerned, especially in today's E where it's the rare heel can be booked to look like a strong monster. (Which they wouldn't do with him because he's still green and because guys like Punk and Big Show would clearly be in the way of him being dominant.)
ReplyDeleteIf I'm the E, I'm praying to the gods that Cena is able to work the PPV, because if they need to use Ryback in any way in this situation, I don't see it ending well.
What did Ryback say when he met Rick Moranis?
ReplyDeleteFEED! ME! SEY-MORE!
You're right--there's a blueprint in keeping the guy "over" with fans, and they should definitely use it like WCW did with Goldberg. They just need a few more months riding the trend/streak he's on to really solidify his status as something special. Once a guy is seen as a permanent fixture at a certain level or status, it's extremely hard for the guy to lose substantial heat. Then he can look for the World title (not WWE) by Wrestlemania and maybe some dream unification bout in a couple of months after that (not that there has to be a decisive winner in that one). Then, and only then, should you consider him losing.
ReplyDeleteBrodus has said numerous times that he is fine being the Funkasaurus as him being a normal big man/monster is just boring. Plus he really enjoys the kid aspect of his character, so you can't really fault him.
ReplyDeleteI honestly dislike everything about Ryback. His music, his non-existant pyro, the fact that he does the SAME THING everything single entrance, the fact that he has pink eye every other week, the fact that he makes Goldberg looks like a Bret Hart level safe worker.
ReplyDeleteI fear for Punk if Cena isn't ready for the Cell, I also fear for Cena's safety if they decide on a triple threat.
Ryback might have a career outside of shitty WWE movies. I think he could be in shitty action movies produced by real studios and VKM probably knows this, too. So I expect Ryback to get over huge then spend the rest of his days in the Kane role.
ReplyDeleteI'm by no means a Ryback fan, but you can have your cake and eat it too. Ryback beats Taker, gets endorsed, if fans love it? Great. If they hate it? Turn him heel.
ReplyDeleteNah. No-selling always sucks. But if Barrett ducked the Brogue, then punched Sheamus right in the balls? Fantastic.
ReplyDeletePlease... Stop...
ReplyDeleteterrible.
ReplyDeleteYou know what, fuck it, WWE should roll the dice on this. Rock beat Punk for the title, Ryback wins the Rumble. Ryback beats Rock at Mania. The Era of Hunger begins...
ReplyDelete450
ReplyDeleteAre we as smarks, really entertaining the thought of Ryback/Taker!?
ReplyDeleteand even GOING OVER!?!
Done.
I like it. Won't happen, but it would be momentarily fresh.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, Ryberg's overness will be used to get Cena over for a SummerSlam program in '13.
"the fact that he does the SAME THING everything single entrance"
ReplyDeleteEvery single guy on the roster does this.
See also: Vickie & Dolph
ReplyDeleteBut not to the Triple H and Brodus Clay level of matching every single thing they do to the actual song.
ReplyDeleteYup. Remember that Vince loves guys that are badasses. Punk just went ham on some schmuck in the audience.
ReplyDeletethen don't?! I mean, what is this, 1985? even the WWE itself, which tries to create a face/heel alignment, is "okay" with the fact that not everyone watching is rooting for the same guy. why do you think they sell Punk, Del Rio and Ziggler shirts?
ReplyDeleteabsolutely. people are finally starting to catch on to Ryback ("feedm me more" chants) after months of hardly caring - and now turn him heel already. no way.
ReplyDeleteIt needs the title about as much as Cena vs Rock does.
ReplyDeleteThe way I look at it, Streak vs Streak also has the intrigue of one last title run for Taker. This could create doubt if Ryback would win or not.
Thank you for your insightful, well thought out reply. I see why you are one of the top five posters on this blog.
ReplyDelete"Rypoopy" made me laugh pretty hard. Good work.
ReplyDeleteOutside of big show or post 2010 hhh there really aren't any main guys who can't work. Ryberg is considerably worse than both. Remember when r truth got a main event run. Neither do I. This is the same thing
ReplyDeleteYou want people to get into the tag division? Have Cena and Ryback feud with Kane and Bryan for a few months.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Ryback beating Punk at Survivor Series, "losing without losing" the title back to Punk via triple threat or something at TLC, winning the Rumble, then beating Ziggler at WM. He could remain "undefeated" and have the distinction of winning both major titles within a 5 month span.
ReplyDeleteSacramento's always one of the hottest crowds around, so let's see if Punk's heel momentum carries over next week...
ReplyDeleteNo it's gotta be the WWE Title, Rocky, & WM. Really make him something special
ReplyDeleteSo when the guy you're cheering for loses you can at least go home with a t-shirt?
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're saying but it's like watching Dark Knight Rises cheering for Bane because I don't like Batman. I know how it's going to turn out for Bane, he's the bad guy. He might look good for 9/10ths of the movie but you know in the end he won't be coming out on top.
Crowd was awful for the 93 rumble. Perhaps that's the only exception.
ReplyDeleteBig Show can work, that's why he's still employed. Everyone on the roster can work. It's not always about how many moves you can to do to people, sometimes it's the reaction the crowd has when you do a move.
ReplyDeleteJust because John Morrison can do a flip-de-flip doesn't mean he could tell a story with it (granted, he got a little better at the end of his run). Big Show can tell a better story with a punch.
Feed me more?
ReplyDelete