So Scott what are the chances Reigns big moment is ruined by Rollins cashing in and winning the title? It makes sense when you think about it, Heyman recently told Rollins in no uncertain terms that when Brocks reign is over you could take his place. With Brock gone, Rollins could be the new Paul Heyman guy & Reigns could get crowd support chasing the title. Your thoughts?
I think that Brock winning at WM and the super-smarky smarks losing their shit over it would be spectacular, because Brock has the night after WM left in his contract where he could drop it to Rollins. However, the Reigns thing is a complete failure. He shouldn't be chasing the title. Run Rollins v Orton for a few months and let Reigns stay away and rebuild himself. Send him to NXT as Leakee the dancing Samoan and team him with Joey the Samoan.
Is "Reigns is a complete failure" this year's "HHH is beating Bryan at Wrestlemania?"
ReplyDeleteNo, because people actually liked Bryan and had a reason to hate hhh
ReplyDeleteBrock will put Reigns over, but they have been building Rollins as a replacement top heel right under our noses. The cash in is happening at WM and it will be the loudest pop of the night.
ReplyDeleteIt will be Vince's way of saving face. Most folks will accept Rollins as Champ. Vince can then claim that it was the plan all along.
In hindsight, I think I would have preferred them going through with Orton/Batista at WM30. It would have been even better than WM20, because you have two charasmatic assholes that would play into the hate.
ReplyDeleteMaybe crib from WM10: have Bryan fight HHH, have Orton defend against Batista, and have the main event be the winners of those two matches fight for the title.
I'm very much looking forward to the one night of the year when I watch Raw. Night after WM is the best.
ReplyDeleteRoman Reigns taking the fight to Brock, kicking out of a few of his F-5's and then just barely failing to pull out a victory over him would likely do a lot more for Reigns' credibility in the eyes of the fans than him winning would. I know it sounds weird, but losing can sometimes matter more than winning in certain circumstances. He'd look like a bad-ass while also not being shoved down people's throats further since he loses and fails to bring home the championship.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Seth Rollins can cash in on Brock afterwards and win the title and make history.
I'd love Brock winning at Mania and threatening to leave, with the night after Mania being his opponent's (whomever it is) one last shot at taking the title.
ReplyDeleteThey should repackage Reigns as The Rock 2.0 with the same music and everything. Oh, and when Vince screws the title off of Brock on Raw or WM Brock should write the letters U.F.C. in the air with his hand ala Bret Hart.
ReplyDeleteOrton/Batista could have been the biggest WM match of all time, pal!
ReplyDeleteLet's just have Reigns cycle through every Samoan gimmick.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Brock appearing at UFC 184 last night was the greatest way for him to say "Fuck you, Vince" after walking out last Monday.
ReplyDeleteIf the plan was to put Rollins over, maybe they shouldn't have jobbed him out on Thursday to Ryback, but what the hell do I know?
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteRoman's getting the strap, and the monster push literally no matter what the hell happens. Absolute best case scenario is Seth cashing in and taking the title off him at MITB 2015 in June.
So Roman can win it again at Summerslam.
You make a depressingly sound argument.
ReplyDeleteReigns has a good look but the dude is not ready for a main event run. Vince has truly lost his shit.
ReplyDeleteSo, on a scale of 1 to 10, what are we expecting the backlash level from the Mania crowd to be when Roman's hand is raised and he's announced as the new champion?
ReplyDeleteHe's makin' a difference on the swat team with his shrunken head.
ReplyDeleteReigns and the Usos should be the new Headshrinkers and DESTROY EVERYONE
ReplyDeleteAn 11 at least.
ReplyDeleteWill they do it in under three minutes?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of Roman Reigns push is his READ TO YOUR FUCKING CHILD commercials for the government I hear every night on the radio
ReplyDelete69
ReplyDelete"I for one welcome our new Roman Reigns overlord." - Kent Brockman
ReplyDeleteIs it fair that the Usos still come across as cut-rate Samoans to me? Not go all Michael Hayes, but I like my Samoans fat and crazy.
ReplyDeleteWe are the nation, of domination. Somebody get DLo Brown on the phone STAT!
ReplyDeleteIt'd be HHH.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for Reigns. Unlike someone like Cena or Orton, he hasn't been around long enough to know better or have the clout to get shit changed. Plus, I'm sure his family told him specifically not to rock the boat in order to maintain good relations with the McMahons. So he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
ReplyDeleteThen I would not love to see it.
ReplyDeleteIf the Reigns push utterly fails, how quickly does everyone think the belt will be back on Cena? Is SummerSlam too late?
ReplyDeleteWell, at least he is on TV SOMEWHERE.
ReplyDeleteHe'll be the Samoan who wins the title at Wrestlemania only to lose it minutes later just like Yokozuna at Wrestlemania 9.
ReplyDeleteBut can grizzled old vet Cena's body handle another title reign? He might fall apart right in front of our eyes!
ReplyDeleteStill standing by my "Brock wins, Shield reunites and Rollins cashes in" call.
ReplyDeleteHey, a guy can hope.
Scott's exaggerating for comedic effect.
ReplyDeleteI hope.
Yeah, I mean you don't turn down a spot like this but like you say, he doesn't have the clout to push for a different approach. This could work (or work better) if he embraced the role of an entitled asshole millennial who's being pushed beyond his ability, who knows it and doesn't care.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Roman's case is completely hopeless. I mean, he's not fucking MIZ, for goodness sake.
ReplyDeleteBut WWE's doing him no favors.
Haha...Leakee.
ReplyDeleteHE'S GONNA....HE'S GONNA LEAK!!!
It'll be Ronda Rousey.
ReplyDeleteThat would be fucking tits.
ReplyDeleteYou mean he's stuck between The Rock and Vince McMahon ;)
ReplyDeleteRealistically, why would The Shield reunite there? Just to be Seth Rollins' protection now that he's champion or something?
ReplyDeleteStories must be told.
ReplyDeleteI think that Brock winning at WM and the super-smarky smarks losing their shit over it would be spectacular
ReplyDeleteThis is, and continues to be the issue. It seems everything the WWE does is geared toward pissing off its most loyal supporters. Who the fuck runs a business this way?
WCW, TNA, AWA....
ReplyDeleteHe's in the hunt!
ReplyDeleteLet's not worry about realism in a world where Big Show can turn on his partners weekly and yet people still trust him. Or where Kane wrestles in slacks with a goofy haircut and we're supposed to take him seriously as a monster.
ReplyDeleteHe is the world's most scariest accountant.
ReplyDeletepoint taken. Isn't this similar to the Hogan deal in AWA? Fans wanting Hogan to win and some guy on the internet or whatever the hell saying "hahahahahahaha those stupid fans want Hogan to win but I'm glad he didn't hahahahahaha stupid fans"
ReplyDeleteBecause I cant see this simply ending as Reigns beats Brock, then the credits roll. Vince is going to do something, and it's 8/10 there will be little logic behind it. So, this is my dart.
ReplyDeleteObviously going to NXT was a bit of a joke, but in all honesty has Reigns been permanently tarnished by this mess? I'm not so sure he can't still be salvaged, but it strikes me that the further into the WrestleMania build we go, the further down the proverbial rabbit hole Reigns falls.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I can see things ending exactly that way, because Vince is stubborn and insane. A deadly combo.
ReplyDeleteI believe Vince is senile enough to believe that fans will go home happy when they see a supposed big babyface star win the title.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't the Shield just reunite to help Roman win?
ReplyDeleteReigns certainly has potential. I worry that after this run bombs for Reigns that management will lose complete confidence in Roman so if Reigns does eventually improve so he can be seen at that level, WWE will probably not push him to that level again due to what happened the first time.
ReplyDeleteWith a good booking team, anyone with a sliver of talent can be salvaged.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, Roman is doomed.
He can but you can probably forget this dream of being the guy to take Cena's place. Only in Vince's mind is that pipe dream ever gonna happen.
ReplyDeleteI can see Kane and Big Show interrupting RR's celebration with a beat down to set up Extreme Rules.
ReplyDeleteAnybody can be rebuilt with the right maneuvering. Look at how well they did with Brock since the Big Show match. It's unlikely, but it's possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Vince leaks a little every time he sees him.
ReplyDeleteThe story could be that since Roman failed to win, he'd be happy to at least have the title belt with the family.
ReplyDeleteBrock is Brock. Roman is not.
ReplyDeleteVince: *fap fap fap*
ReplyDeleteWith the right booking and the right storylines, Roman can easily be pretty huge.
ReplyDeleteNah. Because smarks back then at least could recognize Hogan's merch sales and justify his push. Reigns has nothing.
ReplyDeleteA big ol heel turn is needed though
ReplyDeleteNo. No he hasn't.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sure. But we've got the current WWE crew mapping out his future.
ReplyDeleteThe corporate champion turn writes itself.
ReplyDeleteI may agree to this.
ReplyDeleteThe difference being that those promotions either went out of business, or came precariously close. Contrary to the hopes and speculation of many of the posters here, that isn't happening to WWE anytime soon, whether or not they run with Reigns at the top.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about who is getting push, but trolling the fanbase. Why not focus on compelling stories rather than pissing off people to show them who is boss?
ReplyDeleteThey jobbed Reigns to Big Show in a three minute match not too long ago. It's arguable, but I think that's worse than being pinned by Ryback in a six man tag.
ReplyDeleteActually it's very similar to how they ruined Sheamus, Swagger, Del Rio with premature pushes to the top.
ReplyDeleteThis is how they've decided to bring back a layer of kayfabe that's been dead for two decades now. The problem is, they've gone a bit too far with their version of "new kayfabe" of trolling Internet fans.
ReplyDeleteIn 99 no one thought WCW would be out of business 2 years later. I feel what you are saying but the company isn't bulletproof.
ReplyDeleteUgh, it sucks but you're right. It must be nice to be a promoter and have everyone cater to what you want, rather than the other way around (the way it should be).
ReplyDeleteThose three guys didn't connect to the audience *at all* during their initial big pushes. Reigns does to an extent, even if it's far from ideal.
ReplyDeleteThe last year or so being a huge super secret master plan by the Shield to takeover WWE would be a great payoff...but then that would mean that someone outsmarted HHH and Stephanie, and we all know that the universe would collapse upon itself if that happened.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...Reigns program with Kane and/or Big Show bombs in April so Rollins cashes in in May. Then, Cena and Orton battle over the #1 contendership in June and July, Cena wins that, and beats Rollins at SummerSlam. Or, Rollins cashes in in April, Cena beats him in May. Cena and Orton feud until Summerslam.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't. But it won't be going out of business any time soon.
ReplyDeleteScott playing his audience like a Stradivarius.
ReplyDeleteIt won't happen anytime soon I agree, but the same thing was thought about WCW too where they never imagined the company who still had good ratings would go out of business either, but if WWE makes a regular habbit of pissing the fans of just for the hell of it, then it's a slippery dangerous road to go down on and as WCW, TNA and AWA have all demonstrated that if you piss of the fanbase too much then you can eventually kill your most hardcore loyal fanbase.
ReplyDeleteI agree to an extent, but I think that you're overestimating the current fan antipathy towards the company.
ReplyDeleteSwagger is the only guy there that I would say had a premature push. Sheamus' win established him well, he had a unique look and was clearly ready for the big time. Del Rio was also ready, despite not being able to connect given the stories they tried to tell with him.
ReplyDeleteSwagger, well, he just shouldn't have had the title.
But that's lame...
ReplyDeleteHave you heard the Cornette podcast with Lance Storm? It's an awesome listen and the go over this kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteStorm said they have trained the fans to hate everything the company does because they've positioned themselves the heel with all the authority stuff. So whoever they vouch for (Reigns) gets crapped on cause that's the response the fans have been conditioned to give.
At this point, the only thing that could salvage this.
ReplyDeleteThe Reigns vs Brock match just doesn't make any sense. One guy is probably leaving and the other guy is being crapped on every step of the way. WWE needs to figure out that the Internet is a real thing and shouldn't book their stuff like it is 1990.
ReplyDeleteSheamus and Del Rio were definitely deserving from a talent standpoint, but they didn't have the necessary connection with the fans (Del Rio especially). You could sort of say the opposite for Reigns: he doesn't have the talent for his big push (yet), but he certainly connects better than ADR and Sheamus did.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to try to use the belt to get guys over instead of giving the belt to over guys. I said earlier they don't book heat anymore.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me? How can a program featuring Big Show and Kane bomb? Have you not seen Big Show in person? Don't you know how demonic and dangerous Kane is?
ReplyDeleteOnce again, the post-Mania RAW in Chicago is going to be EPIC for the crowd reactions.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty good assessment, and a really great reason for them to cut the "heel authority figure" stuff. Just bring things back to the Jack Tunney era.
ReplyDeleteSheamus debuted not long before winning the WWE Title, his win was meant to be shocking and the title win as meant to be used to elevate him to the big time.
ReplyDeleteDel Rio didn't connect.
I...I have not seen him in person. My shame is deep. If only I had gone to Raw last time it was in town I never would have posited such an outrageous scenario... Where's that seppuku sword...
ReplyDeleteLike WCW they are fine as long as they have a tv deal. Ratings have been on a steady decline, it's slow, but steady. I don't think they are as safe as you think they are.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Insufferable little toadie. Do you ever have fun? Do you ever enjoy anything (not involving someone else's misfortune)?
ReplyDeleteMania is in California, the night after is in Chicago? That doesn't sound right.
ReplyDeleteAm I allowed to say I'm a big fan of Reigns and hope he wins the title? I remember watching his dad fight Hogan on for the title on SNME.
ReplyDeleteOh ok I gotcha. The thought process is "If we always give the fans what they want they will expect everything to go the way they want it to."
ReplyDeleteI think Del Rio's case was the most damning of all three guys. It's almost always easier to book big heels well than big babyfaces, but the guy just didn't connect at all.
ReplyDeleteof course, warrior actually got the reactions to warrant the main slot.
ReplyDeleteU mad bro?
ReplyDeletearen't they in new orleans this year?
ReplyDeleteNo, just your shtick is old news. I'm happy to make Scott money, I've enjoyed his work for over ten years.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying it will happen, but WWE business is changing and not for the better and with WWE killing their PPV model, this is the most vulnerable spot Vince has been in in a long time.
ReplyDeleteTell THAT to The Rock, jabroni
ReplyDeleteChicago is Extreme Rules
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I like Reigns, and I want to see him win the title (preferably with Rollins cashing in immediately afterwards to set up the big post-WM feud). He isn't ready, but they seem to be set on him at this point. It is what it is.
ReplyDeleteThat was last year.
ReplyDeleteIt's not.
ReplyDeleteYou never know, you might be right. It remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteThey can't continue on that course forever though. That's why they created the Network. If they continued on this course of charging $55 for this bullshit every month they would start to be in serious danger.
ReplyDeleteIf WWE had the excuse of "well, we've got nothing else!", then I think most people would be more accepting of Reigns vs. Lesnar because at least it's a new face in the main event. But they had an epic story RIGHT THERE, and they passed it up for reasons none of us can fathom.
ReplyDeleteYou're a real mayo bowl in the ointment.
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about a jacked, meaty-thighed (but not too meaty) Samoan like Reigns?
ReplyDeleteWe here on the Blog of Doom (pause for cheap pop) talk about what we'd like to believe, not what's actually true.
ReplyDeleteWarrior's booking had a lot to do with how his title run was perceived.
ReplyDeleteRock is the exception to the rule.
ReplyDeleteOh, I can fathom the reasons. Vince has a mancrush on Roman Reigns. Vince does not have a mancrush on Daniel Bryan.
ReplyDeleteno, you are not allowed.
ReplyDeleteYou can. You're just in the minority.
ReplyDeleteU so mad bro.
ReplyDeleteIs that you Calhoun?
ReplyDeleteOn paper, the thought of agile young powerhouse Reigns taking down the big monster sounds cool. Unstoppable force, immoveable object, etc. Cooler to some (Vince obviously included) than a Bryan/Lesnar David vs. Goliath story.
ReplyDeleteJacked up is fine. It's the skinny part that throws me, really.
ReplyDeleteThey're skinnyfat.
ReplyDeleteI think they'd put it on Daniel Bryan, honestly. I know, I know... he lost the Rumble in very unceremonious fashion and they obviously don't see him as face of the company, BUT them not wanting him to win the Rumble and defeat Brock Lesnar in the main event of Wrestlemania and them not wanting him to be champion period when they need someone to carry things for (at least) a few months are two different things. He'll still be the most over superstar and if he won the belt around say June or July, it'd feel like "picking up where things left off last year" since that's right around the time where he was forced to forfeit the title due to injury.
ReplyDeleteThis is why nobody gets over. If it's not Stephanie emasculating everyone its HHH no selling stipulations or threatening everyone while the babyfaces do nothing.
ReplyDeleteI get the logic behind that cause sometimes fans don't really want what they are asking for, but this Daniel Bryan thing has been going on for three years. My guess is they really want this.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine a scenario where Brock is not cheered more than Reigns at Wrestlemania. Female fans may think Reigns is hot, but Brock has the majority of the audience's respect, Reigns does not. Having Brock win only to lose the Rollins may be the best way to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm good, amigo. You stay miserable, my man.
ReplyDeleteAt least Trips sort of gets his comeuppance. Stephanie's only value (to me) is looking hot. Sounds misogynistic, but I really don't like her as a performer.
ReplyDeleteNot saying I agree, just saying that's their mentality. The best bookers trick the fans into thinking it's what they want, Forgot who said that but it's so true.
ReplyDeleteReigns...see, if you book him like Goldberg, you've got a winner.
ReplyDeleteThey've been all over the place with the guy.
So very mad bro.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of fans seemed to prefer the possibility David vs. Goliath. Especially since Samson was busy cutting promos about cartoon characters and losing to Elhanan.
ReplyDeleteLosing to Big Show in three minutes on RAW a while ago. Ha.
ReplyDelete"Female fans may think Reigns is hot"
ReplyDeleteWell, let's be honest -- at least 66% of the Mania crowd will not be female
You're right. Just stating the reasoning behind Reigns/Lesnar.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked they jobbed him to Big Fucking Show
ReplyDeleteShe can't really even pull that off anymore. I mean, she looked good at Wrestlemania XXX, but that voice. It's like listening to a Crane get choked out.
ReplyDeleteI find her really attractive myself. Fake tits sure, but I've always had a thing for bitchy MILFs.
ReplyDeleteHHH does get comeuppance occasionally but he gets his heat back often quickly. Kind of like that whole Authority is out of power angle that lasted a week. Stephanie is a great heel but she's never allowed to look bad ever. At least Vince got his most every week if he screwed Austin so it felt more like a shift in the balance of power.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what awful name they would make Samoa Joe "choose" if he ever signed. "The Samoan" "Nuu Samoa" "Folu de Samoa" lol
ReplyDeleteOh, the reasoning is very sound. And with a few since adjustments (booking Reigns to actually beat people, not giving him lousy promo material, not bringing Bryan back just to kill YES!, etc.), the plan might have worked out well for all involved.
ReplyDeleteYep. It's strange that they've booked a guy they want so badly to succeed so, well, badly.
ReplyDeleteFat Joe.
ReplyDeleteJoey Island
ReplyDeleteI think, for me, it's whatever Growth Hormone she's taking...it's affecting her voice, and maybe this is all part of that "Getting Fit" thing with HHH...but if you ask me, I think he's just trying to turn her into Chyna II.
ReplyDeleteWe're going to get a daily Reigns email aren't we?
ReplyDeleteReigns would've been ok in theory if it was badass Samoan warrior vs manbeast instead of nursery rhyme Looney Toons watching sissified geek vs manbeast.
ReplyDeleteHis dad?
ReplyDeleteHer voice got all fucked up around 2002/2003, which is also when she bulked up quite a bit. To me, it adds to the whole aforementioned "bitchy" thing and thus her attractiveness in general.
ReplyDeleteWhen it Reigns, it pours.
ReplyDeleteThey should make make the match no DQ and then have a spot where Brock pisses off Heyman, so he pulls out the 80's style cell phone. He dials a number and out come the the Samoan Swat Team. Hell, bring out the entire Samoan family tree to mob Brock. Bring out Rock, Rikishi, the Usos, Samu, Tama, Manu, Rosey, Afa, and especially Roman's dad, Sika. I want Sika out there biting into a raw fish as Reigns hits the Superman punch. Now THAT would be a Wrestlemania moment.
ReplyDeleteIs it safe to say now that Vince never wanted Bryan as champion in the first place and HATED the whole YES! Movement, but was talked into going along with it (probably by HHH) because Batista bombed and they had nothing else? Because this whole thing reminds me of the Rey deal where he agreed to the title run and yet counted down the days where he could get the thing off him and get everything back to "normal". Bryan's injury did the work for him, but I can see Vince having a similar reaction at 30, muttering under his breath and counting down the days to Summerslam or whenever.
ReplyDeleteWoof. See what I mean?
ReplyDeleteHere's another thing about Reigns...he needs a makeover. He needs to lose the Shield look/music, and he needs a real finisher. I'm not saying turn him into "Rio, Lord of the Jungle", but give him something other than the Bossman look.
Might as well.
ReplyDeleteNah, it's not safe since Bryan's been pretty well-handled (with a couple of obvious exceptions) since he joined the company.
ReplyDeleteProbably waiting until he gets the same surgery the Rock had done.
ReplyDeleteGenetics are a bitch.
I'm not sure about the music, but I think the look is perfect (especially since he seems to have gone back to the all-black outfit since the Rumble, rather the lame green/blue-patterned ones he wore for a while) and his moveset is good, if limited.
ReplyDeleteWell, so was Rey. Even better than Bryan, I'd say. But Vince didn't see him as champion material.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about recently, but he had a pretty impressive physique in developmental. More cut than Rocky was for most of his WWF/E career.
ReplyDeleteHer mic game has gotten better imo
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, whether or not Vince wanted Bryan ever becoming champ, I doubt he "hates" or even dislikes him. He's probably viewed in positive terms as a good little hand, I'm guessing.
ReplyDeleteBut at least 66% will have big boobs.
ReplyDeleteA Punch and a Spear are not finishes, brother. Hell, give him the Last Ride Powerbomb or something.
ReplyDeleteBrock got quite the ovation in LA last night at UFC 184. It's only 400 miles north to the site of WM31. Couldn't agree more that he's the favorite going in.
ReplyDeleteEh, I think it's fine. Agree to disagree, my man.
ReplyDeleteThe more pertinent issue is that no one even Reigns is allowed to be bigger than the promotion. No one will ever break out above a certain level. It's not come see Hulk Hogan and the WWF or come see Stone Cold and the WWF its come see all the WWE superstars.
ReplyDeletei don't think you read his answer correctly reread it
ReplyDeleteThat blows my mind. If he's as cut as you guys talk about, then he should lose the jacket. Unless...he hasn't done any lifting since the hernia surgery.
ReplyDeleteDon't misunderstand, I'm not saying he hates Bryan at all. But the YES! stuff was so counter to how Vince normally does business that he couldn't have been comfortable with how things went down. I'm sure he appreciates Bryan's work ethic and all, but I also suspect that he doesn't view him in the same light as a Cena or Orton in terms of marketability and starpower. So I can see him fighting against all the momentum because he just didn't get it.
ReplyDeleteThey make way too much money
ReplyDeleteAnd even if the ratings slide, they are still highly rated on cable.
WWE will not go out of business unless all the mcmahons are dead.
Totally agree, He missed most of his singles time with the injury and never had to work his way back up. He just got slotted as the guy. I don't believe for one second that the Superstar Of The Year thing was legit. He didn't do anything all year. It's more Rollins and Ziggler's year than his.
ReplyDeleteGodammit, just take your upvote.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that they will go out of business tomorrow, but we can't act like it's totally out of the question. The tv landscape is changing and they are pissing off their core audience on a constant basis. That's not a recipe for long-term success.
ReplyDeleteI'm willing to believe the Superstar of the Year thing, though it seems a bit suspect.
ReplyDeleteBoring.
ReplyDeleteIn the Silverdome, brother!
ReplyDeleteIt's possible. He's looked smaller since returning, but also leaner. He was looking flabby during the jacket-less kendo stick beatdown at the hands of Evolution at Payback last year.
ReplyDeleteIt was less than a year ago that they had an excellent WrestleMania (and at the main event level at least, an excellent Road to WrestleMania), and there have definitely been positives since then, even though the general product has had more bad than good. That's more than I can say for WCW in its last few years.
ReplyDeleteLike I said to Tom Dawkings, I think you're overestimating fan antipathy towards the product.
Ugh, the mere fact that he's uncomfortable just bothers the piss out of me.
ReplyDeleteI see what you did there.
ReplyDeletesince The Shield is my favorite faction EVER, I would soo approve of this.
ReplyDeletePose a situation for you.
ReplyDeleteWWE has the ability to make new fans.
They made new fans with hulkamania and alienated the backlund/bruno core fans.
They made new fans with austin/rock and made people forget about nash/razor and hbk.
They made new fans with cena and moved past the attitude era.
They will be fine.
Yep. Although Batista deserves credit along with Cena for their 2005-ish mini-boom.
ReplyDeleteThat much is obvious. I think it's clear that if Bryan was at least 6'1 or 6'2 or 6'3 and somewhere around 240-250 pounds, that he would be pushed as Cena's equal or successor, and would have almost certainly won the Royal Rumble this year and then been booked to defeat Brock at Wrestlemania. I mean, they actually have a babyface that the people LOVE (none of that 50/50 shit with Cena) and who's gotten mainstream attention all on his own. There's no logical reason he hasn't been pushed harder other than preconceived (and antiquated) notions that a smaller guy should never be the top guy of the promotion.
ReplyDeleteBut antipathy doesn't happen overnight. It creeps in slowly like a virus, quietly killing healthy cells and eventually the body gives out. It takes years sometimes, but when the end comes it is almost always ugly and painful.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the same.
ReplyDeleteThe fans wanted hogan as champ, verne wanted it on what he thought a champ should be.
The difference is that bryan cant goto tna and make them number 1.
I'm not saying they are going out of business or even that business is bad right now. I'm saying you can't continually mess with your base and it not have an affect.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am saying is that there will be a breaking point with the fans. History tells us that eventually fans stop watching if it's not something they want to see. I'm not saying that point will be here tomorrow or the next day, but that the day will come if this continues.
What I want to know is how does it make Reigns feel knowing that he's waited for and wanted this and it's not working out.
ReplyDeleteexactly. we often mention how there seem to be very little other companies that deliberately seem to try to anger their own fanbase.
ReplyDeletebut on the contrary, how very few companies are out there that are actually loathed by their most loyal supporters?
You're right. I just find the WCW comparisons pretty silly, especially since IMO the current WWE product is definitely better than dying days WCW (or mid-90s WWF), but is viewed as being just as bad because of the fact that it's happening right now. There's no doubt in my mind that in a couple of years, with the benefit of time and distance, people will see that 2014-2015 WWE, while mostly bad, was not the terrible product that it's often described as being.
ReplyDeleteYou're overlooking a key element: WWE had to radically change the way they did business in order for the transitions to work (and usually because of financial issues that forced their hand). Now, they figured out a way to make money with a minimum of effort and no real competition breathing down their neck.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the incentive to change?
I'd imagine he's pretty frustrated. No matter how you book him, he isn't ready for the main event yet, but the booking and writing has actively hurt him. If they'd done just a few things differently, I'm sure the backlash would be a lot quieter than it currently is.
ReplyDeleteBut has he? I haven't seen much about how that indicates his dream was to be a wrestler. Is he only a wrestler because his football career didn't pan out?
ReplyDeleteFor all we know, he may be disillusioned with people in his ear. Who knows what is on his mind right now.
ReplyDeleteI cant give him props cuz he cooled off completely after his 06 return and was never the guy on smackdown.
ReplyDeleteI have to give that to edge hardy and punk.
Batista had the great series with huhter but nothing was memorable on SD batista in 05... he missed 3/44s4s of 06, and 07 he was being carried to great matches from taker and edge.
By 08 he was back and forth on shows.
Meanwhile was getting everything on raHis 06 title reign
his 07 string of awesome matches (hhbk, umaga, even got a ***oout of khali)