Seth Rollins out 6-9 months with torn ACL

[Tromatagon]

No he was asking about Michael Rooker

[The Man Known as Dan]

Adorable seeing everyone with hopes and dreams still.

 

Going "If they were smart they'd do this" doesn't mean we think they are smart.

[The Nature Boy]

In a perfect world:

 

You redo the Survivor Series 1998 ending with Roman, Dean gets a title shot the next night, loses by DQ and is told by The Authority that he can't get a title shot unless he wins the Royal Rumble. Triple H announces that Dean will be #1 in the Rumble and Triple H will be #2. The Rumble comes down to Dean and HHH, Roman comes down to distract Dean, Dean smirks, doesn't fall for the distraction, throws HHH from the ring, wins the Rumble and ultimately the championship at WrestleMania.

 

Who plays Mankind here? And no, the surrogate Mankind doesn't win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  

[The Man Known as Dan]

A world were Triple H spends 40 minutes in the Rumble this year isn't a perfect world.

 

In that scenario though, once more, Cesaro seems like the good pick to make a run.

[The Nature Boy]

A world were Triple H spends 40 minutes in the Rumble this year isn't a perfect world.

 

In that scenario though, once more, Cesaro seems like the good pick to make a run.

 

Just blatantly copy the 1999 Rumble and have Triple H leave for like 40 minutes after Dean gets taken out in an ambulance. Or just have Dean enter #1 and make a run through the Rumble without HHH's involvement.

 

I like Cesaro and a deep run in a tournament would be good for him but there's NO WAY I insert him into a World Title picture until after Mania. That needs to be all Dean and Roman. Unless of course you want Cesaro to play the Mankind role as the secondary babyface who is turned face by Roman's betrayal, but even that doesn't make much sense.

[Hollywood Cibernetico]

If Orton wasn't hurt then I would bet money that he would win the whole thing. Hopefully Sheamus is as far away from the finals as possible. I also hope Big Show and Kane are not in the tournament at all. Hopefully Lesnar and Cena don't come back early to participate in this. I want it as fresh as possible (while maintaing realistic expectations). Reigns, Ambrose, ADR, Ziggler, Rusev, and Cesaro wouldn't be a bad 6. The Wyatts will be busy that night with the 4 on 4 match that night so all 4 of them are out. I would also toss in Kalisto and Neville just to keep it fun and interesting and feeling fresh.

[Iron Moose]

If Orton wasn't hurt then I would bet money that he would win the whole thing. Hopefully Sheamus is as far away from the finals as possible. I also hope Big Show and Kane are not in the tournament at all. Hopefully Lesnar and Cena don't come back early to participate in this. I want it as fresh as possible (while maintaing realistic expectations). Reigns, Ambrose, ADR, Ziggler, Rusev, and Cesaro wouldn't be a bad 6. The Wyatts will be busy that night with the 4 on 4 match that night so all 4 of them are out. I would also toss in Kalisto and Neville just to keep it fun and interesting and feeling fresh.

 

Rusev is also injured. How about Balor, Owens and ... I don't know... Goldust? I like Neville but I think he may be tied up with Stardust and the Ascension.

 

The timing of the injury and depth of the injured roster is astonishing. Zayn, Itami, Orton, Rusev...

[The Man Known as Dan]

 

A world were Triple H spends 40 minutes in the Rumble this year isn't a perfect world.

 

In that scenario though, once more, Cesaro seems like the good pick to make a run.

 

Just blatantly copy the 1999 Rumble and have Triple H leave for like 40 minutes after Dean gets taken out in an ambulance. Or just have Dean enter #1 and make a run through the Rumble without HHH's involvement.

 

I like Cesaro and a deep run in a tournament would be good for him but there's NO WAY I insert him into a World Title picture until after Mania. That needs to be all Dean and Roman. Unless of course you want Cesaro to play the Mankind role as the secondary babyface who is turned face by Roman's betrayal, but even that doesn't make much sense.

 

 

For what it's worth, I think just perfectly copying Reigns into Rocks role is a terrible decision. The best case scenario to me is still Wyatt walking away with the belt.

[nofuture]

Talk about bad timing, had Del Rio waited two more weeks, he probably would have gotten a better contract and the possibly the World Title.

[The Nature Boy]

 

 

A world were Triple H spends 40 minutes in the Rumble this year isn't a perfect world.

 

In that scenario though, once more, Cesaro seems like the good pick to make a run.

 

Just blatantly copy the 1999 Rumble and have Triple H leave for like 40 minutes after Dean gets taken out in an ambulance. Or just have Dean enter #1 and make a run through the Rumble without HHH's involvement.

 

I like Cesaro and a deep run in a tournament would be good for him but there's NO WAY I insert him into a World Title picture until after Mania. That needs to be all Dean and Roman. Unless of course you want Cesaro to play the Mankind role as the secondary babyface who is turned face by Roman's betrayal, but even that doesn't make much sense.

 

 

For what it's worth, I think just perfectly copying Reigns into Rocks role is a terrible decision. The best case scenario to me is still Wyatt walking away with the belt.

 

 

I think you have to do something with Reigns because Dean is the guy I'd push as the lead face in this era. He fits the whole rugged, bad boy, flawed hero dynamic that is popular in pop culture these days. Reigns as the kiss-ass, arrogant heel works. He's the perfect pretty boy and Ambrose is the kid from the other side of the tracks. It's a classic narrative. 

 

Dean/Roman is money, it's a long standing friendship broken up because one guy sold out for the ultimate prize. It's a story that writes itself. The Authority can cut promos about how Dean is just some rugged kid from the streets and that people like him don't become World Champion while touting Reigns with his good looks and wrestling pedigree as the ultimate champion. To The Authority, Dean is worse than Daniel Bryan. Dean is from the streets, he's dirty, he's the opposite of what The Authority wants representing WWE. 

 

We complain that WWE doesn't do stories any more. There's one right THERE that they could do. Cesaro or Bray with the belt doesn't get you an engaging angle. 

[SirSmUgly]

I'm certain one of Cena, Del Rio, Lesnar, Sheamus, or Reigns is walking out as champ, and honestly, Lesnar is the only one who I care about right now.

 

The guys that I would find interesting (Rusev, Cesaro, Ambrose, Owens, Wyatt, Bryan, Big E) are all hurt or have absolutely no shot.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Bray Wyatt, the man who has kidnapped Undertaker and Kane and taken them god knows where, who has 3 monsters in his corner, who could conceivably be the first "smart" monster heel champ in god knows what, doesn't have engaging stories? You could set up Reigns/Ambrose in the tournament without it getting to the finals, but rushing Ambrose/Reigns into being "THE" program seems like a giant mistake to me. Heck, if I was running it, I wouldn't be opposed to trying a Reigns turns heel and joins the Authority thing, I just don't think it should get him the title here. Have him do it to get past Ambrose in the semis, only to run into Wyatt and his followers in the finals and make it not matter.

[Brian Fowler]

Only if Ambrose drops all the incredibly stupid shit from his arsenal. That version of the rebound lariat he did on the floor Monday was the dumbest fucking thing.

[piranesi]

HHH trying and failing to mentor Dean because heel Dean is like heel Seth Rollins after 7 progressively more malfunctioning clone generations have been made would be pretty funny.

[The Nature Boy]

Bray Wyatt, the man who has kidnapped Undertaker and Kane and taken them god knows where, who has 3 monsters in his corner, who could conceivably be the first "smart" monster heel champ in god knows what, doesn't have engaging stories? You could set up Reigns/Ambrose in the tournament without it getting to the finals, but rushing Ambrose/Reigns into being "THE" program seems like a giant mistake to me. Heck, if I was running it, I wouldn't be opposed to trying a Reigns turns heel and joins the Authority thing, I just don't think it should get him the title here. Have him do it to get past Ambrose in the semis, only to run into Wyatt and his followers in the finals and make it not matter.

 

But what top babyface does Wyatt feud with as champion? His story with Taker and Kane doesn't need (and shouldn't have) the championship. WWE has done a terrible job building up faces. I just think that Bray Wyatt as champion wouldn't be as good as it could be because he doesn't really have a strong babyface to play off of. 

 

And how is it rushing to have Reigns/Ambrose be THE program? Dean winning the WWE World Championship and defying the odds to do so is a "Mania moment" that writes itself. And the longer you wait to do what with Ambrose, the less important the moment seems. 

[The Man Known as Dan]

Because Ambrose right now isn't a very good wrestler, let alone someone I'd pay to see wrestle PPV main events? It's not like we don't have a track record for him there, and so far it's been a bunch of misses and meh. Just about any Ambrose Mania Main Event is a Mania main event that's a let down to me.

[SirSmUgly]

Bray Wyatt doing Ministry Redux would be fun as hell. Like Ambrose, it doesn't take long to heat the Wyatts back up. Honestly, if they did something where The Wyatts beat Team 'Taker, kidnapped Sheamus, flash-brainwashed him, and then had Sheamus hand his briefcase to Wyatt so Wyatt could attack Reigns after Reigns won the tournament and win the gold, you have a monster heel right there so when Reigns or whoever beats him at WM, it means something. 

[The Nature Boy]

Because Ambrose right now isn't a very good wrestler, let alone someone I'd pay to see wrestle PPV main events? It's not like we don't have a track record for him there, and so far it's been a bunch of misses and meh. Just about any Ambrose Mania Main Event is a Mania main event that's a let down to me.

 

Dean is effective at playing his character, he's good enough in the ring, he's incredibly over and he fits the flawed hero dynamic that seems to be popular now.

 

All good reasons to run with him. 

[The Man Known as Dan]

"Good Enough in Ring"

 

By whose standards? He's had big time PPV matches with Rollins and Wyatt and hasn't really given us a match in that grouping that makes me think he should be a main event player in what is a very very (Ugh, I hate this term) workrate heavy promotion which, at present, the WWE kinda is right now.

[The Nature Boy]

"Good Enough in Ring"

 

By whose standards? He's had big time PPV matches with Rollins and Wyatt and hasn't really given us a match in that grouping that makes me think he should be a main event player in what is a very very (Ugh, I hate this term) workrate heavy promotion which, at present, the WWE kinda is right now.

 

The crowd is still into him, which is really the most important measuring stick. 

[JonnyLaw]

Roman turns heel on someone else (my vote is Cesaro, unless you want to turn Owens face), and you run the Luger/Sting bit with them.

[The Man Known as Dan]

They are, would they be as into him as "The Man" though? Keep in mind the fans for the longest time are still very into Dolph Ziggler, but unlike Ambrose, Ziggler actually has a better track record in big matches. 

[The Nature Boy]

They are, would they be as into him as "The Man" though? Keep in mind the fans for the longest time are still very into Dolph Ziggler, but unlike Ambrose, Ziggler actually has a better track record in big matches. 

 

Dolph could be, if they actually gave him a character beyond "smiling pretty boy who loves to entertain." 

 

Dean as champion is an experiment though that I think could work. His character work carries him a lot more than people realize and he could get away with doing Steve Austin-esque punch-kick brawl matches if it comes down to it. Dean vs. Bray as a post-Mania feud would be a lot of fun though and I think that Dean defending the belt against Bray and his minions would be a great story. 

[The Man Known as Dan]

Also, other big flaw outside of "Is Ambrose ready to be a main event face" is "Is Reigns ready to be a main event heel". He's already not a great promo, and god knows they would just put him in the Rollins role of having 15 minute promos to open every Raw. And while Reigns has really stepped into his role as "big match babyface", putting him into a top of the card heel role is a significantly different question.

[The Nature Boy]

Also, other big flaw outside of "Is Ambrose ready to be a main event face" is "Is Reigns ready to be a main event heel". He's already not a great promo, and god knows they would just put him in the Rollins role of having 15 minute promos to open every Raw. And while Reigns has really stepped into his role as "big match babyface", putting him into a top of the card heel role is a significantly different question.

 

Reigns is going to run into the John Cena problem because he's "too good" for modern society. Half the crowd is going to hate him for being the all conquering babyface and the other half is going to want to sleep with him. If WWE were smart, they'd have him be a heel who says a few words, lets The Authority do the heavy lifting and just show up to spear people and look good in swanky suits. He eventually gets his big babyface turn when he gets tired of Triple H's shit, turns on him and then beats him clean.