Technico Support Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Reigns should fight his ass off and then get eliminated at the very end by an undeserving heel. It's the simplest booking imaginable and WWE probably won't do it because this is a company that would fuck up a wet dream. Re: Reigns' push vs Austin's. Wrestling has changed. It has become a geek culture niche product. Nobody thinks it's real and the number of smart fans is way higher than it was 20 years ago. Fans today are going to sniff out something phony and inorganic like Reigns' push and shit on it. Vince is locked in his 70s/80s mindset where he thinks he can lead the marks by their noses and they'll cheer who he says to cheer. He's out of touch and the company is not going to change until he drops dead/retires/sells the company to Disney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie M. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 The problem for him is that there aren't enough geek culture niche fans to move his overall business numbers as much as he expects. Daniel Bryan was insanely popular within the bubble but that's not enough for Vince. He's looking for another boom period before he's done. I'm sure he probably also has a lot of extra pressure on him due to it being a public company. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick B. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 At the end of the day, it's a business so they should do what makes the most money. I'm not open-minded enough to say what that is; I just know what I want as an individual wrestling fan. No matter what "filler" guys have held the title or been positioned as the top guy, it seems like Vince has always been looking for his next Hulk Hogan or (to a lesser degree) Steve Austin. It's up for debate whether Cena is seen at that level, though he's certainly been position as if that's the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 How is there going to be another boom period, though? Vince poached Hogan from Verne after Hogan got over on his own. Austin had an awful start in WWE and got over on his own. Same for Rock. So now we have the following problems: There's nobody getting over huge in a rival national promotion for Vince to scoop up Nobody is given free reign anymore to get over organically and, if they do, they get cut off at the knees Vince thinks he can create a boom period star while history shows us he can't We're not going to get another boom period as long as Vince is in charge. The last two booms were roughly 10 years apart. We're about 8 years past due with no prospects in sight. This company is doomed to mediocrity and Roman Reigns, despite his pouty lips and gorgeous hair, isn't the solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick B. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 That's the eternal divide: What you(as an individual) want to see and what the greatest possible audience(whatever that might be) wants to see. It's a divide that the best promoters figure out, but pretty much every promoter falls victim to it at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 NXT is their best bet at bringing a guy(or girl) in red hot with a lot of buzz behind them. As NXT continues to grow in popularity it'll help with incoming talent that's already over. I've seen plenty of people get over on their own over the last few years. The problem is they either ignore it or downright do counter productive things to hurt the acts that get hot. Kalisto just got himself some momentum going, and they fucking jobbed him out. If this were 1998 or 99 I don't see them screwing up guys like Ambrose, Ziggler, the Wyatt's, Cesaro etc etc getting themselves over. The Wyatts could've been the top heel act in the company. I think with a little tweaking New Day could've got there as well. IMO both groups have been held back because they got more over than the Authority. On the face side they've protected Roman not by giving him great booking, but by making every other baby face look like geeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So they just announced a 4-way Tag Team Match for the Royal Rumble Kick-Off Show with the winning team being added to the Royal Rumble match: The Dudley Boys vs. The Ascension vs. Swagger & Henry vs. Darren Young & Damien Sandow I'd say the Dudleys are the favorites to win that with Henry & Swagger maybe having an outside chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So they just announced a 4-way Tag Team Match for the Royal Rumble Kick-Off Show with the winning team being added to the Royal Rumble match: The Dudley Boys vs. The Ascension vs. Swagger & Henry vs. Darren Young & Damien Sandow I'd say the Dudleys are the favorites to win that with Henry & Swagger maybe having an outside chance. So the Prime Time Players are no more, I assume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie M. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'd say it's more likely that it's Henry and Swagger so the New Day have a fresh team to feud with. Mark Henry getting promo time with New Day could be lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick B. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I wonder about the possibility of "Titusandow" on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORELOCK Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Sandow appears to have dropped the impersonations and returned to his Intellectual Savior gimmick. It would really be a bummer for Mark Henry to have cut this great promo and not be included in the Rumble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So they just announced a 4-way Tag Team Match for the Royal Rumble Kick-Off Show with the winning team being added to the Royal Rumble match: The Dudley Boys vs. The Ascension vs. Swagger & Henry vs. Darren Young & Damien Sandow I'd say the Dudleys are the favorites to win that with Henry & Swagger maybe having an outside chance. Is it too much for that match to end in a no-contest? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go2Sleep Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So they just announced a 4-way Tag Team Match for the Royal Rumble Kick-Off Show with the winning team being added to the Royal Rumble match: The Dudley Boys vs. The Ascension vs. Swagger & Henry vs. Darren Young & Damien Sandow I'd say the Dudleys are the favorites to win that with Henry & Swagger maybe having an outside chance. Is it too much for that match to end in a no-contest? You're looking at it all wrong. 6 of those guys won't be in the Rumble. Glass is 3/4 full, man. (I actually think Henry should be in there) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteCarl Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So I don't think Reigns walks out of this as Champion. I see HHH making his "big return" and eliminating Reigns, either as an official "surprise entrant" in the Rumble, or just by showing up and causing some outside interference that leads to Reigns being eliminated. This will lead to their match at Mania, one-on-one without the title at stake. Who DOES win, then? I don't think it will be Brock either. I think the final four will be Brock, Reigns, Bray, and a dark horse like, say Ryback or something. Final two will be Brock and Wyatt with Wyatt getting the win and the title. Wyatt and Brock then go to Mania for the Title. This is barring any unforseen big surprise entrants like Daniel Bryan or perhaps The Undertaker. If DB does somehow get cleared and end up in the Rumble, he wins it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godfrey Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 For some reason I'd never considered a face besides Roman winning the Rumble, which speaks volumes about how they treat their roster. If they did pull the trigger on someone, they could have a made man in one night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRGoldman Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I want there to be no eliminations until Brock Lesnar comes out and suplexes the ring in to the crowd, killing dozens and winning the WWE Championship. His bloodlust still not satiated, he finds the now uncovered land of midget wrestlers and their judicial system. After the midget police force and lawyers discovered the bodies of suprise rumble entrants Shawn Michaels and HHH in the wreckage, they proclaim Brock King, but he is a cold and unforgiving ruler. Raw is cancelled for the next month. In it's place we get two hours a week of the hardships of living under the iron fist of Brock Lesnar. Fastlane has no matches except for Brock vs. 500 little people rising up to defend their homeland from this giant Aryan Usurper. Sadly, Vince still can't tell the difference between tiny adults and actual children, and Fastlane ends with hundreds of lawsuits against Brock Lesnar and the WWE. The Road to Wrestlemania begins in earnest with Roman back as champion and no mention of the Royal Rumble. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brysynner Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 This would be the year for a dark horse babyface to win the title. Having Ambrose/Neville/Ryback win the belt here could be an interesting side plot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'm sorry, but if you think anyone besides Reigns, Lesnar or Triple H even has a remote chance of winning, you are fooling yourself. Whoever is the champ after Royal Rumble, will be in the main event of the biggest Wrestlemania yet attendance wise. They are not going to put it onto a just returned Daniel Bryan, who could be reinjured at any moment. They are also not going to put in on Bray Wyatt, a guy who's lost every feud he's ever had and never was in the world title picture. There's just no way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawful Metal Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Hmmm, Ambrose eliminating Roman and fighting Brock at Wrestlemania as a baby face would be fantastic. Roman slow heel turn because jealousy. It writes itself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallacy! Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I want HHH to win solely for the Bret Hart shoot comments that will follow shortly after. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'm sorry, but if you think anyone besides Reigns, Lesnar or Triple H even has a remote chance of winning, you are fooling yourself. Whoever is the champ after Royal Rumble, will be in the main event of the biggest Wrestlemania yet attendance wise. They are not going to put it onto a just returned Daniel Bryan, who could be reinjured at any moment. They are also not going to put in on Bray Wyatt, a guy who's lost every feud he's ever had and never was in the world title picture. There's just no way. If the rumors of making Fastlane important are true, there is a decent chance that either the Rumble ends in a no contest somehow or someone different from Reigns/Lesnar/HHH wins and then drops it at Fastlane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick B. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 This is barring any unforseen big surprise entrants like Daniel Bryan There's a better chance of seeing Hornswoggle in a Yes T-shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORELOCK Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 They are also not going to put in on Bray Wyatt, a guy who's lost every feud he's ever had Bray won the feuds against: Ambrose, Jericho, Dudleys, Bryan, Kane Bray lost the feuds against: Undertaker, Cena, Reigns I think a lot of people get hung up on the win/loss record when the real issue is that Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family don't *do* anything. He talks and talks and sounds scary, but there isn't a kayfabe reason why The Wyatt Family should be feared more than any other group in WWE. They're "crazy monsters" that don't do anything crazy or monstrous. They just wrestle matches. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 So who will get the "toss a bunch of guys out" spot this year? I think it's gonna be Strowman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollywood Cibernetico Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Re: Henry Henry's one promo made winning The Rumble seem like such a bigger deal than all the scripted WM sign pointing and mid-match stopping to look at the sign could ever hope to active. Henry cut another money promo after he was drafted to Smackdown years ago. Ryback cuts one of the most logical babyface return promos in the history of the business a few years ago when he returned as well. MORE of this stuff and less of the scripted bullshit. Re: PrimeTime Players I don't know what is going on. They team together on house shows, but not on the main shows. Titus is doing his own thing and yet the team is still mentioned on the main shows with Titus even coming out to the Prime Time Players music. The less cynical part of me is hoping that the WWE is allowing Darren to work off any ring rust, etc. associated to his injury (if these reports or even true) on house shows and in pre-shows where it really doesn't matter and for the most part is swept under the rug, because WWE has plans for PTP and having a Darren Young going half speed, etc. would send the plan to shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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