BillThompson Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Was talking about this with KrisZ, on Twitter, but just because Bryan is back doesn't mean he's getting Reigns spot. I'm thinking Cena beats Lesnar at the Rumble, Reigns eliminates Bryan to win the Rumble, and that way we end up with Bryan/Lesnar as the semi-main and Cena/Reigns as the main at Mania, with Reigns coming out champ. Does Reigns turn heel in this scenario? I don't think so, if anything I imagine WWE would angle for the babyface rub from Bryan to Reigns when he eliminates him at the Rumble and hope for even more of the same when he beats Cena at Mania. Of course, there's always the chance they could just turn Reigns heel, or that the legion of Bryan fans will turn Reigns heel through no choice of the WWE, but I'm less sure about any heel scenarios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerpride Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 If Reigns is winning the Rumble over Bryan, the crowd is going to hate him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 You're probably right, but I'm not sure if WWE, specifically Vince, believe that such a backlash will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I would think, Bryan wins Rumble defeats monster Brock. Rusev keeps winning and gets title at SummerSlam as evil foreign monster. Finally at Mania 32 Reigns defeats Rusev to win the title end the foreign menace and become the top star. That's a pretty easy year of booking on top, if they are not being silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.L.L. Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 He was blown up though. I've been needing to update my signature. Thanks, guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Has wrestling really gotten so far away from its true purpose that fans have no idea what they are talking about anymore. Wrestling is about making money, not just about making a smart ass fan at home happy. You announce Bryan is making his return at the Rumble to start his quest to regain the title he never lost, from the beast who has destroyed everybody. That is how you make money. Not by surprising them and hope that they buy the next show, because they don't want to miss future surprises. Making Bryan a surprise participant in the Rumble is FUCKING DUMB! The only scenario you would do that is if he wasn't cleared medical until a few days before the show. I'm fine with either way of going about it, but I think the surprise idea comes from Cena's 2008 return which was perfectly executed and a similar scenario of former champ vacating due to injury that everyone thought would keep him out much longer only to come back early and win the Rumble in a shocker. Yep. If it was so "FUCKING DUMB," Grimmas, how come it worked so flawlessly for Cena? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Has wrestling really gotten so far away from its true purpose that fans have no idea what they are talking about anymore. Wrestling is about making money, not just about making a smart ass fan at home happy. You announce Bryan is making his return at the Rumble to start his quest to regain the title he never lost, from the beast who has destroyed everybody. That is how you make money. Not by surprising them and hope that they buy the next show, because they don't want to miss future surprises. Making Bryan a surprise participant in the Rumble is FUCKING DUMB! The only scenario you would do that is if he wasn't cleared medical until a few days before the show. I'm fine with either way of going about it, but I think the surprise idea comes from Cena's 2008 return which was perfectly executed and a similar scenario of former champ vacating due to injury that everyone thought would keep him out much longer only to come back early and win the Rumble in a shocker. Yep. If it was so "FUCKING DUMB," Grimmas, how come it worked so flawlessly for Cena? How much money did it make compared to a scenario where it was announced in advance that Cena would make his return? Sure, it was acclaimed for being a surprise, but it did not generate a single new ppv buy. Therefore, it was dumb. EDIT: You can do it from time to time, but proclaiming the WWE is doing something "Fucking dumb" as you put it, because they announced Bryan would make his return to the ring after a year long almost career ending injury is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 How much money did it make compared to a scenario where it was announced in advance that Cena would make his return? Sure, it was acclaimed for being a surprise, but it did not generate a single new ppv buy. Therefore, it was dumb. EDIT: You can do it from time to time, but proclaiming the WWE is doing something "Fucking dumb" as you put it, because they announced Bryan would make his return to the ring after a year long almost career ending injury is insane. So, nothing should be a surprise anymore because they might lose money? Yet, wrestling has done fine for the past hundred years by having surprises. It's one of the best parts of watching, especially in the internet age, where true surprises are harder to come by. There is merit to what you're saying, don't get me wrong, but does that mean we should never have surprise returns again because it might affect the bottom line? This kind of thinking is exactly why the WWE has become such a bland, sterile, corporate, and completely unwatchable product. They're leaving money on the table now by being that way. EDIT: Just saw your edit. Yeah, I probably went overboard in my wording. But the lack of surprises, the lack of fun, has just really weighed the product down. Everything is pre-planned, pre-packaged, homogenized, bland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 How much money did it make compared to a scenario where it was announced in advance that Cena would make his return? Sure, it was acclaimed for being a surprise, but it did not generate a single new ppv buy. Therefore, it was dumb. EDIT: You can do it from time to time, but proclaiming the WWE is doing something "Fucking dumb" as you put it, because they announced Bryan would make his return to the ring after a year long almost career ending injury is insane. So, nothing should be a surprise anymore because they might lose money? Yet, wrestling has done fine for the past hundred years by having surprises. It's one of the best parts of watching, especially in the internet age, where true surprises are harder to come by. There is merit to what you're saying, don't get me wrong, but does that mean we should never have surprise returns again because it might affect the bottom line? This kind of thinking is exactly why the WWE has become such a bland, sterile, corporate, and completely unwatchable product. They're leaving money on the table now by being that way. EDIT: Just saw your edit. Yeah, I probably went overboard in my wording. But the lack of surprises, the lack of fun, has just really weighed the product down. Everything is pre-planned, pre-packaged, homogenized, bland. Glad you saw my edit. There is room for surprises, but Daniel Bryan's return in this situation is not it. You hype the shit out of this one, because it is a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 How bout having Brock injure Bryan the RAW before the Rumble or something to get him out of the match and to build up their Mania match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bierschwale Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 My first thought when he specifically announced that he'd be in the Rumble was that they had to do it if they wanted him in the match, because a surprise Bryan return would absolutely kill Reigns when he wins the match, and if Bryan already announced four weeks earlier that he'd be in it, it won't be as bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 How bout having Brock injure Bryan the RAW before the Rumble or something to get him out of the match and to build up their Mania match. That would work, makes sense to. They could even go the he's still in the Rumble, but badly injured, and look at all the heart he's showing route, before he's finally eliminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Is it at all possible that Bryan really isn't ready to come back, and they did that angle just to garner heel heat on The Authority when they pull him out of the match, thus making Roman Reigns a super babyface when he steps up to fight them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 In any other territory ever, in any other era, Bryan would be about to announce his retirement and then Rusev or Rollins would come out and beat him senseless before he could and then he'd have to pull it together and manage to come back to get revenge anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Thought that was a pretty awesome RAW, best in a long time. Felt like they let someone else write it than whoever has been in charge lately. This show had Edge & Christian, Brock, Barrett, the first Rusev/Ziggler match, the first Rollins/Reigns match! (amazed they did this on tv), a tag title change, the Ascension debut, and the return of the Authority. Half the roster wasn't there because they were double booked with a house show or some shit, some how. So they filled air time with promos & what not to make up for guys like Ambrose not being there. Also they've done Reigns Vs. Rollins before. On RAW on free TV even. It was during the build-up to Ambrose Vs. Rollins. Reigns beat Rollins clean in the middle with the Spear. Sept. 15th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I for one thing announcing Bryan for the Rumble was the way to go. He's a guy that can get subscribers to the network. Plus at the Rumble I think they'll be other surprises. I wouldn't be shocked if we get a Sting, Undertaker or hold off Orton as a surprise. Too many on the same would dilute the surprises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerpride Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 How bout having Brock injure Bryan the RAW before the Rumble or something to get him out of the match and to build up their Mania match. How bout no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pol Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 So have they postponed Reigns's coronation for the time being? I can't believe they're dumb enough to have Bryan in the Rumble if they're planning on having Reigns win it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I for one thing announcing Bryan for the Rumble was the way to go. He's a guy that can get subscribers to the network. Plus at the Rumble I think they'll be other surprises. I wouldn't be shocked if we get a Sting, Undertaker or hold off Orton as a surprise. Too many on the same would dilute the surprises. I think the "surprises" are going to be El Torito, The Bunny & Sheamus. I expect to see Orton but maybe not as an official entrant but going after Seth Rollins or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I wasn't saying in the Rumble itself. I mean showing up on the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmo Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 HHH is probably needed for Wrestlemania season, as much as it pains me to say it. A better way to bring him back might have been as a surprise Royal Rumble participant as a wrestler, since he is still employed just no longer as 'the authority'. Here's creative: Trips comes back as a wrestler in order to make a play to regain control. RR comes, Trips looks like he's going to score a dirty win for the WM spot and start to truly solidify his power base again...Here comes Sting to eliminate him. Boom match set for WM. That can write itself. Instead we get to REDO late 2013-most of 2014 again for 2015. It's honestly sad to see how desperate they are for threatening heels they had to bring Trips and Steph back just a little over a month since SS. They've done everything possible with the exception of Rusev to ensure that everyone just not get over. Exactly.... I mean you can have Steph say she maintained her manager's license and that they will prove to Vince that they can lead by assembling a stable of wrestlers that will take over the WWE from the inside out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 In an angle that will surely lead nowhere they are doing a deal where Edge and Christian are "suing" WWE for what happened Monday Night. Also AJ will be returning soon. I bet we get AJ/Steph at mania now. Steph has to be salivating about cutting promos on Punk through her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 In an angle that will surely lead nowhere they are doing a deal where Edge and Christian are "suing" WWE for what happened Monday Night. *Groan* Where was this announced? I can't find it on WWE.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Announced on Main Event Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 I've seen quite a few people say the Authority was brought back so they can finally blow them off at Mania. I just don't see that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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