Kane? Really?

[El-P]

Abyss is an agent ? Wow. It's nice that you can be one of the worst (and stupidest) worker ever and still be an agent. Only in TNA I guess.

[goc]

Kane is WAY better than Abyss. I mean, that's really not even a fair comparison even if you DO think Kane sucks.

[Lee Casebolt]

Kane is WAY better than Abyss. I mean, that's really not even a fair comparison even if you DO think Kane sucks.

 

Abyss has always been a cheap Kane knockoff, with all that implies.

[goc]

I get that part I just meant comparing them as workers.

[MikeCampbell]

 

Its one week, I know that, but this smells an awful lot like 2004, when Benoit won and he feuded with a rebulit "Kane" while the true main event scene was HHH - HBK show, Evolution...

 

I'll repeat what I said in the massive WWE thread. What happened last night is completely forgiveable. Bryan got to show up, after having the week off, and give the fans their huge pop. Then, they did the angle with Kane laying him out, so that he could GTFO of there and deal with more pressing matters. I wouldn't be surprised if they wheeled him to the back and then he and Brie hopped right in the car and took off.

[(BP)]

There's some nice symmetry in Kane being Bryan's first challenger. Their friendship was part of the foundation of Bryan's Yes Movement run. Bryan spent months telling Kane to ditch the corporate gig and become the Big Red Machine again, and when Kane finally does he decides he's going to destroy Bryan. It has a different dynamic than their series from a couple of months ago, and as long as the gimmick they get stuck with allows, it's going to be a good match.

[El-P]

Kane is WAY better than Abyss. I mean, that's really not even a fair comparison even if you DO think Kane sucks.

 

"Was better than Abyss" is either a truism or a backhanded compliment. In the case of Kane, it's both.

[Loss]

Of course, the saddest thing about no more Corporate Kane is that he looked so badass wrestling shirtless in the khakis. Whether it's out of professional respect or just doing what he has to do to keep up, Daniel Bryan brings something out of Kane that no one else does.

[cm funk]

This is WWE's style. The first PPV challenger is always some lower-tier throwaway. Even Dude Love fell into that category. People would be bitching just as hard if Sheamus were given this spot. That would feel just as unimportant and predictable. I'm glad Orton didn't get it. That would have been the most boring option of all (not ring-wise, but story-wise).

 

If you ask me, this is better than most because at least Kane and Bryan have a ton of actual history.

 

Agreed

 

I guess I don't understand what people want sometimes. The criticism is always "not enough longterm booking"......Bryan-Kane is about the longest running thing they have, which has never had a proper PPV blowoff to it. They've probably did the match a bit too often on tv this year, but this will be the blowoff to a years long story and a strong win for Bryan.

 

Orton could be the first challenger since he's due a rematch and didn't get pinned or tapped at WM, but everyone complaining about Kane would be complaining just as much about Orton, and honestly, they'd be right. They did that match on like 4 straight PPVs and pissed everyone off with it, they've ran it as the main event on RAW a half dozen times......they're always good matches, but I think that's even weaker and less interesting than a Bryan-Kane gimmick match. And Evolution vs. The Shield is WAY more interesting than yet another Bryan-Orton match

 

If it's not Orton and it's not Kane, and Evolution-Shield is the biggest match on the show, who's the challenger? Too early for Cesaro. Bray and Cena would be potential challengers.....but too early for that when they're having only their second match on this show, which I expect Bray to win. Either is a strong challenger for Bryan, and we could potentially see a triple threat with them at some point.....but this isn't the right time for that. Bryan needs a strong win in his first title defense. So who else could it be? Big Show who just got manhandled by Cesaro at WM? Mark Henry who's a glorified jobber now? Sheamus? None of the up and coming midcarders are ready for that spot, plus whoever it is is taking the loss, so why would you put a Cesaro or Barrett in that spot when you're trying to build them momentum?

 

I also really liked the angle on RAW. It felt special because you rarely see the tombstone used anymore.....and especially not three times on the table and the ringsteps and the floor.

[Loss]

I have less problem with the match than some, but I understand why some see it the way they do. Kane is a stale character who doesn't have the same type of credibility as a strong top heel. He has been around far too long and they are being slotted in the number two match on the show.

[Loss]

As for not knowing what people want, it's simple. People want Daniel Bryan booked opposite a fresh, over, well-booked heel who can give him a ****1/2 match. Sadly, they don't have anyone that fits that bill.

[Stiva]

Of course, the saddest thing about no more Corporate Kane is that he looked so badass wrestling shirtless in the khakis. Whether it's out of professional respect or just doing what he has to do to keep up, Daniel Bryan brings something out of Kane that no one else does.

 

Definitely and I'd say that the past 18/24 months have been Kane's best stuff ever. He's no stranger to goofiness so jumped into the Hell No skits with no hesitation and he and Bryan made it work, their matches were fun right up until the break-up. The Wyatt stuff was hokey but I actually really enjoyed Corporate Kane being a dick to Brad Maddox and stooging about for HHH. I have no doubt they'll be able to have a good gimmick match. Also, I think the fact he dropped Bryan with three tombstone piledrivers is proof that even WWE know that they need to work hard to rebuild Kane's monster image, even just for this PPV. I'd expect him to do something crazy next week too before Bryan returns to conquer him.

[cm funk]

Just think.....it could have been Del Rio!

 

When I look at the landscape and where guys are positioned in the company right now......Kane is a perfectly fine choice. The fresh, over, well booked heels are guys who deserve a better lot than jobbing to Bryan in their first main event match. Under the assumption that Bryan is winning clean and strong.....why would you waste a Cesaro or Barrett or Wyatt in that spot? It makes no sense.

[Loss]

Well, Batista is taking time off after Extreme Rules and they obviously thought Evolution vs Shield was a better path for him on the way out than Orton tapping at WM and Bryan beating Batista at Extreme Rules. Why I'm not sure.

 

Also, they have enough good talent on their roster that they should never have a shortage of marquee matches, and they wouldn't if they pushed more of them strong instead of just choosing a handful and putting everyone else on a treadmill.

[Matt D]

As for not knowing what people want, it's simple. People want Daniel Bryan booked opposite a fresh, over, well-booked heel who can give him a ****1/2 match. Sadly, they don't have anyone that fits that bill.

Could have made a deal with Punk. He, coming back the night after Mania and ruining things for Bryan saying that Bryan had stolen his adoration and his fans and his movement, etc. It would have worked.

[cm funk]

 

As for not knowing what people want, it's simple. People want Daniel Bryan booked opposite a fresh, over, well-booked heel who can give him a ****1/2 match. Sadly, they don't have anyone that fits that bill.

Could have made a deal with Punk. He, coming back the night after Mania and ruining things for Bryan saying that Bryan had stolen his adoration and his fans and his movement, etc. It would have worked.

 

 

If a deal with Punk was realistic he'd already be back and he would have been at WM. WWE doesn't really have control over that.

 

They could bring back Jericho and use him to put Bryan over.....but as with Punk, that's not a realistic option. If those guys wanted to be back they would be.

[MFoy]

As least for me, the problem isn't Kane as much as it is that Bryan's program is already third from the top, immediately after his big win. It continues the bad habit of not really giving the new babyface the ball, much like with Punk and others before him.

 

I understand the extenuating circumstances, but if Bryan's not in the very top program after Extreme Rules, then they've already dropped the ball with him.

[Coffey]

If I were a betting man, I would guess that it's only a matter of time until the crowd starts to turn on Daniel Bryan. Especially in this "meta" social media era.

 

His "chase" is over. His missed the post-'Mania RAW due to his wedding. Two weeks after Wrestlemania he gets a stretcher job to open the show as his father dies in real life. Bad luck, bad timing. I don't think there's people clamoring for a feud with Kane either but what can you do? Daniel Bryan as WWE World Heavyweight Champion is going to be like Chris Benoit as WWE Champion: playing second fiddle to the "real" main eventers (I hope that I'm wrong).

 

Daniel Bryan is a helluva worker but we've all heard & read the arguments that it takes more than good matches to be a top star in WWE. How long can just chanting "Yes!" while standing there getting belittled by everyone else with a microphone work? To me, it's as bad as Rob Van Dam pointing to himself, like that makes any sense. WWE need to let him do more.

 

Same rehashed talking points, I know. But we'll see after a couple months what situation Bryan is in. I fully expect Cesaro to be a bigger star by the end of the year than Bryan & I think Lesnar will be winning the title before too long. I could see a big match between Cesaro/Lesnar down the line too with Heyman having to pick a side.

 

Although I'm not happy about Kane, I must admit that Extreme Rules not just being a bunch of rematches is a welcome change. I do wish WWE would get away from the guaranteed rematch clause stuff. AJ Lee, to my knowledge (unless it happened on a B-show) didn't get a rematch when she lost to Paige. Orton/Batista aren't getting a rematch. I'm fine with that. Especially now with the Pay-Per-View shows being on WWE Network.

 

Bryan Vs. Cesaro

Bryan Vs. Harper

Bryan Vs. Lesnar

 

All matches I want to see & hope to see. Bryan Vs. Kane again? Not so much. I don't care about Bryan Vs. Cena, Orton, Batistam Sheamus, Del Rio or Triple H either.

 

What would be cool is if Daniel Bryan got to have matches with other roster members that are not in the tippy-top of the card, Ric Flair style, just for the sake of having good matches & showing he's a fighting champion to make him look more credible by going over people. Whatever happened to that? I used to love when you would get a match like Ric Flair Vs. Bobby Eaton or Bret Hart Vs. Hakushi.

 

Bryan Vs. Santino

Bryan Vs. Fandango

Bryan Vs. Rusev

Bryan Vs. Brodus Clay

Bryan Vs. Drew McIntyre or Heath Slater

Bryan Vs. Hunico

 

New, fresh matches where Bryan can look strong & go over but still have a good match & show case some guys that rarely get too much TV time or push.

[Matt D]

The answer is to do a Network only special in June called Clash of the Champions and put him against debuting special attraction Sting. That'd put butts in the seats, or on the network, or whatever.

[Loss]

STING IS 55 YEARS OLD.

 

Anyway ... Daniel Bryan isn't just a "great worker". He is a complete character. He's a good promo. He's a strong babyface. That's what got him over more than his ring work, which has always been there.

[Dylan Waco]

I really don't think he's all that good a face promo.

[Matt D]

STING IS 55 YEARS OLD.

 

Anyway ... Daniel Bryan isn't just a "great worker". He is a complete character. He's a good promo. He's a strong babyface. That's what got him over more than his ring work, which has always been there.

 

And it'd be the perfect way to draw lapsed WCW fans to try out the network. Bryan could make it work. Sting could say he wants a taste of that big gold belt one last time.

 

The way I see it, past as an ambassador and a talking head, the only real value in Sting is in one match. I think there'll be a lot of interest the first time they use him. I think it should be in some sort of network exclusive and I think you need to do it at a point that's not Mania. No one will be interested in seeing him twice but there are a ton of lapsed 28-35 year old lunkheads who were on their high school baseball teams in 1997 and picked the black baseball bat for a reason.

 

Grab their 60 bucks, put Bryan over as defeating an icon, and send Sting off to talking head land.

[Loss]

I think Sting is way too old for even one match. People have wrestled at that age but usually they were elite workers when they were younger.

[Coffey]

I don't think he's a good promo or character period. What even **IS** his character? He has a nasty-ass beard & chants "YES!" a lot. That's his entire gimmick. So it's a damn-good thing he's a helluva wrestler. And that's is we don't bring up his size, which people are in denial if they think that doesn't matter.

 

I would like to see him wrestle to a time-limit draw with someone like Barrett or Ziggler. Not on a PPV but on RAW, you would get a good match & it could help someone like Barrett or Ziggler to not get beaten by the champ. How you do it without making Bryan look weak though, I'm not sure. Since anyone else any other time just hits those dudes with their finish & pins em clean in about seven minutes.

[Matt D]

Bryan can run into his fist. It'll be fine. Just have it be a WWE storytelling match with a lot of dramatic looks and a few holds and Bryan doing most of the bumping and working from underneath.