Shane McMahon returns to WWE

[C.S.]

I know there's already some discussion in the weekly show thread, but this really deserves its own thread. It's a major development, hugely shocking, and it takes Mania in a completely unexpected direction. That's assuming, of course, that the Taker match actually happens - but even if it doesn't, this return still has some longstanding ramifications.

[...TG]

I was amazed at the reaction he got. Granted, his return was completely unexpected, but that was a massive, sustained pop that went on for quite a long time.

[Jimmy Redman]

It's the pop that you get for being a notable name who's been completely AWOL from the company for years and years.

 

Shane was goneski and nobody thought that he'd be coming back to TV. It's that wow factor. He's not going to be that over next week.

 

It's not the same thing, but Rock's pop when he returned in 2011 was maybe the craziest sustained pop anyone has never got, and it was because The Rock hadn't set foot in the ring since 2004. His pops have diminished since to "normal" megastar levels, because he's now a guy who is around, not a guy who OMG HE'S FUCKING BACK I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

 

It's been interesting tonight, but I feel like once the shock wears off we're all going to realise that it's, well...Shane McMahon.

[Matt D]

So, is he just back as a performer? Is this a Bischoff deal, or is he he going to have a business role? That's the only real question out of this that matters, right?

[Cross Face Chicken Wing]

I give WWE some credit for throwing something against the wall and hoping it sticks to try and inject some life into what's shaping up to be an awful Wrestlemania.

 

I don't think a sweatier and chubbier Shane McMahon can save this Wrestlemania, but it at least generated a reaction and a little bit of buzz (even if some of that buzz is of the WTF? variety).

[Death From Above]

I have no issue with him coming back, I Just really hope the people suggesting Shane vs. Undertaker is a swerve to try and see if they can get Cena back are right.

[Petey]

Yeah I feel like Cena will wind up being Shane's avatar (if Cena gets healthy in time). I don't really understand the story though if Shane's supposed to be the babyface, why would Undertaker want to beat him?

[Strummer]

His pop tonight was huge but I think a big reason for it is the fans are so sick of the Stephanie character. If he is able to maintain those reactions then rightfully he should get some credit

[MoS]

This is only tangentially related, but how did Shane get the rep of being the "good" McMahon? He was the most pushed, most obnoxious, most annoying McMahon in 2000.

[Jmare007]

His pop tonight was huge but I think a big reason for it is the fans are so sick of the Stephanie character. If he is able to maintain those reactions then rightfully he should get some credit

 

There's also a meta thing were fans are pissed at WWE for giving them a shitty product. Shane has always been the defacto "good McMahon" for a lot of them, him coming back also gives them hope things can change.

[Jmare007]

This is only tangentially related, but how did Shane get the rep of being the "good" McMahon? He was the most pushed, most obnoxious, most annoying McMahon in 2000.

 

Not being Stephanie and having stories about ruining creative by bringing soap opera writers - and I don't even remember if that was a Steph or Vince thing, but I do recall people blaming Steph for it - and being gone for so long made Shane someone the fans don't know enough about his backstage role so he's automatically "better" because he can't be any worse, I think.

[DMJ]

Let's not forget that as much as wrestling purists may despise Shane for being booked as a legit threat to trained wrestlers like Test and Kurt Angle among others, a huge portion of the older audience thought he was a "good worker" because he was willing to take stunt bumps, get tossed on his neck a bunch, and do a Van Terminator. I know that, growing up, I thought he was awesome.

[JaymeFuture]

Just listening to the first ten minutes of Observer Radio now. I don't know what's going on but there's some weird shit going down backstage with this whole thing. Meltzer alluded to HHH smashing Reigns in a fair fight and not being in the opening segment as a part of it, and that lots of people see a power struggle coming, with references to life imitating art here and the choices of words used in the segment itself. Pretty fascinating.

[NotJayTabb]

 

His pop tonight was huge but I think a big reason for it is the fans are so sick of the Stephanie character. If he is able to maintain those reactions then rightfully he should get some credit

There's also a meta thing were fans are pissed at WWE for giving them a shitty product. Shane has always been the defacto "good McMahon" for a lot of them, him coming back also gives them hope things can change.

 

The fact that Shane's comeback storyline as a face is "The WWE is shit, people don't want to watch it on TV and it's losing money" is odd. The fact they want the fans to agree with Shane when he points out how dreadful the product is means they must be aware of it, but do nothing about it. Like how CM Punk went from upper-midcarder to hottest act in the company by cutting a promo about how awful the WWE is.

[SteveJRogers]

 

 

This is only tangentially related, but how did Shane get the rep of being the "good" McMahon? He was the most pushed, most obnoxious, most annoying McMahon in 2000.

Not being Stephanie and having stories about ruining creative by bringing soap opera writers - and I don't even remember if that was a Steph or Vince thing, but I do recall people blaming Steph for it - and being gone for so long made Shane someone the fans don't know enough about his backstage role so he's automatically "better" because he can't be any worse, I think.

It wouldn't be unfair to suggest that there is something with Triple H's rise as the public corporate face and Shane getting "run out" of his family buisness.

[Loss]

This is only tangentially related, but how did Shane get the rep of being the "good" McMahon? He was the most pushed, most obnoxious, most annoying McMahon in 2000.

 

Because Stephanie was a yucky girl at the height of wrestling fan misogyny.

[JerryvonKramer]

 

 

His pop tonight was huge but I think a big reason for it is the fans are so sick of the Stephanie character. If he is able to maintain those reactions then rightfully he should get some credit

There's also a meta thing were fans are pissed at WWE for giving them a shitty product. Shane has always been the defacto "good McMahon" for a lot of them, him coming back also gives them hope things can change.

 

The fact that Shane's comeback storyline as a face is "The WWE is shit, people don't want to watch it on TV and it's losing money" is odd. The fact they want the fans to agree with Shane when he points out how dreadful the product is means they must be aware of it, but do nothing about it. Like how CM Punk went from upper-midcarder to hottest act in the company by cutting a promo about how awful the WWE is.

 

I maintain that the fans, as in the crowds who boo Cena / Reigns etc., are just constantly being worked. Constantly.

 

I don't know to what end, or to what direction, but I don't see how this isn't self-evident.

 

I mean look at that stuff with John Stewart at Summerslam. He interfered EXPRESSLY to stop Cena tying for Flair's record and EXPRESSLY as a representative of the fan at home.

 

I don't see how anyone could view it any other way. It's an obvious work and has been for years.

[Jingus]

The whole Shane/Taker deal feels like it's Plan C at best. Like they had other ideas for whoever faced Undertaker this year, but they were some of the guys who are on the shelf with injuries. It's just come so directly outta nowhere and seems to make so little narrative sense; is it gonna be face-vs-face? Since when does Taker give a shit about following Vince's orders and being a pawn in McMahon Authority storylines? (Well, post-1999, anyway.)

 

I maintain that the fans, as in the crowds who boo Cena / Reigns etc., are just constantly being worked. Constantly.

 

I don't know to what end, or to what direction, but I don't see how this isn't self-evident.

The first half of the second sentence is the key part: why? Why would the company actually want their top babyfaces to get booed out of the building, night in and night out? It makes no sense, there's no benefit. Maybe there's some individual people or factions within the WWE office who want those guys to fail and manipulate things to make their characters look like shit, but I don't see how the company as a whole gains anything whatsoever from their top heroes being contemptuously dismissed as losers by their own fanbase.

[funkdoc]

 

This is only tangentially related, but how did Shane get the rep of being the "good" McMahon? He was the most pushed, most obnoxious, most annoying McMahon in 2000.

 

Because Stephanie was a yucky girl at the height of wrestling fan misogyny.

 

 

same thing i said when Katie Vick was brought up here, that angle was associated with her. she did have the screechy voice back then, to be fair

 

also Shane was in RSPW's #3 match of the year for 1999! wonder how it placed in the observer...

[DMJ]

I'm guessing Vince tells Taker that if he loses, he must retire. This will give Taker the incentive to win *and* potentially still make sense if they find their way into having Cena replace Shane.

[The Chief]

I believe non-wrestlers should be used to ultimately get wrestlers over. Shane McMahon angles are always used to get Shane McMahon over. I'm not entertained by business-exposing stunts like jumping onto crash pads and beating up trained wrestlers with horrible punches. That stuff was hokey 15 years ago and it looks even stupider now in hindsight. The fact that they need stars so bad right now and see this as a suitable alternative to creating stars is frightening.

[Jingus]

How many matches do you need to have in order to officially not be a "non-wrestler"? Because Shane's had over a hundred. That's more than Volk Han.

[Stiva]

I read that Shane had returned to battle The Undertaker for control of Monday Night Raw or whatever it is and, because it was 5.30 in the morning, assumed my sleep deprived mind had just read the words wrong.

 

Huh.

[Death From Above]

"Shane's punches looked bad blooo blooo blooo"

 

God I love the IWC.

[Slasher]

Shane is a guy that fans who's been watching the WWE for the past however many years that really needed to hear from. The fans know Vince has two kids, and one of them has been running around like she is the boss of all bosses. It would have been logical for the other kid to show up at some point and go "Wait a second here..." Vince McMahon is the best character of the family, but Shane is pretty much generally thought of as the next best McMahon character. Even though he has always been overpushed as a wrestling character who can stand his ground against psychotic newly unmasked Kane or an Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, Shane has generally been willing to show ass once in a while, or more than Stephanie has. Then there's the stunt show crap he did that appeals to fans and there you have it. That is why he's "over". Like some say, it won't last...especially if they realize that Shane is just as overpushed as Stephanie is and he looks too good against guys he has no business hanging with.