WWE-NJPW working relationship in the works

[sek69]

Their show made a lot of money for WWE,  it was a ratings hit,  and except for that moment at WM where the crowd was expecting Becky they usually get good reactions when they show up. It's not like the Bellas are Mandy and Dana. 

[MoS]

Does Bryan get separately paid for his appearances on Total Bellas, or does his talent contract cover it?

[pmo]

1 hour ago, strobogo said:

Yeah super important to keep two retired women who are not employees and have no power within the company happy by....letting Daniel Bryan work New Japan? 

Don't forget total bellas. WWE a is producer and gets a cut of the show which is one of their best mainstream crossovers.  While it's lost some stream it's still a moneymaker so good idea to keep stars husband happy... And open up a Japan storyline for the show.  Combine that with keeping DB on the roster as needed and it's a win win 

 

[strobogo]

I think you can be pretty certain that "We gotta keep the Bellas happy" does not factor into any potential WWE/NJ relationship

[Jmare007]

4 hours ago, sek69 said:

 

The funny part to me is that they clearly are afraid if Bryan went to New Japan (or AEW in order to go to New Japan) he could potentially be a big star for them.......so why don't they push him as a big star on their TV? 

But Bryan is a big star on their TV, at least in WWE's eyes that's how they present him. Of course booking ends up being all over the place but it's pretty clear that he's treated like a star by WWE since at least 2018.

4 hours ago, Strummer said:

The guys at Voices of Wrestling always mention this but it's weird how WWE is going through all these acrobatics trying to re-sign Bryan when it's a guy they really seem to not even want to push. I know it's to keep him from the competition but I can't really think of a scenario like this before

Huh? How does that even make sense? He's been pushed. He even got to main event a WM that DB, in his own words, didn't want to main event.

Like sure, I get it, he's not THE main guy for WWE for he's clearly a very important dude and been treated as such. He constantly main events TV and is heavily featured. It's not 2013 anymore when they were trying to shove him aside. That hasn't been the case for a long ass time.

[Strummer]

I guess but it doesn't feel like a 100 percent committed push. I mean he was doing a bunch of jobs to midcard guys before Mania to guys like Cesaro and Nak.

i think when the vow guys are talking about push they mean like Cena/Roman level. Not a guy that moves up and down the card and does a good amount of jobs. Although I guess wwe doesn't have many of those guys today

[Jmare007]

1 hour ago, Strummer said:

I guess but it doesn't feel like a 100 percent committed push. I mean he was doing a bunch of jobs to midcard guys before Mania to guys like Cesaro and Nak.

i think when the vow guys are talking about push they mean like Cena/Roman level. Not a guy that moves up and down the card and does a good amount of jobs. Although I guess wwe doesn't have many of those guys today

A lot of those programs, matches and Ls were probably D-Bry's idea. We talk about how much leeway and freedom Bryan has but it's an issue when he puts other people over? Specially in WWE were winning and losing is treated like it barely matters (sadly).

If Seth Rollins were to be a free agent I don't think anyone would say WWE doesn't want to push him just because of how he's been booked after his last reign of doom. Reigns is the main guy and that's basically it when it comes to being fully protected and being presented as THE star. The rest go to different parts of the cards depending on what they are doing, but there's clearly a level were people are heavily featured and whatever they are doing is given time and some importance, I think it's pretty evident DB has been at that level for some years now, and he was the main babyface of the their n°1 show for a long ass time (he probably has the most main events since the change to FOX too). Saying WWE doesn't push him or doesn't want to push is just plain wrong. Not being chosen as the main star (Cena/Roman level) doesn't mean he's not valued as one of the most important pieces on the roster.

[joeg]

3 hours ago, Strummer said:

I guess but it doesn't feel like a 100 percent committed push. I mean he was doing a bunch of jobs to midcard guys before Mania to guys like Cesaro and Nak.

i think when the vow guys are talking about push they mean like Cena/Roman level. Not a guy that moves up and down the card and does a good amount of jobs. Although I guess wwe doesn't have many of those guys today

But he is pushed at that level, but differently than they traditionally push their top babyface. He's not the dominant babyface champion like Hogan or Cena slaying one monster after a next. Instead he's been the underdog chasing the dominant heel champion when a babyface and at as a heel he was booked as a dominant champ. I think the biggest shift in WWE isn't just that their booking is all over the place but that they've had their top titles on heels for most of the last decade. 

[sek69]

Bryan wanted to spend his time putting over guys he felt deserved some wins/get a better look by the company, then they suddenly wanted him in the main event of Mania, which is why it was such a whiplash push running up to the show.