When will the WWE learn?
It was only this time one year ago the whole ‘WWE Universe’ (the company’s apparent collective noun for fans in recent years) were left outraged by the Royal Rumble match.
Daniel Bryan’s omission from the 30-man battle royal prompted a torrent of boos to ring out through Pittsburgh back in 2014, thus whole heartedly rejecting the entire notion of Dave Batista’s comeback win. Poor Rey Mysterio entering at number 30 probably still doesn’t understand what he did so wrong.
In the subsequent 12 months WWE has treated (subjected) the fans to a string of lacklustre pay-per-views and several lazy, nondescript feuds.
A prime example would be the extreme dilution of The Miz and Mizdow’s partnership stretching out a two-month feud with The Usos. After tentatively involving Jimmy Uso’s wife, Naomi, the last month has simply consisted of The Miz facing either Uso in singles competition on Raw. There is absolutely zero narrative involved and the WWE are clearly just hoping Mizdow’s popularity will be enough.
Also don’t forget the marathon series of clinics Santino Marella and Emma put on with Fandango and Summer Rae last year, too.
Daniel Bryan and Kane appears to be a matchup the WWE are intent on bleeding every last drop from at the moment. I understand about feeding a champion a credible opponent, often a respected, veteran performer to give the title reign a strong start, a la Jericho/Punk 2012. But Kane should never have gotten that opportunity before Bryan’s injury and he certainly should be dead and buried by now (pun intended).
Speaking as a huge Kane fan many moons ago (we’re talking 99-04), I could even appreciate his last title run in 2010. Today, however, at 47-years-old, he is clogging up valuable space at the top of the card and has lost all aura and star power.
The juxtaposing rises of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to the main event scene are the exact problem the fans have with how the WWE handles their business right now.
Rollins has been earning his way to the top and blossoming in front of our very eyes as the top in-ring heel in the company right now. He’s grown into his cocky persona and has more than held up his end of the bargain in segments with Cena and Heyman on the mic, two seasoned performers by all accounts.
Most importantly, he continues to deliver in the ring. A big part of the reason fans gravitated to the likes of CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan is their in-ring performances; the undeniable talent that should remind Vince McMahon of the wrestling industry superseding ‘sports entertainment’.
It’s the organic relationship a performer develops with the crowd that truly marks the beginning of a star; you can’t force them down the crowd’s throats. If they are particularly entertaining on the mic, that’s one way to get things started and garner some interest, but ultimately it’s their in-ring delivery that wins the fans….wait for it….over.
Fandango had a catchy theme song, Adam Rose had a catchy theme song; but those things only capture the crowd’s interest for so long. Rollins put on a masterful performance in Sunday’s WWE World Heavyweight Title triple-threat match and as he stood in the ring following Brock Lesnar’s retention, it felt like a moment where the crowd applauded a heel who had gone the distance to give them what they wanted. Seth Rollins had arrived.
Roman Reigns however, has been booked to arrive. He was already the powerful big-hitter in the Shield, then he had the stellar Survivor Series and Royal Rumble performances prior to the groups break up. The foundations were being laid.
Following his return from injury in December 2014, it was painfully obvious that Reigns was being primed for a Rumble victory and thus Wrestlemania main event. In the fans eyes, that accolade should go to a deserving individual who has paid his dues and earned the right. To be force-fed a new hero from such a distance is insulting to a fan base who have increasingly yearned to be heard while the product continues to slump.
The fans appeared to contradict themselves by anointing Reigns ‘Superstar of the Year’ at the Slammy’s in December. Whether he truly won that award or it was another piece to the puzzle we shall never truly know. If we were to take it at face value though, perhaps we only have ourselves to blame.
If the creative direction of the Rumble wasn’t bad enough, the booking of it hit an incredibly deplorable low.
The return of Bubba-Ray Dudley was a nice surprise, especially appreciated by the Philadelphia crowd and their ECW roots. The Dudley Boyz had been linked with a WWE return last year but all talk appeared to have died down – it was a rare surprise entrant that actually constituted a surprise. It would have been better if D-Von had also been in tow, of course, but R-Truth certainly wouldn’t have minded.
Giving so much spotlight to Bray Wyatt, Rusev and Dean Ambrose was also a welcome move in light of their development in recent months.
That’s where the positives end though. No eliminations appeared to serve as a platform for a feud. Having the Big Show and Kane, two waning superstars whom have left the fans tired with their longevity, feature in the final four, was outright awful booking. They were never, ever going to win. Ever. All suspense was lost from that moment.
Daniel Bryan entered number 10, and exited at number 11. He spent just over 10 minutes in the Rumble, a record bettered by Jack Swagger, Big E and Stardust. The WWE so often talks about ‘drawing’ and what superstars bring eyes to the product. One might bet the vast majority of paying customers wanted to see Daniel Bryan on Sunday.
Dolph Ziggler, the coveted number 30, lasted 2:19. This was by far the most ridiculous decision, as all prior booking suggested that Ziggler would play a central role in the event. His rallying displays during Intercontinental bouts in spite of The Authority, the phenomenal, what should have been career defining performance at the Survivor Series, and lastly, his recent firing meant finally some due spotlight had found its way to the Show Off.
The WWE knew they needed a hot face to enter 30 after the backlash they received last year and fresh after being rehired (all storyline firings are final you know…), Ziggler’s entrance and involvement in storylines at the very top of the card could have easily justified a Rumble win.
Instead, he was flung out in the same, almost nonchalant fashion that Daniel Bryan was. How Bryan, Ziggler and Reigns didn’t comprise the final three I’ll never know. It surely isn’t incredulous to think that to keep the fans invested in the finish, they must not be able to predict it. Why do Big Show and Kane need to be involved?
Mizdow also lasted a total of 18 seconds. It seems as, off the back of one of the most poorly received Rumbles in history in 2014, the WWE went out of their way to suppress any superstar the crowd truly support.
Possibly the worst of all, they obviously thought bringing out The Rock at the end would quell any boos raining down on Reigns. Whilst he received a massive pop upon his music hitting, The Rock was suddenly Triple H circa 2000 for holding Reigns hand in the air. The look on his face said it all; he knew the fans weren’t buying it.
Positioned correctly, Reigns Vs Lesnar has all the recipes for a classic match. Reigns certainly looks like a legit star, and has the size and power to make you believe he could run with Lesnar. If Lesnar were to be the monster heel he’s been for 80% of his entire WWE tenure, the young Reigns endeavouring to usurp him is a story waiting to be told. On paper, it’s perfectly logical.
However, there’s a few problems with Vince’s dream scenario. First off, with Lesnar’s contract running down and no word of him re-signing, everybody knows he’ll drop the title to Reigns. That’s a reason not to care right there.
Secondly, the fans, like they did back in 2003, have come to love Lesnar again for the once in a lifetime athlete he is. You just can’t deny how special he is. In spite of all the frustrating part-time appearances and apparent lack of love for the business, it’s not his fault the WWE pay him so much to do so little. Where Heyman normally carries the load in terms of hype and promotion of bouts, Lesnar featured more heavily in the run up to his Royal Rumble triple threat match with Rollins and Cena.
He has a palpable intensity that people never get tired of watching. Every time he threatens to go, fans are always desperate to see it because his character is, bar none, the most believable on the roster. He sold brilliantly in the build up to the match, which he isn’t as famed for as he should be, and delivered his best in-ring performance since returning in 2012 in the eventual title bout.
It’s a fine balance between being able to surprise and shock the audience and giving them what they want. Everybody thought Steve Austin was a lock to win the 1999 Rumble, but they delivered a big swerve in having Vince McMahon become the victor. McMahon/Austin was the hottest feud in the industry at that point so belittling winning the prestigious event was a worthwhile risk; it was another milestone on a fantastic angle.
Batista returning heavily pointed to his win last year. Everybody also knew that Cena would face The Rock at Mania 29 for the title and therefore he would win the 2013 Rumble. The fans can only take so much of lazy, obvious writing and pine for their voices to be heard. I honestly don’t know if there has ever been a less creative start to a feud than how Rusev and Cena kicked off after the Rumble.
It’s not Reigns time yet, no matter how much the WWE might want it to be. He would be better served in a triple threat match with his former Shield team mates at Wrestlemania. That match would draw and could feasibly be for the number one contendership for the WWE WHT.
Interestingly, Vince stated during his interview with Steve Austin that he didn’t believe Cesaro had developed a connection with the fans yet, that something was missing. Anybody could see that following the Andre the Giant memorial win Cesaro was over. Not getting over – he was over. His giant swing and unique, powerful move set had the crowd onside. You have to question what Vince really heard from the fans, or if he indeed heard what he wants to hear.
The CEO clearly has an undeniable track record of creating great stars in this business, but in an age where social media and fan interaction is at an all-time high, is the process and presentations of stars simply different?
Side note in amongst rambling rant: Why not put some stars in a tag team that aren’t being used in the title scene? The Rock and Mick Foley capitalised huge on this back in late 1999 and I would argue that helped catapult the Rock to the superstardom he achieved. It helps the division and potentially expands the character. Daniel Bryan and Kane are an excellent example of this in modern times, the rub that gave Bryan really gave him the extra edge.
Bo Dallas is a character that has flopped in recent times, yet he is a real life brother of Bray Wyatt. Perhaps use that as a feud? Or make Dallas darker and make them a team? Brothers have a history of making for deep stories within the WWE. But hey, what do I know!
The WWE rectified their mistakes last year and created one of the most memorable storylines in recent years as Daniel Bryan rose to the mountain top in a change of plans. It’s imperative they heed the Royal Rumble crowd’s warning, before Reigns is rejected beyond repair.
