In hindsight, was Bray losing to Cena at WM a mistake?

[bkross1991]

At first, I didn't have any problem with the outcome of that match, I felt Cena did a good job putting Bray over as a credible threat despite the fact he won. And I understand Vince and Co. probably didn't want to book both Cena and Taker losing on the same night.

Then came the photoshop promo which was corny and sophomoric even by Cena comedy hour standards, and while I appreciate that Bray didn't let the stupid jokes get to him, it kind of ruins his gimmick as being a nightmarish force that everyone fears when Cena is cracking jokes at him after spending the buildup to WM admitting that he is afraid of Bray. There's also the matter that since their match at ER is a cage match, even if Wyatt is booked to win, there's a chance it will probably be due to some dastardly heel tactic, which while it would be expected, it still would make him come off as weak.

So question for the day, was Bray losing at WM30 a wasted opportunity in hindsight or can they still keep his momentum regardless.

[Neo: "The One" who CLAPS]

It's too soon to tell. As of right now, with how well they've book Wyatt overall, I think he'll be fine.

But if he's on the Summerslam kickoff show, facing Kofi, well....

[angryfan]

Given that it was a match where Cena won clean and now they have to "settle this in a cage"...yes it was a mistake. You don't "elevate" a feud where the babyface wins outright and clean, then makes fun of the heels the next night. What's the upside to a cage match for Cena?

[BigJerichool222]

Yes.

BUT HEY at least now Bray can beat Cena in the rematch in a gimmick where he doesn't even have to pin John.

[spagett]

I thought it was a mistake the second it happened.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

I figured it would be a mistake before the event even happened.

The rollup off Cena chairshotting Rowan (or was that Harper?) should have ended the match. It would have left more story to tell in future matches, and given Bray an iconic win.

[Brood Lone Wolf Funker]

Honestly no, primarily because Bray looked good in defeat he forced Cena to go a place not many have made him he sort of exposed him as what he said he was. It even showed that Cena can be hurt mentally and I don't even remember the the last time that happened.

[Kayfabe FAN don't want none]

Yes. And if Cena really had to win then Bray should've passed out in the STF.

[comahan]

I don't think it really matters that much to be honest. Nice feather to put in his cap for promos, but strong characters like Bray are usually able to continue moving forward as strong as ever regardless of their win/loss record. I don't think Bray is the type of personality/character who NEEDS wins like a Brock or someone like that needs to avoid losing to to stay strong.

[angryfan]

Apr 19, 2014 19:44:26 GMT -5 Kayfabe FAN don't want none said:

Yes. And if Cena really had to win then Bray should've passed out in the STF.

See, THIS would have worked. THen when Cena did his "ha ha photoshop" promo, Bray could follow the no selling with, "I took what you had, and I liked it" and boom, feud keeps going. However, clean pinfall followed by a dismissive then aggressive promo that leads to a cage match for...what exactly? Because they didn't laugh at his jokes? Because they were "too srs"? Why would Cena say, essentially, "I pinned you clean at Mania without your goons interfering, so let's settle this in a cage so they can't interfere which they didn't do last time!"

[Deleted]

They've protected Wyatt for months only for Cena to finally, definitively "slay the beast" at the biggest show of the year. This is a bad sign for future booking, especially when people are talking about a potential new era...it shows they might not be ready to commit to passing the torch after all!

[Deleted]

Yes.


Cena buries Bray on the mic with shitty jokes, that's ok.


But then Wyatt should have gone over with the narrative being Cena didn't take him serious and started cracking jokes which showed he lacked focus which was a big mistake.


It writes itself really. Now what we have is Cena buries Wyatt by cracking jokes that put him and his character he is trying to get over down, then defeats him on the biggest stage of them all.


People say Cena is a company man and doesn't politic, but there is so much irrational booking that makes whoever he works with look weaker than they need to quite often. It's not even a case of wins or losses really, its more Cenas reactions and promos.

It might not even be Cena's fault, it's often said that Vince is more hands on with whats going on with Main Eventers than others, so perhaps he has a habit of sticking his nose in and changing things when it comes to his top cash cow, but my point is there is something going on somewhere with Cena, whether its him himself, Vince or someone else that is causing him to bury people. It's been going on a while. Its nothing new.


Hell during Edge's podcast with Austin he tells the story of that first Nexus match which had a finish that everyone told Cena was terrible but Cena was stubborn over and if I recall correctly that finish pretty much buried Barrett at the expense of Cena.

Then Cena wrestles Sandow beats him and sudddenly his push is over.

[Deleted]

Who won that match didn't mean anything.

[Bub (BLM)]

I can't come to a decision on the matter just yet. If Bray also loses at Extreme Rules, then it was a huge mistake. If Bray wins the cage match in a fashion that causes the announcers to use "Owen Hart voice", then it will have been worth it.

[Mozenrath]

Apr 19, 2014 19:36:21 GMT -5 angryfan said:

Given that it was a match where Cena won clean and now they have to "settle this in a cage"...yes it was a mistake. You don't "elevate" a feud where the babyface wins outright and clean, then makes fun of the heels the next night. What's the upside to a cage match for Cena?

Given how he got completely steamrolled the next night, he still probably feels he has something to prove still. Besides, are we supposed to imagine he can get savagely destroyed for weeks, and one win's going to satisfy him? That's not realistic booking, either.

I don't have a problem with the outcome of the match. Bray's still over as he ever was, really, and his gimmick isn't one where being undefeated added or subtracted from his mystique. It's not like Brock or Goldberg or someone whose first loss was this huge deal.

[Deleted]

I think it's too early to say. If it makes the Wyatts get that much more ornery worth it..

If this thread about about Bryan losing to Bray at the Rumble, I'd say that was a mistake and WWE realizes it because they've gone out of their way to ignore it and move past it.

[angryfan]

Apr 19, 2014 19:55:05 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Apr 19, 2014 19:36:21 GMT -5 angryfan said:

Given that it was a match where Cena won clean and now they have to "settle this in a cage"...yes it was a mistake. You don't "elevate" a feud where the babyface wins outright and clean, then makes fun of the heels the next night. What's the upside to a cage match for Cena?

Given how he got completely steamrolled the next night, he still probably feels he has something to prove still. Besides, are we supposed to imagine he can get savagely destroyed for weeks, and one win's going to satisfy him? That's not realistic booking, either.

I don't have a problem with the outcome of the match. Bray's still over as he ever was, really, and his gimmick isn't one where being undefeated added or subtracted from his mystique. It's not like Brock or Goldberg or someone whose first loss was this huge deal.

I would argue that his matches with The Rock prove that one win is enough for Cena.

When Cena loses to The Rock, it becomes "I can't sleep, I can't eat, my life is in shambles". Then he wins at Mania and it's all jokes and blowing off any thoughts of another match because, "Don't care, won the match".

Bray is still over and he's really become the gimmick. That's huge. My problem is not that the loss to Cena (and I mean the cage match or the "blow off match" that will follow it) will kill his gimmick, but that it will take away some of the natural momentum he has.

[Deleted]

I don't think him losing to Cena was a mistake, but more HOW they did it.

All this built around Bray trying to bring out the monster in Cena, but at WM, the GRANDEST STAGE OF THEM ALL, they basically had a filler match in their feud. Cena could have went over the line while the ref was distracted and done something TOO aggressive and un-Cena-y that got him the win, even clean, but still in a way that showed Bray really got to him. So it'll be a Cena win, but one Bray can go on to say that HE helped Cena accomplish by bringing out the monster in him.

[fw91]

not a mistake, as in it won't hurt Wyatt, but I don't think it was the right call

[JTH]

Too soon, I don't agree with what they did, but the whole "Cena's not a monster" thing is a bit confusing right now. Cena claims he's not a monster or an animal, yet he willingly throws himself in a Cage Match with Wyatt like you would a rabid animal. Wouldn't that be what Bray wants?

So it's this simple.

Cena can beat Bray 500 times straight, if Cena becomes the "Monster" and turns heel, Bray wins.