Help An Estranged FAN Understand

[clifford]

OK, I was going to post this in the Wrestlemania thread but the longer it got I felt it might be better suited elsewhere.

I haven't watched WWE regularly since Autumn 2012, and haven't watched an episode of RAW or a pay per view since Wrestlemania last year, just sporadically kept an eye on goings on, so forgive me if my questions are just total ignorance.

How did this card happen? Like seriously, Bryan goes from double main eventing to one sixth of a ladder match for the IC title? Has his popularity completely disappeared after his long absence or is it simply backstage politics?

Sting finally shows up in the WWE and we get him at Wrestlemania.... vs Triple H? Why? What's their history? Is this being billed as a 'dream match'?

Has Rusev been booked any differently than the dozens of 'unbeatable monster foreigner who hates America' wrestlers we've gotten over the last few years to warrant a Wrestlemania match against John Cena?

The only match I could see myself being interested in is Undertaker/Wyatt. Not for the in ring work but as a potential 'passing of the torch'. But then I still can't believe that they went with that over Taker/Sting.

I look at this card and am just, dumbfounded. Has any of the build up actually been good? Are people really looking forward to any match?

Help me understand, FAN!!

[cityboy]

1. Reigns has been expected to main event Mania 30 since Survivor Series 2013. Bryan coming back early from injury just complicated matters

2. Sting showed at at Survivor Series 2014 and cost Team Authority the victory in the Survivor Series match with the Authority's position on the line. They're hyping Sting as a vigilante character so it's basically Batman vs Falcone.

3. Rusev I think just has something those other guys didn't have. Also Lana is really good in her role which helps.

A lot of fans are disappointed in the card. A red hot angle with a returning Bryan defeating the unstoppable Lesnar was wasted because the Reigns rise has been on the cards for years now. The build up hasn't been great either. I think it will be alright on the night with the ladder match delivering and a few of the headline matches surprising but Reigns isn't ready (yet) and the crowd will eat him alive.

[Next Level was WRONG]

WWE thinks Roman could be huge a few years down the line, so are giving him the same "world title within 2-2.5 years" push they gave to Hogan, Warrior, Diesel, Austin, Rock, Lesnar, Orton, Cena, Punk and Bryan.

I don't know why they didn't make it a triple threat.

Sting and Undertaker both kinda need victories right now.

Rusev is the f***ing man and I'm just glad he's getting a big payday. I'm willing to bet they're planning for him to be one of Roman's first challengers.


I would like to see pretty much every match but don't want to give WWE money after Demott.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Mar 17, 2015 7:22:27 GMT -5 clifford said:

The only match I could see myself being interested in is Undertaker/Wyatt. Not for the in ring work but as a potential 'passing of the torch'. But then I still can't believe that they went with that over Taker/Sting.

Sting deserves far better than having his first Wrestlemania match be a defeat at the hands of someone who looks and moves like they're 20 years his senior and went out of his way to make every WCW talent he was paired with during the invasion look like arse.

[Rolent Tex]

They were never sure if Bryan was coming back so it didn't make sense to book any main angles around an injured guy. He's a little more protected being in a 7 man match although I'm sure there's going to be crazy spots.

Sting apparently has it out for HHH due to his abuse of power. He feels as if he failed to ultimately save WCW from the nWo and refuses to let HHH lead the WWE down the same path.

As far as Rusev, he's pretty much following the cookie cutter foreign heel model but has the ability to be booked as so much more if he goes over Cena clean. If Brock leaves, he needs to be THE heel this year.

[clifford]

Wow, so rather than this card being thrown together last minute, it's actually been very carefully thought out months (even years) in advance?

That's, actually, quite impressive really. Kudos to WWE for putting together a plan and target and actually sticking to it.

[Zen411]

Mar 17, 2015 7:40:02 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

Mar 17, 2015 7:22:27 GMT -5 clifford said:

The only match I could see myself being interested in is Undertaker/Wyatt. Not for the in ring work but as a potential 'passing of the torch'. But then I still can't believe that they went with that over Taker/Sting.

Sting deserves far better than having his first Wrestlemania match be a defeat at the hands of someone who looks and moves like they're 20 years his senior and went out of his way to make every WCW talent he was paired with during the invasion look like arse.

Everyone in the invasion looked like arse on their own.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Mar 17, 2015 9:03:32 GMT -5 clifford said:

Wow, so rather than this card being thrown together last minute, it's actually been very carefully thought out months (even years) in advance?

That's, actually, quite impressive really. Kudos to WWE for putting together a plan and target and actually sticking to it.

Reigns being the main event has been planned well in advance, and even then have managed to completely botch it. HHH/Sting has been planned since they signed Sting. Wyatt/Taker appears to have been in the works since the end of 2014.

Everything else has quite literally been thrown together at the last minute with little thought or foresight.

[Lupin the Third]

But you gotta make Roman look really str-

CM Punk: "GOD DAMMIT!!! I GET IT ALREADY!!! MOTHER F***ER!!!!!"

[Deleted]

Bryan's popularity was a fluke, in the eyes of WWE. Roman has been the planned star for sometime now.

Sting vs HHH is probably just HHH thinking that he's the only guy who is "legendary" enough to fight Sting at WM. Like when he said that him and Taker were the only guys left who actually mattered. Or whatever he said.

[Lupin the Third]

Mar 17, 2015 11:44:51 GMT -5 @personman01 said:

Bryan's popularity was a fluke, in the eyes of WWE. Roman has been the planned star for sometime now.

Sting vs HHH is probably just HHH thinking that he's the only guy who is "legendary" enough to fight Sting at WM. Like when he said that him and Taker were the only guys left who actually mattered. Or whatever he said.

Which I find amusing, because I never saw Triple H as "legendary," or a guy that mattered anymore. Or ever.

[deancubed]

As Max Landis' film explained - HHH's character is that he thinks he's better and more important than he is. He is a B+ player who sees things in Bryan that he doesn't like about himself, and so the Authority will always keep Bryan down as much as possible.

[avenger]

Cena's been on top for a decade. They need a new top face. They've chosen Reigns (who isn't ready).
The fans choice (Bryan) spent the second half of last year with a shoulder injury, and real doubts over whether he'd ever be able to return, and didn't get clearance to return until January - so obviously they couldn't plan long term with him, and the Wrestlemania main event is the one they do plan long term. Other faces would be a better fit in the match for me, though (Ambrose, Ziggler). They could also have Rollins v Bryan instead of Rollins v Orton.

It makes sense that Sting's debut match is against someone who stayed in the WWF for the Monday Night Wars. Grudgingly it makes sense against to go against Triple H, rather than Undertaker, because of their respective conditions, and the fact it's a lot harder to promote a match between Sting & The Undertaker if neither are ever there. Sting v HHH isn't a dream match though.

Rusev made Cena pass out at Fastlane (albeit thanks to a kick in the balls)

The ladder match seems to be "everyone who deserves a match but isn't in one". R-Truth seems to be thrown in as "token black guy". Build up has been silly, at best. Stardust & Goldust were feuding, but had a sloppy match at Fastlane (with a finish that looked botched). Stardust attacked Goldust the next night, but nothing has been mentioned since.

It's almost like they're seeing if the Wrestlemania name alone sells PPV buys.

[Hit Girl]

How did this card happen?

With the least amount of effort from WWE creative

Like seriously, Bryan goes from double main eventing to one sixth of a ladder match for the IC title?

Yep

Has his popularity completely disappeared after his long absence or is it simply backstage politics?

Backstage politics

Sting finally shows up in the WWE and we get him at Wrestlemania.... vs Triple H? Why? What's their history? Is this being billed as a 'dream match'?

No good reason.

Has Rusev been booked any differently than the dozens of 'unbeatable monster foreigner who hates America' wrestlers we've gotten over the last few years to warrant a Wrestlemania match against John Cena?

He's been booked as the evil foreigner who the brave John Cena must defend America from. But since WWE are writing it, the uber-patriotic jingoistic Cena comes across as far more heelish and obnoxious.

I look at this card and am just, dumbfounded

Trust me, you're not alone.

Has any of the build up actually been good?

Nope

Are people really looking forward to any match?

Thankfully WWE wrestlers tend to be talented enough to deliver the goods even if the writers offer them very little support in the build up, so while the storylines are shit, the matches will probably be good.

[clifford]

Consider me understood!

[King Devitt]

Don't forget the feuds the are just waiting to happen:

Miz vs Mizdow (which the crowd is eating up)

Goldust vs Stardust (which the crowd is totally behind antagonizing Cody, helping him revert back)

are being completely lost in "multi-man-match" fodder.

Throw in Bryan not having a singles match, even though they could have went with him and Ziggler to tear the house down in an old school face v face respect match.

[BigWill]

I've been watching WWE regularly for years, and I've still asked these same questions.

[JCBaggee]

Sting vs. Undertaker this year would be dreadful. Undertaker needs a victory after the streak is broken, and no one is going to believe Sting would pin him for his first WWE match.

If they do the match next year, with Sting having a WrestleMania victory under his belt and Undertaker having proven he's still got it by beating Wyatt this year, there's just a hint of suspense as to who could actually win it.

[Rolent Tex]

Mar 17, 2015 17:41:29 GMT -5 devondragon said:

Mar 17, 2015 7:47:19 GMT -5 Rolent Tex said:

Sting apparently has it out for HHH due to his abuse of power. He feels as if he failed to ultimately save WCW from the nWo and refuses to let HHH lead the WWE down the same path.

Wait, did they say that? Because that would make perfect sense.

They had a video package with Sting saying he couldn't save WCW from the nWo's abuse of power and he wasn't about to let HHH do the same with the E.

[Lupin the Third]

Mar 17, 2015 20:41:34 GMT -5 Rolent Tex said:

Mar 17, 2015 17:41:29 GMT -5 devondragon said:

Wait, did they say that? Because that would make perfect sense.

They had a video package with Sting saying he couldn't save WCW from the nWo's abuse of power and he wasn't about to let HHH do the same with the E.

When a man's heart is full of deceit, it burns up, dies, and a dark shadow falls over his soul.

From the ashes of a once great man has risen a curse, a wrong that must be righted.

We look to the skies for a vindicator, someone to strike fear into the black hearts of the same men who created him.

The battle between good and evil has begun.

Against an army of shadows comes the Dark Warrior, the purveyor of good, with a voice of silence, and a mission of justice.

THIS. IS. STING.