Should they have given Ryback the belt against Punk?

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

I mean I don't think it would of been anything long because no way in hell he's walking into Rumble and Mania season as champ?

I mean I could of seen them doing a one or two month reign with him and then bouncing the title back to Punk before the rumble so he can kickstart his feud with Rock. Ryback was real over at that point but still green in the ring but he wouldn't of been the first person they experimented to put the belt on. 

[xCompackx]

Maybe, for a few weeks to see how Ryback does. I mean, Punk vs. Rock was months away at that point and like you said, Ryback was hot at the time.

[The Trashman]

Probably but the only reason I think Punk had the belt that long was to make Rock look better.

[mizerable]

It honestly didn't matter one way or the other.

The problem is they failed to protect him afterwards, possibly having him great screwed and allowing for him to tear through the roster to get to the top again.

Instead, they decided to have him lose time after time, and then turned heel for no reason.

[Alice Syndrome]

Sure, drop the belt from your best wrestler to a guy who's greener than the flag of Libya.

[Deleted]

Should've at least briefly. It wouldn't have changed a thing except making Ryback more credible and less of a joke to have had him take the title at Hell in a Cell and lose it at Survivor Series or in the TLC match, which could've been a good bit for Ryback's heel turn by having him pissed Rock and Cena both got slingshotted to title shots over him getting his rematch and thus screwed him out of headlining Mania. And Punk's title reign was awful anyway.

[The Ichi]

Not at that time due to them building Punk\Rock, but he was over enough to get a shot later. What killed him was losing to Mark Henry at WM and then the "Cena needs a new opponent" heel turn.

[rnrk supports BLM]

Can you imagine the fallout if WWE did that? CM Punk would've quit, done a shoot video where he complained about WWE never giving him the ball to run with and blasted Ryback as an unsafe worker, and all mention of Punk would be scrubbed from the company except one dude who runs the YouTube channel and really, really likes video clips of his ass.

Good thing they dodged that bullet.

[BD Punk AKA SUSPENDED!]

Nope. Never should have gotten a world title shot to begin with. Ryback should have been given a run with the IC title around that time. He could have beaten Barrett in late 2012 and hold it into the first half of 2013. (Think Ultimate Warrior push in the late 80's) Then maybe transition into getting a shot at Del Rio's Big Gold Belt around Summerslam 2013. Staying face the whole time

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Aug 12, 2016 19:27:55 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

Not at that time due to them building Punk\Rock, but he was over enough to get a shot later. What killed him was losing to Mark Henry at WM and then the "Cena needs a new opponent" heel turn.

Those two things indeed killed him. Also his character for the longest amount of time couldn't get a win on PPV, obviously he was going against the shield but yea his stock fell real fast. 

[Gerard Gerard]

Honestly, I know Orton was still riding out his post-suspension "he's too important to do nothing with" phase, but he should have been the one to plug in for Cena instead of Ryback. There's history there between Orton/Punk, almost enough to justify the cell and Ryback would have been free to build up further without what came next.

[Mozenrath]

I think if given the choice between the Shield and Ryback to strap the rocket to, I'd have chosen the Shield, too.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Aug 12, 2016 19:23:11 GMT -5 Alice Syndrome said:

Sure, drop the belt from your best wrestler to a guy who's greener than the flag of Libya.

If you're still as green as goose poop after 8 or 9 years in wrestling as Ryback was, you have no business being near the top belt in any company,

[The Kevstaaa]

No. Ryback was a victim of timing. He seemed to be headed towards the IC Title, which was fine because he was over and not ready for the WWE Title. Cena went down and they thrust Ryback in a tough spot. They weren't going to end Punk's reign until the Rock so Ryback had to take the loss. He just kept losing momentum until then.

There was a way to save it though. I still say that he should have won the 2013 Royal Rumble (he was the runner up). Have him win there and keep the World Title on the dominant Big Show. Then you have Ryback beat Show for the World Title at Mania, via Shell Shock for a Mania moment. Boom, star made. You could still do Del Rio/Swagger on the undercard and Twice in a Lifetime. Show/Ryback isn't great, but it sounds miles better than Henry going over Ryback.

[Push R Truth]

Ryback would have worked rather than yet another totally forgettable Sheamus or Del Rio reign. But he wasn't a "Champ for months" kinda guy. He would have been a bully heel champ to get cut down by a perky underdog though.

[Deleted]

As a small child my one dream match was The Rock vs The Ryback for the world title at a Rumble that was deemed Royal,The fact that it never happened has made me both mad & sad.

[Deleted]

Nah but in retrospect I would not have given Punk that 434 day title Reign, no way. I would have broken it up in the middle and then given it back to Punk a bit before the Rock feud. Not sure who could have been champion around then (shit, give Cody Rhodes the belt and then let him lose it before Rhodes Scholars) but either way nah Punk didn't need that especially given everything that transpired afterwards.

[Deleted]

Aug 12, 2016 19:23:11 GMT -5 Alice Syndrome said:

Sure, drop the belt from your best wrestler to a guy who's greener than the flag of Libya.

Daniel Bryan wasn't the champ during this time period.

[The Yes Man]

No. He shouldn't have been in that position anyway. I would have however, had him win the Rumble and challenge Big Show for the WHC. Del Rio vs Swagger didn't need the title, Cena didn't need the Rumble to get to Cena/Rock 2, and Mark Henry and Big Show are easily interchangeable on the WrestleMania 29 card.

[RIHT]

They should have never had him face Punk that early. An IC title win over Miz would've been perfect. They should have just called Undertaker to do a favor or something and face Punk at HIAC, then do Cena vs. Punk at Survivor Series with Ryback winning for his team. After Shield costs Cena the title, maybe have Shield cost Ryback a title match against Punk, only for Ryback to defeat either Reigns or Ambrose at WM, or his team defeats The Shield.

You then ease Ryback into the main event a la Goldberg, maybe Ambrose cheats to win IC title, then Shield has their titles, while Ryback chases the WHC on Smackdown while Bryan goes for the WWE title on Raw. Ryback is a big star at this point, and maybe Reigns can end his streak, but it won't hurt Ryback too much. Ryback ideally improves in the ring and on the mic with his patient rise, and he can stay on the top of the card if needed.