Welcome to the Main Event Ryback

[Cronant]

I mean, this was probably the first time I really thought "alright, he can main event PPVs". Granted, it was a gimmick match, but thats what half the main events are anyway.

[The Ichi]

I think because he looked vunerable at times.

[Marvelously Mediocre]

Just in time for him to win the Rumble

[2 Cold Scorkum]

I feel like they're going to have him deal with the Shield untill after 'Mania. Until then, it looks like the title scene is going to be Rock/Punk/Cena.

[Yami Daimao]

Jan 7, 2013 23:19:17 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I think because he looked vunerable at times.

Cena would have no-sold every single one of those attacks.

[slappy]

I really enjoyed the match.

[YiHammer]

He has yet to have a good 1 on 1 non gimmick match

[thegame415]

Jan 7, 2013 23:27:54 GMT -5 YiHammer said:

He has yet to have a good 1 on 1 non gimmick match

I don't think he's been given a chance...most of his matches are just squashes.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

I think the match with Tyler Reks was his best non-gimmick match with an honorable mention to his no-contest first encounter with Swagger.

[BorneAgain]

Ryback and somebody vs. the Shield at Mania does seem like the likely Wrestlemania feud. I suppose he could challenge for the WHC via the Rumble but between Ziggler, Show, Del Rio, and likely something involving Sheamus/Orton soon enough, that title scene's crowded already.

[BigWill]

Jan 7, 2013 23:27:54 GMT -5 YiHammer said:

He has yet to have a good 1 on 1 non gimmick match

This is what I'm still waiting on. I'll hold off on calling him a real main eventer until then.

[gnr123]

Ryback will be a World Champion in 2013.

I guarantee it.

[Snowman]

Between this match and the shield match at TLC the guy has really impressed me

["Cane Dewey" Johnson]

While I've never been a Ryback fan, I found myself getting invested into the match when he was climbing the ladder. I WANTED him to win then. I thought it was a fun match with some surprisingly brutal spots for free TV. The fact that he looked vulnerable (unlike John Cena), that he'll be pissed off about it next week (unlike John Cena), and that he was working with a guy like CM Punk all works for me. While I'm still not a fan of Ryback per se, I like him a lot more after tonight's match than I did before. So to me the match was successful: get me interested in someone new to the main event (or at least upper midcard) scene.

[joebob27]

He's been good in the TLC matches, but I kinda wonder how it'll translate into his program with Show, where he's gonna have to sell in basic 1 on 1 matches. Right now he only sells death spots. Those don't happen in regular matches.

The no-selling in the Cena/Punk triple threat was really bad.

[Deleted]

I never expected Ryback to win, at all, not even 1% of my body expected it nor my mind or soul. I however noticed tonight that Ryback has found his style and he's found out how to wrestle a damn good match. He's comfortable with himself now so he can evolve. With that said I say he'll be WHC in 2013, probably during the later half. He'll be dealing with Shield until Mania then he'll enter the WHC title scene then. Given the WHC scene will probably involve Show/Orton/Sheamus/Ziggler inserting Ryback in there wouldn't be bad near the end of the year if it goes well.

[DZ: WF Legacy]

He's losing now because he'll be winning a lot later when he goes after Big Show. It's like Dolph Ziggler syndrome, only with Dolph it's "you're going to lose every match now and we'll let you win a couple later on maybe."

[BV]

Funny you say that, because tonight was probably the last time he'll be in a main event-tier match for a while.

[imnotbooked]

Take a look at the history of workers cut from the same cloth as Ryback. LOD. Nikita. Warrior. Goldberg. They got hot. They had a run when booked strongly that usually lasted at best two years at the top of the card before they were shuffled back down for various reasons.

Ryback just sniffed the main events at the end of September. That's less then 4 months where he has been booked to look foolish and lose every big match that he has taken place in. Put anyone of those acts that I mentioned in the first paragraph in a situation that Ryback has been placed in that early in their respective runs when they are hot and you could get a better picture of what an opportunity is wasted.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Ryback should of been given the WWE Title at HIAC. I wish that he would have stayed away from a no-win situation like that in the first place. There were numerous spots he could of fit in, gaining credibility with wins over Del Rio, Miz, and that strata of heels before you pull the trigger and go all the way with him. You could of thrown Bryan in The Cell with Punk and got an entertaining match that would of more then lived up to Main Event hype. Would I throw away Punk's reign and long term plans for WM on an act getting hot like Ryback? I think its too big of a risk.

The numbers also prove this theory.

My take on this is also supported by the numbers. Buyrates for HIAC, up. Ratings from the night after HIAC where a new star "may" of been made, up as well. Those that didn't order HIAC tuned in and saw it was "business as usual" and tuned back out again.

In closing, a monster act like this has a shelf life. WWE won't get this chance again with Ryback, and maybe won't get another opportunity to promote a character like this for quite some time. But I think they did the right thing by sticking with Punk and hopefully hitting on all cylinders on the road to Wrestlemania.

[bob]

Jan 7, 2013 23:50:36 GMT -5 BigWill said:

Jan 7, 2013 23:27:54 GMT -5 YiHammer said:

He has yet to have a good 1 on 1 non gimmick match

This is what I'm still waiting on. I'll hold off on calling him a real main eventer until then.