The All Purpose Daniel Bryan Booking Thread

[king1836]

Daniel Bryan doesn't win the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania 30? What will become of him?

[RI Richmark]

Jan 27, 2014 0:48:32 GMT -5 revolver86 said:

I was gonna get the network, ans everything.They went and f***ed it all. By WWE, it's like 2008 all over again! I'm done!

Time for the obligatory "See you Monday" response.

[Toates Madhackrviper]

Jan 27, 2014 0:39:33 GMT -5 Frosty said:

It's been mentioned a few times already, but I feel bad about the effect this is having on everyone else. Everyone was getting shit on at the end of the rumble match. It makes you wonder if any of the other guys question the decision makers about the decisions made. I could imagine Punk or Cena being vocal about the fans chanting for Bryan, and possibly confronting whoever is in charge.

If I was Cena/Orton/Mysterio/Batista/basically everyone else in the Rumble with any political pull I'd be making a fuss to management about this for sure. The mismanagement of Daniel Bryan has overshadowed all of them. Cena and Orton had their match crapped all over. Mysterio got major heat literally just because he was the last person in the match. Batista, despite being booked as a babyface and initially returning to cheers, was booed for winning. They were all just doing what their jobs but the audience were shitting all over them. Which is quite honestly shifting blame, but its not like the crowd can really boo management directly. Their reactions are their way of booing management. And if I was those guys? I'd be really pissed off at management too for putting them in that position. Mysterio I bet is fuming right now. Batista too, unless this was meant to turn him heel.

These are all guys with political pull. If I was them I'd march straight into Vince or Triple H or whomever's office and tell them "look, give these people what they want so we can do our freaking jobs, this is ridiculous".

Cena especially I think is a smart enough guy to realize this. I just wonder if he can do something about it on his own.

[Deleted]

Let's see where this goes guys....what's that? It goes to Batista vs Orton at Wrestlemania? Oh...can we not see where this goes then?

Seriously though, I do feel bad for Batista in some ways. The guy walked into a shit storm that has nothing to do with him. I'm sure WWE was like "Yeah, come on back Dave - we'll put you in WM against Orton, it'll be easy money." Since they're so flagrantly ignorant of their own audience and Batista probably hasn't been watchign the show (Who's Alberto Del Rio?) they basically walked a chicken into the Wolf's den.

[Deleted]

I was planning on going to Mania this year, but that fell through due to financial reasons. Were I still doing so I'd keep watching since, y'know, I'd be there, but as it stands... I am sort of tempted to watch tonight's Raw just to see if the crowd goes completely psychotic on it, but outside of that (and even then, I'm not 100% on that, since it'll probably be like almost every Raw and just be a boring, repetitive show where we have to hear Orton and Triple H's voices for entirely too long a period of time), I'm done until April 8th. I was going to get the Network when it launched, but now I'll also be waiting on that until at least then, if not longer.

[BigJerichool222]

I don't know what to say.

I mean like, this is a BIG deal, right? revolver86 is done; clearly this is important enough to warrant its own thread. And rightfully so, because revolver86 has been the heart and soul of ALL of us for a long time.

Godspeed revolver86, godspeed. See you tomorrow.

[RIHT]

2008? That looks great compared to the Era of Disappointment we've been in for the past few years.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Jan 26, 2014 23:24:32 GMT -5 SOR said:

1. Batista has not strictly done straight to DVD releases. He is about to have a leading role in a Marvel Comic movie. Actors who manage even small 3-5 line parts in these movies go onto becoming cult legends and are set for life financially (Not necessarily from the pay day but the action figures, autograph money, photo money etc) Batista is the lead in this movie. This movie comes out this year so if he's fresh out of WWE (Or there when the film is released) the WWE is going to get A LOT of media hype and things like that from people they don't usually get it from. This is why it makes sense for Batista to win here

Except that argument doesn't hold water. Guardians of the Galaxy - in which Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana are the leads, Dave is firmly in the supporting role - isn't released until August, and is considered one of the riskiest ventures of the MCU. The Marvel hype machine for it won't be kicking in fully until Captain America: The Winter Soldier's theatrical run end in the first week of May, so until that point his movie star appeal is the direct-to-DVD releases, The Man with the Iron Fists (which flopped) and a small part in Riddick. It's all well and good booking in anticipation of the buzz that will come in the aummer, but to me it would make more sense to build Summerslam around him when the publicity will be at its highest.

As thing stand, in eight months when WWE will be getting all this hype they'll be able to proudly show off their box office superstar having the live crowds shit all over him and chant the name of someone else.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Jan 26, 2014 23:11:00 GMT -5 BRV said:

It just hit me: what if Daniel Bryan was in the Royal Rumble...and was last eliminated by Batista.

Could you IMAGINE that crowd reaction?

The reaction might not have been great, but at least that could lead to a potential storyline between the two leading up to WM that finds DB shoehorned in.

Look, I am sort of looking at this from an outside perspective now. I am a formerly paying customer of WWE who the WWE has disillusioned to the point that I more or less stopped watching their product. If I heard of something I wanted to check out, I did so on the WWE.com website to watch what I missed.

Those clips that I watched over the past two years almost exclusively were of either CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. The WWE knows this since that is something they can trace. as they can with everyone who visits their site. They also can look at the ratings breakdowns to see which segments people watched more. They can trace merchandise sales. They also have an active social media presence that allows them to know exactly what the fans care enough about to share on social media.

My point? The WWE KNOWS who the fans like. They do seem to respond to that to a degree. Punk and Bryan are on TV a lot, which sometimes tempts me enough to watch the occasional episode. Both men have plenty of merchandise available, have had title reigns (especially Punk), and are featured talents. They are not completely ignored in favor of HHH's cronies.

Having said that, the problem with pushing them more is that for whatever reason the WWE does not wish to push them more. This is not the first time that the WWE was reluctant to push someone who was clearly rather popular in favor of less popular people, but sometimes it turned out to be the right decision. Take the Hardy's, for instance. Both of them sold a ton of merchandise, got strong reactions for about a decade, and were often not pushed to their top potential (Jeff as a true main eventer and Matt as a transitional champ/challenger not unlike Benoit's position with the company). Granted, it was obvious why they were reluctant to push Jeff to his top potential but for years many did not get why Matt was not used to his fullest. He was used as a workhorse for several years; a reliable hand who could produce a solid match to support the show but never the guy they pushed beyond that. Of course, we all now know that for years Matt's biggest enemy apparently was Matt. All those people that thought, "I just got back from another Smackdown taping and yet again Matt had just as big a fan reaction as the champ! Why don't they push him?" now probably feel silly for having thought that.

Now, I am not saying that DB has any of the problems that the Hardy's, Jake Roberts, RVD, or any other guy left languishing in the upper midcard rather than getting pushed might have had. Hell, maybe part of the problem is that he doesn't even come close. He and Punk both seem to ascribe to a mindset that I think must make being a top workhorse in the WWE for the long term a serious problem. Every time you hear about someone working for several months while injured, barely getting by because of cortizone shots before their matches makes me want to cringe. Most top guys find themselves doing that at least occasionally because being the top dog in the WWE goes far beyond the matches. It is exhausting. It is a grind physically, emotionally, and mentally. Sleeping patterns get severely screwed up. Historically, taking something to help you sleep or keep you awake (whichever is needed for the moment) is something that they all find themselves doing just to get by. I am not saying this is right or wrong, but rather that it simply is what it is.

Maybe they haven't supplanted Cena and Orton in the WWE's plans because Vince or HHH isn't convinced that either of them are cut out for that lifestyle. If they aren't and they get pushed, then trying to do it all without making that kind of adjustment could cause them to burn out and walk away. If that happens, then you have a whole new set of problems. They have made themselves integral parts of the television product and their absence would be more disruptive than not using them to their fullest potential would be.

Granted, I don't know if I am on the right track here. As I mentioned before, I only watch sporadically now and manly focus on a few select guys.

[Deleted]

I'm done investing in stories, believing they'll make the right choices, and supporting them financially. I wasn't getting the network anyway. I'm going to Raw tomorrow night so I can boo things and chant for Daniel Bryan, since I physically can't sell my eticket.

I always considered myself a WWE fan, despite it all. But tonight I officially crossed into cynical bastard pro wrestling fan that watches WWE because a few of my favorites are under contract to them. I'm not sure I can be a weekly viewer in that mindset.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

I'm thinking people that think that Dave Batista is a hit for the casuals and that Bryan only appeals to Hardcore fans might want to look at WWE's Facebook page.

These fans are as close to the so-called casual audience as one can find, and even they are shitting all over the show.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

This was the first time I sat down and watched the current product for an entire show since last year's Rumble, being as I missed most of Mania, anyway, I won't be back tomorrow to see what happens. I'll just read it off the net like usual. Enjoy my $55 WWE, buy something nice.

[kidglov3s]

Jan 27, 2014 0:57:01 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

I'm thinking people that think that Dave Batista is a hit for the casuals and that Bryan only appeals to Hardcore fans might want to look at WWE's Facebook page.

These fans are as close to the so-called casual audience as one can find, and even they are shitting all over the show.

Well duh it's on the internet. Most real WWE fans who love Cena and Batista and Orton still communicate exclusively over landline phones.

[thelonewolf527]

Jan 27, 2014 0:57:01 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

I'm thinking people that think that Dave Batista is a hit for the casuals and that Bryan only appeals to Hardcore fans might want to look at WWE's Facebook page.

These fans are as close to the so-called casual audience as one can find, and even they are shitting all over the show.

People crapped all over Battleground too but they all came back

[berlynwright]

let's see where this goes guys.

[RIHT]

He's done. I'm sorry, but at that point, the YES! chants and hype will become mocking in it of itself. The hope will die out, and the dream will be destroyed. WWE is destroying yet another dream.

[ritt works hard fo da chickens]

Jan 27, 2014 0:48:12 GMT -5 thelonewolf527 said:

Jan 27, 2014 0:44:45 GMT -5 Bub (BLM) said:

Are we really debating size? There was a long period of time where Rey Mysterio was one of the most over talents on the roster. Size doesn't mean a damn thing.

I'm not saying it does for everyone, but there are people who still do care about size. I keep referencing a time where I was watching one of the TNA Family Feud episodes with my family and the ones who knew next to nothing about wrestling assumed that Matt Morgan was the biggest star and that Jay Lethal looked way too small to be a wrestler (and he was pretty ripped). There will always be people who look at certain guys like this no matter what. Can be unfortunate at times, but you can't do anything about it

Yes and there are some people who think Steven Segal looks more like a tough guy but people pay to see regular guy actors like Nic Cage kick the big guys butts. Nic Cage sold more action movies and got better roles then Howie Long and Brian Bosworth combined two legit former football players known for hitting hard who wanted to be serious action stars. It's who is entertaining the crowd that matters and can be believable in what are really unbelievable situations. Do you really think John Cena could beat up any three people on the roster at once, let alone a stable that works together? But he can make people believe that he really can, because he is booked that way and plays it up. I don't get it personally, with Nic Cage but I'd be lieing if I told you he isn't a box office star.

[Banjo Is Broken]

Jan 27, 2014 0:57:09 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

This was the first time I sat down and watched the current product for an entire show since last year's Rumble, being as I missed most of Mania, anyway, I won't be back tomorrow to see what happens. I'll just read it off the net like usual. Enjoy my $55 WWE, buy something nice.

That gives me the visual of you personally handing Vince McMahon a stack of 55 dollars, and then Vince proceeding to wipe his ass with it right in front of you.

[Chainsaw]

Well,there is an upside to this clustersmurf. It's got me listening to the LAW again...

But I'm seriously rethinking my $60 commitment to the WWE Network now, if their commitment is to nostalgia acts now.

[Deleted]

I never say "I'm done," but I will say this - I'm pretty much done with the idea that Daniel Bryan will be anything more than a side act for WWE to hold on to while they secure Cena/Orton/Batista/HHH/etc's legacy.

The midcard still rocks the shit, but anything even close to that WWE WHC is pretty much garbage. Has been since before the Unified the title.