To those bailing on Mania, what could win you back?

[The Possum]

I know a lot of people are upset about the Daniel Bryan situation, and I think it's got me bummed enough that as of now, I probably won't order WrestleMania for the first time since 1998. But I want to be excited for it, I want to go crazy for this show. I want WWE to change its course so I can enjoy one of my favorite nights of the year, and I just don't think Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H will do it for me. So I got to thinking, what would it take to get me back on board? And I was wondering what other people are wanting too. I think I would buy for...

-Adding Daniel Bryan to the WWEWHC match as a triple threat.
-An Ultimate Warrior match, even if it's a squash (what can I say? I'm a mark)
-Daniel Bryan vs. The Undertaker (with Kane): Corporate Kane brings in his brother to hold down his former best friend. Taker could play a mercenary type heel at first, then turn on Kane. The crowd reaction would be insane, and if there's anyone to give The Streak to, it's Bryan.
-Maybe if the angle was hot enough and possibly involved Foley, CM Punk vs. Triple H, but probably not.

I think that's about all that could do it.

[Boo!]

I'd be more inclined to order it if people who pretended they weren't ordering it for some pretend outrage at someone not being in a certain match would actually go through with their bluff and not order it rather than state endlessly over coming weeks how none of them will order it and then miraculously each one of them will, after the event, spend endless house slating a show that they apparently never ordered therefore couldn't watch in the first place.

Similarly I look forward to whether people who swore they'd never watch Raw after the Rumble think that this weeks edition is better or worse than last weeks that they also didn't watch but miraculously are provide comment (often running in the Raw thread) on a show they've apparently not watched.

So IMO it'd be better if all those who said they weren't ordering it actually didn't so debate could be framed as to the actual quality and value of the event rather than by people clearly determined not to enjoy it as evidenced by the pretence that they're not going to order it in the first place.

[Deleted]

Well, considering zero matches have been set up so far, I think I'd wait until the card is at least 50% set before swearing it off.

[WoodStoner1]

Feb 3, 2014 9:31:18 GMT -5 The Possum said:

-Adding Daniel Bryan to the WWEWHC match as a triple threat.

Last I heard, they're going to do this. And really, a smark favorite inserted in a WHC match with two Kliqsters, er, Evolution members, where he could conceivably end up tapping out the champion, win the title, and break the glass ceiling. AND it's a WM numbered with a multiple of 10. How could this end badly?

(Run, Brie, run...you still have 3 years, it's not too late...)

[BEARD]

I just can't buy a wrestling fan, however big or small, wouldn't buy WM. The one show of the year that even the people who never watch anymore still come back for.

I also can't buy that people who spent a lot of their free time on a wrestling forum discussing wrestling won't be watching either.

But hey that's just me.

[The Tank]

Feb 3, 2014 9:42:15 GMT -5 Boo! said:

I'd be more inclined to order it if people who pretended they weren't ordering it for some pretend outrage at someone not being in a certain match would actually go through with their bluff and not order it rather than state endlessly over coming weeks how none of them will order it and then miraculously each one of them will, after the event, spend endless house slating a show that they apparently never ordered therefore couldn't watch in the first place.

Similarly I look forward to whether people who swore they'd never watch Raw after the Rumble think that this weeks edition is better or worse than last weeks that they also didn't watch but miraculously are provide comment (often running in the Raw thread) on a show they've apparently not watched.

So IMO it'd be better if all those who said they weren't ordering it actually didn't so debate could be framed as to the actual quality and value of the event rather than by people clearly determined not to enjoy it as evidenced by the pretence that they're not going to order it in the first place.

Well, you know, there is such a thing as reading the results online and forming an opinion that way based on past experience, which is not at all out there given the sterile, predictable, paint-by-numbers product the WWE has become over the past decade.

But looking at this post, I guess it's easier to just generalize everyone who has a complaint with WWE's product as whiny hypocrites. It's certainly faster, I'll admit to that.

[Deleted]

Feb 3, 2014 10:08:29 GMT -5 BEARD said:

I just can't buy a wrestling fan, however big or small, wouldn't buy WM.

Same here. It's hard to believe that anyone who is a wrestling fan would skip it over one guy. There's bound to be at least one match on the card that's worth watching at least, and MOTY at best.

[Todd Pettengill]

Feb 3, 2014 10:08:29 GMT -5 BEARD said:

I just can't buy a wrestling fan, however big or small, wouldn't buy WM. The one show of the year that even the people who never watch anymore still come back for.

I also can't buy that people who spent a lot of their free time on a wrestling forum discussing wrestling won't be watching either.

But hey that's just me.

Many years I feel Mania is more skippable than the Rumble.
But, I agree that if you're a current fan & you're on here & you watch everything else, then why skip Mania?

[Dat Dude]

Scenarios that could peak my interest in Mania:

If AJ is booked to face either Paige, Kharma, or Lita.

or

If Bryan had a match against HBK.

or

If Punk came back to face Austin

or

If Taker took on either Cena or Wyatt.

[The IWC WORLD Champion]

If they only had one giant battle royale in a cell with tables, ladders and chairs with every member of the roster and still had Cena winning I would still watch it because it is Wrestlemania. Even when i stopped watching wrestling I would still always watch Wrestlemania.

[mizerable]

It's not going to happen this year.

If they want to win me back, they're going to have to work towards making the next 14 months to win me back.

[67 more]

Let's face it, there's ways to watch WM without actually buying the PPV (or they could spend that $60 on an Network suscription for 6 months to get WM and all the other PPVs). I have no doubt that people are going to watch Wrestlemania, but whether they'll give it financial support is another thing.

[The Tank]

Feb 3, 2014 11:50:41 GMT -5 mizerable said:

It's not going to happen this year.

If they want to win me back, they're going to have to work towards making the next 14 months to win me back.

Since I didn't post an answer of my own, I'm going to echo this sentiment.

The only thing that would "win me back" is guaranteed not to happen, and that's not having Batista main event the card/get a World Title main event match for what's quite possibly his first "real" match back in the company.

If they want to "win me back", they're gonna have to do it next year by (in this December) seriously analyzing how the last nine months have gone, and booking the WrestleMania main event slot then to reward one of the current guys who carried the show on his back all year instead of just bringing someone back from the past to "carry the show for the casual audience" or whatever reason they think is so necessary even though it pops the ratings for one night when whoever it is returns and then declines right back to where it was.

I didn't spend the last year getting invested in Daniel Bryan and watching his ascension to the main event to see some wannabe movie star get the title match. And I'm really hoping that doesn't happen next year, even if it is just John Cena getting built up to the main event title shot again. Even that would be better than the way they've been doing things.

[Rolent Tex]

If they book Daniel Bryan vs HHH with a slot in the main event on the line if he wins. Daniel Bryan taking down 3/4 of Evolution on one PPV would make him a big deal.

[SAJ Forth]

If I don't order, it's really only a budget issue. That being said, given that Bryan's in the main event, they need undertaker in his Heisenberg look for his entrance.

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

I'm sure the people that don't care will search on the internet for a few minutes to find a way to watch a 4 hour show they don't care about regardless.

[Deleted]

Feb 3, 2014 12:52:30 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

I'm sure the people that don't care will search on the internet for a few minutes to find a way to watch a 4 hour show they don't care about regardless.

I think there's a large hint of truth to that.

I'm not going to be watching WWE for a few months (at minimum) as I do every few years after constant disappointment/idiocy, but I'm not in that percentage.

However it does make you wonder how many people who would happily pay prior would rather watch a low quality stream due to the quality of the product.

[SEAN CARLESS]

I'll be ordering it because I'm choosing to have faith in WWE doing he right thing and giving people what they want -- at least to the best of their ability. I think we're all being worked to a certain degree, and I can't imagine, after Rumble, WWE being stupid enough to go through with the proposed card regardless. That would be a disaster.

[Mc Mc Mannequin]

It depends what the card is, chances are there will be a couple of matches I'm interested in seeing.

To be honest I'm only mildly annoyed by the Daniel Bryan thing. How they are using or not using one guy isn't enough to turn me off the product. Generally whenever I stop watching its never a conscious decision, I usually just get bored and stop watching for a couple of weeks/months.

[molson5]

Feb 3, 2014 10:45:08 GMT -5 The Tank said:

Feb 3, 2014 9:42:15 GMT -5 Boo! said:

I'd be more inclined to order it if people who pretended they weren't ordering it for some pretend outrage at someone not being in a certain match would actually go through with their bluff and not order it rather than state endlessly over coming weeks how none of them will order it and then miraculously each one of them will, after the event, spend endless house slating a show that they apparently never ordered therefore couldn't watch in the first place.

Similarly I look forward to whether people who swore they'd never watch Raw after the Rumble think that this weeks edition is better or worse than last weeks that they also didn't watch but miraculously are provide comment (often running in the Raw thread) on a show they've apparently not watched.

So IMO it'd be better if all those who said they weren't ordering it actually didn't so debate could be framed as to the actual quality and value of the event rather than by people clearly determined not to enjoy it as evidenced by the pretence that they're not going to order it in the first place.

Well, you know, there is such a thing as reading the results online and forming an opinion that way based on past experience, which is not at all out there given the sterile, predictable, paint-by-numbers product the WWE has become over the past decade.

Or more likely, stealing it from the internet and justifying it on the basis of their opinion that they don't like the booking.