Paid Members PunkStep Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Absolutely. In 2010, when he was the spare part in the Cena/Nexus feud late in the year, he was boring and stale as fuck. But then in 2011, I really enjoyed him. The matches you mentioned were very, very good and so were his matches against Punk I thought. I think I voted for him as wrestler of the year in 2011, because in-ring he was better than ever. Edited February 27, 2014 by PunkStep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted February 27, 2014 Moderators Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Yeah, he was at his best in-ring, and he was watchable. That was when he was doing the really vigorous mat humping to set up the RKO, right? Â He was still a boring promo and I didn't care much about his character, and that was a few years ago now anyway. Edited February 27, 2014 by Chest Rockwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinc Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 If you're going to soldier on in the face of hatred, you don't fall back on pseudo-new age bollocks like 'i'm a dream chaser', 'only got time for positive people' and calling the fans that boo you idiots. If Batista was still moving the needle in terms of viewers/ratings, then they could have moved forward provided that he carried on handling it with grace and Cena's usual 'GEE-WHIZ! YOU GUYS!' routine. Not chucking your toys out of the pram. Batista's "If they boo me, I boo them back" stance is the best thing he's done since returning by a mile. If the reactions continue I hope he really starts to flip on them, showing a bit of balls/defiance is his best chance of winning the crowd back over. I love Cena and his GEE-WHIZ act, but it does make him look a fucking dweeb. An admirable dweeb, but a dweeb nonetheless. Â The saddest part is that the real-life Cena seems to have internalized all that stuff in order to rationalize his failure (and it is a failure) to really get over as the ace that he was supposed to be. My heart bled for the big weirdo when I heard him towing that line on Austin's podcast - "If you're my opponent and everybody in the arena is booing me, isn't it you who should be mad?" I loved when Piper called him out on it on Piper's Pit in the lead-up to WM28 when he asked him why he didn't care that the crowd doesn't like him. I thought there was a real chance to develop Cena's character by exploring that, but apparently Piper had just gone off-script and it was never discussed again. Â Batista is supposed to be a bad ass muscle-head. Responding to the crowd's hostility with some of his own is much truer to life than Cena's angsty "THESE PEOPLE PAID FOR THEIR TICKET!!" eunuch act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphinx Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) It was only for a second, but I laughed when Batista did that mock cry on the top rope to the fans. That heel turn could be coming soon enough - after Mania I reckon. Edited February 27, 2014 by Sphinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The King of Old School Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 It was only for a second, but I laughed when Batista did that mock cry on the top rope to the fans. That heel turn could be coming soon enough - after Mania I reckon. Â I think it's coming sooner than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 It's probably for the best. I actually think Batista's not a bad blue-eye when he's got something specific to do, like chase after Trips' belt or pursue a grudge with HBK, but he's a spectacular heel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 The only benefit of turning Batista now is that when people look back on the WWE Network it wont look so out of place that a returning face is getting booed. People are against him because they don't want him there, not because of any intended heel/face storyline scenario or because they'd rather cheer Orton. Â Question from a returning casual fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 The only benefit of turning Batista now is that when people look back on the WWE Network it wont look so out of place that a returning face is getting booed. People are against him because they don't want him there, not because of any intended heel/face storyline scenario or because they'd rather cheer Orton. Â Question from a returning casual fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 People are against him because they don't want him there, not because of any intended heel/face storyline scenario or because they'd rather cheer Orton. That isn't true. If it was, he wouldn't be cheered at house shows and people wouldn't be watching his segments on Raw more than anyone else. People are booing him because of a mixture of him returning and being perceived to take Daniel Bryan's spot and that he hasn't done a single thing to warrant the position he's in because he's been quite dull. He's an amazing heel, who is probably best suited to it. If he turned, he'd be 50 times better than what he is. If they let him run with it obviously. These idiots in the audience don't speak for the whole fan base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members FLips Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 People are against him because they don't want him there, not because of any intended heel/face storyline scenario or because they'd rather cheer Orton. That isn't true. If it was, he wouldn't be cheered at house shows and people wouldn't be watching his segments on Raw more than anyone else. People are booing him because of a mixture of him returning and being perceived to take Daniel Bryan's spot and that he hasn't done a single thing to warrant the position he's in because he's been quite dull. He's an amazing heel, who is probably best suited to it. If he turned, he'd be 50 times better than what he is. If they let him run with it obviously. These idiots in the audience don't speak for the whole fan base. Â Which would be fair to say if it was one or two audiences, but it's been every audience since he returned, on every show and PPV. Plus everyone on the internet that isn't at the live shows slating him, that's a good majority of the fan base. Personally, I don't know anything about the ratings since they spiked on his return but has he been getting the highest rated segment on Raw every week since his return? I find it unlikely but you could be right. Â Admittedly, he would be 50 times better as a heel, but he blows up after 5 minutes and his age is showing. Unlike Flair and Hogan, he doesn't have the natural charisma or star power to hide it and work a match. So he'd be a 50 times better character, but then what? He can't work a match, every crowd so far has despised him, and he doesn't even look or talk the part anymore. He's nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Duke Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 Plus everyone on the internet that isn't at the live shows slating him, that's a good majority of the fan base.That's not true though. The internet makes up a miniscule population of the fan base, and the crowds at a few raws (and it has only been a few) don't necessarily represent a majority at all. It's a tens of thousands versus millions. Â I don't know the ratings either, I must admit, but people booing at shows doesn't mean a huge amount. It can become a huge amount if the TV audience start to associate him with that stuff, but it doesn't yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cum Doctor Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Reading the house show reports to see how accurate Ian is. It doesn't come as any surprise to me that he's right. Batista loved and over with the audience. Â Seems Cena is regularly the biggest pop of the night as well. No surprises there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Which would be fair to say if it was one or two audiences, but it's been every audience since he returned, on every show and PPV. Plus everyone on the internet that isn't at the live shows slating him, that's a good majority of the fan base. Because its cool to do what the other towns do. Its a vocal majority. WWE put the fans over when they said how amazing the Fandango fans were last year, so other towns tried to copy it. Its how it goes. Its how most of the fans chant "Cena sucks", yet he's by far the biggest star. Its how Dolph Ziggler seemed to be the most over man in the company, yet nobody would think about paying to see him. What you hear is way different from the reality of it. The idea that people are booing Batista because they dont want him around is ridiculous to me. This is a vocal fan backlash. No different to Hulk Hogan in 1996 (who's matches were far worse than Batista's in that era). We are in a world where its one extreme to another. Seeing a babyface get booed is a detriment to the shows. But that doesn't mean those fans dont want him around. If he turned, those crowds because his resource. Â Its the whole presence of the camera also. Knowing your on pay-per-view or on TV is way different to when you are at a house show. You cant get yourself over if you're a fan at the house shows. Edited February 27, 2014 by IANdrewDiceClay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 All I see is someone who should be getting cheered being booed, repeatedly. Batista isn't getting the intended reaction so it's not working. This doesn't feel like Hogan having to turn after wrestling The Rock because people desperately wanted to cheer their hero. It feels like people being served something they don't want & so are voicing their disapproval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted February 27, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) All I see is someone who should be getting cheered being booed, repeatedly. Batista isn't getting the intended reaction so it's not working. This doesn't feel like Hogan having to turn after wrestling The Rock because people desperately wanted to cheer their hero. It feels like people being served something they don't want & so are voicing their disapproval. Which is exactly the reaction they want, if you are going to turn someone heel. If he turns he's the perfect antagonist to a Daniel Bryan or a CM Punk (who will both be able to drag a good match out of him if he's as knackered as he looks). That lot will never leave anyway. They are paying all that money on shit merch with beards on them and paying all that money for tickets. The real fans who are sick as fuck left ages ago. Fans get run off if its someone on top they dont want on top. Batista isn't running anyone off. You dont bring up the boos on TV if you have a long term idea that the boos are going to be used as ammunition. Edited February 27, 2014 by IANdrewDiceClay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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