Royal Rumble 2014 Discussion

[IANdrewDiceClay]

People won't be tuning in to see Batista, who has never even proven himself to be any sort of draw at all.

Stopped reading there.

[digforvictory]

Ian, do you personally want to see Orton vs Batista?

Fuck no. Didn't even want to see Batista win the Rumble after he turned up looking like a shriveled up bellend. But the crowd totally shit on everything tonight. They didn't even give the WWE title match a chance. I'm just saying the crowd tonight isn't an indication of what the buying public want to see.

 

They didn't shit on everything though. They shat on Orton/Cena and Batista. They were pissed off when bryan wasn't number 30 but by the end they were well into Roman Reigns.

[Benno]

Would never say they should be booking their shows to the whims of the smark element of their fanbase, but doesn't dismissing stuff like this as "it's just the internet lot, they're not the real money" contradict their entire business plan going forward?

 

You know, that network thing they're going to be running on the internet and their general lob on for social media trends and hashtags.

[reychampion]

Just got in from the show, the crowd was defiantly hot. From my perspective I have no problem with any of the results, they all make sense in the long run. The problem is that WWE fans want to see different. I've never known anyone wrestler so over in the past 10 years of wrestling. Cena and Orton turned into a decent little match with good storyline progress and the fans did unfairly shit on it to start with. Like somebody said earlire, they should have called an audible and let Reigns win.

[King Pitcos]

Fun show. Reigns looked beastly. Batista looked awful, but the reactions his win has provoked are worth it. Mysterio being number thirty was so funny. Everyone in chat had completely forgotten him.

 

They have made an investment in Batista, they have a long term plan for WrestleMania and they aren't going to change all that and rearrange the chess pieces just because a bunch of loud mouths aren't happy Bryan didn't win the Royal Rumble. Some people might actually want to see Orton vs Batista. This crowd didn't want to see Cena tonight either, but obviously some people must do.

Must they? Why? Because the WWE continue to push it down the fans throats? Whether Bryan headlines WrestleMania or Batista does, it won't make a single bit of difference to the buyrate. WrestleMania is a show which sells itself and would do even without the big names on it, but if people are tuning in to see anyone, it'll be Lesnar, Taker and special attractions like that. People won't be tuning in to see Batista, who has never even proven himself to be any sort of draw at all.

False. WrestleMania 21 -- headlined by and heavily promoted around Batista challenging for the title -- outdrew the previous year, despite Rock, Foley, Goldberg and Lesnar all being absent.

 

Anyone who thinks that the Mania buyrate would be noticeably smaller if Orton defended against Bryan is deluded. It won't make an ounce of difference.

Every fucker already saw Bryan vs Orton a million times last year, and was bored of them wrestling each other.

 

he's still the most over wrestler on the roster

No he isn't. If he was, the Bryan tour would outdraw the Cena tour, and Bryan's merchandise would outsell Cena's.

[reychampion]

Oh as an additional comment, as Batista was walking back to the entrance, some guy got close to him putting his middle finger in his face. Batista responded in the same manner, not very babyface. He also tried getting a yes chant going, which obviously got booed and a no chant. Not sure if it was show on tv

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Just got in from the show, the crowd was defiantly hot.

I'm going to guess that you meant "definitely", but funnily enough, they were also defiantly hot.

 

Forgot to mention, Batista was horribly out of shape. He seemed absolutely exhausted from about 5 minutes of ring time where he didn't even have to do all that much. And he somehow is going to main event Wrestlemania?

[theboxman1986]

Don't usually comment but I feel compelled to as I felt it was a very disappointing ending to the PPV. Going into the night I was expecting Batista to win the rumble but had hope that it might have turned out different. Bryan vs Wyatt was excellent and worth the price of the PPV on it's own. Then it went downhill from there, obviously that match was a tough act to follow but while Big Show vs Lesnar was okay I felt like it could have been better. Don't get me wrong I can see why they did it how they did but in my opinion they should of gone longer and maybe have big show put up a bit more of a fight. The title match is what it was and the crowd reacted to it accordingly. The rumble itself had some good moments. Kevin Nash, Roman Reigns being dominant, Sheamus returning hell it was even fun to see el torito. Then came Batista, He really disappointed looked like hell, blew up very very quickly for someone who apparently has been training to do mma alongside his film commitments and looked like he couldn't even be bothered to change into actual wrestling gear, but that's just a minor gripe.

 

The crowd in my opinion rightly crapped on it but I felt bad for Rey as he had the unenviable task of being the fall guy to disappoint the crowd. I think had a full timer won the crowd wouldn't of been as mad as they were someone like Roman or even Sheamus at the end yes they would of still been mad but I don't think as bad as they were. To me it feels like Batista is just there to collect the big pay cheque and get free publicity for his new movie which when it comes out he will go again and who can blame him but on the wwe's part I think it's short sighted.

 

They need to listen to the fans as they're the ones who make the stars like austin like michaels like bret. yes the kids buy the merch and the casuals buy the odd PPV but even they can see bryan should be the man the whole crowd gets involved when he's out there. There is no division between the crowd like there is for cena and to a degree punk.

[The Invisible Boy]

Oh dear.

 

That was memorable and interesting for all of the wrong reasons. Usually if I've just watched a live PPV I rush to the internet to see people's ideas on something that may be coming to fruition, maybe if something big happens, a return, heel turn, face turn, a new teaming or beginning of a stable. This year's first PPV I am rushing to the internet to see everyone's reaction to Bryan being shunned, the crowd making it very apparent they were not happy with Bryan being shunned, Orton and Cena's match and both of them being in the Title picture and Batista's Royal Rumble win, all quite bad points.

 

I can not even remember a time when I have heard "we want divas" chanted at a match, and a WWE World Heavyweight Title match between who WWE consider to be the two top guys in their company. Plus the "this is awful" chants. Ouch.

 

It was heat all after that match and not good heat at all. The Bryan and Yes chants seemed to be out of anger and frustration and they became even angrier when they realised Bryan was not going to be in the Rumble. Rey getting booed to hell when he entered at number 30, followed by the crowd chanting no for most things happening following that (stand out being Sheamus pounding his chest as the fans chanted along no every time he did). That is just not good at all and WWE need to sort it out before a serious, bad backlash happens due to that PPV.

 

My only hope is Bryan tweeted about the machine not wanting him near the Rumble and apologised to the fans. If it was all real and not a storyline surely he'd get into trouble for tweeting something like that, just at the same time the PPV ended and everyone was letting out their steam on Twitter. So part of me is hoping and praying tonight, as awful as it came across, is a part of a bigger picture and a bigger storyline, one where Bryan really will be the star that overcomes the evil machine holding him down. I know my faith should be lost now after holding on to whatever faith I had left earlier on that Bryan would appear in the Rumble but part of me just can't lose it all until I know for certain Bryan really has been destroyed by those who could benefit greatly from pushing him.

[bAzTNM#1]

Batista is going to chin somebody in the crowd one day. He doesn't seem to handle, or like, these negative reactions at all.

[HarmonicGenerator]

I wasn't in chat, but add me to the list of people who had totally forgotten Rey was number 30, despite him doing that promo just before the match. It got to 25 and I thought, right, Langston, Ryback, Batista, Del Rio... Bryan? I think that crowd got to me.

 

Anyway, the tag title match was great, amazing to see the Outlaws as champs in 2014, and Goldust was his usual standard of incredible. Wonder what, if anything, will be made of his eliminating Cody in the Rumble.

 

Wyatt vs. Bryan was a fantastic match, and went quite a long time too. Logical to have Bray win considering his appearance later own, but I do wonder where that leaves Bryan. Did the RAW in the cage already count as his revenge against the Wyatts?

 

Brock looked like an absolute killer. Nobody can touch him for aura. If you cross him, he will destroy you.

 

I wasn't interested in the title match - used it as my loo break time, in fact - but wow, that crowd was toxic. Even Cena didn't cope with it as well as he usually does. You have to think there were some annoyed people backstage afterwards.

 

I liked the Rumble. Rusev looked quite good, KEVIN NASH turned up, Kofi's jump was incredible - that distance IS impossible, I am sure of it, or I would be if I hadn't seen him do it - El Torito was fun, the returns worked, mostly, the Shield story running through it was good (Rollins was great throughout the match, I thought), and Reigns is the MAN.

 

I didn't think anyone would break Kane's elimination record, but the fact they've given it to Reigns bodes very well for him. The crowd after Rey came in... Well, it all got pretty awkward, didn't it? They weren't happy about anything, even Punk wasn't getting much love, and the only thing that shut them up was when it looked like Roman might win it.

 

I also thought Roman might win it. I thought that maybe, maybe they were going to just go with it, strap the rocket to him and make him the man. So I felt let down when he didn't win. That could have been his moment. I know the Mania plans are probably already in place, I know Batista's win was a foregone conclusion, I know Reigns' time will come... But for a moment at the end there, he could have done it! (However, I would like to point out that my Rumble prediction in the opening post was more or less right about the ending...)

 

Finally, I love Renee. She's the best.

[GalaxyV.2]

They've already fucked Bryan up.

 

He's the msot over guy in the company despite what they've done.

 

I also think the 'casual' fan at home have more chance getting into the Underdog Vs Champion build and blow off than Batista Vs Orton.

[The Cutting Edge]

People dismissing the live crowds opinion is stupid, they've paid to be there you cant stream or download being there in person, the crowd were'nt happy and some would say rightfully so and let there feelings known

 

Live crowd and at home should be treated the same to an extent, last nights live crowd it next weeks tv viewers or possibly lack there of, so it cant be dismissed on here or wwe or by 'da meltz' as a bunch of smarks, mutants, retards or any terms that sometimes get thrown around 'getting themselves over'

 

Will be interesting to see what ratings the Rumble gets and tonights Raw since thats what really matters to us wrestling fans not the in-ring stuff cos that would make us 'workrate perverts' but what digets are on a spreadsheet for ratings and t-shirt sales

[Fatty Facesitter]

Gutted I left chat at the start of the Rumble. Bet it went nuts when Nash came out.

 

I swear I'm not telling porkies when I say I knew Mysterio would be #30 as soon as #29 came out (they played a montage of interviews from earlier and I remember him coming across as a total twat, so I kept looking out for him), but even I didn't expect the crowd to get as visceral as they did. I expected them to be pretty deflated and quiet rather than booing their hearts out.

 

Outlaws winning the tag straps is cool with me. Probably would've saved it for a Raw or something, but still a great moment. Total mark for them and we can kick-start the Cody/Goldust stuff now. Bray/Bryan was brilliant once it got going. Bray isn't to everyone's taste but I thought he deserved just as much credit as Bryan for his endeavor in there and willingness to go in all guns blazing. Brock/Show was great and Brock looks like one bad motherfucker going into Wrestlemania now.

 

I thought Cena/Orton was absolutely great and was pleasantly surprised. The finisher-thefts were a nice touch and as others have stated, the crowd tried shitting all over it but couldn't help themselves getting all excited by the near falls. The Bray/Cena stuff could go either way in terms of quality, but that was an awesome moment when he appeared at the end.

 

As for the Rumble, I got most of my pre-match predictions right: Batista to win, Reigns to get the most elims (did he break the record?) and Punk to make the final four only to have someone cock it up for him. I thought Batista worked hard despite blowing out of his arse as it progressed. Putting him in like that and expecting him to be able to go full-tilt right from the off wasn't the best move. As a surprise Rumble entrant he'd have got a magnificent pop rather than having already been around for a week though. Lots of cool stuff this year I thought, didn't expect Sheamus to get such a massive reaction so that was ace, as were the Nash and JBL surprises. Pity JBL didn't really do anything mind. Kofi did the impossible again and good for him, deserved the pop. El Torito was class too. Actually, all of the surprises were great and that, to me, is what the Rumble should primarily be about- Fun factor. And even though the crowd hated the Bryan-no-show, from my point of view it was fascinating to watch them act that way. I'm as hard for Daniel Bryan as anyone, but now I want to see how much they can piss the crowd off on every show.

 

Best thing about this year's Rumble though is that good or bad, there's a fuckload of talking points, and regardless of whether you agreed with booking or not, it felt like a massive show. I'll be damned WWE isn't massive fun at the moment. Roll on Wrestlemania.

[The Cum Doctor]

Rusev took his opportunity well last night. Kudos to him. As did Roman Reigns. Don't think the fans could buy that he was gonna be in the final two, and when he survived the early scare at that point, the crowd suddenly woke up. I wasn't as annoyed as them, but was a bit bored by the ending, so when Reigns survived that, it woke me up as well.

 

Batista winning is fine by me. He's one of the few proper stars they have left. It's certainly better than a no mark.

 

As for that crowd last night, they seemed to be just a shower of absolute wankjars, so why would anyone take those reactions to mean anything?