Hazel Motes

speaking of factions, how sad are the Social Outcasts?

Timber

If I'm booking I have HHH and Ambrose shake hands and HHH hop over the ropes and eliminate himself. The fans will care more about Ambrose as a face or a heel than they will about Reigns.

BrewCrew

Another meh Rumble, the only real surprise being AJ Styles and for the most part everybody knew he was coming to WWE. Funny how the announcers act like it was such a surprise that HHH was entering the Rumble when it was so predictable and Vegas had him as the favorite to win. Based on the Rumble maybe there is an Owens/Styles match in the future, possible Wrestlemania.

DRG

The big thing they did better with this year's Rumble is that they actually used the match to set up various potential feuds. Last year they basically engineered the whole thing around Reigns and didn't do squat for the rest of the card. Now I see several potential Fastlane/Wrestlemania angles being furthered or set up in the match.

HHH vs Reigns
HHH vs Ambrose (or maybe even a triple threat with Reigns)
Brock vs Wyatts
Sami vs Owens
AJ vs Owens
Jericho vs Kofi/New Day
Big Show vs Braun Strowman

Not to mention they are finally setting up Sasha Banks with Charlotte (and possibly Becky in a triple threat) and have some interesting opportunities with Kallisto now. While it wasn't a perfect show, I liked every match and didn't hate what they did with the Rumble itself.

Strongly disagree. I've been enjoying the recent women's matches and I think they're just going to get better when more of the NXT women fill the ranks. On the flip side, I see zero benefit in having two sets of tag belts floating around. And I'd just as soon never see another 6-man match in my life, let alone have titles for it. Those matches are generally overcrowded snoozefests that rarely have interesting ring psychology and usually just end with the same 'Who's the legal man?' cluster---k booking. The dynamic just doesn't work for me.

JeremyM

If I was booking, I would've had Ambrose beat Reigns at Survivor Series with the help of the Authority. Then when Triple H comes in to celebrate, Ambrose drops him and reveals he only used them to win the strap. (They could reveal that Ambrose took an offer that Reigns has refused.)

That would've set up Ambrose as a loose cannon that the Authority hates, while also giving Reigns a legit beef for getting screwed by his best friend to set up a feud between those two that would kind of straddle the face-heel dynamic. Ambrose would probably be the people's choice though, so it wouldn't have helped them with their goal of getting Reigns over. But I think it would've been more interesting.

On Raw the next night, I would've had Sheamus announce he was going to cash in his briefcase for the next PPV to build him up as a sniveling butt kisser to Triple H while also giving a good reason to keep Reigns and Ambrose apart. Sheamus sucks, but since he had the briefcase they had to do something with him since my booking would've avoided the cash in at Survivor Series.

But, I'm not booking, and maybe this would've sucked too, I don't know.

chuckd21

Look, I understand wrestling logic to an extent. I understand it exists out of our own reality. However...

You're the owner of a company. You inexplicably hate your champion and want him gone. You've seen every single Royal Rumble. You know the rules. You know how they work. So you're telling me Vince McMahon doesn't have the foresight to have Roman Reigns murdered INSIDE THE RING AND THEN TOSSED OUT TO ELIMINATE HIM FROM THE RUMBLE, WHICH WOULD ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANT ACCOMPLISHED?!

The writing is freakin' terrible.

Sonny Corinthos

Here's my random thoughts on last night's Rumble.

A guy, who is just two years younger than I am, who hasn't wrestled in a match since last spring, is now the WWE Champion. Boy, it sure pays to be married to the bosses' daughter. Heaven forbid letting a fresh face win the title. WWE should put a label on the title that says for part timers and flash in the pans only.

While it was great to finally see AJ Styles in a WWE ring, we all nothing will become of it. Sting was proof that if Vince didn't create you, you won't go far in the WWE. I look for Styles to be feuding with R-Truth by Mid-Summer.

Mark Henry and Jack Swagger might as well stayed home last night. Two former World Champions were tossed out in less than thirty seconds. Why didn't WWE just let two of the Social Outcasts fill those two spots?

I hope the Dudleys are getting paid well for jobbing for everyone in the company. Have they even won a match since their return?

I'm so glad I only pay $9.99 a month for the PPVs instead of the $54.99 I used to pay for just one PPV. This crap WWE feeds us is getting harder and harder to swallow.

dvd-4-life

I wonder how the Diva's matches do ratings wise on RAW? It would be interesting too see when viewers turn the channel and return later in the program. I know that I never watch the first 45-60 minutes live. I DVR the show and FF through all the crap for the first hour until there is something good too watch. As soon as I get caught up I turn the channel and wait about 30 minutes before returning so I don't have to watch the commericals.

devilshalo

Is this setting up HHH v Rock?

stingermck

Latest on the rumor mill is Rock can appear but not wrestle due to insurance for whatever film he on. Probably just HHH vs Roman.

Red Hood

I imagine that the Rock will be in Roman's corner to "back him up" against the Authority. I got a feeling that the crowd for this match could have a reaction similar to the one Goldberg vs Lesnar had.

These are what looks to be the matches for Wrestlemania:

HHH vs Roman Reigns
Bray Wyatt vs Brock Lesnar
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn
Charlotte vs Sasha Banks
The New Day vs Chris Jericho and mystery partners
Stardust vs Stephen Amell
Dean Ambrose vs Shaemus

Undertaker needs a match, so I imagine someone like Braun Strowman, Luke Harper or Rusev may be fed to him

I don't have much faith in the card after last night. Vince wants to stay the course no matter what. I don't understand why WWE keeps making surveys and asking fans what they want to see on their programing. At the end of the day, WWE does what Vince wants. It's always been like this, but with no competition, now it's more noticeable than ever. I don't understand why he refuses to gives fans what they want. He keeps leaving money on the table and now more than ever, he keeps losing fans on a weekly basis. What incentive is there to keep being subscribed to the WWE Network when the current programing he's offering is only catering a small amount of fans?

banthafett

I think its funny that people actually think wwe will do AJ justice.

Just look at his entrance last night. 90% of it was missed because we needed a close up of Roman that long for some reason.

Not a Dean fan so I'm not saying this because I don't like him. But he looks very sick. I've noticed for the past month or so that he looks smaller, and when his shirt ripped last night his body looks like it belongs to an 80 year old man. Yeah he was never a huge guy, but he looks awful.

Of course I'm glad Roman didn't win. It will never work with him. It will ALWAYS seemed force with him. They need to just drop it. Hunter will not get him over. And if the rumors are true for tonight, that failed before and will make him hated even more.

Sonny Corinthos

Big Backstage Update AJ Styles; Multi-Year Deal Signed & Name Ownership.

AJ Styles has reportedly retained ownership of his name in the new “multi-year” WWE contract, according to Pro Wrestling Sheets. In addition, “The Phenomenal One” and the name of his finisher “The Styles Clash” are also under his ownership.

A source inside WWE reports that AJ's contract with the company was signed last week and they did not have an issue with letting him retain the rights to his name.

The deal allows WWE use of his trademarks while he remains under contract to them and should he depart, the company will have rights of use for video footage.

http://www.wrestlingnewssource.com/n...r-Deal-Signed/

fujishig

Well, as long as Undertaker's wife is ok with him using her finisher...

Not to mention that the Wyatts did exactly this to Brock.

So lets see, during the Royal Rumble, it's ok to have a bunch of guys not involved in the Rumble or otherwise eliminated come back in and throw a guy out and have that stand. But Brock doesn't think to go back and eliminate Wyatt?

It's also ok for someone to leave the match for an extended period of time, as long as they didn't go over the top rope, and come back in. Why doesn't everyone do this? Oh wait, it only counts if you're not Curtis Axel.

It's almost as dumb as ladder matches where they spend an eternity climbing the ladder to let the opponent stop them.

DRG

Frankly I feel like the rules should be that if you leave the staging part of the arena (meaning the ringside area, ramp, and stage) you automatically get eliminated. Also there should be a rule that you must be in the ring before the next person comes out, unless you are attacked on the way out. I understand they are loose with these two for shenanigans reasons, but from a kayfabe strategic perspective it makes no sense why the heels wouldn't abuse these loopholes extensively all the time.

fujishig

AJ Styles and Austin Aries merch sold by WWE shop. Never thought I'd see the day...

http://shop.wwe.com/New/New,default,sc.html

DthRdrX

Rumble rules are pretty much worthless amd get changed on occasion to fit whatever story they want to tell, which is why no one buys into the stories anymore.

In the early 90s the weekly shows made a point to mention managers were banned from ringside. If you go back to either the 90 or 91 Rumble you will see like 6 managers at one point standing around the ring. Most famously was in 1990 when Heenan stuck around after his wrestlers were eliminated because he wanted to see Hogan and Warrior go to face to face. I remember him actually talking about why he stayed out their on Prime time wrestling. Why even have that manager rule now if you are going to let anyone come down and beat someone in the rumble up? The real reason they probably don't want them out there is because they are more bodies getting in the way of the camera crews.

Regarding Miz sitting out, remember when they made a big deal out of this type of situation during the Attitude era. The rule was you have until the next countdown clock runs out to get into the ring or you were eliminated.

The worst thing that ever happened to the Rumble was when the two minute time period was changed. It's once a year ... let it go an hour!!!!

DthRdrX

Here's something that is going to really make you ponder. Is it possible they made the switch to the 9.99 model knowing that PPV buys were going to eventually go in the toilet given their shit product. It's as if everything lines up that they have tried to continue forcing a terrible product instead of fixing it.

fujishig

I still don't get their model. You no longer have to subscribe for a year, right? So if you don't put compelling content on every PPV, wouldn't the fans just sub for the major ones and skip the rest? I realize the auto renew and momentum and all that, but it seems like they'd get less money from the guy who was just buying WM every year.

TheKing

Despite the way too predictable finish, this was still the best Rumble in years. That's more a reflection of just how bad the Rumble has been this decade than this one being good. Sadly, there hasn't been a really good one since 2007 (the HBK/Taker finish).

DthRdrX

No idea. I pretty much just get my free month every Rumble and then cancel right after WM.

Obi-Wanma

From my buddy's facebook page. I couldn't resist this setup (I'm the first reply)

TheKing

Remember, they only get 1/2 of the PPV money. The other half goes to the cable company and InDemand. So basically they need 3-4 months from a subscriber to make the money about even. And that's assuming a person is willing to pay the full price. There's a lot more people willing to pay for the Network vs. $55 or $70 for one event.

You have to keep in mind just how much other content the Network has. NXT is on the verge of becoming a full brand, and is currently a better product than what you see on the main shows. Then there's all that classic content.

Red Hood

So we are getting Paige and Natalya vs Brie and Alicia Fox once again because of Total Divas?

I love the Rock, but what did his segment added to the current product?

DthRdrX

The only humor or character of the night.