March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657554 HHH put Bryan over at Wrestlemania. I'm sure he didn't want to see him shuffled down to the IC title scene since I'm sure he sees that as a big deal. I'd also bet he sees money being left on the table. He seems very adament about distancing himself from the longheld perceptions about the kind of guys Vince wants on top. But he also has the responsibility, along with Stephanie, of being Vince's mouthpiece on TV, so there's mixed signals.
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657562 it's been debated here whether Hunter is really "fighting" for Bryan backstage. I used to think he was but I'm not sure anymore. Of course the scary deal is if he has no one fighting for him
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657564 it's been debated here whether Hunter is really "fighting" for Bryan backstage. I used to think he was but I'm not sure anymore. Of course the scary deal is if he has no one fighting for himI'm imagining HHH leaning into Bryan's ear saying, "Just stick with me, and be patient, you're gonna be my Bret Hart." 😀
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657566 btw I don't even think Bryan is going over at Mania. Barrett doing so many jobs and the announcers saying he has no chance points to him obviously going over
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657572 I think a big (and valid) reason for the 'de-push' of Bryan is the injury risk. And I can't blame WWE for not being confident that he's a guy they can run with longterm on top. That said, I've been slightly appalled and bothered by some of the stuff Bryan has been doing since he came back, coming off a potentially career ending neck/nerve injury. I was bothered before the injury how reckless he was with the dives and the flying headbutts.....and I really thought he'd wrestle differently when he came back. He's slightly modified his bumping and isn't as crazy reckless on his dives.....but he's still doing all those spots that led to the injury. And if WWE is more concerned with his health and longevity they should be stepping in and telling him not to do this stuff, because Bryan seems like his own worst enemy in that regard....
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657574 Yes, it would be nice if Daniel Bryan was pushed as the top star. But he's not even pushed as *a* top star. That's the part that bugs me -- not that he's behind their chosen one in the pecking order. But that he's also behind people like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. While I don't agree with the logic completely, I can at least see why they don't want to get behind Bryan at the level they got behind someone like John Cena. But he should be higher on the card than Randy Orton of all people.
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657579 Seth Rollins is being presented as the biggest star of the promotion at this point. You would think they are setting up him to be their ace and not Reigns. I'll say it again that they are kicking themselves for giving him that briefcase though
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657590 btw I don't even think Bryan is going over at Mania. Barrett doing so many jobs and the announcers saying he has no chance points to him obviously going over You think 2015 WWE has any idea who is going over in an undercard PPV match 3 weeks out?
March 8, 201510 yr comment_5657636 Yes, it would be nice if Daniel Bryan was pushed as the top star. But he's not even pushed as *a* top star. That's the part that bugs me -- not that he's behind their chosen one in the pecking order. But that he's also behind people like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. While I don't agree with the logic completely, I can at least see why they don't want to get behind Bryan at the level they got behind someone like John Cena. But he should be higher on the card than Randy Orton of all people. I think I'd rather be Bryan and hidden in the midcard IC title scene than be in Randy's position of being involved in the worst storyline in the company. I think they handled his return even worse than Bryan's although the consequences aren't really that big a deal. But they could have had a very hot return with Randy vs. The Authority but they are doing an awful drawn out "Randy pretends to be with the Authority" deal that absolutely no one is buying into. They should be pushing Bryan above Randy but they aren't exactly doing good things for Randy or Seth Rollins right now either. They just have a terrible creative team that hasn't booked anyone well over the past year except for Rusev and Brock Lesnar. They are at 1997-1998 WCW levels of completely wasting a very talented roster.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657652 I think a big (and valid) reason for the 'de-push' of Bryan is the injury risk. And I can't blame WWE for not being confident that he's a guy they can run with longterm on top. It's been 3 months since he came back and they have booked him to work just as much as before - 2 matches his first night back, a casket match, a 45 minute tag team match, a couple of long RAW main events, etc. - I'm pretty sure WWE either doesn't care or isn't worried about Bryan's health.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657654 Yes, it would be nice if Daniel Bryan was pushed as the top star. But he's not even pushed as *a* top star. That's the part that bugs me -- not that he's behind their chosen one in the pecking order. But that he's also behind people like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. While I don't agree with the logic completely, I can at least see why they don't want to get behind Bryan at the level they got behind someone like John Cena. But he should be higher on the card than Randy Orton of all people. I think I'd rather be Bryan and hidden in the midcard IC title scene than be in Randy's position of being involved in the worst storyline in the company. I think they handled his return even worse than Bryan's although the consequences aren't really that big a deal. But they could have had a very hot return with Randy vs. The Authority but they are doing an awful drawn out "Randy pretends to be with the Authority" deal that absolutely no one is buying into. They should be pushing Bryan above Randy but they aren't exactly doing good things for Randy or Seth Rollins right now either. They just have a terrible creative team that hasn't booked anyone well over the past year except for Rusev and Brock Lesnar. They are at 1997-1998 WCW levels of completely wasting a very talented roster. Completely agree. I don't think anyone believes WWE wasn't anything but the best for Randy Orton. The fact that they've totally screwed up his return is just another sign that short term, even steven booking is killing their "creative".
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657655 I think a big (and valid) reason for the 'de-push' of Bryan is the injury risk. And I can't blame WWE for not being confident that he's a guy they can run with longterm on top. It's been 3 months since he came back and they have booked him to work just as much as before - 2 matches his first night back, a casket match, a 45 minute tag team match, a couple of long RAW main events, etc. - I'm pretty sure WWE either doesn't care or isn't worried about Bryan's health. Also, if Bryans health was really a concern they wouldn't have booked him in a ladder match at Mania.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657715 Truly. If you're worried about injuries, a huge multi man ladder match seems excessive. If they de push over injury fears, then put someone in a match like this ? heh seems like a strange logic
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657757 Truly. If you're worried about injuries, a huge multi man ladder match seems excessive. If they de push over injury fears, then put someone in a match like this ? heh seems like a strange logic not really. get the most you can out of a guy while making sure he remains a replaceable part! you see this in the NFL a lot, most obviously with running backs. they tend to have short careers, so teams will just run them into the ground once they near 30 and/or are heading for free agency. see demarco murray with the cowboys this past season.
March 9, 201510 yr comment_5657775 Right. That's why DeMarco Murray was a backup while Lance Dunbar got all the carries. I have to be clear about this: In NO OTHER sport or matter of entertainment do you not push someone forward that can make you money, regardless of how short the time frame is. Bryan's not done. He's still over. He'll still make you money. So wait until he doesn't. Then push someone else. It's unbelievably short sighted.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657943 Right. That's why DeMarco Murray was a backup while Lance Dunbar got all the carries. ehrm, i was responding specifically to the skepticism that his injuries would affect their usage of him. he's still working a lot and working a higher-risk style than he should - that's all. high volume without too much meaning, essentially. and i used that analogy because murray is very much a replaceable part of that team, what with that offensive line of theirs.
March 10, 201510 yr comment_5657986 So Kane and Big Show are blowing holes open in the middle? ha! Have they done a WWF(E) football game yet? So many ways to start feuds.. Watts did this and I've just missed it somehow right?
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658035 Based on the Smackdown spoilers it sounds like they're going to try to change the Yes chants to "turd" chants. I hope I'm completely misreading this.
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658043 Hopefully Bryan gets to do some NXT matches before Vince totally kills his love of wrestling.
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658045 The turd thing was a dark segment. Considering Bryan isn't going to be main eventing any time soon, I wonder if there's any money on WWE running an angle where D-Bry feuds with someone and ends up putting his Hair/Beard on the line and losing. The goofy "goat" look has served it's purpose imo and it would be kind of an iconic/memorable moment, specially, for kids. You could then book a final grudge match were DB ends up victorious, has a new look and can develop a new character.
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658050 So Kane and Big Show are blowing holes open in the middle? ha! Have they done a WWF(E) football game yet? So many ways to start feuds.. Watts did this and I've just missed it somehow right? 1/1/96, The Raw Bowl.
March 11, 201510 yr comment_5658067 Hopefully Bryan gets to do some NXT matches before Vince totally kills his love of wrestling. Jesus christ.
March 12, 201510 yr comment_5658073 Hopefully Bryan gets to do some NXT matches before Vince totally kills his love of wrestling. Jesus christ. LMAO
March 13, 201510 yr comment_5658339 For anyone who didn't see it, the end of SmackDown. https://vine.co/v/O956Jm0ruzn By this point, I have no idea what direction they're going with Bryan. Are they going to try to turn him heel? There seems to be no other path that would make sense.
March 13, 201510 yr comment_5658341 I haven't watched Smackdown yet but this is, on a show full of terrible builds, the worst one. They're hyping a multi-man ladder match where guys are going to be killing themselves with endless comedy shit. This pathological need for comedy throughout the show, and terrible comedy at that, is unbearable.
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