The last time Raw had a long run of a top heel champion that none of the babyfaces could beat they did some of their worst business in the past 20 years.

There is also the fact that Braun really isn't a heel at this point. He is getting wildly cheered every time he makes an appearance.

 

A big guy who goes out, doesn't say much, kicks ass, and has good matches..... if only there was a guy they were trying to get over as the top babyface who this formula could work for.......

Yeah, Braun is a face at this point. He can do whatever he wants and people will cheer for him.

Roman Reigns wrestles like a babyface and Braun wrestles like a heel. If you want Braun to get pushed as a babyface prepare to see him selling a whole lot more and making fiery babyface comebacks.

No, Reigns wrestles like a heel because people boo him and Braun wrestles like a face because people cheer him. You don't have to change a single thing about Braun. People are paying to see the guy and cheer him. One of my friends went to Raw for the first time in a decade because Braun brought him in.

The reaction that people give a match doesn't change what is happening inside of it. Are you going to tell me Braun worked the Payback match as the face while Roman worked it like the heel? What you actually do in the match matters and if your idea is "Well just make Braun the top babyface" then that means he's going to have to wrestle heels and work his matches as a babyface.

Yes, what happens in the match is largely irrelevant to the face/heel dynamic dependent on what the fans want. Braun gets cheered for doing what he does and people pay to see him do that. So changing that would damage his draw but he is still a face and you need to give the people what they want in the process.

So you're saying they shouldn't change Braun but they should push him as the top babyface and keep him exactly how he is now? So he'll be the top babyface defending the title against other babyfaces and not wrestling heels?

 

I'm just very confused on how Braun can become The Guy without changing at all and remaining exactly the same in the types of opponents he faces (babyface Sami Zayn, babyface Big Show, babyface Roman Reigns) and keep wrestling the same way (as the dominant person who his opponent has to keep trying to fight from underneath)

Because people just want to see Braun do cool shit and destroy things. I think his opponents would largely be irrelevant too.

Because people just want to see Braun do cool shit and destroy things. I think his opponents would largely be irrelevant too.

Yes Braun, is a face and not just because of people being anti-Roman, I believe in the beginning he was being pushed to eventually be fodder to Reigns as Champ but luckily he's gotten more time to develop and increasingly get over to the point that he isn't just another token monster.

 

 

Because people just want to see Braun do cool shit and destroy things. I think his opponents would largely be irrelevant too.

Yes Braun, is a face and not just because of people being anti-Roman, I believe in the beginning he was being pushed to eventually be fodder to Reigns as Champ but luckily he's gotten more time to develop and increasingly get over to the point that he isn't just another token monster.

 

I still say a whole lot of his popularity IS anti-Roman related and that if you make him an unbeatable champ with a long reign he's eventually going to have to start going over guys like Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt etc and an "OH MY GOD HE'S BURYING EVERYONE BY BEATING THEM CLEAN!' backlash is going to start to hit.

Then why are people into the Brock/Braun stuff?

 

My wife didn't know who he was at Summerslam and 5 minutes into the match just wanted to see him fuck shit up and would probably go to a show if he was on the card. Like I said, he got someone else I know to go to a show for the first time in probably a decade. Those things have nothing to do with being against Roman. It's because Braun has an aura and does cool shit and makes you want to see more. And who cares if people get sick of it if he draws for a year in the process?

Then why are people into the Brock/Braun stuff?

Because it's the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object type thing. Plus the smarkity smarks have been whining about Brock's push and not loving wrestling and not putting people over for almost 2 years now anyway.

 

And if we're just using random anecdotal evidence to prove Braun would draw as the champ I also know a hell of a lot of people on twitter who pay to see Roman, including buying his merchandise and paying to meet him at things like Wizard World.

WWE is doing something right with Braun. People wanted and NEEDED Punk, Bryan, Owens, Ziggler and some others to be champion. People wanted and NEEDED Orton, Kane, Big Show, and Cena to stay away from the top title. Braun is the only guy on the roster where people are digging so much that there is no talk of the title. There is no reason to fuck this up at all. Braun can easily continue everything he is doing until the big coronation match at next year's SummerSlam (or something). It will be interesting to see how WWE books Braun as champion. Will WWE book Braun as Big Show or book Braun the way they SHOULD have booked Big Show? Braun is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and shouldn't do random jobs on Raw, wear a diaper, participate in a battle rap with John Cena, cut a promo while taking a shit, etc. Its simple...let's see how quick WWE fucks it up.

Pushing Braun as a top face and champion is a bit of a conundrum, but I lean more towards just going for it and see what happens.

 

On the one hand, the amount of television WWE produces dictates that Braun will need to be on TV a lot. I think WWE could easily rectify this by not having him show up every week or at least keep him out of random matches for the sake of filling time, but that doesn't seem to be WWE's MO anymore unless you're Brock. And while I think they could give him a Goldberg-style monster face push, I do wonder if there is a shelf life for that due to, again, how much TV there is. On the other hand, Brock doesn't move the needle in any significant way, the fans have made up their minds about Reigns, and they seemingly have no interest in pushing an over babyface like Finn. Why not take a chance on a guy who's already super hot with the audience?

I find the comparison between Braun Strowman now and Brock Lesnar in 02' as fairly apt.

 

Its not like when Lesnar came on the scene, people weren't clamoring for Jericho, Eddie, Benoit, etc. to get their main event title runs - the same way people now want to see Samoa Joe or Finn Balor or even Ambrose get their time in the main event spotlight. But Lesnar in 02' leapfrogged a lot of the "internet darlings" because his look and aura and the production behind him and his push were well-executed.

 

While its inevitable that eventually there will be a backlash to a guy who paid minimal dues getting put over Joe and Balor and Rollins and Ambrose, etc., by the time that happens (as it happened to Lesnar in what? 04'?), the benefits of pushing Strowman strongly and quickly would outweigh any possible consequences of a portion of the audience feeling "butthurt" over it. (Sorry, I know thats a terrible phrase, but it just feels fitting here)

Overthinking things is what ultimately killed Goldberg in WCW. Just go full steam ahead until its not working anymore. If you get six months to a year out of that formula then who cares, you shouldn't be trying to get 5 year main event runs out of everyone.

WWE doesn't get many chances to make stars who don't have baggage dragging them down. Stroman looked like a star in the feud vs Roman, and at Summer Slam. I say pull the trigger and see what happens.

Cena and Roman going back and forth on twitter and it's great. These guys are great together. Hope this feud goes past the ppv ( if Cena is staying)

WWE doesn't get many chances to make stars who don't have baggage dragging them down. Stroman looked like a star in the feud vs Roman, and at Summer Slam. I say pull the trigger and see what happens.

He's feuded with the brand's top star for months, got out over huge in the Summerslam main event and is working Lesnar for the title at the next PPV. The trigger has already been pulled.

 

WWE doesn't get many chances to make stars who don't have baggage dragging them down. Stroman looked like a star in the feud vs Roman, and at Summer Slam. I say pull the trigger and see what happens.

He's feuded with the brand's top star for months, got out over huge in the Summerslam main event and is working Lesnar for the title at the next PPV. The trigger has already been pulled.

 

He loses to Brock at No Mercy and he will never be the man in the company again. You can't tease someone to the top, have them fail, then expect to get that back again in the future.

Steve Austin didn't win his first one on one PPV singles match for the WWF Title

 

 

WWE doesn't get many chances to make stars who don't have baggage dragging them down. Stroman looked like a star in the feud vs Roman, and at Summer Slam. I say pull the trigger and see what happens.

He's feuded with the brand's top star for months, got out over huge in the Summerslam main event and is working Lesnar for the title at the next PPV. The trigger has already been pulled.

 

He loses to Brock at No Mercy and he will never be the man in the company again. You can't tease someone to the top, have them fail, then expect to get that back again in the future.

 

 

This is sarcasm, right?

Steve Austin didn't win his first one on one PPV singles match for the WWF Title

 

Austin wasn't pushed up then down and is also may be the most charismatic wrestlers of all time.

 

 

 

 

 

WWE doesn't get many chances to make stars who don't have baggage dragging them down. Stroman looked like a star in the feud vs Roman, and at Summer Slam. I say pull the trigger and see what happens.

He's feuded with the brand's top star for months, got out over huge in the Summerslam main event and is working Lesnar for the title at the next PPV. The trigger has already been pulled.

 

He loses to Brock at No Mercy and he will never be the man in the company again. You can't tease someone to the top, have them fail, then expect to get that back again in the future.

 

 

This is sarcasm, right?

 

No.

 

Look at anybody they brought in pushed to the top, given some huge matches, lost them, moved down the card, then tried to make a star. It doesn't work.

Steve Austin shouldn't be used for any kind of analogy, ever. He's a very unique case.

 

Look at anybody they brought in pushed to the top, given some huge matches, lost them, moved down the card, then tried to make a star. It doesn't work.

 

Come on, it worked for Lug... oh, well.