What could have been

[Twitchy]

I can handle that. If Batista didnt 'win' the rumble, he would still be in the same position...not on TV lol.

 

[Deezy]

Bryan wasn't advertised to be in the Rumble, didn't see Bray Wyatt in the rumble after their match. I still don't get how some people just can't get past that.

Also, the perceived notion that Bryan gets buried is the whole reason of his ascension into that title run,since his 18 second lost to Sheamus he has been on a rocket. Why the hell do his fans not see that? Underdogs stop being underdogs if they are all of a sudden winning everything. And if this guy was booked like Lesnar, who is the say there isn't a backlash from those same fans?

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

If Owen Hart rejected that stupid return of the Blue Blazer.

Wouldn't have tried that stupid stunt, might still be alive, might have proven everyone right in being better than Bret could ever hope to be. Could have had Owen leading the charge in the Un-Americans, could still be able to watch some of Angles best technical matches since with Owen around certain somebody wouldn't have had a spot that high on the card.

 

[Keith]

Am with deezy and Chris on Bryan not being in the rumble not being a terrible thing, and agree that it then added to the drama when he was thrown back into the title picture. But I agree with Twitchy that Batista never should have won the rumble for reasons already mentioned. But the idea that WWE jobbed Bryan in 18 seconds at a Mania just to start building him back up is a little too far fetched, if that was the case why didn't just keep him out of the title picture altogether until they felt he was ready?

And deezy what makes you think it wasn't a work???5:

 

[Chris]

Am with deezy and Chris on Bryan not being in the rumble not being a terrible thing, and agree that it then added to the drama when he was thrown back into the title picture. But I agree with Twitchy that Batista never should have won the rumble for reasons already mentioned. But the idea that WWE jobbed Bryan in 18 seconds at a Mania just to start building him back up is a little too far fetched, if that was the case why didn't just keep him out of the title picture altogether until they felt he was ready?

And deezy what makes you think it wasn't a work???5:

I don't think anyone thinks Bryan losing in 18 seconds was the start of an underdog push that was planned. It wasn't planned but if that Sheamus match had went 10-15 minutes with the same outcome then no one would have been chanting "YES!" the next night on RAW and who knows what would have happened from there.

 

[Deezy]

Am with deezy and Chris on Bryan not being in the rumble not being a terrible thing, and agree that it then added to the drama when he was thrown back into the title picture. But I agree with Twitchy that Batista never should have won the rumble for reasons already mentioned. But the idea that WWE jobbed Bryan in 18 seconds at a Mania just to start building him back up is a little too far fetched, if that was the case why didn't just keep him out of the title picture altogether until they felt he was ready?

And deezy what makes you think it wasn't a work???5:

Never said that 18 second Mania match was planned to get Bryan over, I said it was the catalyst to him getting over.

I screwjob was a work, Bret would've came out with it after his brother died.

 

[Nevermore Arcanum]

Remember that watered down version of ECW that Vince put back on the air? What if it was run just like the original with Heyman at it's head, and Vince keeping the fact that he owns it on the down low?
Sure, the IWC would take all of five minutes to find out that it's now a WWE product, but the majority of wrestling fans would see it as the alternative they've been clamoring for.

 

[Twitchy]

Remember that watered down version of ECW that Vince put back on the air? What if it was run just like the original with Heyman at it's head, and Vince keeping the fact that he owns it on the down low?
Sure, the IWC would take all of five minutes to find out that it's now a WWE product, but the majority of wrestling fans would see it as the alternative they've been clamoring for.

I would watch it, even if it was watered down. WWE needs competition to grow, but they are so far ahead its ridiculous to think that anyone or any group have a chance of closing that gap.

 

[Keith]

Remember that watered down version of ECW that Vince put back on the air? What if it was run just like the original with Heyman at it's head, and Vince keeping the fact that he owns it on the down low?
Sure, the IWC would take all of five minutes to find out that it's now a WWE product, but the majority of wrestling fans would see it as the alternative they've been clamoring for.

Remember watching the first edition of the WWE-ECW and thinking "What the fuck is this?" After awhile it came into its own, but at first it stunk a rotten one.

 

[Dale]

I mean the landscape wouldn't have changed really but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the "original plans" for this years WrestleMania would have come to light. Punk being the guy to take down HHH and the authority, Bryan taking on a heel Sheamus and then Orton losing the WWEWHC to the supposed big babyface we all wanted in Batista.

 

[Keith]

I mean the landscape wouldn't have changed really but it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the "original plans" for this years WrestleMania would have come to light. Punk being the guy to take down HHH and the authority, Bryan taking on a heel Sheamus and then Orton losing the WWEWHC to the supposed big babyface we all wanted in Batista.

Did we? I don't think there are many on here or wanted that or too many other fans.

Punk/HHH would have been fine with me, but I can't think that the storyline would have been as good as the whole Bryan VS. HHH/WWE Title storyline.

 

[Chris]

I think that last line was sarcasm, Keith. I definitely preferred the heel Batista we got. He can come make fun of smarks every week and I'd never complain.

 

[Keith]

Oh, okay, I was out done by that dry Yorkshire wit (sorry if you Americans have no idea what Yorkshire is) school boy error on my part...

 

[Chris]

Oooh, just thought of a good one.

Wonder how things would have changed if Rock never would have became a movie star and stayed with WWE all this time.

 

[Deezy]

People would piss and moan about how many times Rock held the title and how he holds young guys down.