Another recent example of miscommunication between WWE departments came during the January 29th airing of WWE SmackDown in Canada.
During the show, WWE was pushing the Daniel Bryan vs. Kane “Casket Match” as the end of the Bryan-Kane feud, advertising it as their final match against each other.
Meanwhile, commercials during the same show were advertising Bryan vs. Kane matches at upcoming non-televised live events, and even included localized promos from Kane to promote the matches.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently spoke to Digital Spy and talked about his appeal to the fans compared to John Cena and Roman Reigns.
“Part of the secret is people love saying ‘Yes!’,” said Bryan. “Even if people don’t like me, they have fun throwing their fingers in the air saying ‘Yes!’ So that is part of the secret, but another thing about John Cena and Roman Reigns – not that they’ve had an easy road to the top in WWE, John Cena was nearly fired before he became WWE Champion for the first time – but they probably had a much easier path than I did.”
Bryan continued, explaining that Cena and Reigns are more of a “prototypical WWE Superstar” than he is.
“They are more of the prototypical WWE Superstars than I am,” said Bryan. “So when I came in I don’t think any of the top WWE people looked at me as, ‘Oh this is somebody who we look at as being a future main eventer for WrestleMania’ or even a future WWE Champion, or even a future Intercontinental Champion!”
He concluded by sharing his belief that the WWE fans see how hard he works and know that he’s not automatically considered a top guy, whereas Cena and Reigns are immediately viewed as such.
“They looked at me like ‘Oh, this guy is good at what he does, he’s a good little wrestler, he can go out there and he can perform – he might get a little bit popular, but he’s never going to be The Guy’. Whereas somebody like Roman Reigns or John Cena – people look at them and they think, ‘Oh, this guy could be The Guy, let’s see what happens’, and that was never me.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross shared his thoughts on last night’s “Stone Cold Podcast” with Triple H, as well as the changes to the upcoming WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view in the latest blog posted on his official website.
Below are highlights:
On the “Stone Cold Podcast” with Triple H: “Enjoyed the Austin-HHH podcast Monday night after RAW on the @WWENetwork and look forward to more programs such as this as they are somewhat easy to produce and more cost efficient than many other original programming concepts. For me the long term key to the Network are the PPV’s and Original Programming. The ideas for original programming are seemingly endless. Both Austin and Triple H were straight forward and once they got on a roll it created some interesting content. I could have easily listened to another hour.”
On WWE Fast Lane changes: “I liked the tweak in the booking as it relates to the the Fast Lane PPV in a few weeks in Memphis as it gets Daniel Bryan back involved, provides multiple ways to go and even potentially positions Reigns as the villain against fan favorite Lesnar. As I said when many fans were knocking themselves out with their uncontrollable knee jerks, the weekly TV between now and WM31 could and should be good programming. I see that happening if the stories are kept simple and not over thought.”
On Chris Benoit in the WWE Hall Of Fame: “The annual Chris Benoit into the WWE HOF topic has reared it’s head again and will likely linger until after the WWE HOF event the night before WM31. I do not endorse Chris, who I hired and had immense respect for until the final days of his life when he murdered his family and then committed suicide. Knowing Chris as I did I feel that he would NOT want to be enshrined into the WWE HOF because of the backlash that it would create and because the story would not be about Chris’s stellar career but instead about the infamous murder/suicide. The entire matter is still a gut wrencher including me representing the WWE at Nancy and Daniel’s funeral services which was a task that was SO hard for me to attend on a personal level. IMO one cannot separate the career of an overachieving athlete from the fact that he murdered his family and then took his own life and no matter the alleged motive.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Denver, Colorado it was announced that on this week’s WWE SmackDown show, which returns to its’ normal Friday time slot on the SyFy Network, The Miz will host a special edition of “MizTV” with his guests being Roman Reigns, and the man he will face at the Fast Lane pay-per-view, Daniel Bryan.
– On part one of this week’s three-part RAW Fallout, Curtis Axel continues to campaign for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar. You can check out the video below.
– On part two of this week’s RAW Fallout, Bad News Barrett responds to Dean Ambrose’s challenge for a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship. You can check that one out below.
– Finally, in the third and final installment of this week’s RAW Fallout, an embarrassed Paige warns The Bella Twins that their “war” is not over yet. Check that one out below.
On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Denver, Colorado, we saw the beginning of several programs leading into the first ever WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view, which emanates live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday, February 22, 2015.
Below are some confirmed and rumored matches for the show:
Confirmed
– John Cena vs. Rusev
– Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan (#1 Contendership Match)
– Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige (WWE Divas Championship)
– Triple H and Sting face-to-face confrontation
Rumored
– Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Make sure to visit us here on the website on Sunday, February 22, 2015 for the best WWE Fast Lane live results coverage on the web!
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania opponent is now uncertain.
WWE COO Triple H announced on RAW that due to the controversy surrounding the Royal Rumble as a result of The Rock’s involvement, Roman Reigns will have to fight for his chance to main event WrestleMania.
At WWE Fast Lane on February 22nd, Reigns will face Daniel Bryan to determine who challenges Brock Lesnar. Bryan defeated Seth Rollins on RAW (with help from Reigns) to get the match.
This week’s edition of WWE RAW opened with The Authority — Triple H and Stephanie McMahon — making their way down to the ring to make their “major announcement” that will “shake WWE to its’ very core.”
After making a bunch of jokes and bad puns about Sunday’s NFL Super Bowl game, the two showed footage of the Royal Rumble match. Triple H talks about The Rock interfering in the match. He also spoke about his face-to-face confrontation with “The Vigilante” Sting at the upcoming WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view later this month.
Finally, they get to the “major announcement.” On RAW, Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins will go one-on-one in a singles match where the winner will go on to face Roman Reigns at the WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view. Whoever wins the match at Fast Lane will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
We will update you here on the website later tonight when the winner of the Bryan-Rollins match emerges.
– As reported over the weekend, Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler is expected to be the opening match at WrestleMania 31. Like last year, the original plan was for Bryan to wrestle Sheamus at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan requested to fight Ziggler instead and their discussion on Twitter about a potential match has been part of the updated storyline plans. Expect to see Bryan and Ziggler discussing a WrestleMania match on WWE TV as soon as tonight.
– The upcoming WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view on February 22nd will have some stiff competition, with the 87th Academy Awards and UFC’s Fight Night Brazil live event both taking place on the same night.
– WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos are expected to defend against Cesaro and Tyson Kidd at Fast Lane.
– Speaking of Cesaro and Kidd, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was backstage for this weekend’s WWE live event from Calgary and took a photo with the team:
– Xavier Woods is still out of action with an ankle injury. Woods was still wearing a cast on his leg during his appearances at the WWE live event in Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend.
– Speaking of the Albuquerque live event, UFC star Diego Sanchez was backstage at the show. Below is a photo of Daniel Bryan with Sanchez, the man who originated the “Yes!” chant.
– Finally, also at the Albuquerque show was Dana Warrior and The Ultimate Warrior’s kids. Below is a photo of the Warrior family with Alicia Fox and Natalya backstage at the show.
There is a lot of speculation surrounding Bray Wyatt’s cryptic promo from this past Thursday night’s live edition of WWE SmackDown. The belief is that Wyatt was referring to The Undertaker when talking about being afraid of nothing, “living or dead.”
The official WWE website appears to be adding fuel to the fire, as they recently wrote the following while promoting Monday’s WWE RAW:
“Following a dominant performance in the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, lasting more than 45 minutes and eliminating six Superstars, Bray Wyatt delivered a bizarre message on Thursday’s SmackDown that was even more cryptic than his usual proclamations. Asking “what makes you smile?” Wyatt claimed that he fears “nothing, living or dead.” He then promised that after what happens next, “it will be hard for you to ever smile again.” To whom was Wyatt speaking, and to what was he referring?”
Additionally, WWE.com wrote the following about Daniel Bryan, further hyping up the rumored match between he and Dolph Ziggler for this year’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view:
“But where will Bryan’s journey take him? Based on his interview on last week’s Raw, the leader of the “Yes!” Movement still has his sights set on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but his unceremonious ousting during the Royal Rumble Match by longtime nemesis Bray Wyatt has seemingly denied him his return to the WrestleMania main event. Will Bryan seek retribution against Wyatt for dashing his dreams for WrestleMania? Will Bryan’s social media exchange with Dolph Ziggler about a friendly match at WrestleMania 31 lead to a Show of Shows dream match for the two fan-favorite Superstars? Perhaps we’ll learn more about The “Yes!” Man’s next move on Raw.”
– Tickets for WrestleMania AXXESS VIP signings are mostly sold out, unless you’re looking to meet Roman Reigns. Signings for Daniel Bryan, Hulk Hogan, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Shawn Michaels, Sting and Triple H are all sold out. However, there are still tickets available for the Roman Reigns signing.
– The following footage has surfaced online from last Monday, with Daniel Bryan and Renee Young rehearsing Bryan’s sit-down interview.
As I sat down to write this week, I felt a sense of disappointment. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what to write about (in fact, I’d hoped I could have written about my amazement with the Royal Rumble). It wasn’t because I had nothing to say. The reason I felt a sense of disappointment was because I knew that I was not going to be able to write the article I wanted to. This past Sunday was the Royal Rumble, a once a year event that would be under-described if one were to refer to it as “can’t miss.” True to form, I made a point not to miss it; I cancelled plans, I changed my workout schedule, I did everything I could to make sure I was front and center for the event, because I knew if WWE delivered, I wouldn’t have to think for a second about what to discuss. My hopes were that I could deliver to you, my top five moments from the event, and indeed, I probably still could. After all, Lesnar / Cena / Rollins was easily one of the best triple-threat matches I’ve ever seen, both from a wrestling and storytelling perspective. Bubba Ray Dudley and others appearing from the woodwork to make a few surprise appearances was awesome. For the most part, WWE really did deliver with the event.
However…
When it mattered the most; when the biggest prize of the night was up for grabs, WWE not only let us down, they insulted us. Again. For the second year in a row, WWE ignored the pleas of the crowd; they ignored the wishes of the millions of fans across the universe who united as one loud clear voice under the banner of “Yes.” While it was more than obvious the fans wanted Daniel Bryan as the man to win it all, WWE had other plans for the finish. When the lights went off and the smoke settled, Roman Reigns, a man who many feel was not ready for such an honor, was the last man standing. Unsurprisingly, the rowdy Philadelphia crowd, much like it’s rival fan base in Pittsburgh did the previous year, held nothing back in letting the WWE know what they thought of the decision, and as ticket holders, they had every right to. Outside of the arena, the internet exploded with negative criticism. Things like #CancelWWENetwork were trending worldwide on twitter. Reddit’s top wrestling community, /r/SquaredCircle was buzzing about not just the ending being bad, but the entire match. Fans were so frustrated, in fact, that they jokingly begun the trend known as #Axelgate, in reference to the fact that the man who came in at number 6, Curtis Axel, technically never entered the ring, and thus was never eliminated, demanding that he be allowed to go in and try to eliminate Reigns. Even a surprise appearance by The Rock, which clearly was planned as damage control, could not get the crowd to side with WWE, as Reigns was booed out of the building, even as his arm was raised by the great one. It was obvious, from the moment Bryan’s feet hit the floor, that the turnout was not going to be positive, really no matter what happened.
However, what might not be so obvious was the real reason behind the booing; the reason that shakes every wrestling fan to their core, and genuinely makes us question one of our favorite forms of entertainment. While it might seem at the surface like petty fans acting like babies for not getting what they want, the truth runs much deeper. Ultimately, the fans booing Reigns is not a rejection of the man, himself. It’s not a rejection of the possibility of Reigns becoming one of the future stars. It’s not even a rejection of a super baby face who might one day be seemingly untouchable. Instead, it is the response to being ignored; to being told “You don’t know what you want” over and over again. It is the only way fans can express their frustration with booking decisions that lead WWE down a road fans don’t want to go. Booing Roman Reigns is a symbol; one which represents the fans booing McMahon himself, for having the audacity to tell us that we decide who goes over, and then giving us the exact opposite of what we say we want.
Daniel Bryan took over the Seattle Seahawks’ Twitter account on Friday ahead of their NFL SuperBowl game this Sunday against the New England Patriots. Here are some highlights:
.@iAmKelseyx I typically don't watch the half time but last year was good, Brie (@BellaTwins) made me watch it. #12sQA with @WWEDanielBryan
It’s being said that no matter how much fans rally behind Daniel Bryan and no matter how much he gets over, top WWE executives are not going to see him as a top guy that can be the legitimate face of the company.
Before the news surfaced earlier this week that WWE was planning on doing a Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler match at WrestleMania 31 this year, there was talk within WWE that the company would not give in to the fans like they did last year and would not add Bryan to the main event of WrestleMania again.
As things stand right now, there is said to be a working plan for Bryan and Ziggler to open WrestleMania 31.
– Daniel Bryan will be taking over the official Seattle Seahawks Twitter page today at 6pm EST. to host a live Q&A. Bryan will be talking about WWE and the Seahawks going to this year’s NFL Super BowlXLIX game. You can send Bryan questions by using the hashtag “#12sQA.” To take part in the Q&A, head over to @Seahawks.
– The new WWE Immortals mobile video game received 2.7 million downloads in its’ first weekend of being released.
– Below is the Vince McMahon announcement that aired on Thursday’s live edition of WWE SmackDown regarding the free month of the WWE Network in February.
In his latest website blog, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross shares some more random thoughts about the controversy stemming from this past Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, as well as thoughts from Thursday’s live WWE SmackDown broadcast.
Below are highlights:
On some more random Royal Rumble thoughts: “No one was booing Roman Reigns at live events prior to the Rumble. People booed Reigns because Daniel Byran did NOT win the Rumble match and not because Roman DID.
In hindsight, like Orton, and Sheamus, Daniel Bryan should not have been booked in the Rumble match.
I still feel that the next several WWE TV broadcasts will hold new and provocative content as it relates to the Rumble matters leading into WM31.
Fans often times forget that there are multiple, ‘right’ ways to do something regarding storylines, etc in the biz. It’s been that way since I can remember.”
On the casket match at SmackDown: “Daniel Bryan got a key victory over Kane on Thursday night Smackdown but I still am leery that most fans won’t like who DB faces at WM31 unless it’s in a title bout or should I say it’s in THE title bout.”
On Roman Reigns and Triple H’s announcement on next week’s RAW: “While many still question WWE’s decision to postilion Roman Reigns where he’s headed apparently, I applaud the long term planning component of the process. I do agree with many that Reigns is a work in progress but he’s got a great upside IMO.
I love this, any time a villain says he’s going to put an end to a particular controversy, it generally means he’s going to add to said controversy.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– The dark match main event after last night’s live editio of WWE SmackDown saw John Cena and Dean Ambrose defeat Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt in tag-team action.
– The first of a three-part SmackDown Fallout for this week, which you can watch below, features Goldust telling Stardust to get his head on straight. Whether or not this is the beginning of a Goldust vs. Stardust feud, which has been rumored for quite some time, remains to be seen.
– In part two of this week’s SmackDown Fallout, which you can see below, Seth Rollins complains about Ryback, Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan getting into his business again.
– Finally, in the third and final portion of this week’s SmackDown Fallout, Kane rises from the casket after being defeated by Daniel Bryan.
– The post-WrestleMania 31 edition of WWE SmackDown will be taped on March 31st at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Advertised locally for the show are Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins. There is a pre-sale going on for tickets to the show right now with the code “WWEFAN.”
– Former WWE writer and MLW Radio host Court Bauer is the guest on the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, the final edition of his show before he returns live to the WWE Network on Monday night following WWE RAW, where he will be joined by WWE executive/performer Triple H.
The official description for the latest Austin podcast with Bauer reads as follows:
SASu – EP189 – Court Bauer of MLW Radio
“The Royal Rumble is still on Steve’s mind… and so is the NXT REvolution PPV! And he’s discussing both with MLW Radio’s Court Bauer. Topics covered: Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Sting, Paul Heyman, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville. You’ll also find out why the Triple Threat match at the Rumble was the best match Steve’s seen in years… pay close attention because the Word Of The Day is back too! “
– Below is a new video interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Superstar Billy Graham where he talks about playing football in the Canadian Football League prior to his pro wrestling days, which led to him being trained to wrestle in the Calgary area.
As noted recently, Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan was rumored to be in the works for WrestleMania 31, however WWE has changed their mind and are expected to go in a different direction.
The recent interaction between Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan is not just social media chatter, as WWE is currently building towards an eventual Ziggler vs. Bryan match for WrestleMania.
Speaking of WrestleMania, another battle royal is expected for this year’s show. There is no definitive word yet as to whether or not the battle royal, which is designed to get as many talents on the card as possible, will be another Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, although there was talk at one point that the match would become a new annual tradition.
Dolph Ziggler continues to campaign for a match against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania.
After the Royal Rumble, Ziggler tweeted Bryan saying, “Yo DB, was pulling for you, brother. but if you really want to steal the show #WrestleMania Im here & angrier.” Bryan simply responded, “I’m in!”
@WWE has since re-tweeted Bryan’s response to Ziggler.
Using the hashtag #DBvsDZ, Ziggler tweeted the following on Wednesday:
“WE signed our lives away… you have no idea, but it’s always been there. introduced as afterthoughts, repeatedly forced to prove why WE belong, told the sky was the limit yet knowing there was no chance… 1 broke through that ceiling after an unprecedented fight, 1 has been banging his head against it for years. 1 is a nice guy with a killer instinct, 1 is not afraid to rub people the wrong way to get what it is his. 1 is thankful & smiles, 1 smirks & says damn right. 2 different, yet legitimate backgrounds. 2 stars who became super purely bc they weren’t supposed to. Stealing the show is a catchphrase. Get over IT! WE sure as hell did! I dare you to take IT away from US! WE already own that RING. WE are the saints…”
Comment below and tell us if you think this is the best possible matchup for both men at WrestleMania.
I’m a massive fan of the WWE Network. I’ve been a subscriber since day one, I truly believe it’s a great value, and do not think fans should cancel the service. However, if fans are truly dissatisfied with the current state of the WWE, there is absolutely no better way to voice displeasure with the company than by cancelling service.
Since becoming a publicly traded company, the WWE has had to deal with an entity that is even more demanding and impatient than hardcore fans: shareholders. Indeed, the company could be on top of the world one day and hit rock bottom the next. With the WWE Network, the company has essentially put all (or at least most) of its eggs in a single basket.
By offering the company’s monthly pay-per-view for only $9.99, the WWE has decimated their former pay-per-view model. Who’s going to buy those $14.99 DVDs anymore when you can see the content a week later (along with thousands of hours of additional content) for only $9.99? In short, aside from television deals for Raw and Smackdown, merchandise sales, and live shows, the WWE Network, for all intents and purposes, is now the WWE.
The WWE fans are not idiots. Following the disastrous Royal Rumble, you didn’t see #DontWatchRawTomorrow or #StopBuyingWWEMerch trending. No, instead they went right for the heart with #CancelWWENetwork. It was trending during and after Sunday’s Rumble, and I can imagine Vince McMahon thought he was hallucinating when he woke up the next morning and saw it was still a top trend.
Needless to say, the WWE went into full-on damage control mode yesterday, releasing the latest WWE Network subscriber numbers a few weeks early. It was originally announced that the company would release the latest numbers on February 12th as part of the latest earnings report.
They clearly wanted to stop the bleeding, announcing they have surpassed one million Network subscribers. The news was well received too, as WWE stock shot up almost 20 percent on Tuesday following the announcement.
Former WCW announcer Mark Madden was interviewed by Jim Ross on this week’s Ross Report podcast over at PodcastOne.com.
Madden says WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has been willing to work more dates for WWE, but the company hasn’t been willing to pay him beyond his ‘limited appearance’ deal. He said:
“One thing I would do if I were WWE is…I don’t know what it would take to keep Brock but i’d pay him. I know for a fact that Brock would be working more now if they just pay him his ‘per date.’ They’ve been hesitant to do that. He’s told them that he would be available for more work if they just paid him the same per date. They need to do that because I think what the Royal Rumble showed is he is by far their most over performer….maybe right there with Daniel Bryan.”
Madden also stated what we’ve seen pretty clearly over the past 18 months – that WWE management truly does not believe Daniel Bryan can be the face of the company.
“I look at Daniel Bryan and I look at the way he was treated at the Rumble (on Sunday) and really barely being in there, and no matter how many times the fans cheer him and chant ‘YES’…they (WWE) don’t believe in him. That’s obvious and i’ve heard that from the inside as well. WWE management doesn’t believe in him and they’ve convinced themselves that Bryan isn’t what’s over..that the ‘YES’ chant is what’s over and that’s obviously insane.”
Other topics discussed include Sunday’s Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns, TNA , New Japan, ROH, Lucha Underground, CM Punk in UFC, Super Bowl predictions, and much more. You can listen below:
– Many fans sent in word that they could hear Roman Reigns being fed lines last night on RAW during his sit-down interview with Michael Cole and later in the show when he went face to face with Brock Lesnar.
If you watch the clips from RAW that WWE uploaded to Youtube (View Here), there are portions where the audio feed cuts out, which is when the lines he was being fed got picked up by the microphones.
– With Daniel Bryan apparently shut out of the top matches at WrestleMania, Dolph Ziggler has offered to tear the house down with the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Monday’s in-studio edition of WWE RAW featured sitdown interviews with Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. The show concluded with a face-to-face encounter between WrestleMania main eventers Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, moderated by Paul Heyman. Check out these videos and comment below with your reactions.
– WWE nixed plans for the usual weekly RAW pre-show due to the regular RAW show being canceled. There is talk of doing a pre-show on the WWE Network for this week’s live edition of SmackDown, which airs on Thursday night.
– WWE broadcast team member Byron Saxton will be hosting the new “Best Of RAW And SmackDown 2014” DVD and Blu-ray, which is scheduled for a February 3rd release. The project is listed as a 7 hour and 20 minute run time across three discs, with 20 RAW and SmackDown matches, alternate commentary, seven interview and promo segments and interviews with fans giving their take on some of the biggest RAW and SmackDown moments of 2014.
– Below is the latest edition of Matt Hardy’s “Thoughts From The Throne” video blog. In the fifth installment of the video blog, Hardy gives his thoughts on Daniel Bryan and the Royal Rumble, going to the U.K., TNA and more.