my thoughts on WWE and current roster. What's yours?

[Hootiethehog]

First off, last night's RAW had one of the most satisfying endings I've seen in a very long time. But I've been thinking about the current state of the WWE (which is on the rise (imo) and I thought it would be fun to talk about the various wrestlers, where they are and where we think they should end up.

WWE as a whole: The worst thing that has ever happened to the program was Linda McMahon's political race and the subsequent switch to PG. WWE still had a ton of young fans in the attitude era and would still if they turned up the edginess. You won't capture lightning in a bottle again, but storylines as edgy as bedtime stories can grate on the average fan.

The Authority: I think HHH and Stephanie have done a serviceable job, but i would like more consistency. Vince has one more good run left in him and a feud with with the currwnt powers that be would be fantastic, especially as over the top he is.

Randy Orton: not a bad heel, but I believe he is being held back. Let him go back to the ruthless, head-punting king of a-holes that he can be.

John Cena: I'm not a fan, but the kids like him. Move him slightly left of the all-American hero persona he has and he could be serviceable. Also, removing him from constantly being in the title scene would do wonders for him. People are just worn out from seeing him all the time.

Daniel Bryan: my favorite guy currently on the roster. Just a lot of fun and some of the storylines he has been involved in are a lot of fun. Can't think of too much I would like to see done with him, other than maybe a HHH feud.

CM Punk: he's in a bit of a funk lately. His feud with the shield is all about getting Roman Reigns over. it may be time for a feud with Orton, as he is the only one he hasn't reused with lately. Aside from that, a heel turn could work.

The SHIELD: a great faction that is on its last legs. Both Ambrose and Reigns have HUGE futures ahead of them. Until the break-up, they should go back to being the authority's muscle to fully push their heel status.

The Wyatt Family: I absolutely LOVE these guys. From their entrance to the psychological stuff, they're what I've been waiting for. I would like to see them go to the next level and start being cult like and begin corrupting people like they hinted at with Kane and Bryan.

The Big Show: great comic relief, like Santino, and doesn't come off well as threatening. Let him continue to have fun in his last year or two.

Lesnar/Batista: not familiar with either, but they could add some intensity if they go all-out heel.

Dolph Ziggler: for the love of god, give this man a push. He is incredibly entertaining, even if he does oversell the hell out of every single move.

Your thoughts on these or any I didn't mention?

[hvsupastar]

The road to Wrestlemania is about to begin and WWE has a huge opportunity with Daniel Bryan. I'll go off your list then add to my own.

The Authority : triple H and Stephanie are really good for TV. The problem is if they are going to be in charge, they need to be at least a small part of the 3 hour raw. Also, Brad Maddox and Kane both being apart of administration make it too many cooks in the kitchen. There needs to be some clarity there.

Randy Orton: IMO Orton is the 2nd best heel that there is in the company, CA Punk is the best but he is obviously not a heel at the moment. Orton has good ring work and good mic skills, but I would like his mic time turned down a bit. Orton is best when he is the cold calculated predator. I would personally like to see him hold the belt all the way to mania, perhaps feuding with Bryan or an incoming Batista.

Cena: Cena is Cena, it is what it is. He hasn't been near as goofy lately, which definitely makes him more likeable by adults. He is box office and I wouldn't be opposed to him being involved with Hogan at Wm.

Bryan: WWE has there best opportunity to build a new superstar with DB the next few months. Let's hope they don't screw it up and cool his jets. Bryan is the best in the business right now.

Cm Punk: I understand he is selling a lot of t shirts and he is still great, but there is no better heel in the business than cm punk. But it looks like a HHH vs Punk Wm was set in motion last night, with the new age outlaws ditching punk.

The Shield: it seems as if they are on their last legs as you said, but,  maybe just maybe they will stick together and Reigns, but he is a star in the making, he is money, will take a step forward as the leader of the group. I don't want the group to dismantle yet because I'm afraid wwe won't have anything to do with Rollins or Ambrose.

Wyatts: these are some interesting characters and I think they need some more, in depth, storyline in which they can be the cult they are presented to be. Losing match after Match will end up burrying these guys if they don't get something sadistic to make them more credible. I think they are all talented guys though.

Big Show: show will be a catalyst for Lesnar and nobody will care.

Lesnar: working a few times a year it's hard to grasp if he is still, the big thing. But as long as Paul Heyman is the mouth piece for the beast, it will be entertaining.

Batista: a fued with ADR will immediately cool Batistas jets. I hope that he is involved in the big time, not on the mid card.

Dolph: Dolph has been the best in the ring, besides Bryan,  for years. He  sells his ass off and is never compensated for it.

Others:

Ryback: needs a repackage, because the short hiring and firing by Heyman ruined his momentum.

Curtis Axel: rooted for this guy for a long time, as I loved his dad, but this guy is just a good hand with no charisma.

Cody Rhodes: if you had told me 5 years ago that Cody Rhodes would be one of the best wrestlers and Ted Dibiase would be unemployed I would have laughed in your face. But CR is a big part of WWE ' s future.

Speaking of the tag team division revitalization is very good. I enjoy.

[Eddie Goodson]

I believe Roman Reigns will be a mega star. It will take three years or so but he will one day be in WWE Elite status.

Bryan is in my top five all time favorite list and will stay there. I just want to see him with the title for more than a day or two.

HHH and Stephanie need to either push it as heels or be faces. This back and forth is confusing.

The Shield needs to end if and when Reigns exits. It can't be allowed to become the NWO Wolfpack. Once the original magic fades it is best to do away with it. Ambrose is good and will do fine. Rollins will need to be repackaged and should be paired with someone as a tag team. He and Cody could make an excellent tag team once Dustin's run is over.

I am also a big Sandow mark. I wish they'd do more with him. As he gets more seasoning, I hope they give him a push. An Intercontinental title run would be a good start.

Cena will continue to kick out of everyone's finishers and pin them with a fireman's carry and the kids will love it.

Punk will either get some time off to recharge his batteries or he will be gone in the next two years. I won't be shocked to see HHH and Kane destroy Punk at WM and we won't see Punk again for three to six months.

I am not excited at all about Batista. If he goes three months injury free, I will be shocked.

They can only bring Lesnar back so many times claiming he is king of the world just so many times.

Ryback is one more stiff clothesline away from disappearing from the active roster.

Wyatts are the real deal. Bray is good, real good, but, to me, Luke Harper is the best in ring of the three. He could be the next generation's Kane.

Orton is the Keanu Reeves or Al Gore of wrestling when he puts a mic in his hand. No personality at all to me. He gets the job done in the ring though.

Ziggler is damaged goods. Will not surprise me to see him holding a mic in the future interviewing wrestlers. What a waste.

[Richard_white]

I believe Roman Reigns will be a mega star. It will take three years or so but he will one day be in WWE Elite status.

Bryan is in my top five all time favorite list and will stay there. I just want to see him with the title for more than a day or two.

HHH and Stephanie need to either push it as heels or be faces. This back and forth is confusing.

The Shield needs to end if and when Reigns exits. It can't be allowed to become the NWO Wolfpack. Once the original magic fades it is best to do away with it. Ambrose is good and will do fine. Rollins will need to be repackaged and should be paired with someone as a tag team. He and Cody could make an excellent tag team once Dustin's run is over.

I am also a big Sandow mark. I wish they'd do more with him. As he gets more seasoning, I hope they give him a push. An Intercontinental title run would be a good start.

Cena will continue to kick out of everyone's finishers and pin them with a fireman's carry and the kids will love it.

Punk will either get some time off to recharge his batteries or he will be gone in the next two years. I won't be shocked to see HHH and Kane destroy Punk at WM and we won't see Punk again for three to six months.

I am not excited at all about Batista. If he goes three months injury free, I will be shocked.

They can only bring Lesnar back so many times claiming he is king of the world just so many times.

Ryback is one more stiff clothesline away from disappearing from the active roster.

Wyatts are the real deal. Bray is good, real good, but, to me, Luke Harper is the best in ring of the three. He could be the next generation's Kane.

Orton is the Keanu Reeves or Al Gore of wrestling when he puts a mic in his hand. No personality at all to me. He gets the job done in the ring though.

Ziggler is damaged goods. Will not surprise me to see him holding a mic in the future interviewing wrestlers. What a waste.

Even though I have said some negative stuff about the WWE, I agree with all this.  My biggest complaint is Cena, Cena and Cena.  The only guy in the biz who will kick out of a stunner and use his five knuckle shuffle for the win.  The guy is horrible on the mic and not very good of a worker (but better than some give him credit for) and his character is just pathetic. 

[who knows]

Daniel Bryan was getting a huge pop last night...they have to push this guy!!

[Eddie Goodson]

As JR said in his blog today. Bryan's pop last night was Stone Coldesque.

[Nipsey Mussle]

Good stuff, guys...

My take:

Bryan: The most over guy in the company and someone who deserves a main event run. Bryan is like CM Punk in that he understands character development and knows how to connect with the audience. Bryan's final step in ascension to Stone Cold level is getting better on the mic. When he does that, the sky is the limit. A+ in the ring, though.

Punk: Given that he's retiring in a couple years, I'd like to see one more great run as a heel. It seems like a guarantee he'll face HHH at WM.

Ziggler: If he recovers from the concussion, and gets out of WWE's doghouse, I'd like to see him get a push. He's over with the crowd, great work rate, great persona, get him in the main event.

Reigns: Barring injury, I expect him to be main eventing WM 31.

[pigture perfect]

I would like to see a real shake-up. I am old enough to remember the pre-roid HHH. He needs to either needs to wrestle more or move out of the limelight. I would love to see Stephanie divorce him. I also remember Randy's dad, Cowboy Bob Orton. Randy needs to have a conversion and become a good guy. Other that that I'm really with you on the others.

[who knows]

I understand Cena sells a lot of merchandise...but I just dont see how you can continually push someone that's getting boo'd more than cheers...I know it had to do some with his make a Wish...I guess I just need to face it as long as he's bRinging in a ton of money through merchandise they are gonna ride it out... Just can't see why they aren't giving Bryan a huge push... And I agree with you guys...Reigns could be something really special...

[Nipsey Mussle]

I understand Cena sells a lot of merchandise...but I just dont see how you can continually push someone that's getting boo'd more than cheers...I know it had to do some with his make a Wish...I guess I just need to face it as long as he's bRinging in a ton of money through merchandise they are gonna ride it out... Just can't see why they aren't giving Bryan a huge push... And I agree with you guys...Reigns could be something really special...

Bryan is great to cheer for and is an incredible draw for live crowds to watch and chant along. However, for whatever reason, he doesn't really boost ratings or ppv buyrates. Aside from joining the Wyatts, can you honestly say Bryan gave a promo or was involved in a storyline that you felt was "can't miss?" I love Bryan and in wrestling it's tough for fans to be objective, but he needs to improve on the mic and find a way to make feuds more memorable. One thing I hope he does more anything, is to be serious. While The Authority was trying to ruin his career, life, everything, he would still come out being happy go lucky.

Either way it happens, I still want him to succeed. Maybe the hardest working wrestler...ever.

[Eddie Goodson]

I understand Cena sells a lot of merchandise...but I just dont see how you can continually push someone that's getting boo'd more than cheers...I know it had to do some with his make a Wish...I guess I just need to face it as long as he's bRinging in a ton of money through merchandise they are gonna ride it out... Just can't see why they aren't giving Bryan a huge push... And I agree with you guys...Reigns could be something really special...

Response is response. WWE doesn't care if it is cheers or boos. It means people are engaged. It's when they say nothing they get concerned.

[who knows]

Bryan is great to cheer for and is an incredible draw for live crowds to watch and chant along. However, for whatever reason, he doesn't really boost ratings or ppv buyrates. Aside from joining the Wyatts, can you honestly say Bryan gave a promo or was involved in a storyline that you felt was "can't miss?" I love Bryan and in wrestling it's tough for fans to be objective, but he needs to improve on the mic and find a way to make feuds more memorable. One thing I hope he does more anything, is to be serious. While The Authority was trying to ruin his career, life, everything, he would still come out being happy go lucky.

Either way it happens, I still want him to succeed. Maybe the hardest working wrestler...ever.

Bryan is over more now than he was a couple months ago...plus PPV rates are dropping and have been dropping for awhile now. .. they are gonna have top change that format up all together before long... I've been a lifelong wrestling fan and too this day I have never rented or even seen a PPV...

However... when I was a kid I tore up the WWF Mean Gene hotline... until my dad tore up my backside after he got the bills...

[Nipsey Mussle]

Bryan is over more now than he was a couple months ago...plus PPV rates are dropping and have been dropping for awhile now. .. they are gonna have top change that format up all together before long... I've been a lifelong wrestling fan and too this day I have never rented or even seen a PPV...

However... when I was a kid I tore up the WWF Mean Gene hotline... until my dad tore up my backside after he got the bills...

Hahaha! That's great, Mean Gene was pimpin that hotline! I think that was on WCW though.

Are you going to subscribe to WWE Network? I'll be signing up on 2/24, first night it is available lol

[Nipsey Mussle]

Response is response. WWE doesn't care if it is cheers or boos. It means people are engaged. It's when they say nothing they get concerned.

Absolutely right...WWE definitely goes by the school of thought that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference. If the crowd is popping, WWE considers them interested. The only exception would be when a heel gets "X pac  heat" and the crowd simply wants them to go away (Dixie Carter, et al).

Bryan gets the YES chants but still no one gets a bigger initial pop than Cena.

[who knows]

Lol I thought it was WWF because I never really watched any WCW until around the NWO time frame and that was around 97-98...I was calling that hotline in the early 90's mostly I remember checking on Undertaker matches...and I understand what you guys are saying about as long as Cena's getting a pop... negative or not WWE is happy with that...I just really dislike him and his whole shtick... but I do believe that Daniel Bryan is receiving an equal pop... the way Daniel Bryan was controlling the crowd the other night was very Stone Cold, Rock, or DXesque... haven't seen someone control the crowd like that in a long time that wasn't one of the before mentioned superstars...

[Richard_white]

Cena is the only American manga hero.

[HogScoutMaster]

Got the boy and I tickets to Raw in Memphis.

Long story short the last time I got him tickets it was the "World Tour" lol sorry I didnt know !!!

[Eddie Goodson]

Does anyone else get the impression the bryan/Wyatt angle was changed and ending because the fans simply would not allow it? I think they had to backtrack. It ended way too quickly.

[jbcarol]

Does anyone else get the impression the bryan/Wyatt angle was changed and ending because the fans simply would not allow it? I think they had to backtrack. It ended way too quickly.

Thinking the same thing.

[Richard_white]

Does anyone else get the impression the bryan/Wyatt angle was changed and ending because the fans simply would not allow it? I think they had to backtrack. It ended way too quickly.

I thought they were going to make the Wyatt's turn face. I couldn't see it anything different. Maybe at the Royal Rumble at the earliest. And set up a match between Bryan/Wyatt. 

Could be a Bryan/Trips Wrestlemania..

[Eddie Goodson]

I thought they were going to make the Wyatt's turn face. I couldn't see it anything different. Maybe at the Royal Rumble at the earliest. And set up a match between Bryan/Wyatt. 

Could be a Bryan/Trips Wrestlemania..

I don't know that you can turn the Wyatts face and them be taken seriously.

Everything I am seeing about WM has CM Punk facing HHH. That's IF HHH even wrestles at all.

This oscillating back and forth by HHH and Stephanie has me as confused as can be. One week they are screwing over Bryan, the next week they are sticking up for Punk. Pick a lane already.

[Nipsey Mussle]

I don't know that you can turn the Wyatts face and them be taken seriously.

Everything I am seeing about WM has CM Punk facing HHH. That's IF HHH even wrestles at all.

This oscillating back and forth by HHH and Stephanie has me as confused as can be. One week they are screwing over Bryan, the next week they are sticking up for Punk. Pick a lane already.

I'm pretty sure you're right about Punk facing HHH. And I agree 10000% about HHH and Steph. I honestly don't get it and their run as The Authority has been bad b/c they won't pick a side. On Raw this past week, they were faces again for some strange reason.
Btw, how bad was the ending on Raw?

To answer your question earlier in the thread, I'm honestly not sure if they cut the angle short b/c of that or not. I posted somewhere in this forum, that I figured Bryan would end the angle by the fans willing him into turning on Wyatt. I figured it wouldn't happen any later than the Royal Rumble. Bryan's comments on Raw showed he was just infiltrating the Wyatts to get Bray alone but that has so many logic flaws in it.

Will Bryan/Bray enter the rumble in addition to their match? Rumble itself seems weak so far.

[Eddie Goodson]

For thousands of 7 to 11 year olds the ending of Raw was epic and daddys are being pestered to buy the PPV because of it. That was the only goal there and it will work. The only question left is who will help Orton screw Cena Sunday. It is coming. It will absolutely not be a clean finish.

[Nipsey Mussle]

For thousands of 7 to 11 year olds the ending of Raw was epic and daddys are being pestered to buy the PPV because of it. That was the only goal there and it will work. The only question left is who will help Orton screw Cena Sunday. It is coming. It will absolutely not be a clean finish.

I'm wondering if the person driving the car will be the one who screws Cena. It may not since the announcers didn't play up "who was driving the car?" but hopefully that angle ends up making sense.
I can't in good conscience order the Rumble given that by itself it will cost as much as the next 6 ppv's combined.