JWG, Mizfan and Subho present: The Injury Curse Report
Hi to all wrestling fans! It’s no secret that the new income model of the WWE network is failing expectations, so WWE need all the star power they can get. However, just when WWE was going to ride on the success of WMXXX to pump up fan interest, a inexplicable injury curse plagued the WWE during this crucial period, resulting in lackluster Raw programming and drastic changes to the main-event scene. The injury list was piled up with important names and the impact of these injuries to the landscape of WWE cannot be ignored.
With things in the CF heating up, I have invited 2 other columnists to formulate a report detailing our thoughts on the terrible injury curse. So without further ado, let me introduce our 2 guests for today: Subho and Mizfan!
I have listed down the injured wrestlers below in 3 main categories of Veterans, Midcarders, and Main eventers.
Aside from our thoughts, we will be also having a vote on these 2 factors:
Alignment: Face or Heel after return from injuries
Impact: 1 for little impact, 5 for company-wide impact.
So let’s hop on and kick-start this now!
Veterans
Veteran #1 - Christian
Jacob: Christian suffered a concussion in March. Following the concussion, the backstage talks of his future as an active performer have started back up again. To be honest, retirement could be in order when Christian's current contract expires. In fact, the retirement talks have been going on for several months even prior to the concussion. With Christian turning 40 last November, WWE creative seem to have very little progress for him. Moreover, with The Peep Show return at NoC underwhelming, the idea of retirement is certainly understandable. Did you enjoy his "return" to storylines at NoC, Sub?
Subho: Enjoy? I didn’t even watch the pre-show! I had the inkling that it’d be a whole load of nothing, so I’m actually glad that I missed it.
See, I’m a fan of Christian. He left WWE rather soon after I’d started watching in 2004, and I didn’t particularly follow his TNA run, but I’ve enjoyed him ever since he returned in 2009. He has given some brilliant performances in recent years, too. The Orton matches, the Del Rio match from last year, and a lot of the midcard matches he’s had with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Sheamus and all, have been solid. But, he has redefined being “injury prone” to a whole new degree. I can’t even recount how many times he’s been injured, but he has missed lots and lots of months of action. And it’d be a bitch to have to see another great wrestler dealing with contract issues even when they want to retire.
And it’s good that WWE is actually using Christian in some small appearances in Kickoff shows. He needs to hang up his boots, and just focus on being a broadcaster or trainer. I have no doubt that he’ll be excellent in both of them. His impact, in any of those roles, would be a surefire 5 on 5. That’s my opinion on him right now. No need to return, no need to wrestle anymore; his luck has been notoriously bad throughout his career, and I just want him to bid a worthy farewell before something serious happens.
Mizfan: Christian has certainly had a tough go of it recently. Or has he?? I had a big history of , injuries written out, but I can just tell you what it shows: many of Christian’s “injuries” seem to be less serious than they appear, and more frequently we are receiving reports of Christian being fit and healthy long before he is actually allowed back on TV, usually with the reason being given that Creative cannot think of any ideas for him.
Now to be sure he has dealt with a number of legitimate injures, I’m not disputing that. But I’m just saying there are also multiple reports and rumors of him being ready to go much, much sooner than he is actually brought back, and more than once we’ve heard the reason is that the company just doesn’t have any ideas for him. Is this a case of Christian being unable to wrestle, or of WWE deciding not to use a performer they’ve never been especially fond of anyway but are not willing to let him try his luck in other companies? WWE has developed a nasty habit recently of holding on to wrestlers even if they have no intention of using them… I’m sure if they hadn’t run into bumps with the Network they’d still be holding the likes of Drew Galloway and Matt Sydal somewhere deep in the vaults of Titan Tower.
So I can’t say for sure, but I’ve got a nasty feeling this one isn’t so much about injuries as it is about interest from a company that has never seemed to like Christian half so much as their fanbase does. IF Christian is really ready to retire or semi-retire due to mounting injuries then that’s fine, but for heaven’s sake give him William Regal’s old job on NXT of providing brilliant commentary and having the occasional match of the year contender with an upcoming star, as well as a wealth of training duties. BUT, if Christian is ready to go and WWE just doesn’t want to bother, then for heaven’s sake I hope they let him run his course elsewhere before bringing him back into the fold when he is ACTUALLY done.
I think I’m a little off track here with my conspiracy theories… anyway, if by some miracle Christian does return to regular action I’d like to see him as a face, as I think the whiney heel thing is played out for him at this point, though if he takes an onscreen role in NXT I wouldn’t mind him showing a few heelish qualities as they do suit him so well. Either way, sadly even in a best case scenario I can’t see his impact reaching over a 3 in WWE as their lack of interest is clear, and only his natural talent would (as ever) raise him to even that level of impact.
Jacob: Well, Christian is certainly gearing up for retirement, after years of entertaining us in TLC matches and what-nots. Unfortunately, Christian might really be going out without a final hurray. His segment with Jericho and Randy was utterly pointless, and according to recent reports, he may still be nursing some nagging injuries that is killing his return. He was a TLC legend alongside Edge, and the same impact Edge took was also bore by Christian over the years.
I never quite like Christian as many do. While his matches against Randy and Jericho over the years were incredibly entertaining, his scrawny physique and his “B-side” status compared to Edge has diminished his reputation in my books. His run at TNA was great, but I am guessing that WWE don’t take it lightly when their trusted employees once made a living from Dixie Carter. Christian was “buried” upon his return - he was supposed to be deserving of main-event status according to Christian fans, but WWE delayed his World title reign until 2011 in his well-lauded series against Randy. Since then, Christian has been more beat-up than a crash test dummy, like a jelly Kevin Nash.
But if Mizfan’s conspiracy theory is correct, then I can’t help but wonder if he might get a Golddust run at the tail-end if he’s not so beat up - a tag team with someone like Sandow will be fascinating. Sub’s suggestion of him being an announcer is pretty spot-on too - Christian may not be the greatest mic-man but he’s more than serviceable to replace Mr. Heart Attack on the broadcast team. I predict a HEEL Christian return with a low impact score of 2.
Prawn-again Christian’s meta-score:
Alignment: no conclusion - 1 vote each for none, heel and face
Impact score: 3.33 / 5
Veteran #2 - Rey Mysterio
Jacob: Rey's injury problems are causing a lot of friction with the WWE management. Vince McMahon's decision to renew Rey Mysterio's contract on his own without any type of discussion or agreement from Mysterio is a big talking point since May this year. The big deal here is that, although he has not been on WWE television in a long time, Rey Mysterio is still under a WWE contract. The controversy is that he does not want to be under the WWE contract and never actually signed off on it. The WWE felt that he spent too much time injured under his previous deal and that their contracts are worded to allow them to forcibly extend the contract in those cases.
Rey Mysterio's contract was set to expire in May, but due to the amount of time he missed as a result of injuries, Vince McMahon renewed his contract for another year. Rey is officially under contract until May of 2015. Rey has big balls when he appeared on Mexico's biggest professional wrestling promotion - AAA's TripleMania show. The show was already riled with controversy as former WWE star Alberto Del Rio appeared on the show before his no-compete clause with the WWE expired. And Rey, riding on the negative sentiments of fans towards WWE over Del Rio's questionable dismissal, appeared on a video package touting his fight for freedom from WWE - encouraging fans to hastag #FreeRey in a bid to frustrate WWE management. Drama runs deep here for Rey Rey, isn't it?
Subho: It’s an utterly stupid clause! How can wrestlers possibly agree on it? What is this? A fucking monarchy?
WWE are potentially risking many suits against themselves if they continue to treat wrestlers like this. It’s one thing to lash out at a guy who quit on your face, but it’s an entirely different thing to treat an injured person this way, and keeping him on hold just for personal gain.
Rey was lacking hugely on the wrestling side of things, too. Apart from a cool period partnering with Sin Cara, he hasn’t done much of note in a long time. The only thing he contributes anymore to WWE is the merch sales (which will never fully disappear, in my opinion), and WWE would be better off by letting him go and just holding on to his more copyright. What more can they ask of him?
So, I think he won’t ever return to the ring, but if WWE lets him go, they can possibly save some legal costs. His impact will be on the low side regardless of being active or dormant; a 2 at most.
So, here’s my advice to WWE - Just invite Christian and Rey to a Raw, and give them a Live Farewell Party or something. Everyone will be pleased!
Mizfan: Well, I guess my Christian conspiracy theories look a little less farfetched when you mount some additional evidence on top… bottom line is WWE seems to want to keep every possible wrestler locked down even to the point of completely screwing them over. It’s such a bizarre policy, because even being a guy who enjoys TNA it’s obvious that WWE has no real competition in the US wrestling market, so what’s the point? It’s this kind of weird desperation that I just don’t get. Regardless, Rey Mysterio was in my opinion one of the all time greats in his prime, and made a bucketload of money for WWE. I’m not alone in labeling him the 2nd most consistent face draw of the past decade or so, right after (who else?) our lovely John Cena. Bottom line, he hasn’t been able to do much of anything in over 3 years now, so for god’s sake, just let him go if he wants to, it’s not like AAA is on the verge of edging out WWE as the #1 North American promotion. It’s not Rey’s fault that WWE failed to develop another star who could draw the Latino market (and fired the only other guy who was even remotely close), so don’t punish him for it. Yeesh.
Rey Mysterio’s alignment on his return should be tecnico because it should damn well be in Mexico, if he returns to action at all, and his impact on leaving the company will barely register as a 1, especially if WWE patches things up to keep using his likeness with reasonable royalties, because the merch is pretty much all that’s left for his career.
Jacob: I think Rey’s in a really good position for a return to AAA. In every way, Rey is a Mexico legend with a mainstream following in US. Last I checked, Rey’s merchandise in the WWE universe is still one of the top sellers. Working the Mexico wrestling into a frenzy using the #FreeRey antics seem to work at first, but the hooha has died down. Despite that, I believe that Rey can easily play the right cards in Mexico in terms of drawing power. The big question is - can Rey’s body keep up? If anything, the Lucha style is even more frantic and fast paced and the aging body of Rey Rey will be a big concern. Twig knees?
If I am WWE, I will in fact mend bridges with Mysterio as a PR exercise, just so to not allow the momentum of the #FreeRey movement spill over into anti-WWE sentiments. A well-deserve send-off party for one of the greatest mexico exports in wrestling and perhaps WWE will earn some respect cred with the Mexican audience. After-all, Rey deserves every bit of adoration. I give Rey a FACE return, for sure, plus an impact score of 1 for his imminent exit from WWE.
Mexican Twig Knees’ meta-score:
Alignment: FACE
Impact score: 1.33 / 5
Midcarders
Midcarder #1 - Ryback
Jacob: Ryback, Ryback. He could have been the next Goldberg - a no-nonsense face with a monster pick up line - Feed me more - at the brink of absolute main event status. However, it all went downhill after he turned chicken heel at the feet of the almighty Cena.
However, refusing to be another helpless victim, Ryback slowly regained momentum on social media as well as on screen with utility player Curtis Axel. He started showing a good dose of personality and humor, and his in ring antics were pretty entertaining to watch. On 8/18/14 Raw, his hometown crowd in Las Vegas gave him a hell of of a pop and reception, re-igniting rumors of a renewed push by WWE. However, it was short-lived as Ryback injured his "lower" body mysteriously. Being a troll on social media, no fans initially believed him until it was officially announce on Main Event that Ryback's out and requires surgery. Get well soon, Big Guy!
Subho: Aah, Ryback. The guy had the universe in the palm of his hands (to feed on?), but bad decisions prevailed and he was left looking for things to do. The “Loony Cyborg” thing had potential, I felt, and those tweets were hilarious. Sadly, WWE only saw sense in pairing him with Curtis Axel. But props to both guys again, who were making something out of it and they were improving with each outing.
I honestly don’t know what this return, if and when it happens, would mean for Ryback. WWE have their bets placed in when it comes to the guy(s) they want to push and another reshuffling would only hurt the dedicated fanbase. Then again, it’s not uncommon for WWE to do something like that. The bigger question, though, is whether WWE would give Ryback another shot. His “Feed Me More” shtick was very popular. He was on the verge of something great when WWE pulled the rug. He was even popular here in India, where over 10,000 peeps went to see him at a mall appearance. The point I’m making is that, in a weird way Ryback was connectable.
His team with Axel, although improving, was not a major piece of the WWE pie, so we’re not missing out on anything special. But, he can be a great asset as a wacko, who would piss the fans off everytime he opens his mouth. There’s much he can contribute, so I’m going for a 3 on Impact with a HEEL alignment . WWE needs to tap his potential, however which way possible. And this all coming from a guy who hates Ryback!
Mizfan: Ryback rules? Nah, Ryback is ruined. The moment he turned from incredible badass to whiney, incompetent heel, the most notable part of his career was done and dusted. It’s kind of hard to believe how completely WWE whiffed on what seemed to be a slam dunk major face character, but here we are. The best he can hope for is a rehash of his original rise, but I don’t think it has any chance to reach the same heights. It’s a shame too, because I really enjoyed watching him squash jobbers two at a time. I think the worst part is that even if they wanted him to challenge Cena last year, there’s no reason he needed to turn heel and start whining in order to do it. A simple “Feed Me Gold” proclamation would have set him on par for Hogan/Warrior-esque confrontation without killing off his career.
His return should absolutely be as face to try to salvage a decent midcard career out of the wreckage, and should assuredly start with him trashing the symbol of his past mediocrity, one Curtis Axel. I can’t help but laugh at my esteemed colleagues tripping over themselves trying to find a way to describe him as something besides eye-splittingly dull, such as “utility player” and “making something out of it” respectively. Sorry chaps, but we can’t pretend he’s not worthless forever! Let Ryback feed on Axel on his return and he might have something going for him, though I can’t imagine it having an impact above a 2.
Jacob: I disagree with Mizfan. Is Ryback really ruined? I think that WWE can easily resurrect his momentum by having him turn on a heel, perhaps someone as big as Triple H or Rollins. Let Trips issue a open challenge for Rollin’s brief-case, and let Ryback spear the shit out of Rollins to gain back his momentum. Problem solved.
Ryback has the look and charisma, despite what many smacks like to say. He was over as fuck-all. I mean, if you look at this good stuff from Ryback hospital promo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqAOMnTDwQw, you will see a man with much needed natural charisma to be a successful face in the WWE.
I think if WWE wants to make Ryback relevant again, then a face turn is inevitable. Here’s comes the catch - WWE does not seem to be remotely interested in pushing Ryback anymore as a full-blown bad-ass face. WWE’s inability to commit to that insanely over character of “Feed me more” will probably mean a low impact return of 2 as the tag team division midcard team with Axel, and a return to HEEL status.
The Big Guy’s meta-score:
Alignment: Heel
Impact score: 2.33 / 5
Midcarder #2 - Bad News Barrett
Jacob: I am afraid I have some bad news. Bad News suffered a shoulder injury in June and was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship a few days later, thanks to a rather unfortunate shove to the ringpost by Jack Swagger. The audience was just starting to connect the dots of his brilliant mic work and was behind his character. A boring bare-knuckle fighter gimmick was shit. Thankfully, he evolved into Bad news Barrett, an outspoken figure using current events and the city the show resided as fodder for his insulting good news-bad news scenarios. You can see his confidence develop from the start of his WWE career, when he won the first NxT, led a rebellion with the Nexus only to fall flat on his face after Cena ran roughshod on his ass.
What do you think of his bloody lousy luck, Mizfan?
Mizfan: Whether it’s Bad News, Nexus, or even the much maligned bare-knuckle gimmick, I’m a fan of Wade Barrett to the end no matter what gimmick he’s under, and it makes me sad that he’s had to deal with more than 1 major injury already in his career. Ever since he took one of the original NXT’s many lame duck challenges and turned it into greatness (“Winds of Change” promo, so damn good) he’s had me hooked. I was one of the few (apparently) who quite enjoyed most of the Nexus gimmick, though I could have gone my whole life without that atrocious chair spot at the tail end of 2010. But he seems to have found his footing well with the surprisingly effective “Bad News” shtick, which he delivers with such incredible gusto that he completely won over the skeptics early in the gimmick. The way he says his catchphrase with such glee is a thing of beauty, it truly is.
His return should be picking up right where he left off, as a heel who enjoys what he does an incredible amount. Sadly I feel it’s quite a long shot that we will see Wade back in the main event though, and since WWE has very little interest in midcard wrestlers I can’t rate it higher than a 2 all told.
Subho: Bad luck is all Bad News Barrett has got. Although, in his own words in a recent interview, he wasn’t scheduled to be pushed into the main event in 2012, so it can be said that this is the first time he has really missed out on an opportunity. The reason why this is a major bummer is because the “Bad News” shtick was really catching up, and had all the potential in the world. Not that Barrett’s other roles have been bad, but he’s never felt as sure as himself, other than maybe those beginning few months of the Nexus.
His recent tour to India was a massive success (Live Tour in 2015 FTW!) and he has really taken to his character like a duck to water. I’m sure WWE realizes what they have with him, and if his subtle hints in various interviews are to be considered, he knows he has something special going for him as well. So, I want him to be HEEL on return and he can easily make a big dent in the midcard or upwards, so his Impact is a high 4 on 5. It would be advisable to let him be a heel for a good while, though I have no doubt his reactions upon his return would be great. Let’s just see if WWE allows him to properly break that glass ceiling.
Jacob: I like Wade, but for some reason I don’t see him as a main-event type as the crowd never quite got into him. The bad-news gimmick was his final chance at stardom, and Father God dealt him a bad hand just as he was about to reveal his cards. He’s up in age, and so it’s down to WWE management’s perception of Barrett’s worth in the company. Has Barrett impressed upon the management his worth as a face character with enough momentum with the audience? At present, I guess that Wade is returning as a FACE interrupting a heel promo - I just hope it’s a top card wrestler like Rollins or even Triple H himself, because it will all but determine his standing and impact. I believe Bad News will be back as a FACE with a impact score of 3.
Newspaper Boy’s meta-score:
Alignment: Heel
Impact score: 3 / 5
Main Eventers
Main Eventer #1 - Daniel Bryan
Jacob: No one else had such a tumultuous year as Mr Small Package. Every single major milestone in life happened to Daniel Bryan, whether good or evil. Riding on his popularity status and the opportunity of CM Punk's absence, Bryan made it to the big stage by defeating Trips and main-eventing at Wrestlemania XXX. On top of that, he married the love of his life, Brie Bella, right after the Mania season. This must have been the greatest year of his life.
However, just when all were going well, Bryan received news that his dad passed away. As though fate hasn't had enough fun with him, Bryan's long-awaited title reign was cut short by a brutal neck injury. He recovered well enough, only to find out that his original neck surgery had resulted in a nerve issue in his elbow that would have to be fixed with Tommy John surgery, possibly pushing his return date back by another 3 more months. Bryan left while on top of the wrestling world. He was the most over star in the business, he consistently put together thrilling matches, and the company was using him in the right storylines. Mizfan, how do you think that this injury will affect the rest of Bryan's career?
Mizfan: I was about to object that a Kane/Bryan Buried Alive match would have the potential to be excellent, but then I remembered that WWE had chosen to not even bring up their storied past… how do you have a Hell No Implosion storyline without mentioning Hell No, one of the most entertaining tag teams of the decade?? But again, I’m getting off topic here. Bryan indeed has had horrendously bad fortune just when everything seemed to be going well.
Fortunately his return is easy to book, as he is sure to blow the roof off of any arena he shows up at… I do have a feeling this will be more like Austin’s injury in ‘99 than his injury in ‘97 though, if I may make a quick comparison. Instead of returning to save the company, he may well end up returning to find that he now must share the top spot even more than before, as the fans grow more attached to guys newer to the main event scene like the former Shield trio and a few others. Still, his return should clearly be as a face of course and will have a level 5 impact on the scene if it’s booked with even the slightest degree of competency.
Subho: This just makes me sad. Bryan took away with him a lot of fans’ interests and the product also kinda declined with his exit. It might just be the disappointment speaking, but many have found it hard to properly sink their teeth into the current WWE programming, me included. Bits and pieces of it have been cool, but on an overall basis, it’s nowhere close to what it was just 6 months back.
And Bryan being there doesn’t even guarantee the fact that things would change for the better. At last word, he was scheduled to be in a Buried Alive Match vs. Kane, so things wouldn’t really have been all that good. But right now, there just needs to be something different. Something that generates the same kind of emotion out of the fanbase like it was with the Bryan Saga. Fans have already rejected the next superstar WWE have chosen for themselves, so we might just go through another period where WWE pushes it’s own choice, but fans want somebody else (but isn’t that always the case?)
Bryan will hopefully be back by December, and get set before ‘Mania season begins. He needs to be nowhere but the main event.
Will Daniel Bryan be a FACE upon his return? Yes!
Will he have an Impact of 5 on 5? Yes!
Will he be all the more popular again? Yes! Yes! Yes!
Jacob: Sub, I understand your excitement for his return, but I am going to be the Devil’s advocate here. Unless WWE fucks it up majorly, Bryan’s return will be insanely explosive without a doubt. However, I think Bryan’s tough luck this year is indicative that he has run out of all good vibes and may suffer the worst setback of his life - a possible retirement from wrestling (GASP!). As wrestling fans, we need to remember that long before he stole their hearts in the WWE, Bryan has been putting his body on the line night in and night out in the indies, so he has endured years of punishment to his body.
Bryan is a legit tough SOB. He kicked up a big fuss and stood up to the COO when Triple H stopped his match against Randy due to Bryan getting a ‘stinger’ in the match. In perhaps the most legendary testament to Bryan’s mental toughness, he detached his retina and fought Morishima half-blinded in an infamous match for nearly half an hour. While it would be terrific if Bryan could make a recovery, the extent of his injuries, the result of 10-plus years of high-flying risks and the wear and tear of in-ring action, is starting to prove quite severe and can be a deciding factor for his return.
That being said, WWE may wish to capitalize on Bryan one final time before he throws in the towel. So whether Bryan makes a remarkable recovery, or hangs up his boots, I am sure his impact to the WWE landscape will be enormous with 5 out of 5, and he will never ever be a heel again. NEVER.
YES MAN’s meta-score:
Alignment: Face
Impact score: 5 / 5
Main Eventer #2 - Roman Reigns
Jacob: Roman Reigns suffered an untimely and unfortunate hernia injury, and had to go for emergency surgery. He's been pushed as one of the WWE's most promising young superstars in recent months and by far he's way overpushed in the superman category. Fans were beginning to become weary of the impending Roman Empire and Reigns fatigue was already beginning to set in.
Unlike Batista who had Triple H as his target, Reigns was mostly lingering around Randy without involving himself in the feud between Seth and Ambrose. WWE wisely brought Reigns into the rivalry when Ambrose was absent filming his first movie. Now, with Reigns out, Ambrose took over the mantle of feuding with Mr Money in the Bank. In a way, this injury saved Reign from being over-exposed, and helped WWE to re-focus back to cashing in on Ambrose's healthy crowd investment. What does this mean for Reigns when he is back?
Subho: Reigns would have been a star just like Cena if he had been there 10 years ago, but after having been through the Cena Era, Reigns is being set up to fail if his push continues like this. His in-ring skill is limited, and he’ll likely continue the trend of having just a few “moves of doom”. His promos are already infected by cheesy line after cheesy line, and he just seems out of bounds of the kind of relatable face that the fans want, I think.
His injury, therefore, couldn’t have come at a better time. WWE really needs to reevaluate his push and keep him under the mask of Rollins and Ambrose as much as possible. Everybody and their mothers know that both of them have outshone Reigns in every department, so it’d be better for WWE to focus on those two before moving onto #3. Reigns has potential, no doubt about it but he needs to legitimately move out of the shadow of The Shield rather than WWE making it obvious that they are fast-tracking his push, which everyone can notice.
So, when he returns, I’d like for him to face Ambrose and Rollins for the current period, and maybe give us the Triple Threat we want. His Impact, at least for me, would be a 2, and there’s no doubt he’d be a FACE. He should in no way win the Royal Rumble, or main event ‘Mania, or anything of that sort. Patience, WWE - it’s not only a river in Egypt.
Mizfan: I admit my following of the Reigns story has been cursory at best, so tell me if I am incorrect… has Reigns just continued to use all the Shield shtick, right down to the music and entrance, all the while having almost nothing to do with the actual Shield breakup feud? I’m not even sure what to think about that. I always enjoyed Reigns with the Shield (who didn’t enjoy that whole trio??), though I think it’s easy to see that he could become rather tiresome if booked heavy-handedly. I must too admit I share some concerns about Reigns’ preparedness as a singles performer. After not having seen him for a while I must admit my curiousity quickly dulled when I watched the beginning of his match with Orton as Summerslam, choosing after several minutes to skip the contest entirely for better or for worse despite being initially intrigued by the match on paper. So while I’m not aggressively opposed to the reign of Reigns, I do have to say I wasn’t entirely disgruntled to hear that he was momentarily derailed, as I think it may give the company time to reflect and hopefully approach the situation with a more even hand…
I have a bad feeling this is wishful thinking, however, and to expect anything other than a face return to be treated as a level 5 impact regardless of whether the fans agree is rather foolish. Ah well, the show must go on as they say…
Jacob: Yes Mizfan, Reigns is Shield-lite, so to speak. Same vest, same music, same death-stare, but with an additional stench of boredom. I am just glad that WWE was forced to give him some breathing space due to the injury, because the adult demographics were slowly turning on him. He’s not that bad in any fashion, in fact I am high on Reigns being the next super face of the WWE. However, the first step was already tainted by the smark’s mob mentality, and thus the very fact that the adults are booing Reigns may very well leave the Cena tattoo on Reign’s reputation. Reigns had speared nearly everyone in Authority to hell and back in photocopies of Cena’s comeback shtick.
The injury is an opportunity for WWE create an angle to break Reign’s dominance, and add some much needed human vulnerability for Reign’s character. The writing is already on the wall, regardless of WWE’s future direction for Reign’s character, that Reigns is destined for great pushes by the management. Thus, his impact scale will be 5 and he will no doubt be a FACE, unless WWE commits financial suicide with a Ryback treatment on Reigns.
Cena photocopy’s meta-score:
Alignment: Face
Impact score: 4 / 5
Winner - Daniel Bryan
Jacob: After all is said and done, the undisputed wrestler who won the most impact vote is none other than DANIEL BRYAN, with full marks and a FACE alignment.
Subho: Doesn’t surprise me. Bryan is being sorely missed in the current WWE product, and many fans’ remain waiting for him to arrive. There’s no need to rush - although, they need to a lot of things correctly to make up for him. We’re slowly, but surely, heading out of the lull period and I for one would really like some Daniel Bryan on my TV. There are a lot of variables at play when it comes to who WWE would choose to push come ‘Mania, and I think we’re headed for another roller coaster period. Fingers crossed!
Mizfan: Surely it was a given from the start? We are, after all, on the internet, and thus are contractually obligated to support goat boy in everything he does. Fortunately I think it’s also well earned, so no need for accusations of favoritism. I can’t promise to start watching when he finally does show his shaggy face again, but he will certainly tempt me to do so more than most.
Jacob: Regardless of our love or hate for the performers, they gave their all each week to entertain us and ended up with tough luck to their bodies. Injuries suck (duh) and I pray that everyone of those injured will recover soon, not just for the fans, but for their own families and friends. Get well soon.
End of report.