The Wrestlemania main event *potential spoilers*

Bounty Hunter

So as of The Royal Rumble it is Randy Orton vs Batista, a fact that wasn't changed at Elimination chamber or the Raw afterwards where if anything it seemed to be more solidified as D.Bryan the man most likely to be added to the mix now seems more and more likely to be vs Hunter.

so...

Will it be the 1on1 that is currently billed? will a face heel switch make any difference? Will someone get added and if so who? Will the crowd totally sh!t on this match if it goes ahead? and will the WWE ignore the fans and push ahead with it anyway?

The fashion Icon Bootista vs The Face of the WWE Randy Orton, somethings got to give

DM_7

They will have to add someone or it will be horrible. Hope its Bryan. Can't see them doing it though.

MitchKoobski

Well given the way Batista was on Smackdown, it's a guarantee that someone is being added to the match or the match is being modified.

If they actually want to go 1v1, they would have to put it on halfway through the card to avoid a main event repeat of Lesnar/Goldberg where both are booed mercilessly.

Bryan earning a spot in the match by beating HHH or by Hogan putting him there seems like the outcome most of us can hope for.

If they are still against putting Bryan in the match, wouldn't rule out them attempting to turn Orton face though.

Moneymaker

It will be booed out of the building regardless of where on the card it goes.

I'm sure they are fully aware of this and it's just a matter of whether they care or not at this point as to whether it'll be changed.

Fact is the business will roll on and people will still watch and buy tickets.

I've always been a big believer in sending the fans home happy at Wrestlemania so hopefully common sense prevails and Bryan is added to the match. I'm not holding out hope though.

SureYWouldntYa

It will be nice to see someone other than Rock or Cena close Mania, please let it be Bryan

Ape Lincoln

My guess is Taker vs Lesnar will be the main event and go on last. It's the biggest match they've got.

Mr.Nice Guy

I reckon if Punk returns, he will be added into it.

If not, I see Bryan being added.

Moneymaker

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I reckon if Punk returns, he will be added into it.

If not, I see Bryan being added.

Cult of Personality hits on Monday, crowd goes INSANE. And he cuts another "pipebomb" and gets added to the match.

I can dream, can't I?

gnfnrhead

I think it's safe to rule Bryan out of it. When he was challenging Triple H he made no reference to the Wrestlemania title match and was instead 100% focused on Triple H.

Much like Ape, I think Lesnar vs Undertaker will go on last. Undertakers match usually burns the crowd out and everything after it suffers. Sending it on last avoids that.

For Batista vs Orton, I think they should keep it very short. The longer it goes, the more it will be shit on. Bell, Batista falls into Orton while Cole calls it a Spear, Batista Bomb, Three count. Job done. A long match will be massacred. Bryan vs Triple H to follow so the boos are quickly forgotten about.

Moneymaker

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I think it's safe to rule Bryan out of it. When he was challenging Triple H he made no reference to the Wrestlemania title match and was instead 100% focused on Triple H.

Much like Ape, I think Lesnar vs Undertaker will go on last. Undertakers match usually burns the crowd out and everything after it suffers. Sending it on last avoids that.

For Batista vs Orton, I think they should keep it very short. The longer it goes, the more it will be shit on. Bell, Batista falls into Orton while Cole calls it a Spear, Batista Bomb, Three count. Job done. A long match will be massacred. Bryan vs Triple H to follow so the boos are quickly forgotten about.

A short match like that totally buries the title though. After all the effort they went to with merging the belts and making it a big deal again.

And the title always goes on last, whether it makes sense or not.

They've booked themselves into a corner and it's a big problem.

DB mentioned in the backstage segment that everytime he got close to the title HHH would get in his way. So you can add him to the match just fine.

Ape Lincoln

Moneymaker wrote: »

A short match like that totally buries the title though. After all the effort they went to with merging the belts and making it a big deal again.

And the title always goes on last, whether it makes sense or not.

They've booked themselves into a corner and it's a big problem.

DB mentioned in the backstage segment that everytime he got close to the title HHH would get in his way. So you can add him to the match just fine.

The title didn't go on last in 2010 or 2012. They haven't booked themselves into a corner as there are options but it's clear what they're going with and it's also clear that they don't care about the boos aimed at Batista. It will suck but they've not been taking the title serious for a long long time. I'd settle for Cena vs Howard Finkle rather than Orton/Bootista but hey, they don't do what us r randomers on the internet want...

Punk returning is possible I suppose but I'm pretty doubtful of it happening.

leggo

People are half-convincing me that the 'If Bryan wins he's added to the match' stipulation will be added, however that makes it very predictable that he beats Triple H, to the point that the only way you can go is to have Triple H go over, which leaves us back at square one.

My initial response as soon as it became 'clear' that they're going with Bryan/HHH and Orton/Batista was that the Bryan match would close the show. They don't have to announce the last match so it doesn't add any risk (if they're still hesitant after the SummerSlam buyrate tanked) and it means Bryan still gets his big Mania win with the fireworks and Triple H raising his arm in respect afterwards. They don't have to end on the title match (and can't if it's Batista/Orton) and Taker/Lesnar is more of a special attraction match with an inevitable result, so doesn't really fit as a show closer, which only really leaves Bryan/HHH as the M/E.

Diabhal Beag

Can't see Bryan not being added. Heel Batista won't make a difference to how bad the crowd would ****e all over their main event. I see this ending the show too as their happy ending.

Punk in the main would do very little for me unless they really had something good going for him.

MitchKoobski

Cole's big rant after the chamber about how "enough is enough Daniel Bryan has been fighting and winning for six months and still kept down" and so on wants me to think WM30 will have a happy ending.

J. Marston

If Batista/Orton headlines the biggest 'Mania ever, it will be the most shít-upon match ever.

70,000-80,000 people inside an arena, the boos would be deafening. I kind of want it to happen!

Moneymaker

J. Marston wrote: »

If Batista/Orton headlines the biggest 'Mania ever, it will be the most shít-upon match ever.

70,000-80,000 people inside an arena, the boos would be deafening. I kind of want it to happen!

I think Boston Crab said it best on the Boards.ie Wrestling Podcast(gets coat)

Vince doesn't care if we boo. We could actually see people leave and that is incredibly damaging.

Ape Lincoln

Moneymaker wrote: »

I think Boston Crab said it best on the Boards.ie Wrestling Podcast(gets coat)

Vince doesn't care if we boo. We could actually see people leave and that is incredibly damaging.

It still doesn't matter and it wouldn't be damaging. How could it? Would it damage buyrate? Ticket sales? Network subs? Share price? Merch sales? (hint: no).

Anyway, people left during the iron man match at Mania 12.

Deadlie

No chance of a fatal 4 way, is there? Orton, Batista, H and Bryan.

Bounty Hunter

Deadlie wrote: »

No chance of a fatal 4 way, is there? Orton, Batista, H and Bryan.

spending too much time as part of the IWC as when I see the above I now automatically think HHH would win just to troll the WWE fans not that Bryan would overcome all the big heels in one guy for a real Mania moment

jaykhunter

Moneymaker wrote: »

Vince doesn't care if we boo. We could actually see people leave and that is incredibly damaging.

It'd be amazing if during Batista's match, if a group of 20 people on the hard camera got up and left and went to the concession stand for 20 minutes. It'd be incredibly damning from a visual standpoint and would blow up twitter, something WWE care strongly about. If it could be orchestrated.

The best thing about these fans hijacking segments is that it inspires other fans to do the same, making sure WWE listen. They're stubborn but they give in (eventually)

DM_7

They hooked Big Show from his Orton feud. Ended up as a new years baby and no idea where he is now. Recent example of them reacting (eventually).

Loughc

I think it's safe to say Bryan won't be in the main event at WM. This has all the vibes of royal rumble number 30 all over it again! I firmly expect the crowd to s*it all over the WWE World title match if it's just Boo-tista and Boreton.

Moneymaker

Ape Lincoln wrote: »

It still doesn't matter and it wouldn't be damaging. How could it? Would it damage buyrate? Ticket sales? Network subs? Share price? Merch sales? (hint: no).

Anyway, people left during the iron man match at Mania 12.

I'm well aware people walked out during the Iron Man match. At least that was somewhat understandable(massively over-rated match imo).

You really think the visual of people leaving during the main event of WM30 isn't damaging?

leggo

Moneymaker wrote: »

I'm well aware people walked out during the Iron Man match. At least that was somewhat understandable(massively over-rated match imo).

You really think the visual of people leaving during the main event of WM30 isn't damaging?

If WWE are going for Orton/Batista as is, then they're going for it in the same mould as Brock/Goldberg at WM20. The way they are now they'll then parlay it as a heel move, The Authority forcing people to watch the main event they didn't want to, while also pandering in another way so that it doesn't hurt them monetarily. If they do it right then fans walking out actually plays into the story. You just have to have a pretty good payoff in mind.

One idea I haven't seen mentioned is what if WWE went the Bret Hart/WrestleMania 10 route and had the stipulation that Daniel Bryan fights the winner of Batista/Orton on the same night if he beats Triple H?

You get your 'heel match', get Bryan/HHH (which is still predictable but now you don't know who he's facing at least) and get your Bryan main event win without risking the entire card on whether or not Daniel Bryan's popularity equals money.

gnfnrhead

leggo wrote: »

If WWE are going for Orton/Batista as is, then they're going for it in the same mould as Brock/Goldberg at WM20. The way they are now they'll then parlay it as a heel move, The Authority forcing people to watch the main event they didn't want to, while also pandering in another way so that it doesn't hurt them monetarily. If they do it right then fans walking out actually plays into the story. You just have to have a pretty good payoff in mind.

One idea I haven't seen mentioned is what if WWE went the Bret Hart/WrestleMania 10 route and had the stipulation that Daniel Bryan fights the winner of Batista/Orton on the same night if he beats Triple H?

You get your 'heel match', get Bryan/HHH (which is still predictable but now you don't know who he's facing at least) and get your Bryan main event win without risking the entire card on whether or not Daniel Bryan's popularity equals money.

That would be a very shitty story. The babyface wins then gets to rest up for a while. The heel wins his title after winning the Rumble only to have to defend it again straight away against someone who has had time to rest and heal up. Roles need to be the other way around for it to work.

leggo

gnfnrhead wrote: »

That would be a very shitty story. The babyface wins then gets to rest up for a while. The heel wins his title after winning the Rumble only to have to defend it again straight away against someone who has had time to rest and heal up. Roles need to be the other way around for it to work.

That's not how WrestleMania 10 worked though: Yokozuna defended against Lex Luger in the middle of the card. And it was a screwy finish too. You never felt that Bret had gotten the better end of the deal despite him being in the opener.

Orton could come in, low blow Batista as things start to turn against him and get disqualified. Meanwhile Bryan has taken a pummelling against Triple H (as he should) and scored a small package win. Bryan is still a massive underdog going into the main event.

Ape Lincoln

Moneymaker wrote: »

I'm well aware people walked out during the Iron Man match. At least that was somewhat understandable(massively over-rated match imo).

You really think the visual of people leaving during the main event of WM30 isn't damaging?

I doubt they would point the cameras at gaps in the audience to be honest, they just use more closeups of the wrestling. I still don't see how this will make the booking team change anything. The fundamentals of pro wrestling booking and promotion used to be that if the house was down then you change direction, push someone else etc. WWE unfortunately make their money from other sources nowadays to the point where Triple H can basically work the smarks and marks alike so brazenly with all this 'face of the company, B+ player' stuff.

Lord TSC

jaykhunter wrote: »

The best thing about these fans hijacking segments is that it inspires other fans to do the same, making sure WWE listen. They're stubborn but they give in (eventually)

It's why I think they need to get on top of the Chicago crowd tomorrow very, VERY quickly. Much as how we still get hang-overs of the post-Mania crowd affecting things today, a rowdy crowd tomorrow could set the tone for the next few weeks.

The HijackRaw crowd were talking about turning their backs on Batista and Orton; if that happens in a large way, it's the type of thing that could happen at every show for the next month...

Rjd2

Ape Lincoln wrote: »

It still doesn't matter and it wouldn't be damaging. How could it? Would it damage buyrate? Ticket sales? Network subs? Share price? Merch sales? (hint: no).

Anyway, people left during the iron man match at Mania 12.

The hook of the network for many is Mania and a lot of people come back for that, throwing a match out like that to close with no heat and is rubbish does not leave a good impression. It won't kill them far from it, but surely you want to hook those with delivering a quality flagship PPV.

They will stick it in the middle of the card, make it quick and a spotfest,if they have any sense.

Anyways Taker v Brock and Bryan v Trips are actually bigger matches so no reason for it to close the show.

JP Liz V1

I'd prefer D Bryan be added to the title match over Punk but I also want D Bryan to go over HHH at WM too

Bounty Hunter

Was Batista always this bad?

Not talking about him gassing out so quickly as I guess that could be attributed to his being out of the ring for so long so not having the same endurance (although one would have thought he woulda kept somewhat fit with his MMA business) but it's like he has completely forgotten how to wrestle since we was last in the WWE.

I mean I dont think he was ever a HBK /Danielson type but surely he used to do a lot more than he seems capable of atm?