The Royal Rumble did not go exactly how some expected it to. What was supposed to be the beginning of a new main event player being born in World Wrestling Entertainment turned into a recurring nightmare when the vocal Philadelphia fans high jacked the Rumble match and began rejecting everything put in front of them. All because of one man, and it wasn’t the eventual winner, Roman Reigns.
The fans had been enjoying a decent Royal Rumble match with its share of surprises (Bubba Ray Dudley, Diamond Dallas Page, and the Boogeyman) when they got a surprise they neither expected nor wanted; the unceremonious elimination of Daniel Bryan by Bray Wyatt. It happened so suddenly and so inconspicuously that it took more than a moment for the truth to sink in. Daniel Bryan was not winning the Royal Rumble. In fact, he didn’t even come close to winning.
For many fans, this was unacceptable. WWE had been building Bryan’s return for weeks and placed him in his familiar role of underdog, a role that many fans were still ready to get behind. Although fans wanted to see Bryan win, most knew there was a good chance that their guy wouldn’t walk away as a winner. Roman Reigns was the chosen one, and sensible fans could accept that as long as Bryan wasn’t made to look weak or insignificant by comparison, which is exactly what happened on January 25.
It is possible that WWE wanted Bryan out early to give fans time to get their anger out, get over it, and then focus on cheering the man they knew was going to win. They even brought in the Rock as a back-up plan just in case that didn’t work. Much to the chagrin of those decision makers, none of those ideas worked and the crowd checked out the moment Bryan’s feet hit the floor.
It was 2014 all over again as the internet wrestling community exploded onto social media with the hashtag #CancelWWENetwork trending worldwide. Even the most vocal WWE supporters like myself were scratching our heads as to why the decision was made to get rid of Bryan with no fanfare or drama after building him up to be a major player for weeks prior. WWE did what any smart company would do and went into damage control.
Lucky for WWE, mother nature would give them an unexpected assist when bad weather caused Monday Night Raw to cancel its traditional format and instead produce an in house show featuring the big matches from the Royal Rumble as well as the major players talking about what transpired. They made Roman Reigns look humble, they made Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar look threatening, but most importantly, they had Daniel Bryan put over Roman Reigns. They had him speak to his followers directly and try to subdue the masses, like a peace keeper, letting his fans know that Roman wasn’t such a bad guy if we just gave him a chance. Which wasn’t that far from the truth. Roman Reigns is not a bad choice for the future of WWE, and he wasn’t a bad choice to win the Royal Rumble, but the way in which he won the Rumble made him look like everything his detractors accused him of being. It was time to fix that mistake.
Two weeks ago on Raw, it was announced that Roman Reigns would not have a guaranteed chance to wrestle Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania due to the interference of the Rock on his behalf. Not the best excuse, but it had a flimsy logic that fans were willing to go along with if it meant a change in direction. Later that night Daniel Bryan defeated Seth Rollins to earn the right to challenge Roman Reigns for his title match opportunity at Wrestlemania. With that announcement Fastlane went from being a curious entity to one of the most intriguing WWE events in recent memory, all thanks to a main event with several possible outcomes, all of which could have a major impact on Wrestlemania.
Daniel Bryan Part II
First, let’s look at the possibility of Daniel Bryan winning. WWE was smart enough to listen to its fans last year and not only put Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania XXX, but have him win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Could they do the same thing here? It is entirely possible that WWE has stepped back from this situation and come to the conclusion that neither Roman Reigns is ready nor are the fans ready to accept him as their guy. Their guy is Daniel Bryan, and sometimes what is best for business is giving the fans what they want, just like they did last year. A Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar match at Wrestlemania could play off not only Bryan’s underdog status, but also the fact that he never officially lost the championship. If they go this route, certainly the vocal Bryan supporters would be placated, but then what to do about Roman Reigns? It isn’t like he can’t fit on the Wrestlemania card anywhere else, and a loss here after winning the rumble could be excellent motivation for a chip on the shoulder change in attitude, which may be a more natural fit given that a section of the crowd is booing him already, and the situation he finds himself in truly isn’t fair to him. Much like his cousin the Rock, he could take this circumstance and parlay it into a character that leads him down a different, but more successful path.
Wrestlemania 2000 Part II
There is also the possibility that neither man walks away the clear cut winner. Some have speculated that a series of shenanigans will lead to another multi-man match headlining Wrestlemania featuring Brock Lesnar defending against Bryan, Reigns, and possibly Seth Rollins cashing in the Money In The Bank contract. This is one of those, “can’t please everybody, so you please nobody” situations. At least with Wrestlemania XXX, Bryan was the clear cut favorite. By going down this path, the Universe would be split four ways, meaning that a good majority of them would leave Wrestlemania 31 disappointed. Of all the theories presented, this one makes the least sense.
You can’t change the course of history
Of course, things aren’t always as they seem, and it is entirely possible that putting Bryan in this main event, and dangling this carrot in front of his fans is the misdirection of an elaborate magic trick in which WWE fools the fans into thinking they are getting want they want, when in reality, WWE is getting what they want, and convincing the fans that it’s what they want too. Now, there may be fans upset by that idea, but it is the nature of professional wrestling, and in the end if it works, everybody wins. Let us imagine for a moment that Roman Reigns is still the chosen one, and this match with Bryan is simply a speed bump on his road to Wrestlemania. How could Fastlane end with Reigns not getting booed out of the building? It is something to consider. If the fans will accept nothing short of a Bryan victory and WWE still chooses to have Reigns win the match, then all hope is lost for the Roman Empire, however that is a big if. One of the biggest issues fans had with the Royal Rumble was the way in which Reigns won. He didn’t do much in the match itself, and when he did, he lacked the intensity that made him incredibly popular just one year prior. The fact that he got help from the Rock did him no favours either, and he came off not looking like a warrior, but a wuss.
WWE may have been smart enough to recognize this and saw an opportunity to change that perception through Daniel Bryan. If he has nothing else, Bryan has the respect of the WWE Universe, which is why he is their guy, and why they proclaim their love for him so loudly and strongly. An endorsement from Bryan goes a long way with fans, but someone who proves they can hang with Bryan goes even further. In many ways, this match between Bryan and Reigns is art imitating life. Reigns won the Rumble, meaning he should be going to Wrestlemania. He should have won over the crowd and have them behind him, but he failed, and because he failed he has to prove himself worthy of not only that spot, but the fans’ acceptance as well. Ironically, this match isn’t about Daniel Bryan getting a second chance, it’s about Roman Reigns getting a second chance. A chance to show the WWE Universe that he can be, and is the guy they want him to be, but to do that he has to do something much more difficult than throw 30 guys over the top rope. He needs to give a main event performance against the fan’s measuring stick. Reigns isn’t getting booed because the WWE Universe hates him. If they hated him, they wouldn’t have been so solidly behind him six months ago. They hate what he has become, and what he represents. At Fastlane Roman Reigns needs to work harder than he ever has before because he will be under unimaginable pressure from both WWE and the WWE Universe, who are both expecting him to give them the victory that proves he deserves to be the man heading into Wrestlmania, not just in the eyes of Vince McMahon, but of the fans as well. If this is the gamble that WWE has chosen to take with Reigns, then it is a huge one that could backfire on them if they have judged the crowd wrong. If it pays off however, then WWE will have managed to save its Wrestlemania main event and continue to build a new main event star that they desperately need.
On the morning of January 25th, it is hard to imagine that anyone would have guessed that the road to Wrestlemania would lead us here. Although the Royal Rumble left many feeling disappointed, it has also lead to a little cared about event turning into a must see happening; and while creative directions could change weeks after Fastlane has happened, the controversy and intrigue surrounding Bryan vs. Reigns has made getting to the main event of Wrestlemania maybe more fascinating than the main event itself.
Photo courtesy of WWE.com
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