Who is gonna win the 2016 Royal Rumble?

[MrSinnister]

Meh I'm one of those who feels like Wrestlemania sells itself. You have thousands of people who purchase tickets/travel packages way before any match is even announced. At this point, you know that Brock or Cena will be on the card, so there's no match up that doesn't include Rock or Austin that will sell it more than it is already sold. Who Brock or Cena fights won't dictate people attending the show. If PPV still mattered to them maybe, but now they have the network.

Very true, but you still made my point. At least one variable is known. I don't think a shyt put together feud is going to get the buy rate of a feud that is shyt put together but you trust one or both workers. Tickets did go on sale Nov. 6th, but that was after a month of pushing Brock to the forefront.

As a true counter to that point, yeah, you may get the suckers not caring about the card one year, but don't be so sure they won't find another way to spend their money the next year. If WWE actually felt this, they would've allowed Roman to bear Brock and been booed out of the building. Instead, they made Seth Rollins the ultimate transitional champion, because a story as already there, built for a slow burn, and maybe next time.

So everything about WM does matter, even if you do have a decent supply of rich marks.

 

[R=G]

You don't think Ambrose maineventing Mania is money? He gets mad merch, mad love from casuals

He's not about to get a monster push out of nowhere..they have purposedly went out of their way to show you that Ambrose is BENEATH Reigns in the pecking order. shyt..Roman beat him str8 up at Survivor Series. lol.

 

[thaKEAF]

Very true, but you still made my point. At least one variable is known. I don't think a shyt put together feud is going to get the buy rate of a feud that is shyt put together but you trust one or both workers. Tickets did go on sale Nov. 6th, but that was after a month of pushing Brock to the forefront.

As a true counter to that point, yeah, you may get the suckers not caring about the card one year, but don't be so sure they won't find another way to spend their money the next year. If WWE actually felt this, they would've allowed Roman to bear Brock and been booed out of the building. Instead, they made Seth Rollins the ultimate transitional champion, because a story as already there, built for a slow burn, and maybe next time.

So everything about WM does matter, even if you do have a decent supply of rich marks.

Valid points..although I think changing the last two Mania main events had less to do them with them worried about not getting peoples money and more about how embarrassing it would be to have your biggest match of the year booed from beginning to end.

 

[CM_Burns]

It's hard to think about this show and not be disappointed in no Austin vs Brock after Austin created that hype for it earlier this year.

Everything else feels like a Battleground main event by comparison

 

[Bars4TheCause]

Nah I don't see it. This year's Mania did 259k which was down from like 600k last year. The two Mania's before the network did a milli..they will NEVER sniff a million now that the network is out. They could do Austin vs. Rock 4 and still won't get close to that.

Last year's Wrestlemania is an example of why they need to do better this time around. Cena vs Undertaker and Lesnar vs Reigns would do a lot better numbers than last years show. Maybe they don't get a million, so what? The point is to maximize profit and you do that by putting together the matches that will sell the best and the casual market does not care about Reigns vs Ambrose or Owens.

 

[thaKEAF]

Last year's Wrestlemania is an example of why they need to do better this time around. Cena vs Undertaker and Lesnar vs Reigns would do a lot better numbers than last years show. Maybe they don't get a million, so what? The point is to maximize profit and you do that by putting together the matches that will sell the best and the casual market does not care about Reigns vs Ambrose or Owens.

We will see what happens but I just can't see a huge increase of CASUAL fans willing to pay 60 dollars for something they can watch for 9.99 or stream online for free. It's a miracle that they got to that 200k mark, it's gonna drop each year most likely.

 

[CM_Burns]

Last year's Wrestlemania is an example of why they need to do better this time around. Cena vs Undertaker and Lesnar vs Reigns would do a lot better numbers than last years show. Maybe they don't get a million, so what? The point is to maximize profit and you do that by putting together the matches that will sell the best and the casual market does not care about Reigns vs Ambrose or Owens.

I agree, Wrestlemania is not where you make stars, you do that throughout the year. WM is the time to make the biggest matches you can to draw money brother.

I'm not sure Cena vs Taker (with no streak) and Brock vs Reigns 2 is any bigger than last year though. Sting in his 1st WWE match vs HHH with a high stakes buildup meant something, and Brock was hotter going into Mania last year than now (breaking the streak got legit buzz). They might need something else, like a well built Sting vs Taker.

 

[23Barrettcity]

It's hard to think about this show and not be disappointed in no Austin vs Brock after Austin created that hype for it earlier this year.

Everything else feels like a Battleground main event by comparison

You really think Austin could have a good match ? No

 

[CM_Burns]

You really think Austin could have a good match ? No

I just saw Sting at 56 have a great match with HHH, Taker have a great match with Lesnar at 50. If he put his all into it I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Jmare007]

The past five have been mad predictable so it's hard to not see them continuing the same pattern this year. It will be Cena or Brock and there's nothing we can do about it. The last surprising one was Chris Benoit. I wasn't even watching then but when I heard he won I was like . Looking at the past winners overall its like they only gave it to people who were already stars, the problem is that they don't have any stars now except for the ones people will complain about winning (Cena/Brock). I don't even consider Roman a star.

Sheamus won in 2012 because everyone thought Jericho was getting the Rumble. That was the last surprise winner, and a prime example than not being predictable is not necessarily a good thing. Predictable is great when the outcome is something you want to see, a surprise can be awful if it's something you don't care and/or comes out of left field.

If Brock wins after destroying people for 15-20 minutes I'll be more happy than someone like Del Rio winning just because nobody saw it coming

 

[MrSinnister]

We will see what happens but I just can't see a huge increase of CASUAL fans willing to pay 60 dollars for something they can watch for 9.99 or stream online for free. It's a miracle that they got to that 200k mark, it's gonna drop each year most likely.

Agreed. They should've launched the network, but had PPV's until their new star was proven or no earlier than 2017 imo. This is likely the main reason CM Punk wanted to walk instead of keep sacrificing through pain to be The Man B. There was a lot of confusion about the pay ratio, as well as an extreme drop off for everyone else. The Network should've been to keep interest through offering older matches and original material until the subscription numbers were 5 million.

They stupidly wanted to listen to Wall Street and try to lock in profit, but it also killed their last incentive for innovation in storytelling and keeping stars fresh.

 

[MrSinnister]

I agree, Wrestlemania is not where you make stars, you do that throughout the year. WM is the time to make the biggest matches you can to draw money brother.

I'm not sure Cena vs Taker (with no streak) and Brock vs Reigns 2 is any bigger than last year though. Sting in his 1st WWE match vs HHH with a high stakes buildup meant something, and Brock was hotter going into Mania last year than now (breaking the streak got legit buzz). They might need something else, like a well built Sting vs Taker.

Both matchs are crap, because we KNOW the outcome but . They are, literally, the best they can make right now. They could have a decent triple threat as the appetizer to the Cena/Taker (I'm still not sure this should happen, but they burnt the Wyatt bridge to get a rubber match where Bray goes over, unless they have some serious Bray progression) for the IC belt, but no more trip threat main events for a minute.

They've booked themselves into a nightmare really. I'm asking people here if what they think they want to see really would sell, and if they think the E could build a feud good enough to make the match passable and not just a Ziggler Owens.

 

[thaKEAF]

This is probably the worst Rumble/Mania lead in the past couple of years too lol. Like you finally have Roman as champ but does he stay champ and defend against Cena at Mania? What happens with Triple H? do they fight at Rumble? Does anyone really care to see Roman/Brock II or Roman/Cena, the latter would at least be something new. Sting is injured, Seth is injured, Bryan is cleared but who knows what happens, Cesaro is injured. Who does Taker wrestle that he hasn't already? If Triple H wrestles Roman before Mania, who is there for him to wrestle? If Cena does wrestle Roman, who does Brock wrestle? Not to mention they can't book a mid-card feud for shyt (see the IC Ladder match where they just threw everyone together). Honestly this could be the worst one the past three years and it's supposed to be the biggest. I agree they have booked themselves into a corner, it would be interesting to see how they get out of it. There is no MITB contract left and The Rock or Austin ain't walking through that door.

 

[CM_Burns]

Both matchs are crap, because we KNOW the outcome but . They are, literally, the best they can make right now. They could have a decent triple threat as the appetizer to the Cena/Taker (I'm still not sure this should happen, but they burnt the Wyatt bridge to get a rubber match where Bray goes over, unless they have some serious Bray progression) for the IC belt, but no more trip threat main events for a minute.

They've booked themselves into a nightmare really. I'm asking people here if what they think they want to see really would sell, and if they think the E could build a feud good enough to make the match passable and not just a Ziggler Owens.

Ziggler or Owens actually main eventing is a bad idea. As a fan I can't imagine wanting non-stars to main event Mania, Wrestlemania is supposed to be special.

Sting vs Taker with the right build would help a lot. Daniel Bryan coming back would too. If they could bring back Batista and do Brock vs Batista that'd be big too. They've gotta do something though. Reigns vs Cena is cool as A main event, but if that's the clear biggest thing on the card then this is a very weak Wrestlemania

 

[MrSinnister]

Ziggler or Owens actually main eventing is a bad idea. As a fan I can't imagine wanting non-stars to main event Mania, Wrestlemania is supposed to be special.

Sting vs Taker with the right build would help a lot. Daniel Bryan coming back would too. If they could bring back Batista and do Brock vs Batista that'd be big too. They've gotta do something though. Reigns vs Cena is cool as A main event, but if that's the clear biggest thing on the card then this is a very weak Wrestlemania

I actually meant that a match with no real build up or heat will just seem like a 20 min Ziggler/Owens exhibition. Great chain and storytelling wrestling, but you stop giving a shyt at the 6 min mark. Point still well taken. There has to be a dedication to feud building. While they play the ME for WM safe, they should experiment more on the lead up two matches. Maybe if Triple H can't stop Reigns, he goes after Ambrose, and has a win or Authority REALLY loses power at WM. Have fun with the IC title, as you already have 3 legit contenders when you give Owens the belt back, through fukkery, and free up Ambrose.