The Royal Rumble

The results of the Royal Rumble have outraged some fans and Daniel Bryan was seemingly buried again, despite being the most over performer on the WWE roster. At this point, you have to wonder, did the WWE realize anything after the Batista debacle? One thing is clear, the audience doesn't want to be told who they should want to see and any attempt to tell the audience who they should cheer usually sours fans on the product. Part of the draw of pro wrestling is that the fans get to decide who they want to cheer and some of the most successful scenarios in the history of the business were started after the fans decided who they wanted to see in the top spots. Keep in mind, the WWE originally tried to make Stone Cold a heel, but the fans turned him into the biggest star in the business. So, why didn't the WWE book Daniel Bryan to win the Rumble?

I wrote in a previous column that I think Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan would be a great storyline because Bryan is the ultimate under dog and the injury sidelined him before he had a legitimate title run so the angle could go full circle if he returned to win the title. Obviously, the WWE had other plans, but the reaction from the crowd in Philadelphia and on social media shows that the fans want to see Daniel Bryan main event Wrestlemania. At this point, I have no idea why the WWE wouldn't book Bryan to win the Rumble, especially after the crowd reaction since he returned and the hostile response after the Rumble last year. I said it after Batista won the Rumble, what does Bryan have to do to get a top spot in the WWE? What else could he possibly do? He's great in the ring and he's the most over competitor on the roster so what else does he have to do to get a spot in the main event?

If I had to guess, I would say that the WWE is trying to push their brand of sports entertainment and Bryan doesn't fit the mold for what they want to present for the product. Roman Reigns was touted as being the next top star and it seems like he's more of the performer that the WWE wants to use to promote sports entertainment. As I said previously, it's somewhat unfair to put the pressure of being the next top star on Roman Reigns this early in his career, but that seems to be the direction for Wrestlemania.

The fans were booing Reigns after the conclusion of the Rumble match, but I don't really think the reaction was directed at him, as it was probably just the disappointment that Bryan didn't win it. Reigns doesn't exactly seem ready to main event the biggest show of the year either, as he has struggled with promos in recent months and his matches are usually just average matches. After the event, #CancelWWENetwork was trending on Twitter, but most fans probably won't cancel it and even if they actually cancel, they will subscribe again before Wrestlemania.

The WWE should also be careful that they don't make Reigns the next John Cena so to speak, in terms of the perception of some of the fans. Reigns only really has a few trade mark moves, which is fine, but they have been extremely over used. How many times is Reigns going to spear his opponents in a match? How many super man punches are there going to be in a match? In many respects, there are a lot of finishers that get over used in the WWE, which doesn't make sense, but the point being, Reigns' move set is already getting stale with the audience.

Ultimately, if the response to Reigns in the main event of Wrestlemania remains hostile, it has less to do with him and more to do with the fact that the WWE is trying to tell the fans who they should want to see in the top spots. However, as long as there are ratings for Raw and fans subscribe to the Network, why shouldn't the WWE book what they think the fans should want to watch? There's no competition in the wrestling business and to put it into perspective, if WCW was still running events, would Bryan not be in the main event of Wrestlemania?

On a better note, the WWE World Heavyweight title match was a great match and all the competitors deserve a lot of credit for it. Specifically, Seth Rollins made himself a star and he proved that he can be a legitimate main event performer. It will be extremely interesting to see if Rollins cashes in the title shot at Wrestlemania and if he wins the title.

Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan

This past week on Raw, Seth Rollins was added to the WWE World Heavyweight title match that will take place at the Royal Rumble to make it a triple threat match along with John Cena and the champion, Brock Lesnar. It certainly makes for an interesting dynamic for the title match up, as Lesnar has yet to compete against any of the younger stars during his most recent run with the company. It also sets up a scenario where Lesnar could lose the title at the Rumble without getting pinned and thus, it keeps him strong for a big money match at Wrestlemania, but why would the WWE have Lesnar drop the title prior to the biggest event of the year?

It's fairly well known that Lesnar's current deal is set to expire after Wrestlemania and considering the millions the WWE invested to sign him, and the still lackluster network numbers, it seems doubtful that the company would offer Lesnar another deal similar to the current contract. If Lesnar exits directly after Wrestlemania, the WWE might not want a performer that won't be on Raw the next night to main event the biggest show, but they booked a similar match with The Rock so it's possible. However, Lesnar's possible exit brings up an interesting question, was Lesnar worth the millions he was paid for the limited schedule he worked? All things considered, the answer is probably not because the WWE is using all their resources to push the WWE network and Lesnar as champion didn't boost the number of subscriptions. That being said, you can't blame Lesnar for the stagnant numbers, as the WWE didn't really effectively book him as champion. I mentioned in a previous column that Lesnar as champion could be used as a "network exclusive" so to speak and it could help boost the numbers, but the WWE didn't book Lesnar for any PPV matches for three months in a row so how exactly did Lesnar as champion help the promotion? He wasn't on TV and he hasn't on PPV so is the pay off going to be a major surge in subscriptions for his match at the Rumble?

Granted, Lesnar didn't have to be on Raw every week, but he didn't have to go into the witness protection program either. The argument could be made that the WWE had to choose his appearances wisely because of his limited schedule, but if there weren't enough appearance for a logical title run, why book Lesnar as the champion? Don't get me wrong, this isn't a jab at Lesnar because you can't blame him for taking the money on the table, especially for working a lighter schedule. Depending on the perspective, if you look at Brock's nearly three year run since he returned to the WWE, the buzz generated around him has somewhat declined, which could be why the PPVs he wrestled at didn't provide an increase of network subscribers. Despite his somewhat disapproving demeanor towards pro wrestling, Brock always puts in the effort to have big time matches so why did the hype around him decline?

If I had to guess, I would say it's the lack of storylines around most of his PPV matches and the lack of storyline is probably because of the lack of TV appearances to actually build up the PPV matches. The other aspect is that Lesnar has only wrestled a few key opponents during his current run and after a few rematches, it's somewhat stale for some of his appearances. That could be another reason why Rollins was added to the title match as the Rumble, as it will be the fourth Cena-Lesnar match on PPV in the past few years.

After the Rumble, if Lesnar is still champion, who challenges for the title at Wrestlemania? Some fans and seemingly even the WWE are still banking on Roman Reigns to main event at the top spot, but I don't think Reigns is ready for it. As I've said previously, it's somewhat unfair to put the pressure of being the next top guy on Reigns when it's still fairly early in his career and in some respects, you can't automatically try to make a competitor the next top star, as much of it depends on who the audience wants to see as the next face of the promotion. John Cena is a rare breed and he will probably continue to carry the company as the top star until he retires, which makes sense because even with the great roster at NXT, there's no guarantee that there's another performer already there that could step into Cena's role as soon as he retires.

This is just my two cents, but if Lesnar goes into Wrestlemania as champion, Daniel Bryan would be a great challenger for the title because the story writes itself. The beast vs. the ultimate under dog could set the stage for a classic title match and Bryan's return from injury could go full circle, as he really didn't get to have a run as champion after he was sidelined almost immediately after winning the title. Regardless of what happens at the Rumble, it will be extremely interesting to see how Lesnar is booked and the opponent for Wrestlemania.

Global Force Wrestling

Earlier this year, Jeff Jarrett announced the launch of Global Force Wrestling and while there was a buzz around it, there weren't many details about the new promotion. Despite the announcement nearly six months ago, there's still not a lot of information about the actual company. As of now, there's no official roster, no television deal, and no live events scheduled with the exception of a GFW branded broadcast of the New Japan Pro Wrestling Tokyo Dome show in a few months. So, what exactly is GFW?

Last year, there were several rumors that Jarrett and Toby Keith made an offer to buy TNA, but a deal wasn't reached because Bob Cater wanted Dixie to remain on TV if the company was sold. After Jarrett resigned from TNA a few months later, reports surfaced online that he was going to start another promotion and it was officially announced in April. As mentioned, no roster or TV deal has been announced, but there are working agreements with several international promotions, including AAA and NJPW. That's one of the elements that could give Global Force something unique to promote, the international talent from different promotions, which is similar to how WCW used talent from Mexico and Japan in the late 90s. More specifically, if GFW would provide an American stage for some of the top international performers, the company could generate a fan base to showcase talent that doesn't usually appear in the United States. As I've mentioned in a previous column, the Bullet Club is one of the top stables in New Japan and one of the reasons that the promotion had a resurgence the past few years so if Global Force can book the Bullet Club for events in the United States, it would certainly help the promotion become established as something other than just a PPV broadcast. The other international talent that would be beneficial for GFW is "El Patron" Alberto Del Rio because he's still fresh off of WWE TV and he returned to Mexico as a top star, but he was recently announced to debut for Ring Of Honor so it seems doubtful he would sign to Global Force.

While the possibilities of different talent provide some unique scenarios for the Global Force brand, there's still not an actual company established and in some respects, it seems like Jarrett is looking to use the broadcast of a New Japan show as a "launch" for a company that doesn't exist yet. New Japan sent some of their stars to work Ring Of Honor shows earlier this year and considering that NJPW seems to be expanding into the United States, you have to wonder why didn't they set up their own PPV deal? Was Jarrett necessary to get the Tokyo Dome show on American PPV? The New Japan office and Jarrett are the only ones that know the answer, but it certainly seems like Jarrett is getting the better part of the deal if he can associate his company name with NJPW when the promotion has already gained notoriety in the United States the past few years. If Global Force is going to become an established promotion, you have to wonder if there's really enough of the market for it to be profitable.

The wrestling business has been down in recent years and you have to wonder,  is there a market for another wrestling promotion? WWE has a majority of the wrestling fans watching the product, TNA has about a million viewers watch Impact, ROH has an audience, and Lucha Underground is trying to get a portion of the market, so what audience will Global Force try to market towards? Basically, what can Global Force bring to the table that isn't already used in a different promotion? That's not to say GFW can't be successful, but at this point, they haven't promoted anything different from what fans can already watch for a different promotion.

It will be extremely interesting to see the direction that Global Force goes and if they sign a TV deal because that's what would give them the opportunity to become a national promotion. Considering that TNA struggled to sign a new deal and even Destination America is a smaller channel, cable networks don't seem to eager to sign a wrestling company so it might be a challenge for GFW to get a TV deal. Don't get me wrong, Global Force has a chance to become a national product and there could be a great roster, but there are a lot things that Global Force would have to add to become a legitimate promotion.

CM Punk signed for UFC

For the second week in a row, Colt Cabana's "Art of Wrestling" podcast froze its website because of the amount of people attempting to listening to CM Punk discuss his departure from the WWE. Last week, social media was a buzz as Punk finally spoke about his decision to leave the WWE almost a year ago and during the podcast, there were many revelations about what exactly led to Punk quitting the company. I'm going to discuss a few of the main highlights from the original podcast, but if you haven't listened to it yet, I would recommend it, as it's worth listening to hear it directly from Punk.

One of the main topics for Punk was that he wasn't booked in the main event of Wrestlemania, even when he was the champion and defended the title against Chris Jericho at the event because The Rock returned to the company to wrestle John Cena for the main event. I've mentioned it before and I will say it again, while The Rock is a draw for casual fans and it certainly makes sense for him to appear at Wrestlemania, it doesn't boost the current roster if a returning star automatically gets a top spot at the biggest show of the year. How are the performers that are on the roster supposed to be perceived as major stars if they are booked for a secondary spot on the card? However, The Rock vs. Cena set a pay-per-view record and the argument could be made that more causal fans would pay to see The Rock in the main event than CM Punk, but it should also be considered that the Wrestlemania brand is a selling point, so it depends on the perspective of the situation.

Punk also detailed that he had a staph infection for two months prior to his WWE departure that the WWE medical team didn't provide useful medication for it and it was only after he left that Punk received the necessary medication for it. The WWE has since went into damage control and released a statement that their medical staff has a top priority to ensure the safety of the performers. In all fairness, medicine isn't an easy occupation and unless someone is a doctor, they probably shouldn't criticize the WWE medical staff, at least until they would have an opportunity to explain their side of the situation. Don't get me wrong, Punk could have a valid point, but it's important to consider that there are two sides to it.

Another interesting note that was revealed during Punk's appearances on Cabana's podcast was that Batista vs. Randy Orton was the original main event booked for Wrestlemania, which proves that the WWE didn't have some elaborate plan to push Daniel Bryan as an under dog, but it was the fan reaction that put Bryan in the main event. As I've said before, you can't blame Batista for his return being a flop, but rather the booking where the WWE tried to tell the fans what they should want to see in the main event. Regardless, it's great that Daniel Bryan got the push he deserved and hopefully, he can return soon.

However, Punk wasn't done making headlines, as he appeared during the UFC 181 broadcast and it was announced that he signed with the organization to fight next year. I've watched MMA for years and I was completely shocked to see Punk at the PPV. There were rumors that Punk had discussions with the UFC, but with no MMA experience, I didn't think he would actually sign with the promotion. The announcement of Punk's signing has garnered a mixed reaction, as some fans are thrilled he will enter the octagon, while others disapprove of it because of his lack of MMA experience. It really depends on how you look at it, the UFC is the major league of MMA and for a fighter to be signed, it usually indications they have proven themselves to be one of the better fighters in the sport so Punk getting a contract seems to go against that theory. On the flip side, CM Punk is one of the most popular sports figures of the past decade and it will draw major money if he fights in the UFC. Despite being a sport, the UFC is primarily a business and their profits were down this year after a series of injuries derailed some prime PPV matches so signing CM Punk is a smart business move for the company. There were also a few of the UFC's top draws that have left the promotion, including Brock Lesnar and George St. Pierre so Punk would boost the numbers that have declined after a few of the company's top stars retired. As for Punk's MMA career, he deserves credit for trying to transition to a new career, but it's doubtful that he will achieve the success of Brock Lesnar when he transitioned to MMA after his initial run in the WWE. Despite being a former NCAA national champion, Lesnar struggled with some of the basic striking of MMA and while his UFC run generated a lot of money, he retired after a 5-3 record in the sport. That's not to discredit Lesnar, but rather just an example of a lack of MMA experience effecting a career.

Punk has been training with the Gracie Ju Jitsu gym, but he has no MMA experience and it would be extremely difficult for anyone to start fighting in the UFC without major experience in some aspect of the sport. I don't think CM Punk will be majorly successful in the UFC, but it will be entertaining to see him fight in the promotion.

Will the WWE network be successful?

The WWE announced a few different things about the WWE network during a conference call a few weeks ago and it provided some interesting information about the streaming network. Most notably, there are only 31,000 more subscribers than previously announced and there are a total of 731,000 subscribers, which is still under the million subscriptions that would reportedly cover the cost of the network. Despite the relentless advertising on WWE programming, the numbers still aren't where the WWE projected them and it seems like the extra price options that were added to try to boost the numbers because adding more content didn't really have a major effect. Essentially, the WWE hasn't made a profit from the network and if they don't find a way to get more subscriptions, you have to wonder if they would shut down the network. It was announced that new subscribers get a month free and that fans can cancel a subscription so they don't have to subscribe to a six month package. Basically, the WWE has done everything they can to get people to at least preview the network so if there's going to be a boost in numbers, it would probably be in the next few months, but why hasn't the network received the subscribers the WWE  projected?

There's not really one answer for it, but looking at the current state of the business and how the perception of the industry has evolved could provide some insight into the situation. On the surface, a 24/7 wrestling network sounds like an ideal product for every wrestling fan, but society isn't exactly demanding all access to sports entertainment. I've said it before and I'll say it again, wrestling has become over exposed and that exposure has led to a shift in the perception of the sport. Before it was common knowledge that pro wrestling was predetermined, the fans had an emotional investment in the product and the emotional investment is what draws money. Without the emotional investment, pro wrestling becomes interchangeable with any form of entertainment and people have nearly unlimited options for entertainment today because of more channels, internet, and other options.

If the fans believe in a product, they will pay to see it and if you look at the top draws, there's a pattern. The fans believed in Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and others. That's not to say that the audience didn't have a clue that wrestling was entertainment because they did, but there was enough kay fabe used that people actually thought Vince McMahon was a tyrant owner. The audience doesn't have to believe everything they watch during a show, but the key is to keep them guessing as to where the line between reality and entertainment. There's a reason the main stream media took notice when CM Punk dropped a pipe bomb because they didn't know if it was a work. Another example is how Daniel Bryan got over with the audience because there was an authenticity to his character and they knew he earned a top spot in the WWE.

The WWE network features a lot of great old school footage, but a major portion of the current WWE audience are younger fans that didn't watch the product during the Attitude Era so it seems as though the company is trying to market the network to an audience that doesn't directly associate with an older product, which could be a reason for the lack luster numbers. Another reason is that most of the fans that watch Raw are casual fans and the network is something more suitable for the die hard fans. It should also be considered that with five hours of original WWE programming on TV every week, some fans might not want to pay for more wrestling. Will the network be a success? Probably, but the number of subscribers certainly make a statement about pro wrestling for the market.

Bound for Glory

The biggest TNA pay-per-view of the year, Bound for Glory aired via tape delay from the legendary Korakuen Hall and the show itself could speak volumes about the direction of the promotion. The event took place in Tokyo, Japan so it gave TNA something unique to promote and the Japanese audience provided a different atmosphere for an American pay-per-view broadcast. The company has cut cost in recent months, specifically taping several episodes of TV during a few shows in New York and the Japanese working agreement was cost effective for them as well. If TNA booked the show in the United States, there would be the production costs of transporting the TV crew and the equipment for the broadcast. However, the Wrestle-1 agreement allowed TNA to save on the expenses because the show used a Wrestle-1 ring and production crew so basically the only major expense for TNA was flying the TNA competitors to Japan.

While it was a cheap way to produce a PPV, it didn't really represent the company for the biggest show of the year and it seemed more like an episode of Impact or one of the "One Night Only" PPVs because there weren't really any storylines involved for the show. With the exception of the main event, the rest of the Wrestle-1 talent on the card weren't featured on Impact so without the TV exposure, why would American fans pay for a show if they don't know anything about some of the wrestlers on the card? Another aspect to consider is that the results of the taped show were online before the PPV aired and most of the TNA fan base are internet fans so if they ordered the show, it was probably for the match quality rather than to see who was going to win specific bouts. Speaking of the match quality, the in ring action of the event was solid. However, the major flaw at TNA's biggest show was that the TNA champion, Bobby Lashley didn't defend the title or even make an appearance at the show. How important is the show if the champion isn't there? Granted, the decision to book Lashley as champion seemed like it was based more on MVP being injured at the time than anything else, but the point being, the champion didn't appear at Bound For Glory.

Perhaps, the most interesting news about the event was a segment that actually didn't make the broadcast. After winning a tag team match, Bully Ray displayed a Bullet Club t shirt and cut a promo to challenge them. As I mentioned in a previous column, the Bullet Club is one of the reasons for the resurgence of New Japan Pro Wrestling in the past few years and the stable has an international fan base. Bully Ray is a smart business man and he didn't resign with TNA so it's possible that he could start working for NJPW. If so, it's a wise decision to push an angle with the Bullet Club because it's one of the top groups in wrestling and it could be major money for a Bullet Club/Team 3D feud.