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Dolph Ziggler Mocks Batista Online

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Dolph Ziggler Teases Batista

Image from Dolph Ziggler – WWE Universe Facebook

Apparently, Dolph Ziggler isn’t afraid of speaking his mind and Batista was his target this week. Ziggler tweeted: “Batista is the weak link of Evolution. He’s the only one who hasn’t evolved.”

I’m not sure if Ziggler is speaking in character, or if he is really calling out Batista and his flaws. Ziggler has criticized the likes of Randy Orton and John Cena in the past. He’s mentioned in interviews that he was sick of seeing the same guys in main events.

Ziggler has a point about Batista since the latter’s return has been underwhelming. Batista was brought back to be a huge star like the Rock, but the people didn’t buy into it and booed him. Now, he’s reuniting with Evolution instead of being the WWE World Heavyweight Champion as initially planned.

Batista will lose even more momentum after the Payback PPV when he takes his break. It will be interesting to see if the WWE reinvents his character after his break, or if he’ll return with Evolution.

As for Ziggler, I would have kept my mouth shut if I was him. Ziggler was buried last year after mouthing off on Cena and Orton. If the WWE realizes he’s criticized Batista, they could do it again. Then again, Ziggler has nothing to lose at this point as the WWE has pretty much buried him already.

Ziggler also mentioned he’d like to step up with Daniel Bryan now injured. This would be a good idea, although I feel the WWE won’t do that. They would probably go back and make Cena champion for the 15th time instead …


WWE Programming Stays With NBC Universal

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John Cena on Raw

Image from John Cena – WWE Universe Facebook

NBC Universal is set to keep WWE on their channels as both sides have reached a new agreement.

NBC Universal owns USA Network and Syfy channels, which are both on cable television. Raw will stay as three hours on USA Network while Smackdown will stay on Friday nights on Syfy. The deal is for several years, but an exact number was not given.

WWE initially wanted to shop around to see if they could reach a new TV deal with other networks. There was some concern for TNA Wrestling when rumors floated around that WWE would end up on Spike TV. If that had come true, TNA would be dropped and they would have lost even more money.

WWE wanted to double or even triple their previous TV rights. WWE failed to do that as their current TV rights have only increased to around $200 million. They managed to reach new TV deals in the UK and Thailand too.

Raw continues to rate well for USA Network, although the ratings haven’t been too great. The ratings are stable, but are a fraction of what the show got several years ago. The same is for Smackdown as ratings are steady, but haven’t moved an inch in recent years.

WWE is probably proud they manage to secure a new TV deal with NBC Universal anyway. TV rights earn the company millions of dollars per year. If WWE moved Raw and Smackdown exclusively to the WWE Network, they would have to rely heavily on subscription numbers. This would be risky as customers obviously don’t have the amount of money a TV network has.

WWE Stock Takes A Huge Bodyslam

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WWE Network Apps

Image from the Official WWE Network Facebook Page

Ever since the WWE announced its new TV deal, the stock price for the company has plummeted big time.

The WWE had hoped it could double or even triple its current TV deal with NBC Universal. The current deal is worth $160 million, and WWE wanted to increase that by a large margin. They shopped around, but it sounds like they were not successful. They renewed their contract with NBC Universal with a new $200 million deal instead.

This is far lower than the $280 million or more that investors were hoping for. The WWE’s stock price was hovering around the $20 mark, but plummeted immediately after the TV deal was announced. Now the company’s shares are only worth around $11. It’s worth mentioning Vince McMahon is no longer a billionaire because of the huge drop.

This is a big blow to WWE as their stock dropped tremendously for a second time this year. The share price was worth around $30 at its peak this year. Many people were hoping the WWE Network would be a huge success. Alas, around 667,000 subscribers were announced and the share price dropped to the $20 mark.

I’m not the smartest person when it comes to business, but the WWE needs to find a way to bounce back from this. The TV deal is disappointing, but it’s a multi-year deal. They cannot ask NBC Universal for more money until the deal expires. The only way they can bounce back is make the WWE Network more successful.

The WWE is hoping to get one million WWE Network subscribers by the end of 2014. In 2015, they will release the network to other countries. Hopefully everything works out for the WWE in the months to come.

Increasing WWE Network Price Too Early Could Be Bad News

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WWE Network Logo

Image from WWE Network – Facebook Page

The WWE is thinking of increasing the price of WWE Network already, and I think it’s a bit ludicrous that Vince McMahon and co. are considering it so soon. The WWE Network only launched in February 2014, and it’s only been three months. Not to mention, the network has yet to get to its goal of one million subscribers by the end of the year. The company would be stupid to increase the price so early after advertising so much that it would only cost $9.99 per month.

The WWE is only thinking of raising the price by $1 or $2, but I think it should wait before considering a price increase. Many people signed up for WWE Network in the first place because the $9.99 per month deal sounded good. If the price was increased, how many more people will be willing to subscribe? As for those who already subscribed, will they be willing to renew their subscriptions?

If the WWE wants to increase the price of the WWE Network, it should wait until next year before WrestleMania 31. WrestleMania 31 will be the next boom period where more people would be willing to sign up or renew their subscriptions.

I understand that the WWE’s stock price is down and McMahon wants more money. However, putting that burden on the customer can backfire. I think the WWE should wait at least a year or more to see how things turn out. Increasing the price of the WWE Network so soon makes it seem like the WWE is desperate to earn money quickly.

Daniel Bryan Will No Longer Be WWE World Heavyweight Champion

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Daniel Bryan as Champion

Image from Daniel Bryan – WWE Universe Facebook

Due to his neck injury, Daniel Bryan will be forced to relinquish the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

Bryan’s rise to the top was an inspirational one, but it was short-lived thanks to his injury. It’s not a serious injury, but he won’t be able to compete until SummerSlam in August at the earliest. This means the WWE will have to vacate the title and let someone else have it for the time being. Bryan himself has said he’s not worried about losing the title. It motivates him to get it back again.

Bryan was in the middle of a feud with Kane. They were to face each other at the Payback PPV. That match is likely to be canceled. It will be interesting to see what Kane will do now with Bryan being written off TV. Bryan hasn’t given up the title yet, but will do so in person on Raw. In the storyline, Stephanie McMahon wants him to give up the title. It’s possible that Bryan will hesitate and then Kane will attack him again. This is a way for Bryan to stay at home and recover.

It will be interesting to see if the WWE gives the title to Kane in Bryan’s absence. It gets even more interesting to see who they will choose as Bryan’s replacement. Most of the top guys are already busy in their own feuds. Dolph Ziggler has already put his name forward, but I’m not sure how confident the WWE is with him being a true top guy.

If CM Punk was still around, they could have easily put the title on him. I guess we’ll have to wait next week to find out what will happen.

Damian Seeto is a writer for RantSports.com.

WWE Raw Rating Takes Huge Dip

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John Cena In Action

Image from John Cena – WWE Universe Facebook

Much like the WWE’s stock price, the rating for Raw this week also took a huge nosedive.

The show only averaged about 3.535 million viewers. This is the first time in a while that all three hours of the show failed to get over the 4 million viewer mark. It’s been a bad week for WWE since the share price dropped several notches just days before.

There are many factors to take into account. Raw was taped because they were over in England. Some spoilers hit the internet before the show aired so some fans knew what was going to happen. Also, the NBA Playoffs are happening right now so other viewers would be more interested in that.

The Raw rating drop could ironically be good news for Daniel Bryan though. Bryan has been out from injury so WWE cannot blame him for the low rating. In this case, it’s possible fans didn’t tune in since they knew Bryan isn’t coming back just yet.

The Shield might be happy too since their segment was the highest rated for the entire show. If there’s anything to blame, it’s the lack of interest in all the other storylines WWE has at the moment.

Hopefully WWE finds a way to get the ratings up again. They’ll be back in the USA next week so they’ll avoid the spoilers hitting the internet before the show airs. It’s possible WWE could ride this out and ratings will pick up again closer to SummerSlam. By then, Brock Lesnar will be back and fans might have a newfound interest in Batista. Batista’s movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” looks like it could be a big hit. If the movie is successful, fans might like Batista again if his character is popular in the film.

Who Should Goldberg Face in WWE?

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Goldberg Poses

Image from the Official WWE Facebook page

Wrestling legend Goldberg is said to be interested in a few guys he’d like to work with if he decides to return for one more match.

Jim Ross interviewed Goldberg on his podcast. Goldberg has been in talks with WWE for a potential return, but it’s not set in stone quite yet. Goldberg is interested, but it looks like both parties are waiting until next year for serious talks to begin. It was rumored a few weeks ago that Goldberg would like to have a match at WrestleMania 31.

From the current WWE roster, Goldberg is interested in facing Triple H, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. It’s funny he didn’t name Ryback as that was the opponent WWE had in mind for him to face at WrestleMania XXX. Goldberg decided not to come back so soon so that match was discarded.

I do find it interesting that Goldberg is keen on wrestling Triple H and Brock Lesnar again. His matches with Triple H in 2003 weren’t that great. He is friends with Lesnar now, but their match at WrestleMania XX was pretty bad. I’m sure fans don’t want to see them lock horns again.

Goldberg vs. Reigns has a nice ring to it. Reigns is a young star and would benefit from facing someone like Goldberg. Not to mention they both use a spear as their finishing move. Undertaker would have been a good opponent too, but I think that ship has sailed now with his streak broken. Also, Undertaker should face Sting at WrestleMania 31 instead.

Overall, it would be neat if Goldberg chooses to wrestle in one more match. He’s still pretty popular and was an important part of WCW back in the 90s.

Daniel Bryan Could Be Forced To Wrestle Differently

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Daniel Bryan Kicking

Image from Daniel Bryan – WWE Universe Facebook

Daniel Bryan‘s neck injury was caused by wear and tear over the many years he has wrestled, and he may have to play it safe when he comes back. Bryan is the type of wrestler who gives it his all no matter where he goes. Even if it’s a small show, Bryan will go out there to entertain the fans. The problem with Bryan, though, is that his wrestling style has caught up with his body. He will have to readjust his work ethic when he comes back.

Some of the moves he usually does on a nightly basis are high risk. He dives to the outside of the ring multiple times. He usually lands awkwardly when he goes for his missile dropkick. Finally, he does a diving headbutt off the top rope. I think he should give up the headbutt altogether as that’s was one of the moves responsible for giving Chris Benoit brain damage — and we all know what happened to Benoit.

Bryan’s style of wrestling is similar to that of CM Punk. Apart from Punk’s attitude, his injuries were also another reason he quit WWE. If Bryan doesn’t take it easy when he comes back, he may have to retire early like Edge did.

It will be interesting to see if Bryan can adjust his wrestling style so that he works “safer”. Still, it’s hard for smaller guys to work a slower pace in wrestling matches because they’re not strong enough to carry other wrestlers. We’ll have to see what happens when he comes back in a few month’s time.


Will Advertisements Work On WWE Network?

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WWE Network Streaming App

Image from the Official WWE Network Facebook Page

WWE has made some discussion that advertisements could appear on the WWE Network. Will subscribers accept this?

The WWE Network has been an expensive endeavor for WWE and the company obviously wants to make a profit from it. WWE wants around 1.3 to 1.4 million worldwide subscribers in order to break even. They’re hoping they can increase that number to between two and four million subscribers within the next few years.

The current price is set at $9.99 per month. Subscribers are required to sign up for a minimum of six months. After that, they can either renew their subscription or cancel it.

There was some talk earlier that WWE wanted to increase the price of WWE Network. I thought this was a dumb idea to implement in the first year. Sure $9.99 per month isn’t that expensive, but increasing the price in the first year is a dumb move. They should wait until they reach their goal of 1 million subscribers before increasing the price.

This poses an interesting scenario though. WWE wants to make money, but increasing the price would alienate some customers. Will advertisements be a better way to earn more money without hurting the customer’s wallet?

Some people have gone online to express their annoyance if advertisements were to appear on the WWE Network. However, advertisements still appear on cable television even though you still have to pay for it. I think some advertisements wouldn’t be too bad. Maybe they can allow scheduled advertisements during some shows and not during PPV events.

Either way, WWE really wants to make some money fast after the stock price dropped tremendously over the past couple of weeks. Advertisements could be their ticket to at least earning some more money without increasing subscription costs.

Did WWE Overvalue Its TV Deal Value?

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WWE Raw Logo

Image from the Official WWE Facebook page

The WWE was hoping to increase the company’s TV rights deal by a large margin. Did Vince McMahon and co. get too cocky during the negotiations?

As reported a few weeks ago, the WWE decided to stay with NBC Universal for the next couple of years. The WWE will now earn $200 million in TV rights. This is up from the $160 million they were getting before. The company had hoped to increase its TV deal by a large margin, but it looked like TV networks were scared by the WWE’s initial demands.

There’s a part of me that agrees with some of the other TV networks that turned down the WWE’s offer. Raw and Smackdown have good ratings, but they’re not as high as they have been in the past. Come to think of it, ratings have actually been down over the last couple of years. Were the WWE overestimating its own value?

Back in the day, Raw routinely got six to seven million viewers each week. This was in competition with WCW Nitro, which had decent ratings of its own. When Smackdown was on broadcast TV, it would get around six million viewers or more as well. Not to mention, it aired on a Thursday night back in the past.

Raw now averages around four million viewers. It only gets close to five million viewers during WrestleMania season. Smackdown is now also on cable TV, and only gets around three million viewers on a Friday night. Ratings haven’t really improved for a number of years now.

That being said, the WWE probably didn’t have much going for them asking so much money for their new TV deal. If ratings were higher, I’m sure the other TV networks would have been willing to pay more. NBC Universal saved the WWE in the end since the network has been doing good business with the company for many years now.

Will A New WWE Champion Be Crowned At Money In The Bank?

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Randy Orton As Champion

Image from Randy Orton – WWE Universe Facebook

This year’s Money in the Bank PPV could be interesting as we could see a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

On Raw this week, Daniel Bryan did not surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Title. It’s said he’ll be vacating the title at Payback instead. This means the title will be vacant and a new champion will have to be crowned. Bryan is likely to be out until August due to his lingering neck injury.

The plan right now is for the Money in the Bank PPV this year to be about the WWE World Heavyweight Title. In previous years, the winner would just get the opportunity to challenge for the belt. This year, they might get a chance to actually become champion.

It will be interesting to see who is in the title hunt this time. I know Batista is out as he’s taking a few weeks off. Triple H and Randy Orton might be out too if they’re continuing the feud with The Shield.

I’m pretty sure Kane will be in the title hunt since he was in the middle of feuding with Bryan. WWE is likely to insert John Cena yet again, as well as Bray Wyatt. Let’s hope Cena doesn’t win the belt again. That would be boring and predictable.

Other names that could be thrown in the title hunt could be Cesaro and Big E. They’re fresh names that could benefit from entering the title hunt. I’ll be mad if the title contenders end up being the same old guys like Orton, Cena and Big Show.

What’s Next For Batista In WWE?

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Batista Looks Shocked

Image from Batista – WWE Universe Facebook

The recently returned Batista is now taking a few months off to promote Guardians of the Galaxy. What will he do when he returns to the WWE after that?

The Payback PPV is coming up, but that will be his final show for the time being. Whatever happens, Batista will be off television. It’s more than likely that the Shield will win over Evolution so that Batista leaves (in the storyline) bitter and angry. He might even leave Randy Orton and Triple H.

Batista’s return to the WWE after a four-year absence has been lackluster. He was brought back to give more life to the product like The Rock and Brock Lesnar did before him. Alas, fans rejected him and booed him ever since he came back. Not to mention, he failed to increase the ratings. People instead got behind Daniel Bryan, and Batista’s babyface run was nixed.

The WWE turned Batista into a heel and he’s now back with his old Evolution teammates. It will be interesting where Evolution goes from here if Batista is leaving. Will they continue the storyline, or will Batista leave the group?

I’m guessing Batista will break away from Evolution and fight for the WWE World Heavyweight Title again. He could face Bryan at SummerSlam. I would love to see him face Lesnar one day though. These two powerhouses have yet to wrestle on the main-event stage.

It’s even possible Batista could even become a babyface when he returns. This depends how popular he becomes after Guardians of the Galaxy comes out. If his character shines in the movie, people might start to like him again.

WWE: Raw Ratings Tank To New Low This Week

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Daniel Bryan Now Injured

Image from Daniel Bryan – WWE Universe Facebook

WWE seriously needs to rethink how to capture viewers as its Raw ratings have been very low lately.

The Raw ratings for this week were downright atrocious. It was the lowest rated show of 2014 and the lowest rated since New Year’s Eve. It only averaged 3.602 million viewers which is way below the 4 million viewer mark.

The first hour attracted 3.538 million viewers, the second hour averaged 3.858 million viewers and the final hour averaged 3.411 million viewers. This is bad considering this was the last Raw before the Payback PPV. Normally viewership increases the week before a PPV.

People can defend the rating and say it was because of Memorial Day. Even then, the rating is still pretty low for a holiday. X-Men: Days of Future Past came out, but its box office numbers shouldn’t have affected Raw. The movie didn’t break new records like the weekend The Avengers came out in 2012.

Another reason could be that the NBA Playoffs are still playing. WWE has to compete with NBA every year, and the rating hasn’t been this low. Back when Raw was only two hours long, they were still able to draw decent numbers no matter what sports or movie event was on.

One reason why the rating could be low is that Daniel Bryan is injured. Usually people like to tune in to see any storyline involving the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. There’s not really a champion right now as Bryan won’t be wrestling anytime soon. He is likely to vacate the title at Payback.

Maybe WWE has to ride this low period out and viewers will come back at SummerSlam. By then, Brock Lesnar will be back and there might be new found interest in Batista too. WWE could also sign Sting to a contract ASAP to attract the older fans and boost ratings.

CM Punk Acknowledges Retirement

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CM Punk Retirement Talk

Image from CM Punk – WWE Universe Facebook

CM Punk has finally kind of spoken up and has acknowledged that he’s now retired.

Punk was interviewed by the Red Eye Chicago newspaper recently. One of the questions asked was how he felt about being retired at the age of 35. Punk responded by saying that he feels good. He didn’t elaborate or talk more about his situation.

Punk acknowledging his own retirement could be a sign he might not wrestle again. Many eager fans had hoped he’d come back to the WWE one day. First it was Raw in Chicago and then WrestleMania XXX. Now some fans are hoping he comes back at Payback, which is being held in Chicago. It’s highly unlikely he’ll appear on Sunday judging by his recent comments.

Punk is going to marry AJ Lee soon and they’ll go on a honeymoon like most newlyweds do. When Punk’s contract expires in July he’s more than likely to not re-sign with WWE. He’ll probably stay off the radar for many years before he steps inside a wrestling ring again.

Still, fans do not have all the answers surrounding his WWE departure. Aside from Punk, only Vince McMahon and Triple H know the real reasons he abruptly left the company earlier this year.

One has to wonder if WWE will give us a full answer when Punk’s contract expires. Not to mention if they will acknowledge him on TV again or continue to censor him. WWE left Punk’s Facebook page open so they haven’t truly forgotten about him. Perhaps the page’s millions of fans are reason enough to keep it active.

CM Punk Chooses NHL Over WWE Payback

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CM Punk Likes Hockey

Image from CM Punk – WWE Universe Facebook

WWE Payback is this Sunday in Chicago, as will be an important NHL Playoff game. CM Punk is going to the NHL game.

Nobody expected Punk to really make an appearance at Payback apart from a few diehard fans. Some fans had hoped he would appear on the PPV to say his last goodbyes, or return full time again. This is unlikely as the man himself has acknowledged his own retirement. We may not see him inside a wrestling ring again for quite some time.

As for Payback on Sunday, the PPV will face stiff competition from a very important NHL game. It’s Game 7 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings. The game will be held in Chicago at the United Center. Payback is only 18 miles away at the All State Arena. Punk has already made arrangements to see the hockey game instead as mentioned on his Twitter page.

From a TV standpoint, I can see a lot of people watching the NHL game on Sunday. This won’t look good for WWE. There are even some fans in Chicago struggling to choose which event to see. Some of them are choosing the NHL game since it’s more important than the average WWE PPV event.

It also doesn’t help that Payback itself was not a stacked card to begin with. Some of the matches are uninspiring while the main event matches are rematches from Extreme Rules. WWE fans could always watch Payback later on the WWE Network, as a replay is usually up just minutes after the event concludes. In either case, the rumor of Punk returning should now be put to rest for good.


WWE: John Cena Literally Buries Bray Wyatt

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John Cena Wins Again

Image from John Cena – WWE Universe Facebook

Bray Wyatt was defeated by John Cena at Payback, which presumably ends the feud between the two.

Wyatt vs. Cena at Payback was an exciting Last Man Standing match that had a lot of action. It was much better than their overbooked Steel Cage match from Extreme Rules just one month ago. It was also better than their WrestleMania XXX match too.

Cena and Wyatt weren’t the only two guys getting punishment. Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and The Usos got in on the action too. There was never really a dull moment in the match as all of the spots came thick and fast.

The only controversial moment in the match was the finish. Many people wanted Wyatt to end the feud with a victory, but Super Cena overcame the odds again to get a win. He used the AA on Wyatt that put him through a production box. Cena then literally buried Wyatt with a bigger production box. Wyatt couldn’t get up to the count of 10.

Many fans are furious that Cena keeps on winning. Even Evolution are on a losing streak. It’s unlikely that this loss will hurt Wyatt in the future, but it’s boring to see Cena win all the time. Cena’s character needs a change, but the WWE refuses to pull the trigger.

It will be interesting to see who Wyatt feuds with next. As for Cena, hopefully he feuds with someone else and doesn’t fight for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. The last thing we need is another storyline involving Cena fighting for a championship.

WWE: Evolution Have Become Losers

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Evolution Keeps Losing

Image from Randy Orton – WWE Universe Facebook

Evolution were dominant 10 years ago. Now, the group has lost all of their recent PPV matches.

Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista dominated the WWE for many years. Even when Batista went on a four-year hiatus, Orton and Triple H continued to hog the spotlight. That is until 2014 when fans started to rebel against the WWE, wanting to see some new faces.

Ever since the Royal Rumble, the WWE started to elevate new talent and guys like Evolution started to take a backseat. Triple H lost cleanly to Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX. Orton and Batista also lost to Bryan on the very same night. The fans were sent home happy.

The next month at Extreme Rules, Evolution took on The Shield. Evolution reuniting after 10 years was a huge deal. It seemed like they would dominate the WWE again. That didn’t happen as the Shield beat them cleanly. It seemed evident that they would get their revenge.

A rematch was set for Payback just one month later. I was certain that Evolution would win this encounter. Also, this was an elimination match, so all members of the team had to get out. The Shield won that match in brutal fashion without even losing any members. Evolution surprisingly took the fall in three straight PPV events. Not to mention, Batista is now gone for a few months.

My question is where does Triple H and Orton go from here? They’ve looked like jobbers ever since WrestleMania XXX. Do they continue facing Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, or they they find new opponents for themselves?

Seth Rollins Shockingly Joins Evolution

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Seth Rollins Traitor

Image from the Official WWE Facebook

Seth Rollins has joined Evolution in a shocking conclusion to Raw.

Batista is legitimately taking a break from WWE in order to promote his upcoming movie “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Batista said he “quit” WWE in the storylines so an open spot was made in Evolution. Early rumors suggested Sheamus of all people would join the group. Some others guessed that even Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose would join Evolution, but everyone was caught off guard when it was Rollins.

There was a WWE magazine article that suggested Ambrose would be leaving the Shield. He referred to Reigns and Rollins as his “former partners”. My guess is that WWE thought this was too predictable and went with Rollins instead. Reigns is too popular with the fans to turn heel, so he was never really in contention to be in the group. He’s perfect as the main babyface in the growing storyline.

I actually like the fact the this storyline is somewhat expanding and continuing. I thought with Batista taking a few months off, WWE would drop the ball and leave the Shield/Evolution storyline altogether. Now things are getting more juicy with Rollins as the backstabber.

Triple H and Randy Orton have been looking weak with their recent losses. But I’m not complaining; this is just an observation. With Rollins now joining the group, maybe Orton and Triple H will look relevant again. Not to mention Reigns and Ambrose will be hungry to get their revenge and an explanation for Rollins’ sudden character change.

Full WrestleMania XXX Buy Rate Revealed

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WrestleMania XXX Stage

Image from the Official WWE Facebook Page

The buy rate for WrestleMania XXX was still pretty high, even though fans could see it on WWE Network instead.

WWE announced a few months ago that nearly 400,000 domestic customers bought WrestleMania XXX via traditional means. Now, they have revealed on a worldwide basis, WrestleMania XXX garnered 690,000 buys. Add this to the 667,000 WWE Network subscribers, and you have 1.35 million households that tuned into WrestleMania XXX. That’s a pretty impressive number for WWE.

The only alarming figure I could find here is the number of international buys the event earned. The WWE Network is only available in the USA at the moment, so only around 300,000 households outside of the USA bought the event. This is down from the usual 400,000 international buys WrestleMania usually gets each year.

The only reason I can think of to explain this is that WrestleMania XXX lacked The Rock being advertised for the show, as he only came out as a surprise in a talking segment that also included Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock is one of the most popular stars worldwide, and since he was not wrestling this year, I’m sure some fans worldwide didn’t bother ordering the event.

The somewhat low international figure also shows us how Batista is now really a huge draw. WWE brought him back hoping he’d pull the same numbers as The Rock. That obviously didn’t happen, and the fans rebelled against him. It could also tell us Daniel Bryan is popular in the USA, but not yet famous in other parts of the world.

Still, WWE Network will be launching in other countries in 2015. From now on, I guess WWE’s goal is to increase network subscriptions since buying events on PPV nowadays is getting too expensive for some people. The WWE Network is much cheaper and offers way more value.

WWE Summerslam: Brock Lesnar Should Destroy Daniel Bryan

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Brock Lesnar Looking Strong

Image from the Official WWE Facebook Page

If Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan goes ahead for WWE SummerSlam, it would be logical for Lesnar to go out and destroy Bryan.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Bryan fan, but it would make no sense for Lesnar to lose in this encounter. Lesnar is a legitimate fighter and having him lose to the much-smaller Bryan would make no sense. It made more sense when Bryan made Batista tap out because Batista’s gone skinnier and is unfit these days.

Not to mention, Lesnar broke Undertaker‘s undefeated streak at WrestleMania XXX. At this point, Lesnar needs to be booked as an unstoppable beast. It would be ludicrous for him to lose cleanly to Bryan just five months after conquering the streak.

It’s being speculated that if Lesnar beats Bryan, Cesaro will cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Lesnar to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. This scenario doesn’t fit well with me either as we’ve seen this being done at SummerSlam too many times already. It will also make Lesnar look weak again.

If it were up to me, Lesnar would instead become champion at the Royal Rumble. That way, he can at least make some appearances on Raw. I would have Roman Reigns win the Royal Rumble and then Lesnar loses at WrestleMania 31 to Reigns in the main event.

Reigns at this moment needs to become the company’s biggest star. Beating Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 would be a surefire way to solidify his status as WWE’s next big thing.

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