Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal?

[Trill Co$by]

Considering the first two winners didn't amount to much, I'd say that if the WWE wants to make this mean something, they need to build a future title match with this, even if it's a title shot for a live event special. Otherwise, it's going to become just another throwaway match. With that said, I would like to think that the memorial battle royal will get its due this year. But, who do we put in it? Do we just load it with people like always and get some random big guy to win it? Do we actually get preliminary qualifiers for the match, and nerf it down to only a handful of competitors (say, 15)? And most of all, who do we have win it?

 

[Y 2 Jake]

It's worthless and just a way of getting guys on the card. I hate that Mania is less exclusive than 'B' shows.

Have it happen on the pre-show and have the winner face one of the mid card champs. Hopefully Kalisto as I'm optimistic they have decent plans in place for Owens already.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Yeah, the battle royal is ultimately just a means of allowing guys who're mostly on the lower end of the card to share in the WrestleMania payday. The winners haven't exactly had a career boost by winning it: Cesaro's momentum 2 years ago ended almost immediately after winning it and Big Show's career stayed in the same doldrums its occupied for years now.

I haven't heard anything mentioned about the battle royal so far this year, I'm assuming that they're doing it again this year. If so, then I'm of the opinion it should be moved to the kickoff show; the wrestlers will still get their WrestleMania payday and it'll keep a slot on the main card open for a match that has more standing to be on the main card. Off the top of my head, I think that this year's battle royal is likely to have:

The Wyatt Family
The Social Outcasts
The League of Nations
Ryback
Big Show
Titus O'Neil
The Miz
Damien Sandow
Jack Swagger
Darren Young
Fandango
Goldust
R-Truth
The Ascension
Neville
Sin Cara
Mark Henry
Zack Ryder
Enzo Amore
Colin Cassady

I think that there are 30 that compete in the battle royal and there are reports that Enzo and Cass are headed to the main roster sometime soon, so it's not impossible for them to show up in the battle royal as there's not much going on for them in NXT just now. At any rate, I'd say the line up with look something like this with Braun Strowman picking up the win.

 

[@smarkmouth]

I would not be surprised or disappointed if they unceremoniously remove this match from the card. I thought it had potential in its first year when Cesaro won, but when Creative dropped the ball with him that year, they in turn made the battle royal worthless. If they do go through with it, look for Strowmam to pick up the W and for it to never be mentioned again after a month or so, until the hype for WM 33's AtG Rumble.

 

[enviousdominous]

Yes yes yes, this match is just filler to give a large group of performers an opportunity to have had some exposure on the WrestleMania card. I still enjoy when they put on these kinds of matches, though I agree that it could obviously be improved in terms of the impact of winning it being more than just a generic trophy and brief recognition in subsequent episodes of Raw.

The WrestleMania card is usually packed to its load limit with content, so any idea that would involve having the winner do something else that night is likely impossible. Giving the winner a shot at a belt wouldn't be a very good idea either, since that would diminish the supposed prestige of winning the battle royal itself.

This will sound screwy, but I would make that part of WrestleMania into an NXT exclusive part of the night. An obvious con of doing that would be that you'd be alienating a huge population of main roster undercard talent, but hear me out. NXT talent -- to include their current champions -- compete in this match to earn a place on the main roster.

If a champion wins, they vacate their belt. This wouldn't be the only possible means of calling up a deserving talent to the main show, it would just be a more momentous means of doing as much. You could still give away a trophy, but I think that fans would be more emotionally invested in the match if they were cheering for their favorite NXT talents to be recognized.

 

[kadroan]

Considering the first two winners didn't amount to much, I'd say that if the WWE wants to make this mean something, they need to build a future title match with this, even if it's a title shot for a live event special. Otherwise, it's going to become just another throwaway match. With that said, I would like to think that the memorial battle royal will get its due this year. But, who do we put in it? Do we just load it with people like always and get some random big guy to win it? Do we actually get preliminary qualifiers for the match, and nerf it down to only a handful of competitors (say, 15)? And most of all, who do we have win it?

It really isn't much they can do for it. For one it's for the trophy which they hype as a big deal.

 

[Navi]

Like others have said it's a way for everyone to have a Mania payday, the fans to see their favourites for a short time at least, and the winner really wins nothing. Most useless match on the card, but with the use of part timers during the actual show, they have to include everyone somehow.

I look for Strowman to win, with help from his Wyatt counterparts. Not that it will do anything for the big guy, as it didn't in previous years. He'll have his 5 minutes of fame and then it will be over. If they put some thought behind it, this match could have led to a title shot at an upcoming PPV for the winner, at least it would have meant something. Creative being as non-creative as they are, it is what it is. The missed opportunities are mind bending.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Dangle the U.S Title from a wire and throw 25 ladders around the ring. Have a giant, Andre The Giant Super Clash U.S Championship Ladder Explosion Fest match for the U.S Title. Then again...the U.S Title is back to getting dragged in the mud for some strange reason after the work they did to shine a spotlight on it.

 

[InsomniaMusic]

It's just a match to give those that don't have match in a match and allow a cool match

I like battle royals and they don't have allot

 

[InsomniaMusic]

Plus anytime they can use it to push someone if they start bragging. Hey give it to Big Show and make him challenge people to over the top matches or something