In hindsight, which face should have been pushed for the main event??

[NegativeFeedback]

**BESIDES DANIEL BRYAN**

Realistically, we all have to agree that Daniel Bryan should be working the WrestleMania main event. Had Bryan gotten his title run in the fall, and lost it afterwards due to Authority shenanigans, I would have been okay with Bryan going after Triple H as was the logical step up after that. But he only held it for a day, which really felt like they were setting up a Mania title win instead.

But WWE had other plans for the card. They thought Batista was going to be welcomed back with open arms and headline the big event. That's why they decided on setting their top faces with other programs. But now that Batista's face push failed and he has turned heel, WWE's top faces are busy with other storylines.

So besides Bryan, Taker and Cena, if you could have pushed another guy as a top star in order for him to be a realistic plan B for the Mania main event with Batista and Orton, who would it have been?

Should Rey Mysterio have gotten one last main event run?
Should Dolph Ziggler have been re-pushed in the fall?
Should Sheamus have come back along with Batista and Orton for the main event?

Comment below, let me know!

(*You can also pitch having Jericho or RVD come back, as they were both reportedly open to returning, but WWE just didn't have room on the card.)

 

[BigGreen73]

Really, all I can think of is CM PUNK even though he's taken his ball and gone home. Here is what I would have liked to see.

Dave Batista comes back and is just handed the WM title shot. HHH says it's was part of his contract to bring him back and HHH can definitely see Dave as the "face" of WWE.

Dave wrestles ADR @ RR

@ RR - CM PUNK vs HHH to finish the Authority fued. CM Punk wins he gets his title shot @ WM XXX.

@ RR - Daniel vs Bray still happens, Daniel still loses but is entered into the RR @ #1 or #2. Makes it all the way and wins his title shot @ WM.

The Authority puts both in a position to win because they think that neither has a chance to win.

So now we have Orton vs Batista vs Bryan vs Punk for the title @ WM. Indy guys vs the corporate faces. PUNK wins, gets his WM moment. These 4 guys can fued off and on until Punks contract is up and Punk puts Bryan over in 1x1 match before he goes. They hug, Punk raises Bryan's arm in victory and hands him the belt. Everyone gets their feel good moment and the crowd goes crazy with the YES! chants

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Personally, I think you need to seize on opportunities as they are presented. Now, if, IF you are making the assumption that Daniel Bryan does not make it into the main event, you still have what is shaping up to be an extremely lackluster main event in Batista Vs. Orton. No one wants to see it, and I think the WWE realizes that they need to make this a triple threat match.

Assuming that Punk is also truly not available, I personally think the other hot hand that I'd insert into that match is Roman Reigns. I think that he's obviously going to be over the crowd and the easy fan favorite. It would mean short circuiting or speeding up the implosion of the Shield, however, after last night's RAW, you could conceivably see an Ambrose Vs. Rollins match on its own.

Should the WWE have pushed someone else? Well, Sheamus was injured for most of the year, and had no boost going into the event. Ziggler was much the same. You've got to be concerned at this point about the number of concussions the guy has received. I wouldn't push Van Dam or Jericho...the general audience is highly aware now of guys who are flying in for a quick paycheck and main event spot, and even if these guys are fan faves, the impact wouldn't be there.

In the end, after last night, Bryan is easily going to be the third man in the match. Had there been no interaction with Batista and Orton in the main event, I would've still had doubts, but now there's none. I expect to see Bryan work twice at WM....once against Triple H, and again the main event.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I think Jericho definitely could have been in the main event. He's a proven main eventer, can talk on the mic and can carry any feud.

I think an argument could even be made for Sheamus although it's not as strong as Jericho. Keep in mind, this is WRESTLEMANIA, the WWE's top PPV for the entire year.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

John Cena and CM Punk are the only two babyfaces who are quite 'there'; I think that having main evented the past three Wrestlemanias and been in the title match for two of those, seeing John Cena slip into a feud with a younger guy going into Wrestlemania is a nice change of pace. Not that you could question whether or not he deserves main event status, but I'm happier to see him go at it with Bray Wyatt. I don't think Punk had a particularly strong end to 2013; the only two matches that he had that I really enjoyed during that babyface run were those against Chris Jericho at Payback and Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. Aside from that I thought his work rate (and the booking of his character) was lacking. But if you're talking about babyfaces who are big enough, right now, to occupy that role (excluding Daniel Bryan for whatever reason) then they're the only two guys that I think meet the criteria.

Obviously there's also the opportunity to take a guy from the tier below and try to make him a superstar worthy of being in that match, but as WWE have proven this year, it's not as easy as having the guy win the Rumble match and telling us that he deserves that spot. Sheamus wouldn't have worked without the strong buildup that he had in 2011/2012. The only other guy I can think of that you could have given that spot and expected the crowd to completely be behind him is Roman Reigns, and there's still question marks over whether or not his level of work is ready for him to be a top guy.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

Obviously there's also the opportunity to take a guy from the tier below and try to make him a superstar worthy of being in that match

For the record, if it wasn't Daniel Bryan, I would have gone with Roman Reigns. The dude is hugely over. The crowd was chanting for him at the Rumble. I would've had him win, and then have Batista turn heel by attacking him. At EC, Batista beats Roman via Authority shenanigans to take his title shot, but the dusty finish makes it a Triple Threat elimination match. Roman then beats both Orton and Batista right after the other to cement himself as a top guy.

 

[HeymanHustler]

Personally, I would have loved to see Brock Lesnar or Chris Jericho inserted in the main event against Orton. Jericho being the first Undisputed WWE Champ against the current Undisputed Champ, Orton. In Brock's case, not only was he the last to hold the Undisputed Championship (before they just called it the WWE Championship) but Orton was the one who beat Brock's record of youngest WWE World Champion. I think Brock vs Orton or even Brock vs Orton vs Batista would have made for an interesting angle/match.

But, when it comes to which wrestler (as in not part time; been a work horse for the past year) on the roster really deserves the main event, I think Punk would've made the most sense for the same reasons everyone else has been saying above.

 

[Randy's_Voices]

I would have liked to see Kane come back and stay on Bryans side instead of going corporate which could leave Kane vs the authority in an upper mid card type match and free Bryan for the title shot. They have plenty of serviceable faces but outside of Cena and Bryan who else could carry the company as one unless they turned Orton back to face? Mysterio, Show, Jericho and RVD dont fill the gap for me...Sheamus and Ziggler were hurt. All youre left with are heels and the true B players. If they use Reigns they would have to rush the story and it would be sloppy. I say turn Randy even though he is a better heel...it would make the main event a little more interesting.

 

[TempestH]

Honestly, let's face it, If Daniel Bryan is not in the title match, then most likely the title match isn't even going to be the main event anyway. Either the Streak match or Bryan/HHH would've closed the show over Orton vs. random face.

I would've have inserted someone like The Miz, who still has his own issues with Orton into the title match. Yes, he may have flopped as a Mania main eventer, but like I said, the title match isn't main eventing without Bryan's involvement. Especially not with Brock, Taker, and HHH on the card. You could even put a bottom of the barrel guy like Alex Riley into the match with Orton and it wouldn't make a difference.