The Firing Angle - Your thoughts? (1/2)

[JDHale]

As I'm sure all of you know by know, last Monday The Authority returned to power and in the final segment of the night they decided to fire Team Cena, consisting of Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan. Now I'm guessing that the trio will return in the near future, maybe even the next episode of Raw, or it could be that WWE lose the plot and have Sting vs Triple H for their jobs at WrestleMania (I wouldn't be surprised in all honesty..) This angle is huge in terms of a lot of talents whether you want it to be or not, and I'll try explain it in two parts when I get the time. The first part I wanted your guys' thoughts on is below, and will discuss the three talents themselves that were fired, whereas the second part will be about how other talents who weren't fired may be able to use these three missing from tv as an opportunity (unless they return immediately that is). The question for part one in case you don't want to read on is who of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and who is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? If you think all three will benefit or be harmed, please let me know and explain also. Tell me your thoughts if you could please!

In terms of the three that were fired, all of them were on very different and separate paths. Ziggler had just been screwed out of his Intercontinental Championship by the Authority after being on the hottest streak of his career. As others have said, he was arguably up to the second most over guy on the roster but that's a matter of opinion. Nonetheless he was undeniably a fan favourite which means being off of tv for a long time could be extremely bad to his momentum, and so him being fired can go one of two ways. It could be the best thing to have happened to him, raising the crowd's support even more and making him a very likely contender to win the Rumble or at least get a major match at Mania. Or it could be his downfall, causing him to lose his momentum, maybe not even getting a rematch for Barrett since they terminated his contract, and causing him to take a backseat to other talent and leaving him a WrestleMania match that people could barely care about. With Ryback he was on his way to challenging (and possibly defeating) Rusev for the US Championship. He had also built up a lot of momentum and had rejuvenated his career. I personally thought the Ryback/Rusev feud was going to be held off until Mania, and this angle may have been their way of doing so, or it could be that Ryback loses his spot to either Cena, Reigns or even Ambrose. I wouldn't be shocked if when he comes back the best he gets is Kane or Big Show, which isn't the best for someone who was getting more over after every show. Rowan is different in a way that unless he is actually fired, this can only be good for him as it puts him in the main angle and therefore the crowd can get behind him, or at least that's my opinion. After the match at TLC with Big Show he lost relevancy and was having pointless matches for no reason that the audience didn't care for. So as I said, my question to you guys is which of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and which is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? Go into as much detail as you want but just please let me know!

 

[Dagger Dias]

It will benefit all three of them but Dolph will benefit from it the most, then Ryback, and then Rowan, in that order.

Rowan has currently had the least interaction with The Authority but it could lead into an intense feud between Rowan and Harper if Harper re-alligns himself with The Authority. The strange decision to turn Rowan face can still work out if they have him enter a feud with Harper.... so use this to lead into that. Other than that idea, I don't really see this being of much benefit to Rowan as the only major match he has had on his own was the Stairs Match with Big Show that they made him lose in an extremely stupid decision.

Ryback sided with The Authority then turned on them to side with Cena for Survivor Series, so this would benefit him more than Rowan. This turn alone makes it more beneficial for Ryback than it does for Rowan as he has had more interaction with The Authority in promos. Turning on them to side with Cena is not something Trips and Stephanie will soon forget. As for what it can lead to, that's more difficult to pinpoint with Ryback than it is with Rowan. I still think he will end up facing Rusev for the US Championship but this "firing" storyline threw a bit of a wrench into the works on that plan.

The one who will benefit the most from this angle out of the three has to be Dolph Ziggler. With the exceptions of Daniel Bryan and John Cena, NO ONE has gone through as much frustration at the hands of The Authority than Ziggler. They have (kayfabe) made his life into a nightmare for quite some time now for supporting Cena. Then there's that whole Survivor Series victory thing, where Ziggler was the one who got the winning pin that sent The Authority away to begin with. Dolph Ziggler is the one they have the biggest issue with so it makes perfect sense that he is the one who will benefit the most in the end out of the three who got "fired" in this angle.

 

[Navi]

I think it's going to shoot all of them up the ladder somewhat. The fans hate the Authority and they will automatically get behind anyone the Authority targets.

Ziggler had to give up the title in order to free him up for the firing. Ryback will be fine and so will Rowan. As DD said, a Rowan and Harper feud will be awesome. Both men are about the same height and build, and it will be one hell of a clash. Ziggler is flirting with main event status now. Ryback can come back and continue his feud with Rusev, and it will light a fire under Ryback's ass that Rusev is part of the Authority.

With the Rumble a couple of weeks away, I see them back before then. Right now the Authority has to deal with Reigns and Ambrose by the looks of things, but I can't see the WWE leaving the three who were fired out of the Rumble PPV.

Interesting that they carried it this far by putting all three of them in the Alumni section 15 minutes after RAW ended last Monday.

 

[mkw1962]

I have a few thoughts on the situation first I do not think it hurts any of them but if I had to say it would be Dolph he was on a big push. Who it hurts the least would be Eric he has nothing to lose.
My first thought would be if they wanted to wait a while they could have HHH vs. Sting at Wrestlemania 31 for control, Sting wins and hires them back as he is the new General Manager.
My second thought would be Vince lets them fight there way back in, if they can win individual matches they can come back. Do this on Raw this coming week than when they all come back:
Eric Rowan: he can enter the Rumble and cause Luke to get tossed out then they can start a feud or feud with Kane.
Ryback: He can enter the Rumble and toss Rusev out and then they can continue there feud.
Dolph Ziggler: he is the toughest one to figure out the fans love him, Dolph and Seth would be a great match. I thought about Dolph winning the Rumble but would that hurt him because Daniel and Roman are in the match, how would the fans react. I would say let Daniel and Dolph both win the Rumble.
Seth wins the Title at the Rumble and you have a three way at Wrestlemania 31 Seth vs. Daniel vs. Dolph.
I just thought about this minutes ago how about Monday on Raw Seth is so confident he puts his Money in the bank case on the line with the re-hiring of the three at stake as well in a match with John Cena, a no DQ match. Roman and Dean are banned from ringside, John somehow wins and all the above can happen.

 

[JoeMallard]

I think they will all benefit from being fired.

Rowan, now fans actually have a reason to get behind him. He should feud with Harper to give them both something to do.

Ryback just gave a heartfelt promo, so the fans are already behind him. He really shouldn't even beat Rusev for the title until Mania, Rusev shouldn't even be beaten until then either. Ryback being off TV can only benefit him in the long run.

Anything can really happen with Ziggler. He can be mad at Cena for getting him fired. Cena would probably have to be heel, but considering half the fans already hate him, he wouldn't have to be. The Shield should have a triple threat at mania for the title, Sting should be fighting HHH, Taker should face Wyatt if he returns, Bryan can feud with Lesnar without the title, as Lesnar should not take the fall if he loses at Royal Rumble. So, that really only leaves Cena as an option to be Zigglers big win at WrestleMania.

 

[V Dogg]

To be honest, I hate You're Fired angles nowadays. All this "dress in street clothes because I've got nothing to lose and trespass into WWE property" BS is too played out, and we'll likely see it on Raw. The only good You're Fired angle was Stone Cold's back in the day when he took Vince hostage, and the entire show that night was centered on that.

Now if WWE wants to push the limits of PG and have Ziggler, Rowan, and Ryback take an Authority member hostage (Stephanie since she's a woman but Trips could work), I'm all eyes and ears. But not this "nothing to lose give us our jobs back or else" crap.

 

[JDHale]

It will benefit all three of them but Dolph will benefit from it the most, then Ryback, and then Rowan, in that order.

I think it's going to shoot all of them up the ladder somewhat. The fans hate the Authority and they will automatically get behind anyone the Authority targets.

Interesting that they carried it this far by putting all three of them in the Alumni section 15 minutes after RAW ended last Monday.

It's nice to see you guys are so positive about the angle! In terms of them being moved to the Alumni section, I liked it. At least it adds a bit of realism to the storyline so that less fans question it, in particular the younger viewers. I'm pretty sure you hit the nail on the head with the Harper vs Rowan feud as well. In terms of Ryback I guess bouncing back in the right way will play right into his Mr. Positivity gimmick he started two weeks ago as well.. I too think he'll end up with Rusev but the competition from others for a singles match with him does make me wonder. In terms of Ziggler I hope you two are both right on him flirting with main event status/him benefitting from it (obviously I would) but then I have a sneaky feeling he'll just become a prize, where I mean he won't be involved in the final fight with the Authority but instead his career being saved will be a victory for the good guys on the way to the end of the feud and him and Barrett will split off. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I'd personally want him moving onwards and upwards.

I do not think it hurts any of them but if I had to say it would be Dolph he was on a big push. Who it hurts the least would be Eric he has nothing to lose.
My first thought would be if they wanted to wait a while they could have HHH vs. Sting at Wrestlemania 31 for control
My second thought would be Vince lets them fight there way back in, if they can win individual matches they can come back.
I just thought about this minutes ago how about Monday on Raw Seth is so confident he puts his Money in the bank case on the line with the re-hiring of the three at stake as well in a match with John Cena, a no DQ match.

I agree with the fact Dolph has the most to lose and Rowan the most to gain, but I feel they'll all benefit in some way. In terms of your thoughts, I don't think the HHH vs Sting match is a good move. I think with Ziggler and Ryback extremely over right now it would be cruel to keep them off tv that long. Missing them two alone I feel would be a big loss on the next three PPVs, but then again it's not totally unrealistic as the number of strong faces without these three is about as even as the number of heels available. I'm just hoping your first thought is wrong aha! In terms of your second thought it would be interesting for a power struggle storyline and it could very well link in with that, but considering Vince didn't put any of these three in his brass ring comments it would be weird to those that know what he meant by that. You could be right on how Rowan and Ryback get involved, but like you said it's difficult predicting where Ziggler will end up purely because he's teetering on that main event line, or so it seems. If he has returned by then, he'd probably be third favorite to win the match, and so I wouldn't be surprised if he's eliminated by the Authority. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of your third thought, simply because Seth is supposed to be smart, and risking all that (even though it suits his overconfidence) would be very stupid. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I think they will all benefit from being fired.

Rowan, now fans actually have a reason to get behind him. He should feud with Harper to give them both something to do.
Ryback just gave a heartfelt promo, so the fans are already behind him. He really shouldn't even beat Rusev for the title until Mania, Rusev shouldn't even be beaten until then either. Ryback being off TV can only benefit him in the long run.
Anything can really happen with Ziggler. He can be mad at Cena for getting him fired. Cena would probably have to be heel, but considering half the fans already hate him, he wouldn't have to be. The Shield should have a triple threat at mania for the title, Sting should be fighting HHH, Taker should face Wyatt if he returns, Bryan can feud with Lesnar without the title, as Lesnar should not take the fall if he loses at Royal Rumble. So, that really only leaves Cena as an option to be Zigglers big win at WrestleMania.

It's nice to see another being so positive! A few of us agree that Rowan should feud with Harper then, as it gives them both something to do, and also that Ryback/Rusev should continue. It seems a lot of us don't know what Ziggler will end up doing. Our WrestleMania cards are slightly similar too! I had Sting/HHH, Bryan/Lesnar (with the title however) and Cena/Ziggler. The only problem with it is a Ziggler heel turn would probably be needed, and so I suggested Ziggler's career vs a Cena title shot for the rest of 2015 instead, but that's just #FantasyBooking.

To be honest, I hate You're Fired angles nowadays. All this "dress in street clothes because I've got nothing to lose and trespass into WWE property" BS is too played out, and we'll likely see it on Raw. The only good You're Fired angle was Stone Cold's back in the day when he took Vince hostage, and the entire show that night was centered on that.
Now if WWE wants to push the limits of PG and have Ziggler, Rowan, and Ryback take an Authority member hostage (Stephanie since she's a woman but Trips could work), I'm all eyes and ears. But not this "nothing to lose give us our jobs back or else" crap.

I've seen both the first scenario and second scenario suggested by others also and I'm not a big fan of the hostage taking or the crowd invasion ideas unless they're executed brilliantly. I personally think they should all be brought back separately but hadn't really figured out the details so I can't suggest how right now.

 

[87wcw87]

I think sting vs triple h at royal rumble in a lumber jack. If sting wins, the 3 fired can enter the rumble match later on. If triple h wins, he main events WrestleMania . Of course sting wins, starts programme with taker after eliminating him at rumble. A fued starts with barrett and hunter. Barrett revealing he us nit authority. Triple h fights bad news Barret for the IC and puts him over. Ir triple h puts over ziggler, reigns or Ambrose in a singles match

 

[MERPER]

Old, boring and should never occur again.

We all know how this goes... we know why it's done and everything that goes into it.

We aren't stupid yet WWE treats us like we are by using it at least a few times a year still.

Just stop it already. Or hire writers who can come up with a better angle/storyline instead of recycling the same stuff over and over and over.

 

[John McCass]

This 'fired' storyline completely sucks. Though,it will be a benefit for all three of them. But,this has been used one in 2010 when John Cena was feuding with the Nexus stable. The crowd completely got behind John Cena and Barrett granted him a match against himself for his return which he won and came back. It was liked back then but,now it has became stale. People already know tha the top babyfaces cannot be out for that long and they will come back shortly.




Lets come to the topic. No doubt, Ziggler is going to be benefitted the most. He was on the best push of his career. Crowd was totally behind him. He became the #2 babyface behind Cena. He lost his intercontinental title. He will get into the main event scene sooner rather than later. He has already been in upper midcard from almost 3 or 4 months. He needs a strong match at WM31. Maybe Shawn Michaels comes back for the authority and we get the dream match Ziggler vs Michaels. OK,this is fantasy booking but it will be awesome. He can be in the main event of Wrestlemania 31.


Ryback : He was feuding with Rusev before being 'fired'. It was a midcard feud. He was being cheered because he was feuding with a Russian A-hole and everyone feuding with Rusev will be cheered even if he is Hornswoggle. But,'firing' him is a smart move because if Rusev loses before Wrestlemania then,he would not get heat like he is getting right now and Ryback desperately needs a win. So,if he should have lost his momentum should also have been killed. Both of them need wins. Their match must have been ok if it was a dq finish. He can come back and feud with Rusev because Rusev is red hot right now.




Rowan :- I don't know what to say about him. His momentum was killed upon his loss to The Big Slow. But,this will be a boost to him. The crowd will go nuts for him. He can come back and feud with Harper. He can also feud with Barrett over the intercontinental title.

 

[kadroan]

As I'm sure all of you know by know, last Monday The Authority returned to power and in the final segment of the night they decided to fire Team Cena, consisting of Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan. Now I'm guessing that the trio will return in the near future, maybe even the next episode of Raw, or it could be that WWE lose the plot and have Sting vs Triple H for their jobs at WrestleMania (I wouldn't be surprised in all honesty..) This angle is huge in terms of a lot of talents whether you want it to be or not, and I'll try explain it in two parts when I get the time. The first part I wanted your guys' thoughts on is below, and will discuss the three talents themselves that were fired, whereas the second part will be about how other talents who weren't fired may be able to use these three missing from tv as an opportunity (unless they return immediately that is). The question for part one in case you don't want to read on is who of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and who is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? If you think all three will benefit or be harmed, please let me know and explain also. Tell me your thoughts if you could please!

In terms of the three that were fired, all of them were on very different and separate paths. Ziggler had just been screwed out of his Intercontinental Championship by the Authority after being on the hottest streak of his career. As others have said, he was arguably up to the second most over guy on the roster but that's a matter of opinion. Nonetheless he was undeniably a fan favourite which means being off of tv for a long time could be extremely bad to his momentum, and so him being fired can go one of two ways. It could be the best thing to have happened to him, raising the crowd's support even more and making him a very likely contender to win the Rumble or at least get a major match at Mania. Or it could be his downfall, causing him to lose his momentum, maybe not even getting a rematch for Barrett since they terminated his contract, and causing him to take a backseat to other talent and leaving him a WrestleMania match that people could barely care about. With Ryback he was on his way to challenging (and possibly defeating) Rusev for the US Championship. He had also built up a lot of momentum and had rejuvenated his career. I personally thought the Ryback/Rusev feud was going to be held off until Mania, and this angle may have been their way of doing so, or it could be that Ryback loses his spot to either Cena, Reigns or even Ambrose. I wouldn't be shocked if when he comes back the best he gets is Kane or Big Show, which isn't the best for someone who was getting more over after every show. Rowan is different in a way that unless he is actually fired, this can only be good for him as it puts him in the main angle and therefore the crowd can get behind him, or at least that's my opinion. After the match at TLC with Big Show he lost relevancy and was having pointless matches for no reason that the audience didn't care for. So as I said, my question to you guys is which of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and which is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? Go into as much detail as you want but just please let me know!

Benefit:

Ziggler - He's in a great position. He could be the next big face like you said since he's over. Fans will miss him. When he comes back, it'll be a big deal. He could resume his feud with The Authority by going after Kane or he could try to win the title back from BNB.

Ryback - Fans have been getting behind him since the build up to Survivor Series. He's a monster. When he comes back, it'll be a big deal, especially if he cleans house, whether it's to save Cena from The Authority or in the Royal Rumble match.

Hurt:

Rowan - He barely wins matches. His association with Team Cena keeps him relevant. You take that away, he's forgotten.

 

[L@RISANO]

As I'm sure all of you know by know, last Monday The Authority returned to power and in the final segment of the night they decided to fire Team Cena, consisting of Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan. Now I'm guessing that the trio will return in the near future, maybe even the next episode of Raw, or it could be that WWE lose the plot and have Sting vs Triple H for their jobs at WrestleMania (I wouldn't be surprised in all honesty..) This angle is huge in terms of a lot of talents whether you want it to be or not, and I'll try explain it in two parts when I get the time. The first part I wanted your guys' thoughts on is below, and will discuss the three talents themselves that were fired, whereas the second part will be about how other talents who weren't fired may be able to use these three missing from tv as an opportunity (unless they return immediately that is). The question for part one in case you don't want to read on is who of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and who is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? If you think all three will benefit or be harmed, please let me know and explain also. Tell me your thoughts if you could please!

In terms of the three that were fired, all of them were on very different and separate paths. Ziggler had just been screwed out of his Intercontinental Championship by the Authority after being on the hottest streak of his career. As others have said, he was arguably up to the second most over guy on the roster but that's a matter of opinion. Nonetheless he was undeniably a fan favourite which means being off of tv for a long time could be extremely bad to his momentum, and so him being fired can go one of two ways. It could be the best thing to have happened to him, raising the crowd's support even more and making him a very likely contender to win the Rumble or at least get a major match at Mania. Or it could be his downfall, causing him to lose his momentum, maybe not even getting a rematch for Barrett since they terminated his contract, and causing him to take a backseat to other talent and leaving him a WrestleMania match that people could barely care about. With Ryback he was on his way to challenging (and possibly defeating) Rusev for the US Championship. He had also built up a lot of momentum and had rejuvenated his career. I personally thought the Ryback/Rusev feud was going to be held off until Mania, and this angle may have been their way of doing so, or it could be that Ryback loses his spot to either Cena, Reigns or even Ambrose. I wouldn't be shocked if when he comes back the best he gets is Kane or Big Show, which isn't the best for someone who was getting more over after every show. Rowan is different in a way that unless he is actually fired, this can only be good for him as it puts him in the main angle and therefore the crowd can get behind him, or at least that's my opinion. After the match at TLC with Big Show he lost relevancy and was having pointless matches for no reason that the audience didn't care for. So as I said, my question to you guys is which of these three is going to benefit the most from the angle, and which is going to benefit the least/be harmed the most from the firings? Go into as much detail as you want but just please let me know!

Assuming all 3 will be gone till at least the Rumble, I'd say that the WWE is just holding off of them, whilst they turn their attentions to the likes of Reigns, Ambrose and Bryan who probably are rated higher than the 'fired 3' in the eyes of the Top Brass.


With Ziggler super over as he is, I think it the firing angle was a safe way to go, if the above that I mentioned is the case, as it won't look as though he has been demoted. Depending on when he returns, will determine what Ziggler will be doing at WrestleMania. As of this moment, a Royal Rumble win is a bit too far at this point.


Ryback is likewise as well(taken off-screen rather than de-pushed), as he has been getting some good reactions as well, and his promo a couple of weeks ago, would have also helped in getting him over with newer fans as well. I can see him coming back to either go at Rusev again, or maybe he'll go heel in a swerve at some point.


As for Rowan, whilst I've enjoyed his strange face turn, I can't say that I see him being high up the card anytime soon. He was fired only because he was part of Team Cena at Survivor Series and thus his firing fitted the story. When he returns, I can't really see him getting much of a push at all. His future lies in being more of an enhancement talent than anything else, lMO.

 

[Mustang Sally]

In terms of the three that were fired, all of them were on very different and separate paths.

True, and yet another "fired" angle is always tricky to pull off, given that no one is actually terminated from the company and we all know it. The people involved probably enjoy some well-needed time off, if anything.

The guesswork here involves where the underlying storyline is going. Does it involve the three ex-employees who were on different career paths when their boat capsized.....or is that just a function of the fact they were John Cena's teammates at Survivor Series? (My guess is the latter)

Or, does the whole "fired" program actually revolve around Cena; the Authority's way of getting his allies to turn against him? When the firing was occurring, wasn't a part of you looking for the three of them to turn and beat the hell out of Cena? The look on his face surely suggested it. The fact it didn't happen right then and there is what brings hope the program might have some steam behind it. It would certainly make sense; after all, the Authority didn't like the fact that Cena held their fate in his hands .....surely, they'd love to turn the tables on him.

Of course, if they want to make the firing angle a short one, Cena and his boys could immediately strike back at the Authority, just when the Levesques' thought they had the whole thing in hand.

Yes, it's another "firing" program.....but this time, maybe Creative can do something special with it. Hope springs eternal.

 

[JDHale]

I think sting vs triple h at royal rumble in a lumber jack. If sting wins, the 3 fired can enter the rumble match later on. If triple h wins, he main events WrestleMania . Of course sting wins, starts programme with taker after eliminating him at rumble. A fued starts with barrett and hunter. Barrett revealing he us nit authority. Triple h fights bad news Barret for the IC and puts him over. Ir triple h puts over ziggler, reigns or Ambrose in a singles match

Some people may well like this idea but I honestly can't see Barrett feuding with Triple H, let alone Trips going after the IC Title. Personally I don't like the idea much, other than if it would free Triple H to put over Ziggler or Reigns at Mania/allows Ziggler to get the Rumble win in which case I'm all for it aha!

Old, boring and should never occur again.
We all know how this goes... we know why it's done and everything that goes into it.
We aren't stupid yet WWE treats us like we are by using it at least a few times a year still.
Just stop it already. Or hire writers who can come up with a better angle/storyline instead of recycling the same stuff over and over and over.

As much as the firing angle may not work on the majority of people over the age of 14 who knows it's all scripted and such, to the people who still think WWE is real it is a killer angle. I'm willing to bet after the trio were fired a large number of the WWE audience were absolutely devastated, simply because a large number of the audience are in the age bracket I mentioned. So to some of us it might be a pain, but to the audience that still thinks it's real it works wonders.

This 'fired' storyline completely sucks. Though,it will be a benefit for all three of them. People already know tha the top babyfaces cannot be out for that long and they will come back shortly.

Ziggler is going to be benefitted the most. He was on the best push of his career. Crowd was totally behind him. He became the #2 babyface behind Cena. He lost his intercontinental title. He will get into the main event scene sooner rather than later. He needs a strong match at WM31. Maybe Shawn Michaels comes back for the authority and we get the dream match Ziggler vs Michaels. OK,this is fantasy booking but it will be awesome. He can be in the main event of Wrestlemania 31.
Ryback : He was feuding with Rusev before being 'fired'. He was being cheered because he was feuding with a Russian A-hole and everyone feuding with Rusev will be cheered. But,'firing' him is a smart move because if Rusev loses before Wrestlemania then,he would not get heat like he is getting right now and Ryback desperately needs a win. He can come back and feud with Rusev because Rusev is red hot right now.
Rowan :- But,this will be a boost to him. The crowd will go nuts for him. He can come back and feud with Harper. He can also feud with Barrett over the intercontinental title.

As I said in my reply to the guy above, as much as the firing storyline may be a burden to some of us, it works wonders on what is a large portion of the fans. That is why I have to disagree, it may have become stale, but in terms of sucking if you go to WWE.com a lot of the comments are kids and you'll see it works wonders. In terms of Ziggler I think you were pretty much right, although the main event push may not come knowing his luck. You're fantasy booking is that, a fantasy, but I'm all for it. In terms of main eventing WrestleMania, he has an ishy chance. It increases if Cena or Rollins wins the WWEWHC for sure, and he is third choice I'm guessing right now, but I'm not banking on it. I'm sure as hell supporting him to do so though. With your comments on Ryback, I thought (before he got fired) that he would drag the feud out with Rusev till 'Mania by both entering the Rumble match only, and then at Fast Lane then having a DQ win for Ryback. I guess this angle can hold it off for sure though. With Rowan I think he's gonna have to feud with Harper. In terms of BnB, I think he'll be too busy with Ziggler/Ambrose or at an extremely long shot Reigns, to have have a feud with Rowan. Good comments though!

Benefit:
Ziggler - He's in a great position. He could be the next big face like you said since he's over. Fans will miss him. When he comes back, it'll be a big deal. He could resume his feud with The Authority by going after Kane or he could try to win the title back from BNB.
Ryback - Fans have been getting behind him since the build up to Survivor Series. He's a monster. When he comes back, it'll be a big deal, especially if he cleans house, whether it's to save Cena from The Authority or in the Royal Rumble match.
Hurt:
Rowan - He barely wins matches. His association with Team Cena keeps him relevant. You take that away, he's forgotten.

With Ziggler you actually put where I could see a problem developing. In terms of his popularity and such you'd think he'd be in a great position, but seeing as though he should be moving up if he was in such a position is a feud with BnB/Kane/Show really a step up? It's completely my opinion but unless he wins the Rumble (long shot) or feuds with one of the top guys, I see them not capitalizing on all the momentum they gave him and him falling back into routine upper midcard Ziggler. It's not a bad position but it's not really taking him anywhere important. Anyways you've nailed it on Ryback. It's a new perspective in terms of Rowan and you could very well be right. He probably will become irrelevant again as you said, but at least short term attention will be on him to give him a platform to show it's worth the effort for creative to put him in feuds with reason.

Assuming all 3 will be gone till at least the Rumble, I'd say that the WWE is just holding off of them, whilst they turn their attentions to the likes of Reigns, Ambrose and Bryan who probably are rated higher than the 'fired 3' in the eyes of the Top Brass.
With Ziggler super over as he is, I think it the firing angle was a safe way to go, if the above that I mentioned is the case, as it won't look as though he has been demoted. Depending on when he returns, will determine what Ziggler will be doing at WrestleMania. As of this moment, a Royal Rumble win is a bit too far at this point.
Ryback is likewise as well(taken off-screen rather than de-pushed), as he has been getting some good reactions as well, and his promo a couple of weeks ago, would have also helped in getting him over with newer fans as well. I can see him coming back to either go at Rusev again, or maybe he'll go heel in a swerve at some point.
As for Rowan, whilst I've enjoyed his strange face turn, I can't say that I see him being high up the card anytime soon. He was fired only because he was part of Team Cena at Survivor Series and thus his firing fitted the story. When he returns, I can't really see him getting much of a push at all. His future lies in being more of an enhancement talent than anything else, lMO.

Wow look at you LARISANO skipping to what I was gonna post as a part two, in terms of how they were taken off to just give Reigns, Ambrose, Bryan and such a bigger spotlight. You're such a Rookie!(of the Year my bad..) I think you couldn't have gotten a view as similar to mine. In terms of Ziggler I was going to write how with him fired it takes away another Rumble contender easily. And as you mentioned I think it's a disguised demotion. You were pretty much copying my thoughts with everything else you wrote, so I'll skip over them. It's interesting that you think Ryback is a heel turn option. I mean he obviously is, but I can see them turning Rowan the most likely, then Ziggler, then him, and in that case it would be a big swerve to me. Again with Rowan not much I can say, it's pretty much reading what I had wrote up in my part two (thanks but no thanks aha!). Wow.

True, and yet another "fired" angle is always tricky to pull off, given that no one is actually terminated from the company and we all know it. The people involved probably enjoy some well-needed time off, if anything.
The guesswork here involves where the underlying storyline is going. Does it involve the three ex-employees who were on different career paths when their boat capsized.....or is that just a function of the fact they were John Cena's teammates at Survivor Series? (My guess is the latter)
Or, does the whole "fired" program actually revolve around Cena; the Authority's way of getting his allies to turn against him? When the firing was occurring, wasn't a part of you looking for the three of them to turn and beat the hell out of Cena? The look on his face surely suggested it. The fact it didn't happen right then and there is what brings hope the program might have some steam behind it. It would certainly make sense; after all, the Authority didn't like the fact that Cena held their fate in his hands .....surely, they'd love to turn the tables on him.
Of course, if they want to make the firing angle a short one, Cena and his boys could immediately strike back at the Authority, just when the Levesques' thought they had the whole thing in hand.
Yes, it's another "firing" program.....but this time, maybe Creative can do something special with it. Hope springs eternal.

I think all of us on here hopes this becomes something special. Anyways I'm putting my opinion out here but I do think it's just a way to have a storyline revolve around Cena to keep him a reason to watch, while I also think it's to get everyone who is not a hardcore fan behind the likes of Reigns/Ambrose and whoever else gets involved in the angle. If I am right in what I was thinking (others pointed it out also, I'm no special one) it is very smart of the WWE to give their chosen ones as such that extra momentum whoever it may be, although the fact that it will be at the expense of Ziggler and Ryback who were making strides and should be given a shot considering how much better they've been doing than everyone else (my opinion I know) if I am true I think it's extremely cruel. What I'm guessing could be wrong but if I'm right (and this is totally stupid I know) I wouldn't put it past me to go on a strop and start saying Ziggler should go to TNA where he will be given the opportunities. and yes that is sarcasm.. I think.

 

[L@RISANO]

Wow look at you LARISANO skipping to what I was gonna post as a part two, in terms of how they were taken off to just give Reigns, Ambrose, Bryan and such a bigger spotlight. You're such a Rookie!(of the Year my bad..) I think you couldn't have gotten a view as similar to mine. In terms of Ziggler I was going to write how with him fired it takes away another Rumble contender easily. And as you mentioned I think it's a disguised demotion. You were pretty much copying my thoughts with everything else you wrote, so I'll skip over them. It's interesting that you think Ryback is a heel turn option. I mean he obviously is, but I can see them turning Rowan the most likely, then Ziggler, then him, and in that case it would be a big swerve to me. Again with Rowan not much I can say, it's pretty much reading what I had wrote up in my part two (thanks but no thanks aha!). Wow.

lol. Coincidence, surely.


As Ziggler is your fav, as you have pointed out, I'll just say that whilst I do hope that Ziggler can go beyond being a super over MidCarder, once he can stay away from the concussions... I also don't buy into the thought of him winning the Rumble or Main Eventing WrestleMania, as I don't think his booking thus far, has put him close to such a position. At this point, his role strikes me as that of 'the Tragic Hero' more than anything, although I hope he can remain an option for a Main Event spot after WrestleMania.


Which leads to addressing the part about heel turns;
Ziggler is in a similar position to what DB was last year during the Wyatt feud. Try as they might, the only way that Dolph can turn heel before Mania is by going after DB. With no backstory whatsoever... that just won't happen, nor would it make sense at all. So Ziggler going heel anytime soon is a no-no, regardless of it being a 'swerve'. It just doesn't make sense, lMO.

I picked Ryback out of them for a possible heel turn, because his Survivor Series story centred around a 'will he, won't he?' scenario, then with the self-promo he had, it could be unlikely, but acceptable swerve as, whilst he is over with the crowd, it isn't to the endearing level of a Dolph Ziggler, and thus would be accepted by the overwhelming majority.

As for Rowan... he got fired because he was in Team Cena alongwith the other 2. I can't really see any push beyond a possible feud with Harper. He just seems to be a lower midcard type who will be used to put over others. A Heel turn for him also wouldn't make much of a difference as he just essentially came off of a heel run with the Wyatt family, in which he didn't manage to stand out at all, to the effect, that the unlikely face turn kind of saved him and made him slightly relevant in the fan's eyes.

 

[kadroan]

Some people may well like this idea but I honestly can't see Barrett feuding with Triple H, let alone Trips going after the IC Title. Personally I don't like the idea much, other than if it would free Triple H to put over Ziggler or Reigns at Mania/allows Ziggler to get the Rumble win in which case I'm all for it aha!
As much as the firing angle may not work on the majority of people over the age of 14 who knows it's all scripted and such, to the people who still think WWE is real it is a killer angle. I'm willing to bet after the trio were fired a large number of the WWE audience were absolutely devastated, simply because a large number of the audience are in the age bracket I mentioned. So to some of us it might be a pain, but to the audience that still thinks it's real it works wonders.


As I said in my reply to the guy above, as much as the firing storyline may be a burden to some of us, it works wonders on what is a large portion of the fans. That is why I have to disagree, it may have become stale, but in terms of sucking if you go to WWE.com a lot of the comments are kids and you'll see it works wonders. In terms of Ziggler I think you were pretty much right, although the main event push may not come knowing his luck. You're fantasy booking is that, a fantasy, but I'm all for it. In terms of main eventing WrestleMania, he has an ishy chance. It increases if Cena or Rollins wins the WWEWHC for sure, and he is third choice I'm guessing right now, but I'm not banking on it. I'm sure as hell supporting him to do so though. With your comments on Ryback, I thought (before he got fired) that he would drag the feud out with Rusev till 'Mania by both entering the Rumble match only, and then at Fast Lane then having a DQ win for Ryback. I guess this angle can hold it off for sure though. With Rowan I think he's gonna have to feud with Harper. In terms of BnB, I think he'll be too busy with Ziggler/Ambrose or at an extremely long shot Reigns, to have have a feud with Rowan. Good comments though!


With Ziggler you actually put where I could see a problem developing. In terms of his popularity and such you'd think he'd be in a great position, but seeing as though he should be moving up if he was in such a position is a feud with BnB/Kane/Show really a step up? It's completely my opinion but unless he wins the Rumble (long shot) or feuds with one of the top guys, I see them not capitalizing on all the momentum they gave him and him falling back into routine upper midcard Ziggler. It's not a bad position but it's not really taking him anywhere important. Anyways you've nailed it on Ryback. It's a new perspective in terms of Rowan and you could very well be right. He probably will become irrelevant again as you said, but at least short term attention will be on him to give him a platform to show it's worth the effort for creative to put him in feuds with reason.

Wow look at you LARISANO skipping to what I was gonna post as a part two, in terms of how they were taken off to just give Reigns, Ambrose, Bryan and such a bigger spotlight. You're such a Rookie!(of the Year my bad..) I think you couldn't have gotten a view as similar to mine. In terms of Ziggler I was going to write how with him fired it takes away another Rumble contender easily. And as you mentioned I think it's a disguised demotion. You were pretty much copying my thoughts with everything else you wrote, so I'll skip over them. It's interesting that you think Ryback is a heel turn option. I mean he obviously is, but I can see them turning Rowan the most likely, then Ziggler, then him, and in that case it would be a big swerve to me. Again with Rowan not much I can say, it's pretty much reading what I had wrote up in my part two (thanks but no thanks aha!). Wow.


I think all of us on here hopes this becomes something special. Anyways I'm putting my opinion out here but I do think it's just a way to have a storyline revolve around Cena to keep him a reason to watch, while I also think it's to get everyone who is not a hardcore fan behind the likes of Reigns/Ambrose and whoever else gets involved in the angle. If I am right in what I was thinking (others pointed it out also, I'm no special one) it is very smart of the WWE to give their chosen ones as such that extra momentum whoever it may be, although the fact that it will be at the expense of Ziggler and Ryback who were making strides and should be given a shot considering how much better they've been doing than everyone else (my opinion I know) if I am true I think it's extremely cruel. What I'm guessing could be wrong but if I'm right (and this is totally stupid I know) I wouldn't put it past me to go on a strop and start saying Ziggler should go to TNA where he will be given the opportunities. and yes that is sarcasm.. I think.

Good question. Sadly for Ziggler it is a good thing. I don't think he'll ever be world champion again unless they split the titles again. Seems like WWE is going towards a youth movement pushing Reigns, Bray and Rollins. Ziggler always seem to blow up at the wrong time: 2013 - WWE seemed focused on Punk/Rock/Cena, now - Reigns/Brock/Rollins.

The best he can do is have a career like Jericho over the past few years, a utility guy who can step in the main event if needed, win the IC Championship if needed, he could try to be the greatest IC Champion of all-time.

 

[JDHale]

lol. Coincidence, surely.


As Ziggler is your fav, as you have pointed out, I'll just say that whilst I do hope that Ziggler can go beyond being a super over MidCarder, once he can stay away from the concussions... I also don't buy into the thought of him winning the Rumble or Main Eventing WrestleMania, as I don't think his booking thus far, has put him close to such a position. At this point, his role strikes me as that of 'the Tragic Hero' more than anything, although I hope he can remain an option for a Main Event spot after WrestleMania.


Which leads to addressing the part about heel turns;
Ziggler is in a similar position to what DB was last year during the Wyatt feud. Try as they might, the only way that Dolph can turn heel before Mania is by going after DB. With no backstory whatsoever... that just won't happen, nor would it make sense at all. So Ziggler going heel anytime soon is a no-no, regardless of it being a 'swerve'. It just doesn't make sense, lMO.

I picked Ryback out of them for a possible heel turn, because his Survivor Series story centred around a 'will he, won't he?' scenario, then with the self-promo he had, it could be unlikely, but acceptable swerve as, whilst he is over with the crowd, it isn't to the endearing level of a Dolph Ziggler, and thus would be accepted by the overwhelming majority.

As for Rowan... he got fired because he was in Team Cena alongwith the other 2. I can't really see any push beyond a possible feud with Harper. He just seems to be a lower midcard type who will be used to put over others. A Heel turn for him also wouldn't make much of a difference as he just essentially came off of a heel run with the Wyatt family, in which he didn't manage to stand out at all, to the effect, that the unlikely face turn kind of saved him and made him slightly relevant in the fan's eyes.

I get where you are coming from on Ziggler for sure. I keep going from thinking he has a shot at doing so to snapping into reality and realizing there is little to no chance, and it's extremely annoying in all honesty. Makes me feel like I am a kid again, not that I'm much older.. Thank you for hoping with me he remains an option for the main event after Mania, maybe that will slightly soften the blow of his inevitable lack of Rumble win in my mind. :')

You've changed my view again on Ryback. Taking a step back and looking at it from a different angle he does seem the more likely, although the Rusev feud keeps me thinking. Then again, Rusev can easily move on to another top face, as they seem to have them in large numbers at the moment. Anyways, I can see how he could be most likely. First of with the fact he almost joined the Authority in the first place, but mostly the reason he had the promo the other week as you mentioned. I think his promo could play as a motive for his attack as well, especially as I'm sure we've seen the "Mr. Positivity" gimmick played before as a heel tactic as an excuse to attack a face, but then again that is treading on Bo territory... Thanks for the great posts anyways, a lot of your points definitely made me rethink where they're going although I'm a sucker for overthinking and trying to predict stuff!

Good question. Sadly for Ziggler it is a good thing. I don't think he'll ever be world champion again unless they split the titles again. Seems like WWE is going towards a youth movement pushing Reigns, Bray and Rollins. Ziggler always seem to blow up at the wrong time: 2013 - WWE seemed focused on Punk/Rock/Cena, now - Reigns/Brock/Rollins.

The best he can do is have a career like Jericho over the past few years, a utility guy who can step in the main event if needed, win the IC Championship if needed, he could try to be the greatest IC Champion of all-time.

You're probably right. A career like Jericho isn't a bad thing either of course. And again, you're most likely right in thinking he'll never be World Champion again, although who knows if loyalty is rewarded he's in with a shot. I've heard him say several times that it's WWE or comedy for him, and so at least he'll be sticking in the public eye for the next 10 years or so. Anyways this quickly become a series of posts about Ziggler, I've gotta learn to write less about him aha, my bad!

 

[kadroan]

I get where you are coming from on Ziggler for sure. I keep going from thinking he has a shot at doing so to snapping into reality and realizing there is little to no chance, and it's extremely annoying in all honesty. Makes me feel like I am a kid again, not that I'm much older.. Thank you for hoping with me he remains an option for the main event after Mania, maybe that will slightly soften the blow of his inevitable lack of Rumble win in my mind. :')

You've changed my view again on Ryback. Taking a step back and looking at it from a different angle he does seem the more likely, although the Rusev feud keeps me thinking. Then again, Rusev can easily move on to another top face, as they seem to have them in large numbers at the moment. Anyways, I can see how he could be most likely. First of with the fact he almost joined the Authority in the first place, but mostly the reason he had the promo the other week as you mentioned. I think his promo could play as a motive for his attack as well, especially as I'm sure we've seen the "Mr. Positivity" gimmick played before as a heel tactic as an excuse to attack a face, but then again that is treading on Bo territory... Thanks for the great posts anyways, a lot of your points definitely made me rethink where they're going although I'm a sucker for overthinking and trying to predict stuff!

You're probably right. A career like Jericho isn't a bad thing either of course. And again, you're most likely right in thinking he'll never be World Champion again, although who knows if loyalty is rewarded he's in with a shot. I've heard him say several times that it's WWE or comedy for him, and so at least he'll be sticking in the public eye for the next 10 years or so. Anyways this quickly become a series of posts about Ziggler, I've gotta learn to write less about him aha, my bad!

It's cool. All we can hope for is for him to stay healthy and watch his mouth in interviews. It was ridiculous how many concussions he got over the past few years.

 

[chuckmdubya]

I would think they are just taking them off TV for the next few weeks leading up to the rumble. WWE loves to return wrestlers at the rumble, having them off TV, especially Ziggler and the Ryback, will give them a much bigger pop at rumble and will make the fans want to see them. However, this one seems so obvious that it may be something else.