The Original Plan At Wrestlemania 30?

[OYDK]

So I think we all know that the Wrestlemania 30 finish was put together at basically the last second. I highly doubt putting the WWEWHC on Bryan was WWE's original plan prior to the Royal Rumble and there was much speculation that Batista was supposed to win the big one at Mania 30. So this leads me to a few questions:

1. Did Batista know the plan before he came back to the WWE?
2. Did he willingly step aside for Daniel Bryan?

This is all speculative of course and I have no idea if Batista going over at Mania was the original plan, but that's sure what it seemed like to me... So last question:

3. If this is true, does it make you respect Batista more?

 

[laodaron]

The entire POINT of Kayfabe Creative Booking is to make you, the viewer, believe something that furthers the storyline.

It's painfully obvious that Daniel Bryan has been the pick to win the title at WM30 for well near a year now. Starting with Summerslam, especially, the race was on for Daniel Bryan to win. In the mean time, they also had him validate a few other wrestlers, so his "underdog, reach for the stars" gimmick didn't get too stale. But, the smarky fans just wouldn't let him wrestle or help anyone else in the WWE. They DEMANDED that he win.

So, HHH and Creative did what they do best. They pissed off the fans that thought they knew better. They drove them mad with fury. Those same fans tuned in every Monday to see what that "Evil HHH" and his "Chyna Jr." wife would do to poor Daniel Bryan once again. These fans bought the PPVs. They read the dirt sheets. And they kept talking about HHH burying Daniel Bryan.

And then, in the end, Daniel Bryan stood victorious at WM30. And you'd think that the smarky fans were the ones that booked him to win. Or, that they don't realize that Wrestling is booked, it isn't real shoot fighting.

The whole Batista thing is a work, btw. It's why he keeps wearing skinny jeans and sunglasses to the ring. It's why he acted entitled from day 1. This is some of the best story telling in a very very long time in professional wrestling.

 

[Hakushi]

I'm of the opinion that it was originally planned to be Batista winning the strap, DB vs Sheamus, Trips vs Punk. Of course, this was all before the Rumble. If WWE would have planned it with DB winning the title at Mania, they wouldn't have made so many errors (Rey Mysterio coming in at 30 and getting hellaciously booed tells me that it was an unexpected reaction by those in charge). It says alot that they listened to the vocal majority. Personally, I could have cared less about DB Winning the title, but I would have been irritated if it went to Batista.
I don't think Batista had any say in the outcome. Vince, unlike Bischoff, RARELY gives creative control to talent. I would doubt if he gave it to Batista.

 

[OYDK]

I'm of the opinion that it was originally planned to be Batista winning the strap, DB vs Sheamus, Trips vs Punk. Of course, this was all before the Rumble. If WWE would have planned it with DB winning the title at Mania, they wouldn't have made so many errors (Rey Mysterio coming in at 30 and getting hellaciously booed tells me that it was an unexpected reaction by those in charge). It says alot that they listened to the vocal majority. Personally, I could have cared less about DB Winning the title, but I would have been irritated if it went to Batista.
I don't think Batista had any say in the outcome. Vince, unlike Bischoff, RARELY gives creative control to talent. I would doubt if he gave it to Batista.

This what I thought the plan was as well, and I know Batista would have had no say in the matter, but the fact that we haven't heard any news about Batista being "unhappy" or him having heat in the dressing room tells me that Batista professionally (maybe grudgingly) gave up his spot and has apparently moved on without causing trouble. Of course IF this was the original plan than I must give Batista a lot of respect for not grumbling or griping like CM Punk probably would have done if he were in The Animals shoes

 

[Best in the World 79]

My biggest question is about the "planned" match of Rock vs Brock

1.) Who would Taker have faced in that'd been the case?
2.) Also, would we still be looking at 21-1?

 

[L@RISANO]

I think it is safe to say that quite a few plans were changed for WM30 due to a couple Superstars not making it for different reasons.

I have heard that Punk didn't want to face Trips at Mania because he wanted the Main Event. But I have also heard that Punk might have been usurped by Bryan for that match with Trips and instead it would have ended up;

Punk vs Kane / Bryan vs HHH

Also, had Rock showed up; I think it would have meant that perhaps Cena might have been the one to challenge for the Streak.

All in all,I think everything happened for good reason, and in the WM went better than many had expected in the end with all that happened.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Did he willingly step aside for Daniel Bryan?

I admit to going back & forth on this question. On the one hand, it's hard to believe WWE would want to dissolve the structural integrity of their continuing storyline by recruiting Dave Bautista and offering their version of the sun & the moon just to have him come aboard. Yes, the company wants new performers.....which sometimes means old performers who can still go.....and Batista, like him or not, was a good pick-up. But did someone get overly excited and tell him that if he signed, they'd have him win the Royal Rumble and the world championship? Seems impossible to believe, doesn't it?

Then, to make matters even weirder, did they agree to all this with Batista before tasting the wild success of the Daniel Bryan program? In addition, did they not foresee the negative reaction Batista got when he returned and decide to ask him to go along with their change of plans for WM30?

It seems too far-fetched to believe they'd contractually stipulate a push in those specific terms, doesn't it? But if they did, how do they get Batista to agree to cancel (or delay) his deal to become champion at the big event?

Did he simply agree to go along with it......or did they offer some extra incentive to make him happy about it? (like money?)

What I think is so......what I hope is so..... is that his new deal called for him only to win the Rumble.....and the rest happened as it happened, with WWE management not hamstrung by the terms of one performer's contract.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

The original plan at WM was going to be Batista vs. Randy Orton no if's or buts. He was supposed to return as a big hero against Orton and Triple H, if the plan was to turn him heel all along how come they took so long to turn him heel? It was because WWE was trying to find ways to get the crowd behind him. Stuff like pandering to the crowd during commercial breaks and having a match with Del Rio at Elimination Chamber screams a somewhat desperate attempt to make him a top face. Also stuff like drowning the crowd after the Rumble and Batista flipping off the fans.

Daniel Bryan probably was going to be in a upper mid card or mid card match at WM but I believe the WWE was trying to put in him other possible matches like Sheamus/Bryan, Bryan/Kane, Wyatt/Bryan, Bryan, Cena, Hogan vs. The Wyatts etc. I mean Bryan has had programs with Kane and he had angle where he joined the Wyatts. It looked like the long term plan was for Bryan to turn on Wyatt and lead to a match at WM, no way that entire 3 to 4 week angle was booked so that they can have a quick program at the Rumble. If reports were right WWE was going to have him turn much later.

Adding Bryan to the WM main event was basically a way to salvage WM. To WWE's credit it worked.

 

[laodaron]

The fact that people still believe that Batista was supposed to be a permanent face when he returned is just more evidence to prove how smart the WWE has been this year.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

The fact that people still believe that Batista was supposed to be a permanent face when he returned is just more evidence to prove how smart the WWE has been this year.

Ah yes, the "It's all part of the master plan" idea.

WWE booking has never been that organized, creative, or forward thinking.

What they have been good at is capitalizing on a trend and making sudden shifts. It's why Cesaro has been booked strong in recent weeks, it's why the Shield are faces just a few weeks after it was a near lock that they'd be feuding with each other, and it's why Daniel Bryan's the champion today.

 

[Rocky84]

Ah yes, the "It's all part of the master plan" idea.

WWE booking has never been that organized, creative, or forward thinking.

What they have been good at is capitalizing on a trend and making sudden shifts. It's why Cesaro has been booked strong in recent weeks, it's why the Shield are faces just a few weeks after it was a near lock that they'd be feuding with each other, and it's why Daniel Bryan's the champion today.

Totally agree. It's just great improvisation on behalf of the WWE. Clearly Batista was supposed to rival Orton & The Authority heading into Mania. The same goes for Punk. He was supposed to take on HHH. The same way we all heard about these fueds many months before, they all ended up happening. That include Brock and Taker plus Bray and Cena.

The fans freaking out at the Rumble and every Raw after that put the pressure on creative to re-write everything to avoid the fans hijacking the shows. The reports were true because everything they said was happening/happened. Then When Punk quit it gave them a huge opportunity for the storyline...having DB do double duty to play up the angle even more.

Not rocket science, and it's so easy to see that their plan as of the start of the Road to Wrestlemania was...

Batista vs Orton-WWE Championship
Punk vs HHH
Brock vs Taker
Bray vs Cena

and like the reports mentioned, probably Sheamus vs DB. With Sheamus returning, they probably would've had him coming back as a heel. Possibly picking a fight with DB off the bat to get a lot of heat...I doubt Christian was the plan all along for him...plus the battle royal.

Possible they could've went with Corporate Kane vs DB too given their history and the Authority role.

Rock vs Brock was just an idea discussed amongst Vince, Rock and Brock...doubtful that creative made in depth storylines for this fued.

 

[laodaron]

It's really a shame that so many people are on wrestling boards that haven't got the slightest idea at all about what booking actually is. HHH has been hammering us over the head with it for 8 months now. Snarky comments about fans that think they are smarter than him.

The entire premise of the Daniel Bryan angle was to make the fans believe that he wasn't involved in the main event anymore. Creative isn't just about who is fighting who anymore. It's a 24/7 global mission. That's why they focus so heavily on social networking, the Networks, trending, etc. WWE Creative knows exactly what the climate is regarding their product, and they lead you along by the ring in your nose and you don't mind.

I currently love the product. If you watched Summerslam in August and didn't know at that point that Daniel Bryan was going to be the champion at WM30 (sadly) then you should probably ask your mom for some more money to get that new John Cena wristband for sale at the merch hut in the lobby next time you go to a Live Event.

 

[laodaron]

Batista vs Orton-WWE Championship
Punk vs HHH

Where did you get this from?

Batista won the Rumble, and Punk walked out the day after the Rumble. At no time was there ever a moment during the Road to Wrestlemania that CM Punk and Batista were ever going to be booked on the same WM30 card. You might have assumed that based on some rumors and some really weak understanding of WWE Creative, but for all intents and purposes, before Mania, I had no idea where Punk was going to fit in, and I assumed that Daniel Bryan would be fighting for the WWEWHC.

 

[OYDK]

It's really a shame that so many people are on wrestling boards that haven't got the slightest idea at all about what booking actually is. HHH has been hammering us over the head with it for 8 months now. Snarky comments about fans that think they are smarter than him.

The entire premise of the Daniel Bryan angle was to make the fans believe that he wasn't involved in the main event anymore. Creative isn't just about who is fighting who anymore. It's a 24/7 global mission. That's why they focus so heavily on social networking, the Networks, trending, etc. WWE Creative knows exactly what the climate is regarding their product, and they lead you along by the ring in your nose and you don't mind.

I currently love the product. If you watched Summerslam in August and didn't know at that point that Daniel Bryan was going to be the champion at WM30 (sadly) then you should probably ask your mom for some more money to get that new John Cena wristband for sale at the merch hut in the lobby next time you go to a Live Event.

So your right and everybody else is wrong? Of course! How could you not be right, I forgot you know WWE Creative personally! What? You don't? Oh must just be another WWE fan who thinks they know the intricacies of WWE better than everyone else.
You REALLY think that WWE would somehow leak false Wrestlemania angles and matches on purpose, just so we don't believe that Daniel Bryan is going to win the title. You really think WWE has it all figured out? VINCE Mcmahon was reported to be "freaking out" and "changing his mind" MULTIPLE times leading up to Wrestlemania. Reports said VINCE was furious with the WWE fans for hijacking shows. NOT HHH. Why would they leak all of that if Vince wasn't even going to show his face at or before Mania?

The Daniel Bryan Summerslam angle was supposed to end WAY before Wrestlemania. Bryan was built so weak for a reason... WWE was trying to lower his stock before Mania 30 but it didn't work. Than when they figured out they were screwed, they decided to book him like an absolute beast from the Rumble onwards. Also Batista tried MULTIPLE times to get the WWE crowd on his side... How can you say they were going to foresee the fans instantly turning on Batista?
As for CM Punk, him and HHH had been building their feud forever. Of course WWE had planned to have it culminate at Mania, otherwise WHY would they have waited so long to actually get Bryan and HHH to start building?

So many flaws in your argument

 

[laodaron]

LOL, you write that slop and say there are holes in my argument?

Here's a few facts:

HHH screws Bryan at Summerslam, giving the belts to Orton, and turning heel against Daniel Bryan as a face.

HHH and Steph talk about how small Bryan is, B+ player, etc. They "book him" in these angles that are not the main event.

Batista, I would argue, was NEVER brought in as a face. He was sarcastic, douchey, wearing skinny jeans, etc. If they wanted him as a face, then he would have been a face.

We are in an age where the booking is actually the storyline that HHH buries those he doesn't like, and gives his friends chances. Inside of that HUGE booking angle are smaller angles, such as the Batista "face" push, and Daniel Bryan getting buried.

The WWE wants you to believe that you have it all figured out. They want you to think that you're smarter than them. They want you to think that you have the power as the fan, and that you and your bitching on an internet forum was the deciding factor in Daniel Bryan getting the belt. Really, it's quite obvious to see if you aren't too full of yourself. The WWE decided probably at Wrestlemania 29 that Daniel Bryan would be the champion at WM 30.

And don't be an asshole. You think you're right, I think I'm right. You don't have a moral superiority over me because you get worked every Monday night at 8EDT/7CDT.

 

[Rocky84]

Where did you get this from?

Batista won the Rumble, and Punk walked out the day after the Rumble. At no time was there ever a moment during the Road to Wrestlemania that CM Punk and Batista were ever going to be booked on the same WM30 card. You might have assumed that based on some rumors and some really weak understanding of WWE Creative, but for all intents and purposes, before Mania, I had no idea where Punk was going to fit in, and I assumed that Daniel Bryan would be fighting for the WWEWHC.

If you're that far behind then I don't have the time to catch you up to speed. If you visited this site or any wrestling site for that matter at all since your sign up date here, then you'd know all of this.

Your post asking this question as well as your previous post goes to show you have not been paying attention at all. With all of your posts on this site, I'm quite confused as to how you aren't aware of this. What forum have you spent your entire time posting on? Old school wrestling? TNA?

 

[OYDK]

Where did you get this from?

Batista won the Rumble, and Punk walked out the day after the Rumble. At no time was there ever a moment during the Road to Wrestlemania that CM Punk and Batista were ever going to be booked on the same WM30 card. You might have assumed that based on some rumors and some really weak understanding of WWE Creative, but for all intents and purposes, before Mania, I had no idea where Punk was going to fit in, and I assumed that Daniel Bryan would be fighting for the WWEWHC.

This statement shows that you obviously have no clue what the original plan was in the FIRST place... so why comment and try to belittle everyone, when you were not even aware that there WAS a set plan previous to the Royal Rumble that had nothing to do with Bryan winning the title.
HHH WAS supposed to face CM Punk
Batista WAS supposed to face Orton and
Bryan WAS supposed to face either Sheamus or Kane
They were building these matches way BEFORE the RR (except Batista- Orton)
It's rumored that Punk left BECAUSE he didn't want to face HHH at Wrestlemania. but wanted to main event and Batista winning set him over the edge. Also Daniel Bryan was never in a program with Batista and Orton until after EC... so I'll ask the question you never answered again.. why would WWE start building Bryan-Orton-Batista so late?
AND ALSO the fact that you think CM Punk wasn't booked for Wrestlemania prior to the RR is absurd.

You're just as much an asshole as me man.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

The fact that people still believe that Batista was supposed to be a permanent face when he returned is just more evidence to prove how smart the WWE has been this year.

Was it WWE's plan for Batista to turn heel? Was it their plan for The Royal Rumble to disappoint the fans in the live attendance? Also was it part of their plan for CM Punk to walk out (which initiated the Bryan/HHH match)?

The only way WM30 played out the way it did was if all (or at least most) the questions I asked had "yes" as an answer.

I do think that Triple H and the WWE initial plan was to go all in on Batista as the top face heading to WM. No questions about that, they gave him the heroes welcome as well as the same pattern Triple H returned after his quad injury n 2002.

Though I do think it's also likely that they always anticipated the possibility that Batista would not work out. So Bryan could have always been in place as a plan "B".

But Batista was meant to be the top face. There's a reason why Bryan wasn't in the rumble and that Batista entered late in the Rumble. It was to protect Batista as much as possible in terms of his physical condition heading to the Rumble as well as Bryan not taking away the attention from Batista.

 

[workhorse]

No doubt in my mind Bryan was supposed to face Sheamus and Batista go over Orton for the title. Batista said it himself that he told the WWE it was a bad idea to bring him back as a face. Why else would Bray Wyatt go over Bryan clean at the Royal Rumble? Bray was getting primed to face Cena whilst Bryan was moving back down the card.
The Royal Rumble fan backlash and Punk walking out changed the whole title picture.

 

[Skyeborne]

You can call me naive all you want, but I really like to believe WWE had big plans for Daniel Bryan and the "leaked" matchcard was a fake leak just to keep people guessing as to what they were going to do.

Watching the Daniel Bryan documentary was really interesting because they mentioned the Royal Rumble screw up. Bryan talked about how the WWE tried to stop the Daniel Bryan from getting popular, and it just turned out that Rey Mysterio got the biggest heat he has ever gotten.

I knew Daniel Bryan wasn't going to be in the Royal Rumble, I knew Batista was going to win it only made sense with the "heroes welcome" as shooter calls it. I like to think WWE had big plans for Daniel Bryan though.

 

[Trail_Blazin]

So I think we all know that the Wrestlemania 30 finish was put together at basically the last second. I highly doubt putting the WWEWHC on Bryan was WWE's original plan prior to the Royal Rumble and there was much speculation that Batista was supposed to win the big one at Mania 30. So this leads me to a few questions:

1. Did Batista know the plan before he came back to the WWE?
2. Did he willingly step aside for Daniel Bryan?

This is all speculative of course and I have no idea if Batista going over at Mania was the original plan, but that's sure what it seemed like to me... So last question:

3. If this is true, does it make you respect Batista more?

Well, I think some respect to Batista is due in either scenario. If he signed on knowing that Bryan was going to go over, but he knew that his signing and winning the Rumble would only help to make Bryan's win that much more memorable... Good for him.

If he stepped aside for him... Good for him. Batista did wrestling a favor either way. Like him or not, it was a great gesture regardless of the original plan.