I was explaining the Yes Movement (well really why Batista's last run flopped) to someone yesterday who isn't much of a wrestling fan any more and how it was the fans backlash against the WWE's mishandling of Daniel Bryan that caused it all. That fans were up in arms about Bryan's mistreatment after Summerslam 2013 and that by the time he didn't enter the Royal Rumble they/we were just sick of it. I said it wasn't really Batista's fault, though he didn't come back in tip top shape, and that the fans would have rejected anyone not named Daniel Bryan that year.
He replied with, 'in hindsight they should have just kept the title on him after Summerslam for a few months eh?'.
That got me thinking, how different would the WWE look today if Bryan had been allowed have a run from Summerslam to the Royal Rumble with the belt that year? Would the fans have been okay with Bryan holding the belt and losing it at the Rumble to Orton so Orton could have his match with Batista at Mania? What knock on effects would that have too? Would the Shield have been split up when they were if WWE had Batista around as the face champion heading in to Summerslam 2014 for a potential match with Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton or whoever?
I think it's a pretty interesting What If scenario because the results of WWE's poor booking of that era are still being felt today. Arguably the fans wouldn't have reacted as negatively to Batista, or even to Roman Reigns a year later, if they felt Bryan had been shown the right level of respect of the company. That could have caused, among other things, the Shield to stay around longer, Seth Rollins to not be champion today, Roman Reigns to be champion today and a big money main event between Batista and Lesnar just as the Guardians of the Galaxy dominated the box office.
He replied with, 'in hindsight they should have just kept the title on him after Summerslam for a few months eh?'.
That got me thinking, how different would the WWE look today if Bryan had been allowed have a run from Summerslam to the Royal Rumble with the belt that year? Would the fans have been okay with Bryan holding the belt and losing it at the Rumble to Orton so Orton could have his match with Batista at Mania? What knock on effects would that have too? Would the Shield have been split up when they were if WWE had Batista around as the face champion heading in to Summerslam 2014 for a potential match with Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton or whoever?
I think it's a pretty interesting What If scenario because the results of WWE's poor booking of that era are still being felt today. Arguably the fans wouldn't have reacted as negatively to Batista, or even to Roman Reigns a year later, if they felt Bryan had been shown the right level of respect of the company. That could have caused, among other things, the Shield to stay around longer, Seth Rollins to not be champion today, Roman Reigns to be champion today and a big money main event between Batista and Lesnar just as the Guardians of the Galaxy dominated the box office.
