Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
I agree with the notion that it takes two to make a match as it can't all be done by one man. I don't think the term "carrying" is accurate as it implies that the other guy brings nothing to the table, though "calling" the match is probably more accurate.
As far as the crowd goes, I've seen better but I've also seen a lot worse. The fans weren't super interested in really anything that was going on, but they certainly didn't piss all over the show either. Their biggest interest ultimately lay where we expected it to be: the Triple H/Sting confrontation, Cena vs. Rusev and Reigns vs. Bryan. I think part of the problem with this match was that most fans either expected Reigns to win or that it'd end with some sort of no contest and it ultimately affected the crowd's investment. Most didn't go into the match genuinely thinking that Bryan had a solid chance of winning like we saw at WrestleMania because too many people have read the same reports or have been watching long enough to read the signs of when Vince McMahon has made his final decision on something, especially if that decision is one that a good number of them aren't really that interested in. So, as a result, I think the best that they could hope for was just a strong, competitive match, which is what they received, and I think it was ultimately enough for the night.
Daniel Bryan's long had a reputation of being able to put together top quality matches and to make other wrestlers look strong in the process whether they win or lose. We've seen Bryan have strong matches against guys who, for the most part, are touted as being pretty dull inside the ring much of the time like Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry. While I think that the abilities of these guys are underappreciated, they most definitely shine brighter when they're put up against someone who knows can help highlight their more positive aspects during matches.
Roman Reigns had a strong match against Daniel Bryan, it was easily Reigns' best singles match. Bryan helped make Reigns look like a star, but let's not fool ourselves into believing that Reigns could've had just as good of a match with anyone else on the roster. For about a decade, Bryan's been regarded as one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world not just for his technical knowhow but, as I alluded to, because he knows how to help put together matches with consistent quality. The result is simple: of course Roman Reigns looked really good, though it wasn't ALL because of Bryan as Reigns had to hold his end of course.
Still, I don't think very many of the doubts were erased in the minds of a lot of people. Some are just gonna hate on Reigns on pure principle, however ludicrous it might be, some might be convinced, some who were on the fence might be leaning more towards the more optimistic side but I don't think a whole helluva lot of opinions were changed. As I've alluded to, it's very difficult not to have a strong match with Daniel Bryan, so there are still some doubts as to what Reigns can ultimately do in a program with someone maybe not as strong in the ring. Also, the doubts regarding Reigns' personality, charisma and promo skills are still as strong as ever. Reigns has a solid base of fans made up mostly, not entirely but the majority, seem to be women and younger kids while most of the boos seem to be come from the adult males in the audience; all in all, it's pretty similar to the response John Cena typically gets. How much of the "hate" is genuine and how much of it is simply the thing to do at live events is uncertain for Reigns as it's still so very early in his push.
As far as the crowd goes, I've seen better but I've also seen a lot worse. The fans weren't super interested in really anything that was going on, but they certainly didn't piss all over the show either. Their biggest interest ultimately lay where we expected it to be: the Triple H/Sting confrontation, Cena vs. Rusev and Reigns vs. Bryan. I think part of the problem with this match was that most fans either expected Reigns to win or that it'd end with some sort of no contest and it ultimately affected the crowd's investment. Most didn't go into the match genuinely thinking that Bryan had a solid chance of winning like we saw at WrestleMania because too many people have read the same reports or have been watching long enough to read the signs of when Vince McMahon has made his final decision on something, especially if that decision is one that a good number of them aren't really that interested in. So, as a result, I think the best that they could hope for was just a strong, competitive match, which is what they received, and I think it was ultimately enough for the night.
Daniel Bryan's long had a reputation of being able to put together top quality matches and to make other wrestlers look strong in the process whether they win or lose. We've seen Bryan have strong matches against guys who, for the most part, are touted as being pretty dull inside the ring much of the time like Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry. While I think that the abilities of these guys are underappreciated, they most definitely shine brighter when they're put up against someone who knows can help highlight their more positive aspects during matches.
Roman Reigns had a strong match against Daniel Bryan, it was easily Reigns' best singles match. Bryan helped make Reigns look like a star, but let's not fool ourselves into believing that Reigns could've had just as good of a match with anyone else on the roster. For about a decade, Bryan's been regarded as one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world not just for his technical knowhow but, as I alluded to, because he knows how to help put together matches with consistent quality. The result is simple: of course Roman Reigns looked really good, though it wasn't ALL because of Bryan as Reigns had to hold his end of course.
Still, I don't think very many of the doubts were erased in the minds of a lot of people. Some are just gonna hate on Reigns on pure principle, however ludicrous it might be, some might be convinced, some who were on the fence might be leaning more towards the more optimistic side but I don't think a whole helluva lot of opinions were changed. As I've alluded to, it's very difficult not to have a strong match with Daniel Bryan, so there are still some doubts as to what Reigns can ultimately do in a program with someone maybe not as strong in the ring. Also, the doubts regarding Reigns' personality, charisma and promo skills are still as strong as ever. Reigns has a solid base of fans made up mostly, not entirely but the majority, seem to be women and younger kids while most of the boos seem to be come from the adult males in the audience; all in all, it's pretty similar to the response John Cena typically gets. How much of the "hate" is genuine and how much of it is simply the thing to do at live events is uncertain for Reigns as it's still so very early in his push.
