411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Is Roman Ready?

Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are Dino Zee and Sean Garmer!

Questions were sent out Monday.

Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem and hydroponics.

1. Despite receiving the big push and judging on what you’ve seen from him, Roman Reigns is the wrong guy to main event WrestleMania 31.

Dino Zee: FACT – I tend to think that the most over superstar on your roster should main event the biggest show of the year, just like I did last year. That’s just my personal opinion. But of course, it’s moot, because they made their bed with every intention of lying in it, and Reigns is what we’re going to get. I tried to argue the other side a couple weeks ago and point out the good in Reigns- and let’s make it clear that while I may not love where Reigns is at, I don’t view him as the useless lunk that many others do- and I think that there is validity in where he’s at. While many are just fine with handing Bryan 100% of the credit for their Fast Lane match, I’m not. Roman handled his end of the bargain just fine. Same thing with the Smackdown Gauntlet. No, he didn’t do the heaviest of lifting in either match, but he wasn’t frickin Yoshihiko to Bryan’s Ibushi, either. If you believe he was, I think the hate has gotten just a tad out of control. Just a little. A skosh, if you will. So, long story short, yeah, I think he’s the wrong guy, but only because I thought the guy who was more over with the fanbase that had a built in storyline of regaining what he never fairly lost was more compelling than The Rise of Roman Reigns. But who cares? Reigns is in the main event. A man with a much better goodbye wave said it best: “Deal with it.”

Sean Garmer: FACT – I should say that I am not against Roman Reigns main eventing Wrestlemania 31. I think as much as people hate it, there needs to be an understanding that WWE cannot always deviate from their plans completely. Vince has gone all-in on Roman Reigns and he’s going to have to deal with the backlash that comes with that. Personally, I don’t think Reigns deserves or is ready for the big spotlight to be thrust upon him. He is nowhere near the levels of acceptance that Macho Man, Bret, HBK, Austin, Cena, and others have been at before they had their WM moments. Wrestlemania is not the place to try to test out and see if someone can carry the ball, WM should be for the guys that you already know are something (like Daniel Bryan) and they just need that little nudge or that big spectacular moment to solidify them as top tier talents. Not that he would be the first to do this, but Reigns hasn’t even held a mid-card singles title or even attempted to go for one yet. After Reigns had his injury that sidelined him for a while, I think WWE did him no favors by immediately thrusting him in the spotlight and slowly cutting him off at the knees with stupid promos and segments that did not play to his strengths. Depending on where you go, Reigns gets anywhere from a medium reaction to almost nothing. Is this what WWE considers WWE Champion material? Because man they really lowered their expectations from Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and then Roman Reigns. Let’s just think about this… if WWE had waited to do Cena vs. Brock at Wrestlemania and gave Reigns the US Title match with Rusev would any of us be complaining about Reigns? Probably not, why? Because that’s what Reigns first feud at Wrestlemania should have been. Let Reigns be the one that ended Rusev’s streak and be the guy fighting for America. I mean, I would want the bad ass guy that spears people fighting for me, instead of you know, John Cena. However, WWE can still rectify this situation and save themselves with the “get out of jail free card” that is Seth Rollins right now. I and another co-host of mine on the Wrestling 2 the MAX podcast several times, have Reigns win, then Brock lays Reigns out, and Rollins cashes in Money in the Bank. Then not only do you have an entire year’s worth of feuds for the belt because everyone hates Seth Rollins, but you take that year to give Reigns a redemption story that the people can get behind. That’s entire year for Reigns to come into his own, maybe turn heel for a little bit so he can embrace a bit of the asshole that he seems to portray in interviews, and then challenge Brock at WM 32 and win the belt.

2. Adding an NXT event during WrestleMania weekend is WWE’s latest step in trying to kill off independent competition during their biggest weekend of the year.

Dino Zee: FICTION – That is entirely too cynical for me. Trying to kill of independent competition? Are the shows still going to take place? Is having an extra show really going to “kill” anything? I know we like our long-winded answers around here, but I think this is simply not true. It’s easily possible to still enjoy the shows you want, and if you want to see the independent guys do their thing instead of NXT, then you will. I mean, sure, I guess I’ll grant that it’s not entirely inconceivable that they prefer your eyes be on “their” product over the other guys during WrestleMania Weekend, but I don’t even think they’re delusional enough to believe that an NXT show will help eliminate the independents from trying to get in while the getting is good.

Sean Garmer: FACT – Yes and honestly I don’t see what the big deal is really. Wrestlemania is a WWE created production and why should other companies be allowed to benefit from the people that are there for Wrestlemania? NXT is already WWE’s answer to the indies by creating what is essentially a super indy with a lot of known stars from other promotions. I’m not saying that what WWE is doing is healthy for the industry of pro-wrestling as a whole, but WWE is focused on WWE and doing what’s best for Wrestlemania. We already know WWE does what it can, to make sure you don’t know other promotions exist and this is another by product of that. However, I think we also need to take into account that there is still a large populous of WWE fans that have no idea what NXT is, by having a show on Wrestlemania weekend you can get people into NXT that may never have given it a shot otherwise. Let’s also not forget that Wrestlemania is filled with a lot of traveling fans and it will probably be a long time before NXT ever travels anywhere outside the United States. So, why not let these fans from all over the world get a chance to experience NXT LIVE? I don’t see the harm in it. I know when I go to Wrestlemania 32 in Dallas I’m probably going to want to see the NXT Wrestlemania weekend show. I’m all for the indy’s wanting to help themselves, but the people that are reacting negatively about this and thinking that WWE has no reason to go after them need to understand that it is not WWE’s responsibility to make sure these indy shows get a big payday. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, are the indy shows hurting Wrestlemania? No they aren’t. However, I can’t fault WWE for making sure people stay tuned to WWE and WWE products only during their biggest weekend of the entire year.

3. Bobby Roode made the right call re-signing with TNA for another year.

Dino Zee: FACT – I hate that he did it, for the record. I’d love to see what WWE would do with him. I’d love to see all the fresh matchups he’d provide there. I also think that he’s got a bit of the Shane Douglas condition of loving to be the big fish in the smaller pond. And hey, that works just fine for some people. I’m not going to begrudge Roode for making a decision that he feels is best for his career- that’s his right. But I’m still not going to like it- that’s my right. However, this is a case where I won’t let my selfish wants override fairness and common sense, and Roode clearly likes how he’s treated by TNA. He’s one of their top guys whether heel or face, cuts a decent interview, and gets to work with some of the finest athletes in wrestling right now. So yeah, I wish he’d have seen what WWE could offer, but for his own life, Roode did make the right call.

Sean Garmer: FACT – I mean where else is Bobby Roode going to go? Roode is a TNA lifer and unlike Samoa Joe or AJ Styles, he doesn’t have the appeal to make it in Japan or WWE. I mean I guess he could have gone to ROH, but he’s been with TNA so long that TNA could probably afford to pay him more to stay because they kind of need him at the moment. I like Bobby Roode, he’s one of the best things TNA has, I’d like to see him get a shot in WWE. However, I wonder if he would get over well with the NXT crowd and even if he does, would he be stuck in NXT forever and even get a shot at the main roster? Roode might as well just stay where he knows he will always be on TV, be in the main event picture, and be sort of relevant.

SWITCH!

4. You are excited that Samoa Joe has reportedly agreed to terms with the WWE.

Sean Garmer: FACT – I’m excited for him to be in NXT and get to have matches with Owens, Zayn, Neville, Balor, Breeze, Itami, and others. I’d like to see if he can lose a little weight and what his motivation is like before saying I’m super excited for him to go to WWE. I still want to see what his name would be and how he is used in NXT before that as well because I don’t know if Vince will put his ego aside and let Joe flourish in the WWE system. I’m a big fan of Joe and I think he could do super well in both places. I’m happy to see him taking a chance and not just staying somewhere safe like ROH, plus its not like if WWE doesn’t work out he can’t go back there or even go back to TNA. Let’s just hope Joe is given a great opportunity to succeed and not wasted away just losing to everyone that’s already in NXT.

Dino Zee: FACT – Pretty easy answer here. I wrote a few weeks ago how I was bummed that Joe left TNA, and I honestly didn’t think he’d be coming to WWE (whether directly or via NXT proxy) at all. So yeah, this makes me happy. Of course I have the same fears that many have when a talent that’s been established outside the Universe joins in- that he’ll be misused, or changed so drastically as to not resemble what we’ve come to know and love- but overall this is a good piece of news, and yes, I’m absolutely excited about it.

5. Despite the questionable booking to get there, the Intercontinental Title Ladder match will steal the show at WrestleMania.

Sean Garmer: FACT – Aside from making Barrett look silly, I think the build to this has really made me interested in the ladder match. I know the IC Title has been treated as if we were back in the Attitude Era with the 24/7 rule, but it shows that all of these guys really want the title. After every match they are fighting over it or at least trying to get Truth to give it to them. Whoever wins at Wrestlemania could instantly have a feud with any of these guys and I would be glued to the TV because you know you are getting a great match. Monday’s RAW gave Barrett back a little respect, but this really isn’t so much about the champion, as it is about everybody wanting the prize. It personifies what the ladder match will be, a bunch of guys fighting and clawing to climb a ladder and grab the Intercontinental Championship. I wish we could have played up the history the belt has with ladder matches a bit more, but that’s just nitpicking. WWE may have gone about this in an unconventional manner, but a ladder match creates the possibility that anyone could win and they showed that in the way that this has been booked. I now really want to see this match at Wrestlemania and hope it brings the house down.

Dino Zee: FICTION – This is a setup for disappointment. Whenever I head into a show thinking “Match X will be the one to steal the show,” I’m usually let down. Not always, but quite often. I think of matches like Michaels/Perfect at SummerSlam 93, or CM Punk vs. Rey Misterio from Mania 26, or even Jericho/Angle/Benoit from Mania 2000. No, those aren’t the only examples, but I think my point remains. This is usually a setup for being letdown, if not abject failure. Of course, the caveat here is that there doesn’t appear to be another match that will be capable (on paper) of stealing the show, which by default would make this easy. Then again, if you’re expecting something to be the best match, is it fair to say it then “stole the show”? I am hoping for a good match, and I am hoping that it’s amazing, but I’m trying not to get my hopes too high for this one. I’ve been hurt before, and the heart takes a long time to heal. That said, I am very excited for this match, and feel everyone involved is capable of making this an unbelievably fun affair.

6. What is your current excitement level for WrestleMania 31?

Sean Garmer: 6 out of 10 – WWE still has one week to go to try to get me more excited then this. I don’t think anyone can deny that the build to this Wrestlemania has felt like “just another PPV.” Aside from a few things here and there I don’t find myself too excited for things. I’m intrigued by what WWE decides to do in the main event, but I’m not sold on the match or Roman Reigns leaving with the belt. I’m still not sold that Bray vs. Taker is actually going to be a match. I think Taker shows up at Wrestlemania and they might just brawl or something, but perhaps Taker is in better shape than pictures would indicate. Until Monday’s RAW, I really wasn’t too excited for the build between Triple H and Sting. I’m glad we got to hear Sting speak with his own voice finally, but WWE took too long to make this about something else besides HHH vs. WCW. Randy Orton vs. Rollins has been fine and I think the match will be good, but we knew that’s been coming for a long time. The Divas and Tag Team feuds have been less than stellar to say the least and the battle royal has one redeeming quality about it, and that’s perhaps Damien Sandow winning the whole thing. I already discussed what I think of the IC Title match, but I have to say WWE has done a fantastic job with Cena vs. Rusev. Rusev is instantly hateable and John Cena is been pretty good in this as well. Whether we like it or not, John Cena represents us. As a nation, we aren’t always liked by everyone, we can be assholes sometimes, but you better not f*** with America cause dammit we don’t give up. Let’s see what RAW brings on Monday.

Dino Zee: 6 out of 10 – My excitement stems more from the fact that it’s being held in my home area, and that I’ll be in attendance. I think the main event is going to be fun to watch in Brock/Goldberg sense, where the crowd might make this way more interesting than we think. I also have interest in seeing if Reigns can rise to a level many didn’t see, and shock his doubters (of which I’m definitely one). I think the ladder match will be fun, whether or not I agree that it will steal the show. I’m actually intrigued by Cena vs. Rusev, which is probably a huge mistake. Plus, the way Heyman turned Brock into an anti-corporate rebel last week really got me into that match. I don’t think this is going to be an all-time great show, but who knows? That’s why we watch.