Would Batista still be booed if he had been a surprise?

[slik]

Did the early reveal of Batista ruin this PPV? If Batista was a surprise entrant and won, would the crowd still boo or would they "flip their shit"?

[Shisen Kopf]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

thats what i say.

[Savio]

Not until after he won.

[Tazz Dan]

They'd still boo. His return was luke-warm at best, and he was extremely rusty in the ring. He moved around about as well as Nash.

[Tom Guycott]

Seems more like a reaction to the "Part-timer Syndrome" than him actually winning.

For example, you have guys down the card who are there year round and spinning their wheels, then you get guys like Batista and Lesnar (or like with The Rock before) coming back to INSTANTLY be a big deal in the title scene. It's one thing to come back and be a feature attraction in and of themselves, like Undertaker... but to have someone almost literally walk in off the street and be in a positon to be "the man" again?

You can argue all you want about Bats having star power and such shit, but the point I'm trying to make is that it seems they'd rather bring back someone who has been GONE FOR 4 YEARS (as they're so quick to point out) to put asses in seats instead of making someone new to give a shit about. And I don't mean in a quick, instant impact way that rarely works, but with slow build and instilled familiarity.

He comes back after a long absence, gets a title shot that literally could have been given to one of 29 other people, and then after 'Mania, he'll dissappear.

To answer your question, they likely would have popped huge with him being a surprise, but then, to actually win it... might have still gotten him boo'd. For this very same reason.

[glanville6]

I say yes. I mean, he JUST came back. 6 days ago. Not enough time for people to care about him again. I never would have cared. There are only 2 guys people would have really wanted to win, and its Daniel Bryan over CM Punk.

Jesus Christ would have been booed if he came in at #30.

Its probably not Batista as much as it is it not being Daniel Bryan.

[Skippord]

Probably, Batista sucks

[voncouch]

"Ring Rust" doesn't even start to explain it. The guy looked like someone put his brain in the body of a drunken gorilla. There wasn't a single "you still got it" chant for this guy on Raw or Royal Rumble. The audience will chant that for a can of soup from 1986 and he got nothing.

Yes, he'd be booed.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Batista did look pretty shit. The crowd would have popped, but as soon as they realized that they weren't getting Bryan, the heat would have come in.

[The Rogerer]

Here's some news. I didn't get to see much of Batista but he looks absolutely lame as fuck. Stupid big meathead, stupid haircut, dopey "Oh I'm firing an M2" entrance. His stupid belly button tattoo. "The Animal" is a rubbish nickname and his stupid serif font trunks.

I would like to see ADR kidney punch the hell out of him.Batista comes back looking like a roided up Jasper Carrot and is a rustier version of a old wrestler. Oh, except he's in royalty because he's got a part in a marvel film that absolutely no-one has heard of or has any affection for.

[Shadrick]

Seems more like a reaction to the "Part-timer Syndrome" than him actually winning.

For example, you have guys down the card who are there year round and spinning their wheels, then you get guys like Batista and Lesnar (or like with The Rock before) coming back to INSTANTLY be a big deal in the title scene. It's one thing to come back and be a feature attraction in and of themselves, like Undertaker... but to have someone almost literally walk in off the street and be in a positon to be "the man" again?

You can argue all you want about Bats having star power and such shit, but the point I'm trying to make is that it seems they'd rather bring back someone who has been GONE FOR 4 YEARS (as they're so quick to point out) to put asses in seats instead of making someone new to give a shit about. And I don't mean in a quick, instant impact way that rarely works, but with slow build and instilled familiarity.

He comes back after a long absence, gets a title shot that literally could have been given to one of 29 other people, and then after 'Mania, he'll dissappear.

To answer your question, they likely would have popped huge with him being a surprise, but then, to actually win it... might have still gotten him boo'd. For this very same reason.

Bats signed a two year deal.

[BigCrippyZ]

Excluding Hogan because of his age and abilities at this point, if your name is not Austin or Rock, you should never just be able to come in and headline WM, get a World title shot or win the Rumble to headline WM.

There is even an exception to this rule and/or this is even more true when you have a phenomenon like Daniel Bryan who is as over as he is and getting the reactions he has been getting.

[whiteyford]

Probably, Batista sucks

[slik]

interesting...

[Fignuts]

Hey now Roger, knock Batista all you want, but you leave the Gaurdians of the Galaxy out of this god damn it.

[Emperor Smeat]

No at him as the surprise but yes at him winning. The crowd wanted Bryan to be both in the Rumble and win it but ended up getting neither.

[The Rogerer]

Hey now Roger, knock Batista all you want, but you leave the Gaurdians of the Galaxy out of this god damn it.Guardians of the who? Even if anybody had heard of the franchise, which they hadn't, I was vaguely aware of the name from being a big comic fan in the 90s, the film hasn't even started promotion yet and is not in the public consciousness. Even when it is, it's an unproven quantity, and nobody said there's going to be anything interesting about Batista's role or that audiences will particularly like him.

Or, if I'm feeling generous, it's something that doesn't even exist yet, as far as the public is concerned. How it's supposed to be any sort of a draw is beyond me. I'd say more people have heard of the WWE than the Guardians of the Galaxy.

[Heyman]

Did the early reveal of Batista ruin this PPV? If Batista was a surprise entrant and won, would the crowd still boo or would they "flip their shit"?

I think the fans would have still been upset at no Bryan, but would've been a little more accepting of Batista.

I think Batista would have received a similar reaction to if Roman Reigns had won last night (i.e. good pop from the crowd, but disappointment at not seeing Bryan win).

[NormanSmiley]

if it had been kept under wraps with nobody knowing I think it could have been what they hoped. A nice pop, he doesn't have to do much and gets the rumble win to get his shot at headlining mania again after being gone.

bringing him back the show before to say I want the bet and im gonna win the rumble gave people a week to remember that he wasn't all that great before he left.

Let's not forget Batista was over once HUGE in 2005 not because of anything about him but because people hated HHH so much.

if they hyped his return for a month you would think the guy being handed the golden goose would have been able to shake off some ring rust prior to going in, which he did not.

[Tom Guycott]

Bats signed a two year deal.

A) not exactly common knowledge. Unless you're IWC and care enough to read up.

B) more importantly, that doesn't matter. Lesnar isn't exactly per-appearance, but has the whole "limited dates per year".

Let's look at this "by experience" as a semi-casual fan collective. The Rock came back. Twice. RVD came back. Lesnar came back. They all went and fucked off in a couple months of said "returns" for whatever the reason. Why should it be believed this is any different? (Again, 'Taker is an exception to this. Age and health has caught up to the man, he can do what he goddamn pleases. By all rights, he earned the right to sit at home, ride bikes, and poke Michelle McCool on a regular basis, and he still does his annual return thing. Respect that shit.

And I didn't want to play the "Daniel Bryan" card, but it is pretty obvious. He's there all the time and #overasfuck (insert the Twitter mock-up here), but thathas been a long running no brainer WWE collectively ignores. It's like what would have happened if Vince had ignored how "Austin 3:16" caught on and spread, and instead decided to ban the signs and not sell shirts because he's supposed to be a heel... and fuck a push.

However, they literally could have had anyone go over, as I pointed out before, and they chose a guy who, one month ago, wasn't anywhere NEAR collective thoughts. And even with his two year deal, who's to say he isn't going to be picky about the exposure during that time? You really think WWE has *plans* for him beyond a short-term feud with ADR and a 'Mania build/appearance?

Might be proven wrong, but the pattern has already been established to the collective: "He'll go fuck off after WrestleMania like everyone else, (insert name here) should have won the Rumble! Fuck that guy!!!"

[Fignuts]

Guardians of the who? Even if anybody had heard of the franchise, which they hadn't, I was vaguely aware of the name from being a big comic fan in the 90s, the film hasn't even started promotion yet and is not in the public consciousness. Even when it is, it's an unproven quantity, and nobody said there's going to be anything interesting about Batista's role or that audiences will particularly like him.

Or, if I'm feeling generous, it's something that doesn't even exist yet, as far as the public is concerned. How it's supposed to be any sort of a draw is beyond me. I'd say more people have heard of the WWE than the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Dude. Chill. Was a joke.

[Theo Dious]

I was saying Boo-urns.

[Theo Dious]

Dude. Chill. Was a joke.

Seriously... look who you're talking about.

[Tom Guycott]

Hmm... looks like I was right... Bats now has gone and fucked off after Wrestlemania.

[Lock Jaw]

Yep. Right after Wrestlemania. And two more PPVs.

[Tom Guycott]

... as opposed to being on the roster full time for that "two year contract", smartass.