A lot is made of one CM Punk and how the WWE screwed him over in 2011. But was he? Lets take a look at the actual situation.
First, lets remember that the pipe bomb was the WWE's idea. Punk admits to this. It was also likely scripted by the WWE using input from Punk and tweaked by punk. We know this because there was constant behind-the-scenes detail dropping like John Laurenitis, Stephanie and Triple H, and Paul Heyman that would serve as springboards for them back into the product.
So CM Punk gets a massive push leading into MITB 2011, easily one of the biggest in YEARS. It generates massive outside interest in the product, makes it onto ESPN, the works. After being given this exposure, how much did CM Punk move the needle?
MITB 2011 drew 195K buys. Up 30K from the initial installment, but 2012 and 2013 drew nearly the same figure and didn't have the push of the 2011 version.
But ok... maybe people hadn't caught up to the product fully yet or were saving their nickels for SummerSlam the next month. So CM Punk v Cena is set as the ME for SummerSlam. What is the reward? The lowest buyrate for SummerSlam in 13 years(296K). Any surprise they had Del Rio cash-in on him?
But hey, lets give him one more shot and have him face Triple H in the Main Event at Night of Champions. No more Cena crutch. Triple H is a big name, but hardly a draw after being on the bench for a while. In return, CM Punk manages to pull the worst number ever for NoC in the pre-WWE Network era(161K). Strike 3 motherfucker, they have Triple H go over and bury him in the finish.
The core point I'm getting at is this. WWE Fans need to come to terms between the guys they like and the reality of the guys they like. Someone can have a lot of interest both inside and out of the business(Bryan is the same way), but when it comes time for people to lay down their money to see That Guy.. they simply don't move the needle.
You can say what you want about Cena, but he is a proven draw.
Will Reigns actually draw? I don't know. My feeling is no, but if the money shows up at the front door, your opinion isn't going to mean shit to Vincent Kennedy McMahon or any other wrestling promoter on the face of the Earth. That's the business. They follow the cash, or they go out of business. It sucks as a fan to be told that your favorite guy simply isn't bringing in the dough, particularly when everything you see is pointing to the guy being massively over, but it is what happened.
Its also depressing as hell to see a massive underperformer at the top of the card, but IS bringing in the dough. And that also just might happen with Reigns.
First, lets remember that the pipe bomb was the WWE's idea. Punk admits to this. It was also likely scripted by the WWE using input from Punk and tweaked by punk. We know this because there was constant behind-the-scenes detail dropping like John Laurenitis, Stephanie and Triple H, and Paul Heyman that would serve as springboards for them back into the product.
So CM Punk gets a massive push leading into MITB 2011, easily one of the biggest in YEARS. It generates massive outside interest in the product, makes it onto ESPN, the works. After being given this exposure, how much did CM Punk move the needle?
MITB 2011 drew 195K buys. Up 30K from the initial installment, but 2012 and 2013 drew nearly the same figure and didn't have the push of the 2011 version.
But ok... maybe people hadn't caught up to the product fully yet or were saving their nickels for SummerSlam the next month. So CM Punk v Cena is set as the ME for SummerSlam. What is the reward? The lowest buyrate for SummerSlam in 13 years(296K). Any surprise they had Del Rio cash-in on him?
But hey, lets give him one more shot and have him face Triple H in the Main Event at Night of Champions. No more Cena crutch. Triple H is a big name, but hardly a draw after being on the bench for a while. In return, CM Punk manages to pull the worst number ever for NoC in the pre-WWE Network era(161K). Strike 3 motherfucker, they have Triple H go over and bury him in the finish.
The core point I'm getting at is this. WWE Fans need to come to terms between the guys they like and the reality of the guys they like. Someone can have a lot of interest both inside and out of the business(Bryan is the same way), but when it comes time for people to lay down their money to see That Guy.. they simply don't move the needle.
You can say what you want about Cena, but he is a proven draw.
Will Reigns actually draw? I don't know. My feeling is no, but if the money shows up at the front door, your opinion isn't going to mean shit to Vincent Kennedy McMahon or any other wrestling promoter on the face of the Earth. That's the business. They follow the cash, or they go out of business. It sucks as a fan to be told that your favorite guy simply isn't bringing in the dough, particularly when everything you see is pointing to the guy being massively over, but it is what happened.
Its also depressing as hell to see a massive underperformer at the top of the card, but IS bringing in the dough. And that also just might happen with Reigns.