WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Feedback He Got After The Royal Rumble: “I don’t think that I have received as much impassioned feedback on a WWE PPV event in recent memory as I have over the past several hours after the Royal Rumble ended. Many fans were downright pissed and shared their venom with yours truly.”
Daniel Bryan’s Exclusion From The Rumble: “Firstly, the vast majority of fans wanted Daniel Bryan to win the Royal Rumble so that he would be in line for a WWE World Title match at WM30. That did not happen. Yet. Obviously, Daniel Bryan has made an amazing connection with the WWE fans and I’d venture to say that today, 24 hours after the Royal Rumble, that Daniel Bryan has NEVER been more popular in his entire career.”
“At this point, Daniel Bryan becoming WWE World Champion would be great but it certainly isn’t definitively necessary for DB to be ‘over.’ Daniel Bryan is ‘over’ and his fans are seemingly rallying behind him in a verbal show of solidarity and support. If Bryan embraces this support, then a happier ending is more likely to occur. Will all this soap opera-esque content actually lead to happier days for Daniel Bryan fans? My guess is yes unless the sports entertainment business has changed even more than I perceive. However, I do think that patience needs to be infused here and that’s something that many of us aren’t long on.”
“Personally, I’m happy to stay tuned and enjoy the Daniel Bryan bullet train ride to wherever its destination may be. I am a firm believer that great talents cannot be suppressed permanently and that there is a method to what is perceived to be the madness that is on going. The Daniel Bryan phenomenon will likely result into a spirited and emotional Monday Night RAW that will also include a healthy TV rating. How WWE addresses the DB ‘conspiracy’ and creates an interest in the Elimination Chamber on PPV has my curiosity.”
Roman Reigns’ Big Night: “Huge night in Pittsburgh for Roman Reigns who set a record with 12 eliminations of which I guessed might happen. Of course, some think that I received inside info on that matter but if they only knew how little I communicate with anyone in WWE they would change their tune. It was a creative calculation that made sense to me. Today, it still makes sense. Reigns is a future star and if he had won the Royal Rumble that would have been just fine with me. However, Reigns, as a fan favorite, chasing either villains Orton or Batista would be money matches. Reigns era is rapidly approaching. The foundation is being laid.”
Bray Wyatt’s Performance: “Bray Wyatt was another of the younger talents who had a break through night and was a bigger star after the Rumble than before it. The 300 pounder with a 2nd gear athletically rose to the occasion vs. Bryan and then got more ‘stretch’ being involved in Cena’s loss to Orton.”
His Overall Thoughts On The PPV: “I’d give the PPV a B- or C+ grade and I paid retail for it just like most fans and I am not clamoring for a ‘refund.’ In hindsight, could things have been executed differently? Absolutely. But isn’t that the case with any show biz entity or even most sporting events?”
