Not since the debacle of the New Generation had World Wrestling Entertainment been more out of tune with what its audience wanted. Despite the fact that Daniel Bryan was undeniably the hottest star in the industry, and the clear choice of the fans to be the top babyface star in the company, WWE Creative seemingly went out of their way to put him down. They tried, and failed miserably, to turn him heel by aligning him with the Wyatt Family. When that (predictably) didn't work, they turned Bryan again and booked him in a match against Bray Wyatt at the Royal Rumble. The fans in Pittsburgh greeted Bryan with an enormous ovation and chants of "YES!" rained down on the bearded native of Aberdeen, Washington, as he took to the ring for the event's opening contest. It was clear that the audience had anointed Bryan the savior of the company. How did WWE respond? They booked Bryan to lose to Wyatt. Worse yet was the fact that, despite all of the overwhelming support for the smaller, more dynamic and interesting Bryan, the company was hell bent on ensuring that Batista returned, won the Royal Rumble match and went on to headline WrestleMania XXX. And that is what happened as The Animal eliminated Roman Reigns, celebrated his victory despite thousand of fans greeting the win with a unified chorus of boos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n2wy98HFwQ Batista's victory at the event, coupled with WWE's reluctance to push Bryan to the top spot on the roster, showed the company's blatant disregard for what its fans desperately wanted.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
