In the world of World Wrestling Entertainment, dust has settled on snow these past two days, allowing a fractured long-term relationship the chance to take stock.
Following a Royal Rumble that left fans at the Fargo Wells Center in Philadelphia ringing out the boos, the WWE was forced to produce a new kind of show from its head offices due to the storms whirling around the Northeast of America.
Superstars were brought out for candid promos with the WWE commentary team which allowed each wrestler, and the company, to have their say on the Rumble’s controversial events.
And it’s probably fair to assume that both the WWE and its fans were grateful for the enforced break, allowing both to focus their attentions on their baby, Wrestlemania.
An intense Royal Rumble was simmering before the main event took centre stage and it was then that things began to go wrong.
Fans wanted to see one of their favourite faces prevail but the WWE was having none of it, Roman Reigns racing to the top of the metaphorical muscle pile as he catapulted himself to the main event of Wrestlemania.
Long has the WWE needed its promising stars to take aim at the big guns but for the fans in Philly, Sunday night was not the time to do it. They’d expected a Daniel Bryan win – even a Bray Wyatt one would have sufficed – but saw the script book torn up.
If the #CancelWWENetwork trend was anything to go by, a hostile reception was bound to await the Raw show in Hartford, Connecticut. It would have been a toxic atmosphere and a harsh one for Reigns to step into the limelight and enjoy his moment in the sun.
Instead, the bad weather allowed everyone to take a deep breath and enjoy some much needed space.
For the sake of Wrestlemania, a brief separation may just be the thing that holds this relationship together in the coming months.
MOVE OF THE WEEK
No-one really moved this week on Raw, but one thing that was very impressive was the WWE’s decision to replay the 3-way battle for the WWE Championship and Royal Rumble from Sunday’s pay-per-view in their entirety was a lovely scheduling move.
Unfortunately, we can’t show it here.
TREAT OF THE WEEK
This little backstage nugget does little for the WWE in terms of selling the unpredictability of its shows, but this really isn’t something that bothers people anymore.
Long may people appreciate wrestling for what it is if we see more along these lines as the WWE captures Roman Reigns’ build-up and reaction to Royal Rumble glory.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
BREAKING: @WWE COO @TripleH challenges @Sting to face-to-face confrontation at #WWEFastLane! http://t.co/r14ACCsNdM pic.twitter.com/yXHvRlXKO3
— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2015
Getting ready for Monday Night #Raw. #Blizzard pic.twitter.com/ZJYCyUXAir
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) January 27, 2015
Dear @WWEUniverse, THANKS AGAIN for the Rumble “pop” and the social media support. Hope to see you all again soon. I had a BLAST! @WWE #RAW
— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) January 27, 2015
