The state of the WWE Universe is unsettling. Supporters of the WWE product have been lashing out over the last few months, because it seems like WWE officials are not “listening” to them. After months (some would say years) of wanting to see stars such as CM Punk and Daniel Bryan achieve main event and WWE Championship status, it seems like the company doesn’t trust the superstars that the WWE Universe have been lobbying for with carrying the company into the future.
Honestly, this group of fans wants to see the talent that has been atop of the WWE for years, such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, The Rock, and Triple H, replaced by new faces. They believe that they helped push CM Punk and Daniel Bryan into these positions, but now feel like WWE officials, namely Vince McMahon and Triple H, are trying to prevent this evolution from taking place.
This state of unrest in the WWE Universe has pushed some WWE fans to create Twitter accounts aimed at highjacking “RAW” until WrestleMania XXX. Bryan has been the “underdog” that everyone is routing for on WWE programming since the summer of 2013. Fans have been organically creating a main event player out of the company’s resident “YES” man over the past year, just as they did with CM Punk in 2011, and want to see him be crowned champion on April 6 in New Orleans. However, with the current card line-up for WrestleMania being revealed, they do not believe that they will see the payoff from their “hard work” and believe Bryan will miss out on the WrestleMania moment that has been seemingly created for him.
When the WWE Universe got behind Punk in 2011, he was awarded a top spot in the company and the WWE Championship for 434 days. However, even though he was WWE Champion, both Punk and this selection of WWE fans felt that he was not fully trusted as a main even guy, due to other stars such as Cena, Orton, and the Rock getting top billing on the event cards above him. Now, the year and the superstar may have changed, but the fans are pushing Daniel Bryan to the moon and they feel like the WWE is simply just not listening.
CM Punk reportedly walked out on the company on Jan. 27 due to some of these frustrations. Punk revealed his thoughts on the company’s current product and management on Jan. 24, saying he feels like WWE management isn’t listening to the people, that WWE Creative is sloppy and inconsistent, that returning stars such as Bastista shouldn’t be awarded a title shot immediately after coming back from a four year vacation, and that this is the year of Daniel Bryan, not Batista and Randy Orton.
Punk openly expressed similar frustrations with the company after WWE officials brought The Rock back to the company in 2013, solely to take the WWE Championship off of CM Punk just before WrestleMania 29 in order to build towards a John Cena vs. The Rock title match at the event. Punk has been silent since his departure from the company in late January and has been removed from all upcoming WWE appearances that he was scheduled for.
While McMahon described Punk’s absence as a “sabbatical,” rumor has it that Punk did legitimately leave and will not be returning before WrestleMania XXX. With the level of news and information that spreads throughout the community of wrestling fans on the internet, portions of the WWE Universe are wise to why Punk supposedly left the company, and they believe it’s because he feels the same way that they do. This belief? That part-time workers that have been gone for years-on-end should not return and ruin the chances of the fans’ favorite underdog achieving his “boy hood dreams,” overcoming the odds, and winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
This portion of “smart” fans have been arriving to arenas for WWE broadcasts with signs for Daniel Bryan and CM Punk since he began his “sabbatical.” They have also been creating a ruckus at events by “highjacking” the shows with chants and boos directed towards the talent they love and hate. With Daniel Bryan, fans have been waiting for his WrestleMania moment to be him winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX, especially following his summer of achieving the title twice only to be screwed out of it both times. So, fans chant for Daniel Bryan and give him the most love night-after-night.
With CM Punk, this select group of fans just want to see him return. They believe that he left because he was sick of the same exact issues with the company “they have,” so they chant “CM PUNK” at shows in order to show their support for the Second City Saint. Recent “highjacked” shows have seen fans boo throughout matches featuring Batista, John Cena, and Randy Orton (who is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, because they are not the superstars that the fans want to see main eventing shows and competing for the title.
Batista returned to the company in January, just in time to be handed the number one contenders position through a Royal Rumble victory (which fans were wanting for Daniel Bryan). Now, Batista will face Randy Orton for the championship at WrestleMania XXX, which is exactly the opposite of what the fans want to see. The fans want Bryan to win the championship at the event, as you can see through the fan response to both Batist and Bryan over the last two months.
Batista has been booed so consistently, that the company had to turn him “heel” due to the reaction of the WWE Universe. Now, after realizing that Punk is gone, Bryan will not be competing in the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, and Batista will be likely winning the title on April 6, fans are trying to lead a revolt against the company.
Fans have created Twitter accounts for each Monday night leading up to WrestleMania XXX, which are literally designed to get all of their followers, especially those that will be in attendance for these shows, to “highjack” the events. The first account, @ChicagoRAWCrowd, was created on Feb. 26, just two days after it was revealed that the main event at WrestleMania XXX would in fact be Batista vs. Randy Orton in a singles match for the title. “Monday Night Raw” will be held in Chicago on March 3, and this account is asking for the fans that attend to “turn their backs on the WWE, since they’ve turned a blind-eye to their fans.”
As we previously reported, the company is nervous about how the March 3 edition of “Monday Night Raw” is going to play out. CM Punk is a native of Chicago, and the usually rambunctious crowd will likely chant his name throughout the night if he doesn’t appear, or isn’t addressed, on the program. WWE has already promoted a rematch between the Shield and the Wyatt family, an altercation between Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker, and a possible Hulk Hogan appearance for the show, but fans are not going to be happy unless they start getting what they want.
The twitter account @ChicagoRAWCrowd, which already has tweets,
The movement is real, @VinceMcMahon @MemphisRAWcrowd @BklynRAWcrowd #sellthestock #BringBackPunk #bringbackShane #WWEChicago #rawchicago
— Monday March 3rd (@ChicagoRAWcrowd) February 27, 2014
WWE turned its back on Punk. Monday Chicago turns its back on the WWE. #CMPunk #RAW #WeWantPunk #Chicago #WWEChicago
— Monday March 3rd (@ChicagoRAWcrowd) February 26, 2014
#cmpunk or we riot @WWEDanielBryan or we revolt. We’ve got big shoulders for a reason @WWE. Get ready for hell on Monday. — Monday March 3rd (@ChicagoRAWcrowd) February 26, 2014
A form of discourse never before seen in professional wrestling that only Chicago could pull off. #ChicagoRAW #CMPunk #WEWANTPUNK
— Monday March 3rd (@ChicagoRAWcrowd) February 26, 2014
It seems as if this portion of the WWE Universe would stop their campaign if they were given the match that they have been waiting for at WrestleMania XXX. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Batista for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Other accounts such as this one have been created for the following weeks leading up to April 6, including @MemphisRAWCrowd and @BklynRAWCrowd.
These accounts claim that they are being the voice of the voiceless, but probably won’t make a difference in the long run. Nonetheless, the WWE Universe has spoken. They are unhappy with what they’re being forced to “enjoy.”
I must go on record in saying this: I, Doug McDonald, have watched wrestling for 22 years. I’ve seen it during bad times and amazing times. I’m a fan of the craft, of the business. And while I may not be completely satisfied with everything I’m being presented with right now, I do still love wrestling. Patience will go a LONG way with fans today. I do agree with some chants that have been used to highjack shows lately, and I will not enjoy a singles match between Batista and Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX, BUT…
If you, the WWE Universe, want to REALLY make a statement to the WWE? You REALLY want to force their hand and get them to start listening to you? Take your remote control, turn on your TV, but NEVER turn on a WWE program again. DON’T. WATCH. THE PRODUCT. Then, they’ll listen. No viewers makes a greater statement than a couple of crowds chanting some names during a show.