WWE Legend Mick Foley took to his Facebook account to address his thoughts on the rumble. Below is the post:
RUMBLE BLUES
Remember how caught up in the #RoyalRumble I got last year? I sent out that tweet asking whether WWE hated their own audience, smashed a TV set, and texted all the powers that be – telling them how badly I thought they’s messed up. It’s safe to say that I was pretty mad last year.
I’m not worried about this year’s #Wrestlemania. I can envision a number of scenarios in which Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar can have an epic confrontation. My suggestion to WWE in this match would be to step aside and let the fertile fields of Paul Heyman’s mind run free and allow Lesnar and Reigns to create the most exciting, physical match possible.
No, I’m not worried about Wrestlemania. But I m worried about the Rumble.
I wasn’t mad after this year’s Rumble. Instead, I was sad. Sad, because the Rumble, which has been one of the most entertaining #WWE events of the year for so long, might just be in danger of becoming “just another show”, and going the way of “Survivor Series” as a good idea that runs it course and ceases to be relevant. I didn’t see this year’s Rumble, and with the exception of the final few minutes I caught on RAW, I don’t envision myself doing so. But I didn’t need to see the Rumble or know the outcome to know what a disappointment it was. All I had to do was watch the people. I dropped 3 of my kids off at the Wells Fargo Center at 6:30, and showed up on Broad Street, just a few blocks from the arena at 10:45, just as the crowd was letting out. No one saw me in my vehicle. But I saw them, and could tell, just by the way people were walking- by the way children were dragging their signs, and shuffling slowly, by the way adults held their heads down, with limited verbal interactions – that there was no joy in Philadelphia.
Let me quote a story I wrote about Zack Ryder several months ago here on Facebook, and hope that the right people in WWE read it – because I think they are on the verge of losing some fans in the fallout of the Rumble. It wasn’t just that one of their favorites didn’t win – it was the brevity of their appearances, the lack of imagination in their involvement and the unceremonious way in which they were eliminated.
“Eventually people get tired of finding out that the WWE Superstars they have supported with their cheers, their purchases, their signs, their follows and their likes aren’t real Superstars – and little by little, those fans lose interest in WWE, find other interests, and become former WWE fans.”
I have no intention of becoming the “anti-WWE guy”. I’m going to take a little break from RAW and Smackdown for the next couple of weeks, and see what the landscape looks like, heading into the next PPV. I really do think WWE is going to turn out a great Mania, and I’ll be in the crowd watching. But I fear for the Rumble. What was once the start of “The Road to Wrestlemania” has now become a roadblock to the good will and excitement needed for a truly memorable Wrestlemania atmosphere.
One more thing. I’ve heard rumors that Mr McMahon is personally writing the recent Roman Reigns promos. If that’s true, I’d like to personally address Mr McMahon.
Dear Vince,
Please stop – you’re killing the poor guy,
Sincerely,
Mick Foley
