Why This Year’s Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Is So Important

The first Andre the Giant Battle Royal was exciting, it had a great build and so much anticipation. When they debuted the annual battle royal at WrestleMania XXX named after not only one of the greatest wrestlers that ever lived, but also one of the most memorable faces in pop culture history, people couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

Then Cesaro won, and that was it. It didn’t seem to really take him anywhere. He was still on television, yes–but he wasn’t involved in any great storylines, there was no real monumental push, and it was only recently that WWE has finally figured out what to do with the Swiss Superman.

If they’re going to have this battle royal ever year, even if they stick it on the kick-off show, it has to mean something. Big Show won the next year’s event and it was more like a feather in the cap of another giant. Baron Corbin followed with a victory at WrestleMania 32 and well… meh.

The Lone Wolf has the ability to do so much more that what they have used him for since his ATGBR win at Mania 32. He really is a world-class multi-sport athlete and has the personality to get way more over with fans than they’ve given him a chance to do. What this writer is saying is just that he could be used for more than just beating the piss out of Kalisto with a chair (as fun as that might have been to watch).

Corbin is currently going in the right direction, but it took some time as well. Just like with Cesaro two years earlier, it took Baron Corbin just about the same amount of time for something to start happening for him.

There are plans to do another battle royal this year in Orlando, and Dave Meltzer has reported that since there really isn’t anything they can come up for Braun Strowman, that he is expected to be given the win in the over-the-top-rope free for all.

However, Braun is currently getting the rocket strapped to him and they look like they’re figuring him out already. He is getting over by being a brute force who doesn’t speak much, but he doesn’t have to.

But, truth be told, Strowman could be used as much more of a face than some might think. If you need proof of that, just listen to his Steve Austin podcast sometime. The stars seem to be aligning for him in regards to being one of those names that we might speak about while discussing the greats of wrestling.

He is a big guy, and Vince likes big guys (unless you’re The Big Guy). He has been surrounded by some of the greatest workers on the greatest main roster since his days as a rosebud, and continues to get better and better every week.

Nobody can really predict the future, no matter what those late-night commercials might say, so it is really up in the air whether or not his current push is going anywhere. But if there is an equivalent to a fortune teller in professional wrestling, it’s Dave Melter. Meltzer said that the two options to go after the Universal Championship after Mania are Roman and Braun.

Let it be noted that this writer is in no way insinuating that it is time for them to go with Roman as the top guy again, unless they turn him heel. If they have him walk out of WrestleMania after defeating and retiring the Undertaker and keep him heel, then we’ll talk. Until then, if they keep trying to cram him down our throats on a weekly basis, then we’re gonna have a bad time.

Meltzer says that WWE officials aren’t worried about the negative fan reaction that Roman gets at bigger shows because he’s still apparently killing it in the smaller markets. This writer can attest to how ear shattering it is to hear a redneck woman yell “ROMAN!” as he’s walking right past you through the crowd on his way to the ring.

The fact is, The Big Dog is selling merchandise and moving numbers. He just might be over with the people who show up on television or pay-per-views. And, WWE is fine with that. So they very well might pull the trigger on Reigns as a heel and let it happen at WrestleMania.

If Goldberg will sign another deal, Roman would probably be going after him to topple the face of WCW and add another notch on his belt; and if Bill doesn’t sign an extension, Roman could beat Brock Lesnar and gloat afterward just the same. But that would leave Braun with nothing in the foreseeable future for him to do.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal needs to mean something more than just a way for a bunch more guys to get a WrestleMania paycheck. The only thing is that this year it might be so much more important because of who is rumored to win it.

WWE needs to already have the wheels in motion for Braun’s next steps because he has to lose clean eventually. When that happens, they need have something already in the pipeline for him to do. If they neglect the next phase after this initial monster angle has run its course, then it could create disastrous consequences for someone who has such a promising career ahead of him.

And to answer everyone’s question, yes. Braun Strowman was once a rosebud.