It is a rare opportunity when the WWE gets a superstar handed to them with the signing of a contract. Rob Van Dam is that guy and the early buzz on the returning champion tells me he should win Money in the Bank 2013 and challenge John Cena.
[adinserter block=”1″]Now if you have followed me on Twitter or read my previous blogs on RVD returning you’ll notice something right away. I am a hypocrite. I have warned fans in recent weeks that they should temper the excitement for RVD until they see him as based on his disappointing run in TNA Wrestling. While I still have some reservations I have changed my mind on RVD and the ROI WWE could get.
RVD said it best when asked in a recent interview about the difference between working in the WWE and TNA. Rob told the interviewer that the WWE created more promotion and buzz in 45 seconds around him than TNA did in three years. WWE has something here and it may not last long which is why they need to strike while the iron is hot on their new investment.
RVD should win Money in the Bank and he may. The buzz he has right now should be used to cash in on the emotions on WWE fans. Booking Rob to win is different than say elevating someone like Daniel Bryan or CM Punk when they did a couple of years back. WWE fans know RVD and they already believe he is a star. Giving him the win and a run at Cena is not only believable, but probably the best move for business right now.
There were reports a few weeks ago that Vince McMahon wanted to make 2013 an epic year for Cena. The idea behind the Three Stages of Hell Match was to give Cena a classic win. The idea for Daniel Bryan to wrestle Cena in Philadelphia was based on Cena having an epic match. Let’s be honest for a second. Cena has probably had two epic matches in his career. One was against CM Punk in Chicago and the other was against RVD in New York. We’ve seen the Punk series and now it’s time to pay off the RVD series.
Recreating the magic of Cena vs. RVD outside of an ECW-themed show at the Hammerstein Ballroom is next to impossible. However, RVD has always been wildly popular in the WWE. RVD coming back, winning MITB, and calling out Cena would immediately give the match that same dynamic. Put a couple of video packages together chronicling their first match and the WWE could do a really nice job of setting the table for a fantastic environment.
Of course the casualty here would be Daniel Bryan. Bryan is penciled in to win MITB and challenge Cena at SummerSlam although that could change at any time. I am a big Bryan fan but if I am looking at money, there is much more money in RVD winning MITB and challenging Cena than Bryan. There is more money in repackaging Bryan and turning him into a serious contender at the end of the year or in 2014.
[adinserter block=”2″]The WWE will only get one shot like this with RVD. Sure RVD can work a program with Cena down the line and it’d still be fun to watch. However, it won’t have that same punch as RVD walking back in after a lengthy hiatus, winning Money in the Bank, and calling out the guy he beat in their epic match. Wait any longer and you give the WWE Creative Team ample time to get their hands into this and muddy the whole thing up.
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