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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 22, 2023 9:52:30 GMT -5
We all know how Brock suddenly leaving in 2004 left the WWE scrambling for a new top star going forward. 2004 is often seen as a “transition” year for the WWE, with a mixture of established stars and unproven performers being thrust towards the top of the card.
Who do you think benefitted the most from Brock leaving? It’s the typical answer, but I’ll go with JBL. A career midcarder, NOBODY would have called him winning the WWE Title 6 months before he did. Brock was the face of Smackdown and their top heel. Him leaving left a gaping hole in the roster that nobody was ready to fill. Many have argued that had Brock stayed, he would have gotten the belt back from Eddie, leading to an eventual match against Cena at WM21.
Some rumors at the time said Brock would move to Raw and face off with HHH, but Bruce Pritchard has shot these rumors down saying that building Randy was the priority for Raw (just not as fast as they did). If Brock did move to Raw, maybe Batista’s career path is affected, but I still see him eventually getting to the world title. JBL, not a chance in hell.
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Post by TKO Propagandist on Aug 22, 2023 11:37:43 GMT -5
John Layfield. Even if Goldberg stayed he likely would have slotted into Bradshaw's role.
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 22, 2023 14:36:28 GMT -5
JBL.
He benefited HUGELY from the vacuum at the top of SD!.
Brock gone.
Angle Injured
Eddie wanting out of the top slot
HBK wouldn't move or turn.
Only other option would have been Jericho & they had just turned him face at WM20
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 22, 2023 14:43:47 GMT -5
JBL. He benefited HUGELY from the vacuum at the top of SD!. Brock gone. Angle Injured Eddie wanting out of the top slot HBK wouldn't move or turn. Only other option would have been Jericho & they had just turned him face at WM20 Jericho was sadly too busy being HHH and Evolution’s whipping boy. He turned face and fell lower on the card than he had been in years. |
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 22, 2023 14:46:15 GMT -5
JBL. He benefited HUGELY from the vacuum at the top of SD!. Brock gone. Angle Injured Eddie wanting out of the top slot HBK wouldn't move or turn. Only other option would have been Jericho & they had just turned him face at WM20 Jericho was sadly too busy being HHH and Evolution’s whipping boy. He turned face and fell lower on the card than he had been in years. I was excited about the Jericho turn & feud with Christian...but f#ck I was wrong to be. |
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Post by The Brain on Aug 22, 2023 14:46:38 GMT -5
I vote JBL as well
At best he wouldve feuded with Cena over the US belt if Brock stayed
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Aug 22, 2023 14:49:48 GMT -5
JBL got very lucky.
Ron wanted to retire, Brock was gone, Scott Steiner flopped as a heel on Raw, Guerrero wasn't ready for that pressure, Triple H didn't wanna work Tuesday's, Goldberg left, Batista wasn't ready, Orton was still IC Champion, Edge was drafted to Raw, Booker T was just turning heel....
If there wasn't a better example of the stars aligning for one person, I would like to know what it is. Because JBL had his stars align perfectly in 2004 to get that main event WWE Title reign for those 10 months.
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Post by The Brain on Aug 22, 2023 14:54:01 GMT -5
It is crazy looking back with Bradshaw as in Feb that year the APA were feuding with Haas/Benjamin then just a few months later he's in the main event scene with Eddie with a whole new character
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 22, 2023 15:06:14 GMT -5
It is crazy looking back with Bradshaw as in Feb that year the APA were feuding with Haas/Benjamin then just a few months later he's in the main event scene with Eddie with a whole new character Yeah true 🤔 |
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Post by Back to the Codyverse on Aug 22, 2023 16:24:20 GMT -5
Cena
Brock was THE guy and Batista probably would’ve taken on the same role and it would’ve been Brock and Batista as the two top stars and eventually have a clash
I think 2005 kinda solidifies that already. They wanted Batista at #1 but it ended up Cena. You don’t need a #1 if #1 is still there.
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Aug 22, 2023 17:21:15 GMT -5
Batista. No offence but he was like a Brock clone, a big guy with a tattoo on his back and at the time was more generic and not as good in the ring as Brock.
When Brock left Batista fell on his feet, WWE saw him as an easy replacement for him.
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 22, 2023 18:22:50 GMT -5
Batista. No offence but he was like a Brock clone, a big guy with a tattoo on his back and at the time was more generic and not as good in the ring as Brock. When Brock left Batista fell on his feet, WWE saw him as an easy replacement for him. Not sure I’d say he was an easy replacement, but after JBL I’d agree Batista benefitted the most. Cena and Orton were clearly being built to be future stars, even before Brock left. Cena may not have made it to the level he did had Brock been around, but he was destined for the main event after his strong 2003. Batista did have HHH and Flair backing him, but it’s clear Orton was the guy Vince was focusing on building. Had Brock been around, and had Orton’s face turn not bombed, who knows where Batista would have ended up. |
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 23, 2023 1:25:42 GMT -5
Batista was already being fast tracked to the top. Just like Orton & Cena. Vince had plans for these 3 WAY before Brocky handed in his papers. If Orton & Batista hadn't been plagued by injuries in 03 the evidence of this would have been MUCH clearer.
JBL was going nowhere. If Brock stays? JBL stays in middle nowhere. he was right place, right time & pitched creative Vince liked.
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Post by hbkjason on Aug 23, 2023 2:21:06 GMT -5
I went for JBL, that was the first name that came to mind when I thought of this.
It would have been really interesting if Brock had stayed, while I always prefer him as a heel, I think Evolution going up against an unstoppable Brock would have been cool to see. Although, that could have cost us the awesome turn of Batista which is still one of my favorite turns that the WWE has ever done.
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 23, 2023 7:26:13 GMT -5
I went for JBL, that was the first name that came to mind when I thought of this. It would have been really interesting if Brock had stayed, while I always prefer him as a heel, I think Evolution going up against an unstoppable Brock would have been cool to see. Although, that could have cost us the awesome turn of Batista which is still one of my favorite turns that the WWE has ever done. It might not have....Evolution were light enough on opponents in 2004( Eugene???) the Batista turn could still have happened as is. |
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Aug 23, 2023 17:31:19 GMT -5
Batista. No offence but he was like a Brock clone, a big guy with a tattoo on his back and at the time was more generic and not as good in the ring as Brock. When Brock left Batista fell on his feet, WWE saw him as an easy replacement for him. Not sure I’d say he was an easy replacement, but after JBL I’d agree Batista benefitted the most. Cena and Orton were clearly being built to be future stars, even before Brock left. Cena may not have made it to the level he did had Brock been around, but he was destined for the main event after his strong 2003. Batista did have HHH and Flair backing him, but it’s clear Orton was the guy Vince was focusing on building. Had Brock been around, and had Orton’s face turn not bombed, who knows where Batista would have ended up. Looking back at Evolution Orton was being pushed like crazy and groomed as the next top star. His long IC title reign, feud with Foley & WHC win was some of the strongest booking I had seen for a young guy during that period. Apart from HHH's reign of terror Orton was the face of Evolution. Batista was just there, he was the muscle and a number for the group. However after Brock left & Orton was kicked out of the group they started investing more in Batista. The booking was smart, the fans hated HHH and detested his title reign so the moment Batista turned he was a made man, he won the crowd. In regards to Cena like you say he was on his way to the top long before Brock decided to leave. Even before he won the big one he was a merch machine and over like crazy. Cena might not have been thee guy but most certainly would've been a guy. When there was Bret there was Shawn, Austin there was Rock so with Brock there would've been Cena. Looking at all that I just don't see where Batista would've fitted in. |
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Aug 23, 2023 18:49:00 GMT -5
Seriously?? People think that Brock leaving helped Batista get a main event spot?!
Batista was set for a main event spot the day he joined Evolution. The entire point of that group was to make new stars and it happened. Batista was always gonna be a main event star if Brock was there or not.
Cena was clearly gonna be the guy at Wrestlemania XX when he beat Big Show in the opening match for the US Title. He dominated the US Title for pretty much all of 2004 and when it was Batista and Cena as the last two guys in the Royal Rumble 2005 it was safe to say that these two were picked a long time ago to take the top spots of both brands.
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 24, 2023 2:57:43 GMT -5
Seriously?? People think that Brock leaving helped Batista get a main event spot?! Batista was set for a main event spot the day he joined Evolution. The entire point of that group was to make new stars and it happened. Batista was always gonna be a main event star if Brock was there or not. Cena was clearly gonna be the guy at Wrestlemania XX when he beat Big Show in the opening match for the US Title. He dominated the US Title for pretty much all of 2004 and when it was Batista and Cena as the last two guys in the Royal Rumble 2005 it was safe to say that these two were picked a long time ago to take the top spots of both brands. Yup 100%. |
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 24, 2023 8:53:57 GMT -5
Gotta be JBL
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