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Follow @TheDocLOP QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you most looking forward to about the 2016 Royal Rumble? If you had to make a bold prediction, what would it be? There's a modern tendency to assume the worst which has trickled down over the years into the attitude toward the entertainment avenue provided by WWE (and all of professional wrestling for that matter). For many, what once was a source of joy meant to distract from the rigors of everyday life has morphed into yet another harbinger for ill feelings. 'Tis a shame. The moment that something like pro wrestling, or any other extracurricular endeavor, ceases to become a positive influence, it is no longer useful. I think a lot of us have either forgotten that or have never realized the truth behind such a statement. Having been part of this community on the internet for as long as I have, I can vouch for how easy it can be to get swept up in a lot of the negativity; sometimes, it seems like all we do is poke holes in the WWE product. Yet, have we considered that the purpose of pro wrestling is gratification and that anything contrary to consistent satisfaction is grounds for immediate dismissal of WWE from our list of outlets? And have we further considered that if we get into a pattern of poking holes in the WWE product without allowing ourselves to simultaneously enjoy what we're watching, we set WWE up for failure and set ourselves up to be let down? Do not mistake the above as an outright dismissal of disappointment, as it’s naturally going to happen sometimes with a movie or a sporting event in which you are emotionally invested. The nice thing about WWE and pro wrestling, in general, though, is that it is so fluid. It's like life in that respect. There may only be 12-20 football games per year for your favorite team, but WWE – as in life – offers something new all the time. Find the show horribly boring today? The next day may offer something infinitely better. I love pro wrestling. WWE is the only promotion that I make time for at this stage of my life, but I love the industry as a whole. I find it the most enjoyable brand of storytelling and athletic exhibition on earth. If I didn't, I promise you I wouldn't bother with it. And I promise you that, whenever I feel myself losing the ability to recognize pro wrestling as an agent of optimism, I step away from it until I can reestablish proper perspective. Last year, I started writing a weekly Raw Pros and Cons column for LOP; the combination of the 3 hour length and the lackadaisical creative effort were making me go to sleep irritated each Monday, so I quit writing the reviews. In the summer of 2014, I reached my tolerable limit of the John Cena Era, so I stepped back for a couple of months. Especially during this time of the year, I absorb as much WWE-related material in columns and on podcasts as my free-time will allow. On a recent edition of LOP Radio's The Right Side of the Pond, fellow LOP columnist, Maverick, made a statement that very much resonated with me. He said something to the affect of “There's a difference between analyzing a product and looking for reasons NOT to enjoy it.” To that I say “Amen.” It is not my intention to be condescending, here, but it has been my intention since day one of my LOP main page column writing career and through to authoring books on WWE history to inspire intelligent discussion about pro wrestling – to explore the possibilities of various storylines, to uncover what works about a match or a feud, and to contextualize that which happens on the 20'X20' canvas. The lot of us are generally thought to be a bunch of nimrod booger eaters that reside in the depths of our childhood family homes; it has been my hope to prove, week by week and month by month, the fallacy of that stereotype – to exhibit through the spirit of our conversations that all of us simply recognize what pro wrestling really is and that the veil of disillusionment covering the eyes of the majority is created by ignorance. So, I ask those WWE fans who are not excited about the Royal Rumble this Sunday: have you crossed the fine line between enjoying the process of analyzing the product and poking enough holes with your analysis that you no longer enjoy the product? There is no intelligent discussion to be had in an unabashedly pessimistic view of everything that happens on-screen. If that is all that you have to offer – especially during WrestleMania Season – then it may be time to move on. The worst person to be around is the one who complains about everything and appreciates nothing. Find an outlet that enhances your life, but whether that's WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, the NFL, the NBA, the EPL, or Hollywood, don't forget to allow it to enhance your life. As a WWE fan of nearly 30 years, I've had my times when I walked away from it, but I've always come back and my life is better for it. I feel like WWE more often than not comes through in the end. I have been reassured time and again that any faith I put into their creative process will be rewarded. Using this decade as a sample size, we loudly stated that we wanted CM Punk to be a top star in WWE. Is that not exactly what he became? From mid-2011 until he took it upon himself to quit, he was the #2 star in WWE, featured in no less than the third biggest match on every major card. We then demanded that Daniel Bryan be inducted into that rare class of wrestler that main-events WrestleMania. Though resistant at first, did not WWE acquiesce and give us one of the most cathartic moments of all-time just two years ago? We said we wanted an end to the Cena Era; WWE responded by pushing Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Bray Wyatt to the top. We at first quietly and then more vociferously begged for an alternative product to WWE; and they actually gave us that too – NXT, which has collected some of the best and brightest independent wrestlers in the world and placed them into a series of classic scenarios aided by WWE production. We must be gluttons for misery if we keep getting things that we want – signs of reassurance – and still bother ourselves with doubt. Take the 2016 Royal Rumble Match for example. One of the things that has dominated the conversation about WWE's most popular gimmick match in recent years is the lack of creative focus put into its build-up and the booking of the match on the night of. Nothing is perfect and the gripes about modern Rumble matches are fair and accurate (if not a little harsh, at times). WWE responded, though, by making this year's edition for the WWE Championship, inherently giving it a huge storyline that it has lacked in recent years and setting it up well to potentially be not just the best version of the decade but perhaps one of the best ever. The response by many? Apathy. One person tweeted to me, “It's inevitable that Roman Reigns is going to win, so who cares?” With all due respect to that person and to anyone else who feels that way, the only person or entity to blame for such an attitude is yourself. You shape your reaction to what WWE produces on TV and PPV. I, for one, am as excited about this year's Royal Rumble as any in recent memory. Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens have had a really enjoyable feud that will culminate in a spotlight Last Man Standing match on the second biggest PPV of the year. Sign me up to see that. Charlotte and Becky Lynch have been excellent in their respective roles on TV lately, especially the Divas Champ. If there has been a better female story arc on WWE TV in the last two years, tell me what it is. Those two could have an outstanding match at the Rumble if their recent TV matches were any indication of their potential main roster success. Alberto Del Rio and Kalisto have had the surprise hit feud of the New Year thus far. The Smackdown-to-Raw-to-Smackdown story over the United States Championship has offered us a new star capitalizing on late 2015 success and a reason to tune in on Thursday nights. The Tag Team division is in better shape right now than it has been in years with the ever-entertaining New Day at the helm and nearly two years of consistent booking to make the titles coveted. As for the Rumble match, I see all sorts of possibilities. The title on the line instantly suggests a cheap heel victory (Owens or Wyatt perhaps) and makes it highly unlikely that Reigns walks away champion. Similar scenarios in years past have yielded the creation of new stars like Chris Jericho and Sheamus. The best story to tell might well be to put the belt on Triple H, whose advantage as the evil authority figure over Vince McMahon is that he's (still) an elite wrestler capable of painting a masterpiece on the 20'X20' canvas. Maybe Lesnar regains the belt or maybe Reigns does find a way to win. One thing is for sure: until the event actually happens, we can draw no conclusions about it. So, let's wait and see how it plays out; the potential is certainly there. I hope you have a blast watching the Royal Rumble on Sunday. If that's not your plan, I hope you enjoy whatever it is that you will be doing. Cheers! ------------- Should you desire to listen to a podcast that excitedly and analytically previews the Royal Rumble in greater detail, check out this Wednesday's edition of "The Doc Says"
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