There is still an angle in this.
Too many WWE employees commenting on the disappointment of Bryan not being in the Rumble. About the WWE not listening to the fans.
Triple H was trolling the IWC last night when he went "Aww, did someone didnt get what they wanted".
Part of me thinks I just fell in this WWE trap. That they really did not put Bryan in the Rumble on purpose to get legit heat for the "Authority". I think it worked to a charm.
And I think they are still pushing this "we don't want Bryan in the title so the fans would cry foul even more. I mean, I get it, the more we hate this, the more it will be even sweeter the moment Bryan gets his title reign.
HHH, the steroid freak that he is, has always had a booking philosophy of bigger is better. Probably always will. Bryan and Punk, though wildly popular, are not the type of big, muscleheaded entertainers that HHH feels is the most marketable of assets.
Until a young large star like Reigns comes into his own, the WWE is going to continue with the trend of having guys like Batista, the Rock, and Shemus come back and be the focal points of championship pushes, especially now with only one world title.
I think booking the big guys was Vince's style, and I don't the booking big is the reason why they are not putting those two on the top. This all stemmed from SummerSlam, with the "not so good" buy rates despite Bryan's popularity.
They still don't think Bryan and Punk can draw big money, despite their popularity. I mean they are internet darlings, but the IWC does not share the majority of PPV buyers, it's the Cenation and the others.
And as for Reigns, I'm still not sold. He looks good, and is booked perfect. But I need to see more, especially from the mic. I still dont think he can get me hooked up in a storyline involving him and just him alone. Ambrose is still the hot commodity out of that three IMO.