Why Bully Ray Says WWE Is Suffering From A 'WrestleMania Hangover'

WrestleMania 40 was an undeniable success for WWE by every measurable metric, and according to fan and pundit consensus alike. But just like any good party that reaches a certain crescendo, when the celebration ends, there can be a bit of a price to pay in the coming days. On "Busted Open Radio," Bully Ray explained that WWE is going through something of a WrestleMania hangover at the moment, and outlined a few reasons why, as well as how it can power through.

"I will tell you this," Bully said. "It's not as apparent as in the past years but the WWE is suffering from a little bit of a WrestleMania hangover right now." Bully and co-host Dave LaGreca cited the WWE Draft just taking place and still settling in, which causes certain stars to simply not be present for one show or the other, as well as others out with injury as a primary reason for what some are seeing as a lull of sorts, especially on "WWE Raw," and it does make plenty of sense. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is now slotted in on "WWE SmackDown," Roman Reigns is on hiatus, and other big draws like CM Punk and Seth "Freakin'" Rollins are nursing injuries. Additionally, the Busted Open squad pointed out that an emphasis on the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, despite the quality of the matches, inherently showcases talents from a step below the top tier, perhaps projecting a slight dip in star power.

Rhodes' absence on "Raw," in particular, Bully believes, creates an imbalance that he says can only be rectified upon the full-time return of one specific performer. "In order to balance these shows out, in my opinion," he said, "there's only one guy on the 'Raw' side that can carry that World Heavyweight Championship where you'll be happy to see him if you don't get to see Cody [and that's] CM Punk."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.