Monday, December 28, 2009

Fantasy Booking

Since John Canton has done some fantasy booking for the Jan. 4, 2010, RAW up until WM 26 (go here), I decided to do something similar. Please take into account that I have not completely factored in Bryan Danielson's debut on WWE programming yet (although I tried). So here we go:

Sheamus vs. John Cena happens tonight for the WWE Title. While Cena vowed to win until he got his WWE Title back, I see this scenario: Sheamus will get pissed after being unable to put Cena away clean. Sheamus will then likely DQ himself (inadvertent or not). Thus, he loses the match (Cena wins), but Sheamus retains the title. This sets up a return match at the Royal Rumble (see below).

Bret Hart guest hosts the January 4 RAW with the week's worth of hype. And I would hype it as much as possible. Hype it huge on ECW, Superstars, and Smackdown, as well as reserve commercials and teases throughout the week for it.

On January 4 RAW:
(1) Show animosity between Bret and Vince and/or Bret and HBK. Plant seeds for a possible Mania match, either between Bret/Vince or Bret in a six-man tag with Hart Dynasty versus three others. John suggested both scenarios, and I agree either way.

(2) I also like John's idea about Orton/Kingston on 1/4/10 RAW, with the winner being #30 in the Rumble and the loser #1. John suggested Kingston should win and be #30. However, I prefer Orton to win and be #30 after a very solid match (about ***1/2 or so on my rating scale). Then Orton will gloat about how this will be the year that he takes down Kofi for good.

(3) I love the proposed MVP heel turn to side with Big Show. Elevates MVP and Jericho is free to do what he wants (see below).

(4) Finally, I like John's idea of having Hart Dynasty win the Unified Tag Titles from DX on RAW. Good stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised if it again hits about *** to ***1/2.

Buildup to Royal Rumble on 1/31/10:
(1) It's three more RAWs until the Rumble. Kingston and Orton will continue to feud through tag matches against one another or backstage skits, but it will never be one-on-one.

(2) Bret and Vince continue to get TV time. I like John's idea of using Vince to keep Bret on TV to try and get back at Bret.

(3) WWE Title picture: Sheamus challenges Cena for the title again at the Rumble. I like John's Street Fight idea.

(4) World Title picture: Batista gets another crack at Taker's title.

(5) Unified Tag Title picture: Hart Dynasty faces DX again, likely as ordered by Vince.

Royal Rumble:
(1) WWE Title: Sheamus wins again in a "brutal" match (while of course somehow keeping it PG). Nothing super dirty, and each man uses all his signature moves. The end comes at about the 20-minute mark, when Sheamus counters Cena's Attitude Adjustment and hits his Razor's Edge-like move on a table set up in the ring (maybe set up in the corner). It would remind the announcers and the fans of the TLC buildup when Sheamus won the title in the first place. Hopefully the match would get ***1/2 or better from me.

(2) World Title: Batista wins the title after 15 minutes or so. None of this "chairs match" crap. Let them loose and get at least ***. The end should be clean, and Batista should hit the Batista Bomb for the win. The reason? So Batista can gloat on Smackdown that not even Teddy Long could overturn and restart that match (remember TLC, when Long ordered the match restarted after Batista had low-blowed Taker, leading to the supposed Batista win).

(3) Unified Tag Titles: Hart Dynasty wins after about 15 minutes, and Vince is pissed.

(4) Royal Rumble: It would be Kingston, Morrison, HHH, Drew McIntyre (gotta elevate him as well), and probably Punk left in the match. Orton then comes out at #30. Orton goes right after Kingston and spends all that time trying to eliminate Kofi. In the meantime, McIntyre eliminates Punk. Morrison knocks out McIntyre with a Flying Chuck, sending McIntyre through the ropes (but not over the top, so he's not eliminated). Morrison then works on HHH and eliminates HHH with some nice sequences. Orton RKOs Kingston. Morrison is all tired after his sequence with HHH. Orton punts Morrison and throws Morrison's limp body over the top. McIntyre charges Orton from behind to eliminate him, but in the process eliminates himself (so McIntyre is finally gone). Down to Orton and Kingston again. Orton looks like he is about to eliminate Kofi but Kofi holds on as Orton prematurely celebrates. Kingston springboards onto Orton back into the ring and the two go at it for about 5-7 minutes, doing whatever they can to electrify the crowd. Orton gets the better of the situation and throws Kingston over. Kingston holds onto the ropes, skins the cat, gets Orton in a head scissors, and pulls Orton over the top, eliminating him. Kingston wins the 2010 Royal Rumble as he skins the cat again back into the ring and celebrates as one of the few to enter #1 and win the Rumble. Orton looks pissed, and Kofi continues to gloat as the show goes off air.

Road to WrestleMania 26:
(1) WWE Title picture: Orton starts the RAW right after the Rumble and again complains about Kingston screwing him over. Kingston comes out and talks trash to Orton, pretty much saying Kingston comes out on top again. Cena comes to congratulate Sheamus and again puts Sheamus over as a legit threat. However, Cena wants one more chance at No Way Out (or whatever the PPV will be called). Crowd gives its mixed reaction because people love or hate Cena. Sheamus doesn't want any more of Cena, claiming he's already beaten him three times. The 2/1/10 guest host doesn't care, and says the WWE Title will be contested inside the Elimination Chamber. Sheamus will defend against Cena, Orton, Kingston, Miz, and HHH. I put Miz in there to elevate him.

Kingston, being the face, stays out of it, knowing he'll get a title shot at Mania even if he loses the Chamber match. Orton still cries foul and demands a title shot right now (as in the RAW after the Rumble). A guest host (at any point leading up to NWO) can grant Orton his wish (probably through duress). Orton loses the match against Sheamus for the title when Kingston somehow distracts Orton, leading to a Sheamus rollup for the win. This keeps the feud between Orton and Kingston going.

At NWO, Kingston and Miz start in the chamber, with Miz holding his own. HHH enters next, and this is where Miz gets knocked out, eating a HHH Pedigree. Sheamus enters. HHH goes out next via Sheamus' Irish Curse (or Razor's Edge-like finisher). Cena and Orton enter the match. Sheamus eliminates Kingston with another Irish Curse. Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment on Sheamus, but Orton punts Cena in the head to get three on Cena. Orton then covers a fallen Sheamus for three to win the WWE Title at about 28 minutes. However, remember, Kingston still has his WWE Title shot at Mania, so it'll be Orton vs. Kingston for the title.

Hopefully a big-time star like The Rock will guest host one of the RAWs in late February or early March. If Rock guest hosts, Cena can come out to challenge Rock (just like John Canton suggested). I would love Sheamus facing HHH based off of my Chamber scenario. If no Rock/Cena, then Sheamus/HHH/Cena could be an option.

(2) World Title picture: Batista has the belt until Mania. At NWO, another Elimination Chamber match takes place between Batista, Taker, Mysterio, John Morrison, Drew McIntyre, & CM Punk. Punk and Morrison start. McIntyre enters next, followed by Mysterio. Taker enters fifth, and Batista last. McIntyre takes out Mysterio with his Scot Drop. Morrison takes out McIntyre with Starship Pain. Morrison then takes Punk out with the Flying Chuck. We are down to Morrison, Taker, and Batista.

Taker and Morrison gang up on Batista, then do a sick spot by having Taker throw Batista through a plexiglass chamber. Crowd does the "Holy Shit!" chants as Taker and Morrison square off (it's good for PPV; it's too logical to have Morrison vs. Batista a.k.a. the face vs. the heel). Remember, this is for the World Title, so who cares about face vs. heel in an elimination match?

Good back-and-forth stuff for about 7-8 minutes. Batista may intervene once but would get chokeslammed by Taker. Morrison dazzles with more moves. He goes to the top of a chamber like RVD or Jeff Hardy would, but misses a splash (or some acrobatic move). Batista still groggy on the outside. Taker gets up and Tombstones Morrison for three. Animal and Deadman are alone again. Taker continues to beat down on Batista, but Batista counters at some point. Batista would hit the Batista Bomb on Taker, but be too tired to cover immediately. When going for the cover, Batista would position his body just right for Taker to lock in Hell's Gate. Batista looks like he will tap, but instead shows amazing strength by picking Taker up into a version of the Batista Bomb, breaking the hold. Taker is slow to get up, and Batista is also struggling to get up, Taker and Batista turn around about the same time to face one another, and Batista spears Taker in the middle of the ring for the three. Batista retains at about 30-32 minutes.

On Smackdown, Teddy Long congratulates Batista on retaining his title, and Batista proved to Long that Batista can beat Undertaker. Batista interjects and threatens Long that he'll kick Long's ass if Batista has to face Taker again. Long says that he's already agreed to having Taker face HBK at Mania, so Batista would not face Taker. Batista is happy with that. But, Long then says that Batista will be defending his World Title against another worthy opponent, one who has been impressing on Smackdown for about a year. John Morrison enters to his music and the fans go nuts. Morrison will bring up how he's been IC champ, been one of the last superstars in the Rumble, and also eliminating two people in the Chamber at NWO.

Enter Drew McIntyre (who will still be IC champ at this point). Drew points out that he lasted longer than Morrison at the Rumble and that Morrison got lucky at NWO. Long makes a non-title match between Morrison and McIntyre on Smackdown to determine who faces Batista at WM26. Morrison and McIntyre have a 15-20 minute match with Morrison winning. McIntyre faces someone else for the title. Would it be Danielson? I dunno. To me, Danielson has an equal chance of facing Miz for the U.S. Title on RAW.

(3) Unified Tag Team Titles: Hart Dynasty keep the belts through Mania, with Uncle Bret going to Smackdown at one point. Hart Dynasty tell Teddy Long that Uncle Bret is to be a "consultant" or "mentor" to the Harts. Long does not agree at first, but eventually says he has great respect for Bret, so he grants the wish. This is how Bret gets to be on both RAW and Smackdown, even without Vince interjecting. This way, Bret becomes part of the Hart Dynasty stable, making the name (Hart Dynasty) that much truer.

Hart Dynasty would be featured on each RAW and Smackdown, either in a match or a backstage skit (or both). On RAW, Harts would face Legacy a couple of times and win each time. This sets the seeds for a Ted DiBiase face turn, as Cody Rhodes gets fed up with losing and turns on Ted. Harts could face DX, but that is unlikely if HHH is to go for the WWE Title and HBK to feud with Taker. On Smackdown, Harts can face Cryme Tyme, Slam Master J/Jimmy Wang Yang, and even jobber teams. Eventually, Big Show will come into the mix with MVP and keep attacking the Harts. Do this every week or so until Big Show gets his wish for a tag title shot.

WrestleMania 26:
(1) MITB Ladder Match between Christian, CM Punk, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, The Miz, Drew McIntyre, & Shelton Benjamin. Christian wins.

(2) Divas match of some sort. Maybe Maryse vs. Gail Kim, or Michelle McCool vs. Beth Phoenix. I probably wouldn't have more than one Divas match on the card, so the latter looks like the best bet.

(3) Hart Dynasty vs. Big Show and MVP for the Unified Tag Titles. Big Show and MVP win.

(4) Edge vs. Chris Jericho. Edge's rehab is going well, so vignettes highlighting Edge's return could air in February. Then Edge, if healthy in time, will return in March to confront Jericho on Smackdown. Both men are talented enough on the mic to do jaw-jacking back and forth until Mania. Edge wins, should this match happen. If this match does not happen, look for Jericho to try and reunite with Big Show to get the tag titles back.

(5) John Morrison defeats Batista for the World Heavyweight Title after 15-17 minutes.

(6) This is iffy, but Bret Hart defeats Vince McMahon in an exhibition match.

(7) Sheamus defeats HHH (and John Cena?) Could be a one-on-one match, or a triple threat.

(8) Kofi Kingston defeats Randy Orton for the WWE Title.

(9) John Cena defeats The Rock. If this match happens, it'll be a miracle, but it would be incredible to see the fan response. Cena will be getting booed a lot, that's for sure. I'm still waiting for the Cena heel turn. Maybe later this year?

(10) The Undertaker defeats Shawn Michaels to go 18-0 at WM. The Streak is NOT ending. HBK may gain a win at any other PPV, but not at Mania. I would put this match last, no matter what. The match may not gain five stars from me like it did at WM 25, but it will be close.

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