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Championship Contender

We've finally made it to the 31st and final installment of my "Rewriting WrestleMania" series, where I will show what changes I would have made to yesterday's WrestleMania 31 from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Overall, I felt this was a very good show, but any good show can always be made better. The main event was WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar defending against Royal Rumble winner and Shield standout Roman Reigns. The crowd of nearly 77,000 had a reception to him that was lukewarm to say the least, and I noticed a fan even shove Reigns in the head on his walk down the steps through the crowd. Another extended a middle finger right in front of his face. Another marquee match was the long awaited in-ring debut of Sting, 14 years after the demise of WCW, as he took on the man in charge Triple H. After The Undertaker suffered his first Mania loss at WM30 and was the subject of retirement rumors, he returned to the grandest stage of all to take on Bray Wyatt. Here are the results from yesterday's 31st inaugural WrestleMania.
March 29, 2015
Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)
1. (Pre-Show) Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way:
Cesaro & Tyson Kidd (c) w/ Natalya def. The Usos w/ Naomi, Los Matadores w/ El Torito, and The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) w/ Xavier Woods
2. (Pre-Show) Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal:
Big Show won by last eliminating Damien Mizdow
Other participants included: Curtis Axel, Adam Rose, Fandango, Alex Riley, Zack Ryder, Bo Dallas, Hideo Itami, Diego, Fernando, Sin Cara, Tyson Kidd, Mark Henry, Konnor, Viktor, Darren Young, Heath Slater, Titus O'Neil, Jack Swagger, Big E, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Erick Rowan, Goldust, Kane, Jimmy Uso, Cesaro, Ryback, and The Miz
3. Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match:
Daniel Bryan def. Bad News Barrett (c), Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, and Luke Harper to become new champion
4. Randy Orton def. Seth Rollins w/ J&J Security (Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble)
5. No Disqualification Match:
Triple H def. Sting
6. Divas Tag Team Match:
AJ Lee and Paige def. The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie Bella)
7. United States Championship:
John Cena def. Rusev (c) w/ Lana to become new champion
8. The Undertaker def. Bray Wyatt
9. WWE World Heavyweight Championship:
Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to make it a Triple Threat Match and def. Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns to become new champion
*Rewriting WrestleMania XXXI*
1. (Pre-Show) Damien Sandow def. The Miz
In my opinon, Sandow should have quit weeks ago and should have had his own match w/ The Miz in the pre-show. I didn't see the need for another Andre battle royal. It was nice for the 30th WrestleMania, but it doesn't need to be a yearly tradition. Sandow gets the win, maybe with the stipulation that The Miz has to be HIS assistant for 30 days.
2. (Pre-Show) Tag Team Championship: Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (c) w/ Kane def. The Usos w/ Naomi
For the 2nd straight year, the tag team titles were on the line in the pre-show and in a fatal 4-way. Too many teams, especially the likes of Los Matadores, that don't belong in the title picture. Since I would have never split The Wyatt Family up and I believe Rowan and Harper deserved the titles at some point when they were together, I'd bring them into Mania as champs. Now you're probably saying, "But Jimmy Uso was hurt." Well I'd handle that exactly how they did last night, and keep him outside of the ring after a cheapshot before the bell from Wyatt Family member Kane, leaving Jey to fend for himself. Harper and Rowan dominate Jey, though he puts up a great fight, and retain after a vicious clothesline.
3. Career Match: Cody Rhodes def. Goldust (with Dusty Rhodes as special guest referee)
Boy did they ever blow this angle after it got off to a great start. I would have had Cody drop the Stardust gimmick for sure and go back to being himself after the tag team split up. It wasn't an awful gimmick, it reminded me of The Riddler, but I liked Cody best during the days when he feuded with Mysterio. This match should have never happened at Fast Lane. It should have been held off til the opening match of WM31 with the loser (Goldust) having to call it quits after a long great career. Who better than his own brother to be his final opponent. Goldust gets a standing ovation from the crowd after Cody hits the Cross Rhodes and Dusty reluctantly counts to 3.
4. Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Cesaro def. Bad News Barrett (c), Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, Ryback, and Tyson Kidd w/ Natalya
I was entertained the last couple months with all the IC Title contenders stealing the belt from Barrett and playing keep away. I would have changed some of the participants up. I have other plans for Bryan, Ambrose, and Cody. I feel like R-Truth didn't belong in the match at all, since he's not IC Championship material. I'd throw in Ryback and a heel Sheamus, and though I like Kidd and Cesaro as a team, I think WWE has really blown it with them as singles competitors and they both deserve to be in the IC Title hunt. I had Kidd as the challenger for the IC Title at WM30, and I'd have Cesaro walk out the new champion this year.
5. United States Championship: John Cena def. Rusev (c) w/ Lana
Wouldn't change a thing about this. Rusev had a great entrance by the way. The match didn't drag on too long and the way it ended gives Rusev an excuse and every reason to believe it could have been a fluke. Cena was the right guy to give him his first loss though.
6. Triple Threat Match: Seth Rollins w/ J&J Security def. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose
I have a feeling this will be the title match next year, but I wouldn't have waited. Reigns did not belong in the main event yet and though I really liked Rollins' match with Orton (that might have been the best RKO I've ever seen), I like this match even better. All 3 members of The Shield in a triple threat with Seth Rollins getting the best of his former partners.
7. Bray Wyatt w/ The Wyatt Family (Kane, Harper, and Rowan) def. Randy Orton
These 2 are a natural fit for a feud in the near future. In my WM30 rewrite, Bray Wyatt ended the Undertaker's streak instead of Brock Lesnar. I would have had Randy Orton split from The Authority sooner and challenge Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble (instead of Cena yet again and Rollins who already had the briefcase). Orton would have made for a very believable threat to end Lesnar's dominant streak in recent months. Just when Orton hits the RKO, the lights go out. When they come back on, Bray Wyatt has Orton in position for Sister Abigail. Wyatt hits his finishing move and Orton wins by DQ. From then on, it's nothing but mind games between Wyatt and his family (Rowan, Harper, and Kane in my version) and the lone Orton. I nearly went with Sting vs. Wyatt instead, but I really think this could have been a match that would steal the show. And Orton vs Rollins to me would have been better suited for SummerSlam, probably even for the WWE World Title.
8. Mixed Tag Match: The Rock & Ronda Rousey def. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon
I know The Rock probably wasn't willing to wrestle at Mania after getting injured the last time he stepped in the ring, but we'll pretend that WWE can pay him as much or more than his movie roles do. So in my version, the promo we saw last night happened on Raw a month ago. Then the contract signing on Raw 2 weeks ago. I've always wanted to see The Rock and Triple H go one more time, preferrably at Mania. I actually thought it had a chance of happening during a segment on Smackdown a few months back, when The Rock and Hunter were talking trash back and forth. But with Stephanie basically becoming the female version of her father Vince in recent years, a lot of fans want to see her get what's coming to her. And with The Rock having a friendship with UFC fighter and all-around badass Ronda Rousey, we could see Rock and Triple H go at it one more time, but with a different spin involving the ladies. Everyone would like to see the WWE's ultimate power couple get humiliated on the grandest stage of all. How about Triple H tapping out to a girl for a moment he could never live down? His match with Sting wasn't too bad, and it was kind of cool to see Hogan put on the NWO shirt again...but what a gigantic lack of logic having the NWO help Sting, who was their arch nemesis in the late 90's. Also, why did Triple H have to win? I mean if you're going to bring Sting into WWE after 14 long years, shouldn't he win his first match at least? Especially when he's likely only going to wrestle 2-3 matches, one of them very possibly being against The Undertaker. You would think they'd want him to have momentum going into that matchup. Speaking of...
9. The Undertaker def. Sting
So in my WrestleMania XXX, Bray Wyatt defeats Taker and ends the streak. We don't see or hear from Taker for months and are left to wonder whether or not his career is over. Sting debuts at Survivor Series, just like he did in reality, but he shows up to WWE for a different purpose altogether other than going after The Authority. He comes to WWE to pursuade Taker to show up. Sting says he's always needed to know who was better, and he needs to face Taker just one time before his career ends - and he knows deep down that the feeling is mutual for Taker. He shows up at Royal Rumble, calling out Undertaker again. Finally at Fast Lane, in Sting's last effort, Taker shows up and meets Sting face to face and agrees to a match. I really feel like the timing was right for Taker vs Sting debuting in WWE this past November. Maybe it happens next year and it'll be both men's last match, maybe not. But they're not getting any younger.
10. Divas Championship: Charlotte def. Paige (c)
I'm very surprised Charlotte hasn't been brought up to the main roster yet. I would've had Paige win at Fast Lane and had Charlotte debut the next night, if not sooner. These might be the best 2 female wrestlers WWE has to offer, and I'd have much rather seen this than the tag match we got last night. I'd have Charlotte win the Divas Title in her first major match, just like Paige did last year against AJ.
11. WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman def. Daniel Bryan
I think this was the best possible main event they could have booked. The ultimate David vs Goliath match for the championship. Daniel Bryan wins the Royal Rumble in back to back years and says this year, he's winning it for Connor Michalek. Lesnar dominates the match just like he with did against Cena at SummerSlam and the majority of the match last night. I thought they way they booked the finish last night was pretty smart, and I'd have ended it the same way.
Seth Rollins cashes in his Money in the Bank contract to make it a Triple Threat Match and def. Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman and Daniel Bryan to become new champion.
And that's my WrestleMania 31.
Feel free to comment and/or post your rewritten WM31.
Thanks to everyone who participated the last month in this series of threads on "Rewriting WrestleMania." It was a blast.