A different course of history- Raw 2004.

[AegonTargaryen]

I have been writing quite a bit in a thread entitled " Changing History. What could have been?" which deals solely with how things would've been on Smackdown from April '04 leading into Wrestlemania 21 had HHH been drafted and been the mainstay instead of JBL.

However, it has left a lot of confusion as to how the Raw aspect would've or could've been written. Especially with Batista's Wrestlemania 21 victory being overhung with questions as to who would've elevated him into the main-event level star he became as a result of winning the WHC from HHH.

This thread will try to deal with just that. How would Raw have been shaped without HHH as the mainstay and contender to Chris Benoit's WHC? This is what actually happened.

Backlash '04- Benoit vs HHH vs HBK

Bad Blood ' 04 Benoit vs Kane; HBK vs HHH in HIAC.

Vengeance '04 Benoit vs HHH

Summerslam '04 Orton beats Benoit to become the youngest WHC in history.
Next night on Raw, the infamous Evolution betrayal and beatdown of Randy Orton happened. HHH was the leader and pivotal to almost everything on Raw in 2004.

Unforgiven '04 HHH beats Orton

Taboo Tuesday '04 HHH retains against Shawn Michaels

Survivor Series:- Team HHH vs Jericho, Benoit, Orton, Maven

New Years Revolution:- Elimination Chamber

Royal Rumble:- HHH beats Orton

Wrestlemania 21:- Batista beats HHH to become the new WHC.


How would you have written the entire Raw story from April '04 until Wrestlemania 21, without HHH? The list of stars and possible contenders for the WHC included :- Shawn Michaels, Benoit, Kane, Orton, Batista, Jericho, and Edge.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Here's what I would do(even though I've been trying to think on this for hours, it's been very difficult imagining how Raw would've been, who would've carried it without HHH, since he would always win the title back. I think he won it twice within six months):-

After HHH's departure have a 20-man battle royal on raw to determine who would face Chris Benoit for the WHC.
Edge, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Batista, Randy Orton
Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, Christian, Tomko, Shelton Benjamin,
Booker T, William Regal, Rhyno , Tajiri, La Resistance
Dudley Bums(they would stay on, since HHH would be on Smackdown), Rosey and Hurricane

Winner- Kane. (Yes, not shawn michaels, and we don't need Batista and Orton becoming champions so soon. That's for WM)
A newly furious Kane(having lost to taker) vows to win at Backlash.
Chris Benoit and Kane wrestle an old -style classic wrestling contest lasting 30 mins. They grapple, benoit tries to bring Kane down but is overpowered, thrown again and again. Grapple after grapple. We see a classic match, Benoit kicks out at the chokeslam, Kane tries tombstone and he rolls down, kicks kane behind his knee, and works his leg. Sharpshooter doesn't work as Kane's legs are too long and powerful. Benoit is thrown down . We see everything from Kane(same as Wrestlemania 14. Try watching the match. It's an athletically loaded gruelling contest). Have benoit make Kane tap out to the crossface. Hometown erupts.
On raw, Kane vows to disappear.

Chris Benoit wrestles bums for a few raw. Beats them all. Since there's no challenge, he wins tag titles with HBK or Edge. Out comes Kane before bad blood, and beats the living hell out of him and announces some sort of a gimmick match. I prefer HIAC, but I'm not sure if Benoit with his size versus Kane in HIAC would be a great idea. Kane would manhandle and destroy him. And would it be good to sell a pay-per-view? Or First Blood match? works with the Show. Kane has also beaten Austin at KOTR '98. Give Kane a title run. He had earned it by then. Kane wins against Benoit at bad blood.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Kane comes down on Raw as the new WHC for the first time in 6 years(and the last time it was an idiotic decision anyways. Either let the man hold the title for a month or two, or let your star Austin retain it).
The atmosphere is eerie. For the first time, Kane matters. He is no more the big red jobber, or the big red sweaty monster. No more of feuding with never-has-been bums like Matt Hardy. And for what? Lita? No more defending the honour of a **** like Lita and stretching it for a year. Matt hardy. Snitsky. Edge. Seriously, a performer like Kane?? He deserves so much more.

Kane is the champion standing in the ring. What would the reaction have been? All 6ft 9 inches of him. His huge arms. His expression. His conviction. His renewed faith. Look at me, I'm a champion here while my brother is feuding with Heidenreich and Luther Reigns.

On Vengeance he beats Chris Benoit in a last-encounter 30-min ironman match 2-1.

Next night on Raw, with Kane is standing as champion and laughing eerily and proclaiming he's unconquerable. Out comes Shawn Michaels, and in typical HBK style smirks and congratulates Kane. Smirks again. Plays the psychological game with him. Asks him if he's really that tough. Pokes on his huge arms once to test. Quasi-homo but still vintage shawn michaels. This kindles Kane's ire. He beats up shawn and throws him outside the ring. Shawn runs away like a heel. But he's a face. So is Kane. Because the next in line to be miscreants to a serious Kane would be Evolution members Ric Flair, Batista, and Randy Orton. (I'd not break Evolution until the Royal Rumble).

Next week on Raw, they're all in the ring. Orton's the IC champ. Flair and Batista are the Tag champs. They try to toast to Kane and invite him to join Evolution. Kane refuses. Have an angry batista face kane. Both tall beasts. One's a steroid beast, another a freak.
They beat him up. Out comes shawn michaels and makes the save. Kane stands up acting paranoid. Later that night, Kane and HBK beat Ric Flair and Batista.

 

[roipdh123]

Backlash:Benoit {C} def. Shawn Michaels
Bad Blood:Benoit {C} def. Kane & HBK vs HHH - HIAC
Vengeance:Benoit {C} def. HHH
Summer Slam:Orton def. Benoit {C}
Unforgiven:Orton {C} defeated HHH.{Benoit had a rematch on the raw after SS with Orton winning clean and then the famous evolution breakup happen}.
Taboo Tuesday:Kane defeated Randy Orton {C} and Shawn Michaels.
Survivor Series:Orton & Jericho & Maven & Benoit def. HHH & Snitzky & Edge & Batista.Kane {C} defeated Shawn Michaels.
New Years Revolution:HHH defeated Orton & Batista & Edge & Jericho & Kane {C}.
Royal Rumble:HHH {c} defeated Orton.Batista winning the rumble.{Kane gets a rematch on RAW and winning via a count out}.
WrestleMania 21:Batista defeated HHH {C}.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Backlash:Benoit {C} def. Shawn Michaels
Bad Blood:Benoit {C} def. Kane & HBK vs HHH - HIAC
Vengeance:Benoit {C} def. HHH
Summer Slam:Orton def. Benoit {C}
Unforgiven:Orton {C} defeated HHH.{Benoit had a rematch on the raw after SS with Orton winning clean and then the famous evolution breakup happen}.
Taboo Tuesday:Kane defeated Randy Orton {C} and Shawn Michaels.
Survivor Series:Orton & Jericho & Maven & Benoit def. HHH & Snitzky & Edge & Batista.Kane {C} defeated Shawn Michaels.
New Years Revolution:HHH defeated Orton & Batista & Edge & Jericho & Kane {C}.
Royal Rumble:HHH {c} defeated Orton.Batista winning the rumble.{Kane gets a rematch on RAW and winning via a count out}.
WrestleMania 21:Batista defeated HHH {C}.

Actually, you don't have to just change the results of similar matches from the past. The thread is based on HHH's absence on Raw from April '04 leading into Wrestlemania 21, if he had been drafted and we didn't have JBL on smackdown but HHH as the mainstay. How would Raw stories unfold without HHH? Who would be next to be champion after Benoit?

I suggested this:-
Backlash '04- Chris Benoit def Kane

Bad Blood '04- Kane def Benoit in a First Blood match to become WHC.

Vengeance '04- Kane def Benoit in a 30-min ironman match 2-1 (I'd have him in the crossface just when the 30th minute would be, and Kane taps out, only too late so the referee declares Kane the winner 2-1.

Next night on Raw, Benoit demands a title shot, so does HBK, Edge, Chris Jericho, and Evolution. However, only Randy Orton is inserted, and Batista and Flair will defend the tag titles at Summerslam

Summerslam '04 Elimination Chamber- Kane(C) vs HBK vs Edge vs Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit vs Randy Orton

Whom would you make champion at this point?

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Winner and the new WHC, Shawn Michaels. (wins by a superkick in the end , pins kane)

Unforgiven '04-Kane vs Shawn Michaels(C)
Ends in a DQ or some sort of a twist so Michaels leaves as champion

Taboo Tuesday- Which legend do you want to see Shawn defend against?
1)Mick Foley. 2) Ric Flair, 3) (??)
Kane interferes and chokeslams everyone after Shawn retains
OR
Shawn vs Kane in some choice match 1)Submission, 2)Steel Cage, 3) Last Man Standing

OR -
Which up and comers of these do you want to vote for, to be added to Kane vs HBK to make it a triple threat?
1)Edge , 2)Randy Orton, 3) Batista (Audience votes for Randy)

Taboo Tuesday- Randy Orton vs Kane vs Shawn Michaels(C)
Shawn Retains.

Survivor Series '04 Shawn Michaels(C), Kane(face), Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit vs Evolution and Edge