LODemolition
Championship Contender
Let's assume 2011 ends with the same champions we have right now, CM Punk and Mark Henry. Which isn't exactly a huge stretch of the imagination. How would you book the entire upcoming year's worth of title changes for the 2 major heavyweight championships? The title changes don't have to be strictly at PPV's. Feel free to throw the occasional one in at a Raw or Smackdown to mix it up if you like. I won't get into long, drawn out match results to bore everyone to death. Just short summarizations of why I picked the matches I did. I'm sure some of the PPV names will change too, but I obviously have to go by last year's since we don't know that info yet. For example, who knows if there'll be a MITB PPV now that there's brand-extension. Also please note face and heel changes so we understand why if you have a current heel wrestling another current heel. Not that this never happens, but it would just help us all understand. Here's my year in WWE Title and WHC matches...
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Royal Rumble
WHC: Mark Henry (c) vs. Sheamus
Mark Henry and Big Show's series of matches finally wraps up at TLC in a chairs match, with Henry obviously retaining again. Sheamus kicks up an angle that he should be next in line since Henry only beat him by count-out back at SummerSlam. In this match, Henry cannot win that way because it's no dq, no count-out. After Big Show comes down and strikes away at the back of Mark Henry as he's trying to slam Sheamus through the announce table, Sheamus escapes and gets back into the ring. Big Show gets the best of Henry outside and rolls Henry into the ring. Sheamus takes advantage and kicks Henry's head off his shoulders with the Brogue Kick, finally dethroning the World's Strongest Man and becoming NEW World Heavyweight Champion.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz
I think TLC will be a triple threat between Punk, Cena and Miz. I see Punk pinning Cena after he gets hit with w/ the SCF by Miz, then taken out by Punk. So Miz basically feels like he deserves credit for Punk's win, plus he never got pinned himself, which leads to a 1-on-1 match. Punk retains.
Royal Rumble Winner: Cody Rhodes
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Elimination Chamber
WHC: Sheamus (c) vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton vs. Christian vs. Big Show vs. Wade Barrett
The final 2 standing are Sheamus and Orton after Sheamus eliminates Henry. Somehow Henry acts as if he's going to leave peacefully, then after Orton is let into the ring, he storms back in and leaves Sheamus and Orton both in shambles. Henry then walks out. Both Orton and Sheamus struggle to cover eachother. They both have one arm draped over the other and the ref counts to 3. Since both men's shoulders were both down, the match is declared a draw between the 2. On the next Smackdown, Teddy long says the only fair way to decide this is to have a Triple Threat Match between Sheamus, Orton and the Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz vs. John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Triple H vs. Alberto Del Rio
It comes down to CM Punk and Triple H as the last men in the ring. Kevin Nash tries to hand Punk a sledgehammer through the chamber to give Punk an easy win. Punk takes the high road and wins it clean however, hitting the GTS for the pin. As the chamber rises from the floor, Nash walks in and destroys both Triple H and Punk. He finally leaves and when Punk finally begins to sit up in the middle of the ring, Chris Jericho makes his long awaited return and walks down to the ring, glaring at Punk. CM Punk sits in the middle of the ring with a smirk on his face, knowing that will be his next challenger. That's how the PPV goes off the air.
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WrestleMania XXVIII
WHC: Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
The belt isn't exactly declared vacant after the double pin at Elimination Chamber. Sheamus didn't lose it, so the belt stays with him. The match ends when Sheamus goes for the shoulder block from the top rope on Rhodes, but Orton jumps in the way and RKO's him out of nowhere. Then as he gets up, Rhodes hits him with the Cross Rhodes to get the pin. Rhodes walks to the back as the NEW WHC with the belt held high before both men can come to their senses. Now I personally believe Daniel Bryan will cash in before Mania despite what is being said, but let's say his music hits and he runs down with the briefcase after the match...I say after the match of his life, Rhodes still manages to hold onto the Championship and make Bryan the first ever to cash in and lose. Sorry Daniel Bryan lovers, but they are doing nothing to push this guy after he won MITB so I have no reason to think he'll be a major part of Mania let alone walk out World Champ.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Match for the ages here. Punk and Jericho exchange classic promos and sneak attacks from the night after E.C. all the way til the Raw before Mania. Jericho plays his vintage heel persona, not the all business gimmick that he left WWE with last year. A back and forth match that goes around a half hour long, with Punk ultimately making Jericho tap in the middle of the ring care of the Anaconda Vice. Jericho has one of his crybaby fits like in his WCW days and Punk stands on the turnbuckle still holding his WWE Championship belt before the "real" main event begins of The Rock vs. John Cena.
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***HEEL TURN*** (Raw after WrestleMania) John Cena walks out to start the show, grabs a mic and gets in the ring. The "Cena sucks" chants are in full effect as usual. He shrugs it off and begins to talk. "Last night in Miami Florida, I knew I'd be going into WrestleMania 28 as the one all the fans cheered against. I mean it's The Rock's hometown, and he's the People's Champion. I knew what I was in for. But what I didn't see coming was when I looked out into the sea of WWE fans, not one single member of Cenation showed up to support me. After all I've done for you people for 10 years? That really threw me off my gameplan. The Rock left this company for Hollywood for all of 7 damn years and you people cheered him louder than ever last night when he Rock Bottomed me and got the lucky 3 count. And yes, it was lucky. You can look at the tape, my shoulder was up at 2 and a half. But what's done is done, in the ring and out. So Rocky, why don't you come on down here and give me the rematch you know you can't win?" The Rock's music hits and out he comes to a huge ovation by the fans. As usual, before The Rock can even say a word into the microphone, the "ROC-KY" chants fill the arena. After The Rock grants Cena his rematch and calls him out on his pissing and moaning and his "lady parts" again, The Rock says he'll see him later tonight in the main event. Cena leans back against the ropes while The Rock turns to leave. As soon as his back is turned, Cena jumps The Rock from behind and goes balistic. He delivers a huge AA and walks out yelling to the fans, "10 years for what?!" The match later in the night ends in DQ when Cena grabs a chair and repeatedly bashes The Rock over the head and across the back. He gets a microphone and says to the fans, "Team Bring It just had it brought to them. Rock, when you wake up...this arena's gonna be empty. They'll turn their back on you just like they did to me." He then waves his hand in front of his face and says, "You won't see them" and walks out as Raw comes to an end.
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Over the Limit
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Sheamus
Sheamus was never pinned at WrestleMania, so he asks for his mandatory rematch at Over the Limit. Rhodes wins by DQ when Orton comes down to the ring and attacks him. This infuriates Sheamus and he demands a match with Orton on the next Smackdown. The winner is determined the #1 contender. Orton wins the match and will meet Rhodes at the next PPV.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho
They make the rematch a Submission Match after Jericho swears that Punk can "never...eeeever" make him tap again or he will leave the WWE forever this time. Another great back and forth contest, this one ending with Jericho taking a shot to Punk's head with the belt while the ref is down. Punk blades his forehead and it gets pretty bloody. The ref comes to, and slides over to ask Punk if he submits as Jericho has him in the Walls of Jericho. Very reminiscent of WMXIII when Austin couldn't answer the ref (Ken Shamrock), he has no choice but to stop it and award the match and the WWE Championship to Jericho. New Champion!
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King of the Ring: (Wishful thinking that they'll bring this PPV back)
KOTR Tournament Winner: Dolph Ziggler
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
Rhodes and Orton put on a fantastic match as they always do. Sheamus puts a headset on and joins the announce team for this match. About halfway through the match, Wade Barrett comes down to ringside and sits on the opposite end of the announce booth and decides to lend his commentary as well. When Orton gets thrown out of the ring and the ref has his back turned to keep Rhodes inside, Barrett decides to take a cheapshot at him. This sets Sheamus off, and the 2 start exchanging punches. Sheamus whips Barrett into the front row barricade, then grabs ahold of Rhodes' feet which the ref also doesn't see. This leaves Orton hanging in the air as he was about to hit Rhodes with an RKO when he ran back towards him. Rhodes gets to his feet first and hits the Cross Rhodes to retain the title. Chaos ensues between all 4 men in the ring after the match is over.
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. CM Punk
The 3rd and final match to their epic feud is a 2 out of 3 falls match. Jericho gets the first fall with a Code Breaker after slipping out of the GTS. The second fall goes to Punk after he hits Jericho with a surprise kick to the side of the head. Then it gets interesting. We have about 15 minutes of see saw wrestling and near falls. Jericho goes for the Lionsault, but Punk gets his knees up. Punk goes to the top rope for an elbow drop and hits it. He then slaps on the Anaconda Vice and Jericho looks like he'll break down and tap, but finally is able to reach the ropes. Punk goes for the GTS but once again Jericho reaches for the ropes and Punk drops him. Jericho tosses him over the ropes, but Punk stays on the apron. He performs a springboard sunset flip on Jericho, but Jericho keeps rolling so he ends up on top. He then hooks Punk's legs and pins his knees down to his shoulders to get the 3 count. Still WWE Champ, Chris Jericho.
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Money in the Bank
MITB Winners: The Miz (for a shot at WWE Championship) Christian (for a shot at World Heavyweight Championship)
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
This match has so much history behind it, pitting 2 former competitors of the WCW cruiserweight division against one another. Mysterio says that ever since he returned from his knee injury, he's wanted Jericho in the ring. Jericho says he's owned Mysterio their entire careers, on every level. Mexico, WCW, and here in WWE. Now they're both well past their prime, but can still deliver a great, fast-paced athletic match with plenty of high spots. Mysterio is giving Jericho all he can handle and hits him with a hurricanrana, to send Jericho down on both knees and grasping onto the 2nd rope. Mysterio goes for the 619, but Jericho ducks and Mysterio hits the mat, back first. Jericho then nails the Lionsault and takes off Mysterio's knee brace. Jericho tries to hit Mysterio in the face with his own knee brace, but Mysterio slides onto his back and tries to kick Jericho in the legs and ribs. Jericho shields off the kicks with the knee brace and Mysterio's foot actually gets caught in the brace on the 4th try. Jericho takes advantage and grabs both of Mysterio's legs, turning him over in the Walls of Jericho. Chris throws the brace out of the ring and Mysterio has no choice but to tap in the middle of the ring with no protection over his notoriously injured knee.
***FACE TURN*** Just after the match has ended, the KOTR Dolph Ziggler's music plays and he runs down to the ring and attacks Jericho before he even knows what hit him. Jericho is exhausted and Ziggler wants to send a message, knowing that winning KOTR last month guarantees him a title shot at SummerSlam. Then out of nowhere, The Miz's music hits and he runs down with the briefcase he won less than an hour before. Miz acts as if he's going to waste no time in cashing in his MITB contract, as he grabs the ref who just officiated the Jericho/Mysterio match. Ziggler pulls Jericho up to his feet so The Miz can have his turn at clobbering Jericho. Then, instead of handing the briefcase to the ref, he throws it into Ziggler's hands. Ziggler looks confused, even he didn't know this was part of the plan. The Miz then grabs Jericho by the back of the neck and sends him face first into the briefcase, creating an echoing thud and a nice-sized dent in the case. The camera gets closer as you hear The Miz say the words, "Not tonight. Oh no, I'm gonna bide my time, Jericho. When I'm good and damn ready, that belt's as good as mine." Suddenly, CM Punk runs out to Jericho's defense and takes on both The Miz and Ziggler. Punk's adrenaline keeps his head above water for a while, but they start to take the advantage. That is, until finally Rey Mysterio is able to get back up despite his injured knee and even up the odds. Punk and Mysterio hit their respective finishers on Miz and Ziggler and send them out of the ring. As they're walking to the back, Jericho begins to wake up and ask what happened and why CM Punk is in the ring. Punk and Mysterio explain the situation to Jericho and point out Miz and Ziggler at the top of the ramp, telling him he got jumped after the match by them. Jericho shoves Punk at first and Punk shoves back. Mysterio jumps in the middle and says some words to each of them. Eventually Punk extends his hand for Jericho to shake. Jericho looks hesitant. He looks around to the fans as they're all cheering him on and chanting "Shake his hand!" After a long wait, Jericho finally accepts the handshake much to the approval of the crowd. We all know this doesn't make Jericho and Punk the best of friends, but that they now have a mutual respect for eachother after having an epic feud in the spring.
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus
After what happened at the June PPV, a Fatal 4-Way elimination match is ordered to resolve all the issues of interference in the title matches of the last 2 months. Wade Barrett is the first one out of the match after being on the receiving end of an RKO from Orton while Rhodes and Sheamus battle on the outside. Later on, Orton is next to go as he walks into a Brogue Kick after throwing Rhodes over the top rope. The action continues with Sheamus and Rhodes being the final 2, but the announcers make little mention of the fact that Orton hasn't left ringside. ***HEEL TURN*** As Sheamus sets up Rhodes for the Celtic Cross, Orton slides back into the ring and pulls Rhodes down from Sheamus' grasp, then hits the RKO. He yells for Rhodes to "cover him!" with the sick demented look we all used to know so well. Have Rhodes and Orton been in cahoots all this time? Has everything that happened since and after WrestleMania just been Orton's master plan to keep the title with Rhodes longer than it should have? Rhodes scores the pin and the 2 begin laughing maniacally, each holding an end of the World Heavyweight Championship over their head. Finally, a heel turn for Orton which always suited him better, and with Rhodes as World Champ on his side, they seem to have the deck stacked in their favor.
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***FACE TURN*** (Smackdown after MITB) Reigning WHC Cody Rhodes and his new and once again counterpart Randy Orton start the show by walking to the ring to brag about how they pulled the wool over the eyes of all the WWE fans. To everyone's surprise, Edge's music hits and he addresses them from the top of the ramp. Edge tells them he admits, he's impressed. He never saw it coming even though he should've because Randy Orton is a person you can never trust. Even though he and Orton were once tag team champions, he still knew to look over his shoulder at all times...and if Rhodes were smart, he'd do the same. We all know how Legacy turned out. Edge says he wants to introduce Rhodes and Orton to 1 more person who's never seen eye to eye with Orton. Christian's music fills the arena and there's a confused mixture of boos and cheers as he comes out with his MITB briefcase and stands next to Edge.
Christian and his former tag team partner do their normal goofy schtick where they have fun with the crowd and make fun of Rhodes and Orton. They even do their "For the benefit of those with flash photography" gimmick which gets over big with the older fans. Christian decides to get serious and says, "Cody, let this briefcase be a reminder to you that I won the Money in the Bank ladder match for a shot at that World Heavyweight Championship belt. Now I know this buys me a full 365 days to pick my spot as to when I want to cash it in, but I'm not wasting any time. I'm not even gonna sneak attack you after a match because that's been done a million times. I'm calling my shot, Rhodes. Tonight, the main event, me and you...I'm cashing this briefcase in...and I'm walking out of this arena the new World Heavyweight Champion." That gets a huge pop from the crowd and later that night, it is indeed the main event.
Edge is in Christian's corner and Orton stands in Rhodes' corner. The match goes about 25 minutes with a couple commercial breaks. Orton tries to interfere a couple times, but is immediately pulled off the ring apron by Edge both times. Finally, Orton tries to take Edge out and attempts the RKO. Edge pushes off and Orton hits the ringpost with his shoulder. When he turns around, Edge runs at him full speed and delivers the Spear. The crowd goes nuts as this is the most action they've seen out of Edge in a year and a half. Inside the ring, the majority of the match has been dominated by Rhodes, but Christian is mounting a comeback. Rhodes whips Christian into the corner chest first, but Christian grabs the ropes and propels his legs up high for Rhodes to run underneath. Rhodes comes to a sudden stop and is there to catch Christian when he comes down, putting him in position for Cross Rhodes. When Rhodes tries to swing him face first down to the mat, Christian counters by hanging on and spinning Rhodes around. He has him set up in perfect position for the Killswitch. 1....2....3. NEW World Heavyweight Champion! Rhodes' reign since WrestleMania comes to a screeching halt.
The following week on Smackdown, Rhodes demands that he gets his guaranteed rematch at SummerSlam.
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SummerSlam
WHC: Christian (c) w/ Edge vs. Cody Rhodes w/ Randy Orton
This was ordered to be a cage match 2 weeks ago on Smackdown to prevent any interference from Edge or Orton. The first one to have both of their feet touch the ground after climbing over the cage or leaving through the door is declared the winner and WHC. Rhodes and Orton come out looking over-confident with big derranged smiles on their faces, shaking the cage like crazy from the inside like they're trapped wild animals. The announcers wonder why they look like they have nothing to worry about. Orton leaves the cage when Christian's music hits and he comes out with Edge. Christian wastes little time in getting inside and getting the match started. The match is filled with plenty of high spots including a flying elbow drop from the top of the cage by Christian. After hitting the Killswitch on Rhodes out of nowhere, Christian begins to climb the corner of the cage nearest Edge and on the side of the ramp. All of the sudden, the entire arena goes dark for a few moments. Then the pyro goes off from the top of the ramp and none other than Kane walks down with his music playing. He picks up Edge like he's going to bodyslam him, but instead throws him face first into the cage. Then he picks him up and bashes his skull into the cage 3 more times. Christian looks at this in disbelief from the top of the cage. Kane looks up and makes eye contact with him, then begins to climb up from the outside. When he gets to the top, Christian tries to kick him off and throw punches. They each have one leg over the top of the cage now. Finally Kane gains control and gives Christian the ultimate Chokeslam to Hell from the top of the cage. A loud groan comes from the crowd followed by "HO-LY SHIT!" chants. Cody Rhodes is coming around after being hit with the Killswitch. Orton instructs the ref to open the door as Rhodes slowly but surely crawls his way out to regain the World Heavyweight Title!" Rhodes and Orton walk to the back with the same crazy smiles they had when they came to the ring, as if they knew this were going to happen all along. The camera man goes into the center of the ring where Kane is now standing over Christian's lifeless body. Kane shouts into the camera, "Did you really think you were going to get away with what you did to my father, Edge?! Did you think there would never be any retribution?! And Christian, you're guilty by association! Choose your friends wisely." He then starts laughing uncontrollably as they go to a promo for the next match.
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
This match has grown to be very personal as there's been many variations of Jericho, Punk and Mysterio vs. Ziggler, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio on Raw the past month. In fact, Punk met The Miz and Mysterio met Del Rio earlier on the SummerSlam card. Jericho and Ziggler are very familiar with eachother after all of these matches and know eachother's weaknesses. To not many people's surprise, midway through the match, The Miz makes his way down to ringside in a suit with his MITB briefcase. When Ziggler pushes the ref in the way of a springboard moonsault by Jericho, he is knocked out and The Miz wastes no time in jumping on the apron to get involved. He throws the briefcase to Ziggler and steps through the ropes. Ziggler takes a swipe at Jericho as he turns around, but Jericho quickly ducks and The Miz gets hit square in the jaw and falls to the outside floor. Ziggler drops the briefcase and kicks it out of the ring to get rid of the evidence before the ref wakes up. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker, but he loses his grip on Ziggler's head and falls on the back of his own head. Ziggler takes the opportunity to apply the figure 4. Jericho blocks it and applies the Walls of Jericho. He finally turns him over and Ziggler is tapping out! Jericho is yelling at the ref to get up. The ref starts to look like he's regaining consciousness, so Jericho releases the hold and goes over to shake him. Ziggler gets to his feet and takes Jericho's knee out from behind. Jericho then reverses a whip into the ropes and leapfrogs over Ziggler. The ref grabs onto Jericho's kneepad, trying to get up. Ziggler hops up to the top rope and hits Jericho with a huge Zig Zag. The ref count is slow, but Jericho's shoulders would've stayed down for a 10 count. Dolph Ziggler is the NEW WWE Champion! 2 new champions in 1 night. As Dolph celebrates, he finally notices The Miz is back up to his feet outside the ring with his briefcase back in his hand. Miz looks like he has every intention of cashing in right here and now...but after a long staredown, he finally walks down the aisle, never taking his eyes off Ziggler.
That's it for now. September-December when I have time.
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Royal Rumble
WHC: Mark Henry (c) vs. Sheamus
Mark Henry and Big Show's series of matches finally wraps up at TLC in a chairs match, with Henry obviously retaining again. Sheamus kicks up an angle that he should be next in line since Henry only beat him by count-out back at SummerSlam. In this match, Henry cannot win that way because it's no dq, no count-out. After Big Show comes down and strikes away at the back of Mark Henry as he's trying to slam Sheamus through the announce table, Sheamus escapes and gets back into the ring. Big Show gets the best of Henry outside and rolls Henry into the ring. Sheamus takes advantage and kicks Henry's head off his shoulders with the Brogue Kick, finally dethroning the World's Strongest Man and becoming NEW World Heavyweight Champion.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz
I think TLC will be a triple threat between Punk, Cena and Miz. I see Punk pinning Cena after he gets hit with w/ the SCF by Miz, then taken out by Punk. So Miz basically feels like he deserves credit for Punk's win, plus he never got pinned himself, which leads to a 1-on-1 match. Punk retains.
Royal Rumble Winner: Cody Rhodes
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Elimination Chamber
WHC: Sheamus (c) vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton vs. Christian vs. Big Show vs. Wade Barrett
The final 2 standing are Sheamus and Orton after Sheamus eliminates Henry. Somehow Henry acts as if he's going to leave peacefully, then after Orton is let into the ring, he storms back in and leaves Sheamus and Orton both in shambles. Henry then walks out. Both Orton and Sheamus struggle to cover eachother. They both have one arm draped over the other and the ref counts to 3. Since both men's shoulders were both down, the match is declared a draw between the 2. On the next Smackdown, Teddy long says the only fair way to decide this is to have a Triple Threat Match between Sheamus, Orton and the Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz vs. John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Triple H vs. Alberto Del Rio
It comes down to CM Punk and Triple H as the last men in the ring. Kevin Nash tries to hand Punk a sledgehammer through the chamber to give Punk an easy win. Punk takes the high road and wins it clean however, hitting the GTS for the pin. As the chamber rises from the floor, Nash walks in and destroys both Triple H and Punk. He finally leaves and when Punk finally begins to sit up in the middle of the ring, Chris Jericho makes his long awaited return and walks down to the ring, glaring at Punk. CM Punk sits in the middle of the ring with a smirk on his face, knowing that will be his next challenger. That's how the PPV goes off the air.
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WrestleMania XXVIII
WHC: Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
The belt isn't exactly declared vacant after the double pin at Elimination Chamber. Sheamus didn't lose it, so the belt stays with him. The match ends when Sheamus goes for the shoulder block from the top rope on Rhodes, but Orton jumps in the way and RKO's him out of nowhere. Then as he gets up, Rhodes hits him with the Cross Rhodes to get the pin. Rhodes walks to the back as the NEW WHC with the belt held high before both men can come to their senses. Now I personally believe Daniel Bryan will cash in before Mania despite what is being said, but let's say his music hits and he runs down with the briefcase after the match...I say after the match of his life, Rhodes still manages to hold onto the Championship and make Bryan the first ever to cash in and lose. Sorry Daniel Bryan lovers, but they are doing nothing to push this guy after he won MITB so I have no reason to think he'll be a major part of Mania let alone walk out World Champ.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Match for the ages here. Punk and Jericho exchange classic promos and sneak attacks from the night after E.C. all the way til the Raw before Mania. Jericho plays his vintage heel persona, not the all business gimmick that he left WWE with last year. A back and forth match that goes around a half hour long, with Punk ultimately making Jericho tap in the middle of the ring care of the Anaconda Vice. Jericho has one of his crybaby fits like in his WCW days and Punk stands on the turnbuckle still holding his WWE Championship belt before the "real" main event begins of The Rock vs. John Cena.
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***HEEL TURN*** (Raw after WrestleMania) John Cena walks out to start the show, grabs a mic and gets in the ring. The "Cena sucks" chants are in full effect as usual. He shrugs it off and begins to talk. "Last night in Miami Florida, I knew I'd be going into WrestleMania 28 as the one all the fans cheered against. I mean it's The Rock's hometown, and he's the People's Champion. I knew what I was in for. But what I didn't see coming was when I looked out into the sea of WWE fans, not one single member of Cenation showed up to support me. After all I've done for you people for 10 years? That really threw me off my gameplan. The Rock left this company for Hollywood for all of 7 damn years and you people cheered him louder than ever last night when he Rock Bottomed me and got the lucky 3 count. And yes, it was lucky. You can look at the tape, my shoulder was up at 2 and a half. But what's done is done, in the ring and out. So Rocky, why don't you come on down here and give me the rematch you know you can't win?" The Rock's music hits and out he comes to a huge ovation by the fans. As usual, before The Rock can even say a word into the microphone, the "ROC-KY" chants fill the arena. After The Rock grants Cena his rematch and calls him out on his pissing and moaning and his "lady parts" again, The Rock says he'll see him later tonight in the main event. Cena leans back against the ropes while The Rock turns to leave. As soon as his back is turned, Cena jumps The Rock from behind and goes balistic. He delivers a huge AA and walks out yelling to the fans, "10 years for what?!" The match later in the night ends in DQ when Cena grabs a chair and repeatedly bashes The Rock over the head and across the back. He gets a microphone and says to the fans, "Team Bring It just had it brought to them. Rock, when you wake up...this arena's gonna be empty. They'll turn their back on you just like they did to me." He then waves his hand in front of his face and says, "You won't see them" and walks out as Raw comes to an end.
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Over the Limit
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Sheamus
Sheamus was never pinned at WrestleMania, so he asks for his mandatory rematch at Over the Limit. Rhodes wins by DQ when Orton comes down to the ring and attacks him. This infuriates Sheamus and he demands a match with Orton on the next Smackdown. The winner is determined the #1 contender. Orton wins the match and will meet Rhodes at the next PPV.
WWE: CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho
They make the rematch a Submission Match after Jericho swears that Punk can "never...eeeever" make him tap again or he will leave the WWE forever this time. Another great back and forth contest, this one ending with Jericho taking a shot to Punk's head with the belt while the ref is down. Punk blades his forehead and it gets pretty bloody. The ref comes to, and slides over to ask Punk if he submits as Jericho has him in the Walls of Jericho. Very reminiscent of WMXIII when Austin couldn't answer the ref (Ken Shamrock), he has no choice but to stop it and award the match and the WWE Championship to Jericho. New Champion!
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King of the Ring: (Wishful thinking that they'll bring this PPV back)
KOTR Tournament Winner: Dolph Ziggler
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
Rhodes and Orton put on a fantastic match as they always do. Sheamus puts a headset on and joins the announce team for this match. About halfway through the match, Wade Barrett comes down to ringside and sits on the opposite end of the announce booth and decides to lend his commentary as well. When Orton gets thrown out of the ring and the ref has his back turned to keep Rhodes inside, Barrett decides to take a cheapshot at him. This sets Sheamus off, and the 2 start exchanging punches. Sheamus whips Barrett into the front row barricade, then grabs ahold of Rhodes' feet which the ref also doesn't see. This leaves Orton hanging in the air as he was about to hit Rhodes with an RKO when he ran back towards him. Rhodes gets to his feet first and hits the Cross Rhodes to retain the title. Chaos ensues between all 4 men in the ring after the match is over.
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. CM Punk
The 3rd and final match to their epic feud is a 2 out of 3 falls match. Jericho gets the first fall with a Code Breaker after slipping out of the GTS. The second fall goes to Punk after he hits Jericho with a surprise kick to the side of the head. Then it gets interesting. We have about 15 minutes of see saw wrestling and near falls. Jericho goes for the Lionsault, but Punk gets his knees up. Punk goes to the top rope for an elbow drop and hits it. He then slaps on the Anaconda Vice and Jericho looks like he'll break down and tap, but finally is able to reach the ropes. Punk goes for the GTS but once again Jericho reaches for the ropes and Punk drops him. Jericho tosses him over the ropes, but Punk stays on the apron. He performs a springboard sunset flip on Jericho, but Jericho keeps rolling so he ends up on top. He then hooks Punk's legs and pins his knees down to his shoulders to get the 3 count. Still WWE Champ, Chris Jericho.
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Money in the Bank
MITB Winners: The Miz (for a shot at WWE Championship) Christian (for a shot at World Heavyweight Championship)
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
This match has so much history behind it, pitting 2 former competitors of the WCW cruiserweight division against one another. Mysterio says that ever since he returned from his knee injury, he's wanted Jericho in the ring. Jericho says he's owned Mysterio their entire careers, on every level. Mexico, WCW, and here in WWE. Now they're both well past their prime, but can still deliver a great, fast-paced athletic match with plenty of high spots. Mysterio is giving Jericho all he can handle and hits him with a hurricanrana, to send Jericho down on both knees and grasping onto the 2nd rope. Mysterio goes for the 619, but Jericho ducks and Mysterio hits the mat, back first. Jericho then nails the Lionsault and takes off Mysterio's knee brace. Jericho tries to hit Mysterio in the face with his own knee brace, but Mysterio slides onto his back and tries to kick Jericho in the legs and ribs. Jericho shields off the kicks with the knee brace and Mysterio's foot actually gets caught in the brace on the 4th try. Jericho takes advantage and grabs both of Mysterio's legs, turning him over in the Walls of Jericho. Chris throws the brace out of the ring and Mysterio has no choice but to tap in the middle of the ring with no protection over his notoriously injured knee.
***FACE TURN*** Just after the match has ended, the KOTR Dolph Ziggler's music plays and he runs down to the ring and attacks Jericho before he even knows what hit him. Jericho is exhausted and Ziggler wants to send a message, knowing that winning KOTR last month guarantees him a title shot at SummerSlam. Then out of nowhere, The Miz's music hits and he runs down with the briefcase he won less than an hour before. Miz acts as if he's going to waste no time in cashing in his MITB contract, as he grabs the ref who just officiated the Jericho/Mysterio match. Ziggler pulls Jericho up to his feet so The Miz can have his turn at clobbering Jericho. Then, instead of handing the briefcase to the ref, he throws it into Ziggler's hands. Ziggler looks confused, even he didn't know this was part of the plan. The Miz then grabs Jericho by the back of the neck and sends him face first into the briefcase, creating an echoing thud and a nice-sized dent in the case. The camera gets closer as you hear The Miz say the words, "Not tonight. Oh no, I'm gonna bide my time, Jericho. When I'm good and damn ready, that belt's as good as mine." Suddenly, CM Punk runs out to Jericho's defense and takes on both The Miz and Ziggler. Punk's adrenaline keeps his head above water for a while, but they start to take the advantage. That is, until finally Rey Mysterio is able to get back up despite his injured knee and even up the odds. Punk and Mysterio hit their respective finishers on Miz and Ziggler and send them out of the ring. As they're walking to the back, Jericho begins to wake up and ask what happened and why CM Punk is in the ring. Punk and Mysterio explain the situation to Jericho and point out Miz and Ziggler at the top of the ramp, telling him he got jumped after the match by them. Jericho shoves Punk at first and Punk shoves back. Mysterio jumps in the middle and says some words to each of them. Eventually Punk extends his hand for Jericho to shake. Jericho looks hesitant. He looks around to the fans as they're all cheering him on and chanting "Shake his hand!" After a long wait, Jericho finally accepts the handshake much to the approval of the crowd. We all know this doesn't make Jericho and Punk the best of friends, but that they now have a mutual respect for eachother after having an epic feud in the spring.
WHC: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus
After what happened at the June PPV, a Fatal 4-Way elimination match is ordered to resolve all the issues of interference in the title matches of the last 2 months. Wade Barrett is the first one out of the match after being on the receiving end of an RKO from Orton while Rhodes and Sheamus battle on the outside. Later on, Orton is next to go as he walks into a Brogue Kick after throwing Rhodes over the top rope. The action continues with Sheamus and Rhodes being the final 2, but the announcers make little mention of the fact that Orton hasn't left ringside. ***HEEL TURN*** As Sheamus sets up Rhodes for the Celtic Cross, Orton slides back into the ring and pulls Rhodes down from Sheamus' grasp, then hits the RKO. He yells for Rhodes to "cover him!" with the sick demented look we all used to know so well. Have Rhodes and Orton been in cahoots all this time? Has everything that happened since and after WrestleMania just been Orton's master plan to keep the title with Rhodes longer than it should have? Rhodes scores the pin and the 2 begin laughing maniacally, each holding an end of the World Heavyweight Championship over their head. Finally, a heel turn for Orton which always suited him better, and with Rhodes as World Champ on his side, they seem to have the deck stacked in their favor.
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***FACE TURN*** (Smackdown after MITB) Reigning WHC Cody Rhodes and his new and once again counterpart Randy Orton start the show by walking to the ring to brag about how they pulled the wool over the eyes of all the WWE fans. To everyone's surprise, Edge's music hits and he addresses them from the top of the ramp. Edge tells them he admits, he's impressed. He never saw it coming even though he should've because Randy Orton is a person you can never trust. Even though he and Orton were once tag team champions, he still knew to look over his shoulder at all times...and if Rhodes were smart, he'd do the same. We all know how Legacy turned out. Edge says he wants to introduce Rhodes and Orton to 1 more person who's never seen eye to eye with Orton. Christian's music fills the arena and there's a confused mixture of boos and cheers as he comes out with his MITB briefcase and stands next to Edge.
Christian and his former tag team partner do their normal goofy schtick where they have fun with the crowd and make fun of Rhodes and Orton. They even do their "For the benefit of those with flash photography" gimmick which gets over big with the older fans. Christian decides to get serious and says, "Cody, let this briefcase be a reminder to you that I won the Money in the Bank ladder match for a shot at that World Heavyweight Championship belt. Now I know this buys me a full 365 days to pick my spot as to when I want to cash it in, but I'm not wasting any time. I'm not even gonna sneak attack you after a match because that's been done a million times. I'm calling my shot, Rhodes. Tonight, the main event, me and you...I'm cashing this briefcase in...and I'm walking out of this arena the new World Heavyweight Champion." That gets a huge pop from the crowd and later that night, it is indeed the main event.
Edge is in Christian's corner and Orton stands in Rhodes' corner. The match goes about 25 minutes with a couple commercial breaks. Orton tries to interfere a couple times, but is immediately pulled off the ring apron by Edge both times. Finally, Orton tries to take Edge out and attempts the RKO. Edge pushes off and Orton hits the ringpost with his shoulder. When he turns around, Edge runs at him full speed and delivers the Spear. The crowd goes nuts as this is the most action they've seen out of Edge in a year and a half. Inside the ring, the majority of the match has been dominated by Rhodes, but Christian is mounting a comeback. Rhodes whips Christian into the corner chest first, but Christian grabs the ropes and propels his legs up high for Rhodes to run underneath. Rhodes comes to a sudden stop and is there to catch Christian when he comes down, putting him in position for Cross Rhodes. When Rhodes tries to swing him face first down to the mat, Christian counters by hanging on and spinning Rhodes around. He has him set up in perfect position for the Killswitch. 1....2....3. NEW World Heavyweight Champion! Rhodes' reign since WrestleMania comes to a screeching halt.
The following week on Smackdown, Rhodes demands that he gets his guaranteed rematch at SummerSlam.
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SummerSlam
WHC: Christian (c) w/ Edge vs. Cody Rhodes w/ Randy Orton
This was ordered to be a cage match 2 weeks ago on Smackdown to prevent any interference from Edge or Orton. The first one to have both of their feet touch the ground after climbing over the cage or leaving through the door is declared the winner and WHC. Rhodes and Orton come out looking over-confident with big derranged smiles on their faces, shaking the cage like crazy from the inside like they're trapped wild animals. The announcers wonder why they look like they have nothing to worry about. Orton leaves the cage when Christian's music hits and he comes out with Edge. Christian wastes little time in getting inside and getting the match started. The match is filled with plenty of high spots including a flying elbow drop from the top of the cage by Christian. After hitting the Killswitch on Rhodes out of nowhere, Christian begins to climb the corner of the cage nearest Edge and on the side of the ramp. All of the sudden, the entire arena goes dark for a few moments. Then the pyro goes off from the top of the ramp and none other than Kane walks down with his music playing. He picks up Edge like he's going to bodyslam him, but instead throws him face first into the cage. Then he picks him up and bashes his skull into the cage 3 more times. Christian looks at this in disbelief from the top of the cage. Kane looks up and makes eye contact with him, then begins to climb up from the outside. When he gets to the top, Christian tries to kick him off and throw punches. They each have one leg over the top of the cage now. Finally Kane gains control and gives Christian the ultimate Chokeslam to Hell from the top of the cage. A loud groan comes from the crowd followed by "HO-LY SHIT!" chants. Cody Rhodes is coming around after being hit with the Killswitch. Orton instructs the ref to open the door as Rhodes slowly but surely crawls his way out to regain the World Heavyweight Title!" Rhodes and Orton walk to the back with the same crazy smiles they had when they came to the ring, as if they knew this were going to happen all along. The camera man goes into the center of the ring where Kane is now standing over Christian's lifeless body. Kane shouts into the camera, "Did you really think you were going to get away with what you did to my father, Edge?! Did you think there would never be any retribution?! And Christian, you're guilty by association! Choose your friends wisely." He then starts laughing uncontrollably as they go to a promo for the next match.
WWE: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
This match has grown to be very personal as there's been many variations of Jericho, Punk and Mysterio vs. Ziggler, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio on Raw the past month. In fact, Punk met The Miz and Mysterio met Del Rio earlier on the SummerSlam card. Jericho and Ziggler are very familiar with eachother after all of these matches and know eachother's weaknesses. To not many people's surprise, midway through the match, The Miz makes his way down to ringside in a suit with his MITB briefcase. When Ziggler pushes the ref in the way of a springboard moonsault by Jericho, he is knocked out and The Miz wastes no time in jumping on the apron to get involved. He throws the briefcase to Ziggler and steps through the ropes. Ziggler takes a swipe at Jericho as he turns around, but Jericho quickly ducks and The Miz gets hit square in the jaw and falls to the outside floor. Ziggler drops the briefcase and kicks it out of the ring to get rid of the evidence before the ref wakes up. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker, but he loses his grip on Ziggler's head and falls on the back of his own head. Ziggler takes the opportunity to apply the figure 4. Jericho blocks it and applies the Walls of Jericho. He finally turns him over and Ziggler is tapping out! Jericho is yelling at the ref to get up. The ref starts to look like he's regaining consciousness, so Jericho releases the hold and goes over to shake him. Ziggler gets to his feet and takes Jericho's knee out from behind. Jericho then reverses a whip into the ropes and leapfrogs over Ziggler. The ref grabs onto Jericho's kneepad, trying to get up. Ziggler hops up to the top rope and hits Jericho with a huge Zig Zag. The ref count is slow, but Jericho's shoulders would've stayed down for a 10 count. Dolph Ziggler is the NEW WWE Champion! 2 new champions in 1 night. As Dolph celebrates, he finally notices The Miz is back up to his feet outside the ring with his briefcase back in his hand. Miz looks like he has every intention of cashing in right here and now...but after a long staredown, he finally walks down the aisle, never taking his eyes off Ziggler.
That's it for now. September-December when I have time.