Brand Split Rebooted: One True Champion

[johnbragg]

A couple of people liked my idea of one World Champion who rotates between RAW and Smackdown challengers, and elevating the IC/US titles to the main-event titles for each brand.

So yesterday, in between watching football and doing everything I had to do, I went through the results from SummerSlam 2002 (where Lesnar wins the world title, then declares it Smackdown exclusive, then Bischoff and HHH create the Big Gold Belt World Title) to SummerSlam 2003, and tried to see how it would work. I tried not to change anything else--Triple H still ruins anyone he feuds with except HBK, etc. The key difference is that the WWE brain trust decides to keep the World title an inter-brand title, and develops the IC and US titles as the brand champions.

And, if you haven't noticed, it's long.

*********

Summerslam 2002, Aug 25. KOTR Brock Lesnar claims his first world title, beating The Rock.
Aug 26, RAW.
HHH defeats a returning Undertaker for the No. 1 Contender spot, due to Lesnar nailing Undertaker with the belt.
Stephanie McMahon reveals that LEsnar, and the World title, are “exclusive to Smackdown.”
Aug 29, Smackdown. Undertaker wins gauntlet to be the No. 1 contender.
Sept 2, RAW. Linda McMAhon appears via satellite/Titantron to report on the decisions of the Board of Directors.
Both GMs are authorized to name No. 1 contenders.
The World Champion is entitled to choose his TV appearances, but is required to defend his title at all pay-per-views.
Raw and Smackdown will alternate naming challengers. HHH at Unforgiven, Undertaker at No Mercy.
The Board of Directors also reserves the right to name a challenger, such as the winner of the Royal Rumble.
The World champion must defend every 30 days, and has a maximum of 90 days to face his No. 1 contender.

Unforgiven, September.
Due to interference by the Undertaker, LEsnar retains the title vs HHH.
The Board of Directors rules that HHH is still No. 1 contender for Survivor Series.

No Mercy, October.
World: Lesnar defeats Undertaker in a Hell In A Cell match.
HHH takes Intercontinental title from Kane, vacates at Survivor Series. (Katie Vick feud)

Survivor Series, November.
World: HHH vs Lesnar. Heyman turns on Lesnar, Big Show attacks with chair, lays out Lesnar. HHH demands match be restarted, Lesnar agrees. HHH pins a weakened Lesnar.
Elimination Chamber match for vacant Intercontinental Title.: Shawn Michaels d RVD, Kane, Jericho, Booker, Christian.

Aftermath: RAW is awarded SmackDown’s Armageddon title shot.
Big Show is banned from World Title contention for 6 months.

Now it is SmackDown that is a brand without a champion. Stephanie re-activates the United States title, books Lesnar, Big Show, Angle and Benoit in a double-elimination tournament, finishing at Armageddon.

’United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament, presented by SmackDown!’’

Spoiler

Week One. Lesnar vs Big Show, Angle vs Benoit.
Heyman turns on Big Show with a chairshot to the back--Lesnar takes the DQ loss.
Benoit defeats Angle
Week Two. Lesnar vs Angle, elimination match. Big Show and Heyman distract Lesnar, Angle takes advantage, ankle lock submission. Lesnar is out of the tournament.
Week Three. Benoit vs Big Show, winner goes to the tournament finals at Armageddon.
Lesnar comes out, F5’s Heyman, Big Show. Benoit takes the DQ loss.
Week Four. Angle vs Benoit, elimination match. Angle wins.

'HBK wins World Title on RAW, Bischoff books HHH-HBK best-of-5 ending at ARmageddon'

Spoiler

Nov 19. HBK, new Intercontinental Champion, wants his World title shot next week vs HHH.
Nov 25. HBK defeats HHH after Jericho foils Flair’s interference attempt.
(Jericho makes the belt-around-the-waist motion to Michaels).
Bischoff books a best-of-five series for the World Title between HHH and HBK, first two matches on RAW Dec 2 and Dec 9, the finals at Armageddon.
(Part of the brand competition thing--Elimination Chamber to top HIAC, HHH-HBK best-of-five to top Stephanie’s US title tournament.)

Armageddon, December.
World: HHH defeats HBK(c) in Three States of Hell.
US Title Tournament Finals: Angle(2-1) vs Big Show(2-0). If Angle wins first match, second match is a no DQ match. Angle wins first match, despite A-Train attempting to interfere. In the final match, Lesnar F5’s Big Show, enabling Angle to score the pin. Lesnar then F5s Angle.
IC Title (vacant) RVD over Jericho, Booker in a triple-threat match
Raw Tag titles: Booker T & Goldust take titles from Jericho & Christian, drop them on RAW

Steiner announces that he has signed with SmackDown!, in return for the SD World title shot at the Royal Rumble. (I think Steiner-at-the-Rumble was a firmer decision than Steiner-on-RAW)

2003. Royal Rumble.
World: HHH(c) defeats Scott Steiner.
Rumble winner: Brock Lesnar.
US: Angle(c) defeats Chris Benoit by submission.
IC: RVD(c) vs Christian

No Way Out, February 23
World: Angle over HHH(c).
IC: Booker T defeats RVD(c)
US: (vacant) Benoit defeats Steiner by submission.
Austin over Bischoff
Rock over Hogan

Wrestlemania 19
World: Lesnar d Angle
IC: HHH defeats Booker T(c)
US: Benoit(c) vs A-Train (take 5 minutes from Hogan vs McMahon)
Rock over Austin
Hogan over McMahon
Undertaker over Big Show

Backlash, April
World: Lesnar defeats HHH
IC: (vacant) RVD defeats Jericho
US: Big Show defeats Benoit(c)
Goldberg defeats The Rock

Judgement Day, May
World: Lesnar(c) d Big Show
IC: HHH defeats RVD(c)
US: (vacant) Chris Benoit d John Cena

Bad Blood (RAW) June
World: LEsnar d. Booker T
IC: HHH defeats Kevin NAsh, Hell In A Cell
Goldberg d. Jericho

Vengeance (SD!) July
World: Angle d Lesnar, Big Show
US: Eddie Guerrero d. Chris Benoit(c)
Undertaker d. John Cena

SummerSlam August
World: HHH d. Angle
IC: Elimination Chamber: Goldberg d. Nash, Michaels, Orton, Jericho, ????
US: LEsnar d. Guerrero

 

[johnbragg]

After all that work, I'm not sure anything really changed.

With only one world title instead of two, we "lost" one new/recycled World/WWE champion--the revitalized 'Heyman Guy' Big Show doesn't gets a World title reign.

RVD and Booker T on RAW, BEnoit and Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown get "main event title" reigns, if you call the IC/US titles main event titles.

But did I really elevate the Intercontinental or US titles, or were they just bling for the No. 1 contenders? On the one hand, you have HHH and HBK carrying around the titles, winning Elimination Chamber matches for them. On the other hand, you have the Intercontinental Championship vacated twice in one month and four times in one year for World title shots.

Is Benoit's US title run a big deal, or does it just confirm that he's not on the level of Angle, Big Show, Lesnar and Undertaker? Are the IC/US titles a big deal only when Angle, Triple H or Shawn Michaels have them?

 

[theuk savior]

Bad Blood (RAW) June
World: LEsnar d. Booker T
IC: HHH defeats Kevin NAsh, Hell In A Cell
Goldberg d. Jericho

Vengeance (SD!) July
World: Angle d Lesnar, Big Show
US: Eddie Guerrero d. Chris Benoit(c)
Undertaker d. John Cena

SummerSlam August
World: HHH d. Angle
IC: Elimination Chamber: Goldberg d. Nash, Michaels, Orton, Jericho, ????
US: LEsnar d. Guerrero

at bad blood hhh retained ic championship against nash then at summerslam hhh is in world title match and you have chamber match with nash Goldberg hbk ortan and y2j

when did ic title change hands

 

[johnbragg]

Bad Blood (RAW) June
World: LEsnar d. Booker T
IC: HHH defeats Kevin NAsh, Hell In A Cell
Goldberg d. Jericho

Vengeance (SD!) July
World: Angle d Lesnar, Big Show
US: Eddie Guerrero d. Chris Benoit(c)
Undertaker d. John Cena

SummerSlam August
World: HHH d. Angle
IC: Elimination Chamber: Goldberg d. Nash, Michaels, Orton, Jericho, ????
US: LEsnar d. Guerrero

at bad blood hhh retained ic championship against nash then at summerslam hhh is in world title match and you have chamber match with nash Goldberg hbk ortan and y2j

when did ic title change hands

HHH vacates it to challenge for Lesnar's world title. Don't know if it's a bad thing that I have that HHH doing that 3 times in 1 year.

 

[johnbragg]

It was pretty easy booking the US title when Angle or Lesnar had the World title. Chris Benoit was booked strongly at the time, so it was an easy call to put him in US title matches. A-Train was a reach, but Angle, Lesnar, Undertaker and Big Show were all busy at Wrestlemania, Cena was way too new.

The IC title over on RAW was another story (at least when I didn't have it on HHH or HBK). Jericho, KAne, RVD and Booker T were all moving between going nowhere in particular, getting ruined by HHH and screwing around in tag teams. Should my example have had RAW making some of these guys look stronger, if only because they need to be more credible to keep the IC title warm while HHH is in World title programs?

You also had Ric Flair, and a bunch of guys who had held the IC title semi-lately--William REgal, Lance Storm, Christian, Test, and Jeff Hardy. (Jeff Hardy was in bad shape, Test sucked no matter how much WWE loved him, etc).