Thought of another one, and I'll even book it, because I'm in a creative sort of mood!
Feud: Sheamus (face) vs. Randy Orton (heel)
The backstory here is that Randy Orton is injured. You could easily edit this to happen on the Road to WrestleMania, culminating in the big event, but we're just going to pretend like Orton is returning afterwards, for the sake of ease. Promos for his return play a few weeks in advance, building anticipation for "the Viper" and hyping what he will do to Wade Barrett.
Week 1: Sheamus vs. Mark Henry in the main event to determine the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight championship. Wade Barrett eventually cases the DQ and attacks Sheamus because he's mad about being left out of the picture. Randy Orton makes his big return and saves Sheamus from the attack. RKO on Barrett to end the night.
Week 2: Sheamus & Orton vs. Henry & Barrett in the main event. The heels get the upper hand and beat down the faces after the match to end the night. Barrett with the final attack on Orton.
Week 3: Sheamus confronts Orton backstage and says that Orton is a shell of his former self, and the Superstar that he remembers could have fought off both Barrett and Henry. He says that Orton has gone soft, and if he was truly "the Viper" Barrett couldn't have injured him in the first place. Orton tells Sheamus to watch what happens later on. Mark Henry vs Orton in the main event. Henry pins Orton clean and beats him down post match. Sheamus makes the save and Orton shoves him away, getting frustrated at himself.
Week 4: It is announced that Sheamus, Barrett, Orton, and Henry will face off in a 4-way match at the PPV to determine the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight championship, and that Orton would face Barrett in the main event of Smackdown that night. Sheamus confronts Orton backstage and says he was only trying to help last week. Orton stares him down but eventually shakes his hand. Before he leaves Sheamus reminds Orton that Barrett almost ended his career. Orton vs. Barrett ends in DQ when Orton goes insane and hits him with the chair over and over again. He goes for the punt but Sheamus tells him to calm down. Orton with the RKO on Sheamus, but then realizes what he did and calls for help, looking apologetic and angry at himself.
PPV: Orton finds Sheamus backstage and apologizes for attacking him on Smackdown. The two make up, but say it's every man for himself in their match later on. Orton agrees, but as long as Barrett doesn't win he says he's a happy man. In their match, Wade Barrett wins and becomes the new #1 contender because Sheamus couldn't get in the ring to break up the pin fast enough. Afterwards Orton gets in his face and Sheamus shoves him. The two come to blows and Orton drops him with another RKO. He gives the heel smile he used to do, and walks off.
Week 1: Sheamus comes down and talks about how in his country men get into brawls all the time, and he'd be willing to let bygones by bygones if Orton came out and shook his hand. Orton came out, and talked about how while he was gone Sheamus became a huge star. He says he finds it interesting that he couldn't get to the top with Orton in the picture, and wonders what will happen now that he's back. Sheamus tells Orton that he's not back, because the "real Viper" wouldn't have come out and shook his hand, but he'd drop him in the middle of the ring. Orton looks to attack, but backs off and lets him leave. In the main event, Sheamus defeats Cody Rhodes (or some other heel). After the match Orton attacks Sheamus and hits the RKO out of nowhere. He lines up for the punt, but stops, and spits in his face instead. He grabs a mic and says "you wanted the Viper, you got the Viper, and everything that comes with it!"
Week 2: Orton comes out and talks about how Sheamus is still recovering from that RKO, and won't be there. He says that Sheamus, and the crowd all wanted the "Viper" back in the WWE. He tried to place nice, he tried to be the good guy, but all he did was lose the WOrld title and allow Barrett to injure him. He says he understands Barrett clearly now, and says his real target is Sheamus, and all that he stands for. He vows to take his place back on top, become World champion, and do it without any of the WWE Universe.
That's pretty much as far as I've gotten at the moment. But that's my idea for how to get Sheamus to the top face spot on Smackdown, and how to turn Orton back into that heel we all know and love. I'm not saying they'll do it, but I would love to see the feud happen in 2012. It would also give Barrett a title opportunity, Henry time in the main event, and the champion a chance to face a random opponent in a non-title match at the PPV. Maybe a champions match against Cody RHodes to get them both over? I don't know, but there's what I got!
