The Duck
01-18-2005, 01:50 PM
Come on, it's time to hazard a guess at what WWE has planned or what they'll throw together for their 'biggest' show of the year. I just tried to sit down and do it for fun....bloody hell it was hard work. Here's mine as it stands:-
World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H (c) vs. Batista
WWE Championship & United States Championship - Unification Match
John 'Bradshaw Layfield (c) vs. John Cena
Inter-Promotional Match
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels
Inter-Promotional Match
Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Muhammad Hassan
The Rock vs. Edge
Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker T
World Tag Team Championship
La Resistance (c) vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit
Notable absentees from this card: Big Show (who will headline No Way Out vs. JBL as it stands), Kane, the Bashams, Hogan, Austin (though I think they'll both appear), Rey Mysterio, RVD and Christian. (in other words, there's a few more matches that need adding) The position of both Jericho and Benoit bothers me, but I really can't see much for them. Putting Y2J over Benoit on Monday and starting a feud with Hassan looks to me like they're grooming Jericho to put over Hassan before he moves on to a big Mania match and a possible IC title win. I thought HBK would be the man to put over Edge at 'Mania, but with their match going a-head at the Rumble, it looks like the rumours of HBK vs. Angle are true. Therefore, putting Rocky vs. Edge will ensure Edge is a high-spot and potentially a great rub if he goes over the Great One; Edge & Christian vs. Benoit & Jericho for the tag belts wouldn't surprise me though.
I could see Eddie turning heel, or turning to the actions of a heel in the next few weeks/months as his bitterness grows about not being involved in the title hunt (maybe Booker eliminates him from the Rumble). However, in an arena with lots of Hispanic fans, I'd expect Eddie to super-over with the crowd, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Eddie and Booker's inter-play has been one of the best parts of Smackdown, so a feud with their chemistry should work well.
Cena NEEDS to face JBL for the title. He'd be the one guy left for JBL to face. I think JBL should go over Big Show clean in the Barbwire Cage at No Way Out to finally create to legitmacy as Champ before the Cena (as the Rumble winner) faces him. There's no need for Cena to lose the US belt, as a Unification match only goes to make it a bigger deal, plus SD! could have themselves a tourney for the belt after Cena has to give it up.
Batista vs. HHH should be slow-built as Raw has two months to play with before Mania (or any important show). Somehow having HHH cost Batista his chance to win the Rumble would be the obvious route, and Raw *could* have a tournament themselves over a few weeks to determine it's #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. This creates a great story-arc for the show and having everybody on the roster vying for the biggest match of their career puts over the WHC ever more. If Cena goes over JBL, I'd be tempted to save Batista's title win 'til Backlash in a Street Fight (or something insane...Hell in a Cell...I dunno), but I'm sure that's a controversial view-point as putting off Goldberg's win in 2003 didn't really do him any favours.
As for the inter-promotional matches, they'll be built at the Rumble - with Orton vs. Taker (which is rumoured) a good opportunity to repair the damage made with Orton's face turn. Yes, it is time for Taker's streak to end IMO and is they truly want to make money with Orton, an RKO victory is logical booking.
Now, tell me where I went wrong or better that card (I'm sure someone can!!!)
World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H (c) vs. Batista
WWE Championship & United States Championship - Unification Match
John 'Bradshaw Layfield (c) vs. John Cena
Inter-Promotional Match
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels
Inter-Promotional Match
Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Muhammad Hassan
The Rock vs. Edge
Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker T
World Tag Team Championship
La Resistance (c) vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit
Notable absentees from this card: Big Show (who will headline No Way Out vs. JBL as it stands), Kane, the Bashams, Hogan, Austin (though I think they'll both appear), Rey Mysterio, RVD and Christian. (in other words, there's a few more matches that need adding) The position of both Jericho and Benoit bothers me, but I really can't see much for them. Putting Y2J over Benoit on Monday and starting a feud with Hassan looks to me like they're grooming Jericho to put over Hassan before he moves on to a big Mania match and a possible IC title win. I thought HBK would be the man to put over Edge at 'Mania, but with their match going a-head at the Rumble, it looks like the rumours of HBK vs. Angle are true. Therefore, putting Rocky vs. Edge will ensure Edge is a high-spot and potentially a great rub if he goes over the Great One; Edge & Christian vs. Benoit & Jericho for the tag belts wouldn't surprise me though.
I could see Eddie turning heel, or turning to the actions of a heel in the next few weeks/months as his bitterness grows about not being involved in the title hunt (maybe Booker eliminates him from the Rumble). However, in an arena with lots of Hispanic fans, I'd expect Eddie to super-over with the crowd, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Eddie and Booker's inter-play has been one of the best parts of Smackdown, so a feud with their chemistry should work well.
Cena NEEDS to face JBL for the title. He'd be the one guy left for JBL to face. I think JBL should go over Big Show clean in the Barbwire Cage at No Way Out to finally create to legitmacy as Champ before the Cena (as the Rumble winner) faces him. There's no need for Cena to lose the US belt, as a Unification match only goes to make it a bigger deal, plus SD! could have themselves a tourney for the belt after Cena has to give it up.
Batista vs. HHH should be slow-built as Raw has two months to play with before Mania (or any important show). Somehow having HHH cost Batista his chance to win the Rumble would be the obvious route, and Raw *could* have a tournament themselves over a few weeks to determine it's #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. This creates a great story-arc for the show and having everybody on the roster vying for the biggest match of their career puts over the WHC ever more. If Cena goes over JBL, I'd be tempted to save Batista's title win 'til Backlash in a Street Fight (or something insane...Hell in a Cell...I dunno), but I'm sure that's a controversial view-point as putting off Goldberg's win in 2003 didn't really do him any favours.
As for the inter-promotional matches, they'll be built at the Rumble - with Orton vs. Taker (which is rumoured) a good opportunity to repair the damage made with Orton's face turn. Yes, it is time for Taker's streak to end IMO and is they truly want to make money with Orton, an RKO victory is logical booking.
Now, tell me where I went wrong or better that card (I'm sure someone can!!!)