The Pope @ Lockdown thing is real simple... Pope might have been getting over on his own, but i think we can all agree he isnt their YET.
So you have him win the title shot, you put it 2 months ahead and you now have time to build this guy, do i agree with how they are doing so? maybe not, but i do agree with why they are doing it. Desmond wolfe is a strong enough heel at this point in the upper midcard that he can get Pope were he needs to be... (if enough screen time is directed at this now side project build).
The Pope is pretty unlikely to even go over at Lockdown, but that isnt the point of the the whole situation to start with, the money isnt in the face getting the title, its in the heel holding and the face chasing the strap... but the real point here is to make Pope seem like a legitimate contender in his own right without the need for a plot device like a tourny every time they want him to co-headline a ppv.
Pope now needs a month of solid matchs under him with Desmond and a varity of additional fly by night heel debuts over the next few impacts to just put him in the right spot for Lockdown, he then likely needs to heel turn again after lockdown and get a decent run under him of atleast 6-8 months.... and by the time he turns face again, THEN he will be ready.
But again too much impatience. Pope isnt their yet. He isnt even close... this isnt the end of the story... this is page one for him... stop trying to skip to the end people
EDIT: BTW... About RVD again, by the sounds of his recent blog on what it would take for him to sign with a company, the guy atleast has some percentage of control of his character and use, i wont go as far as to say he has creative control... but he wouldnt let himself be used in any way that didnt make him feel comfotable, bare that in mind folks.