WWE: Kingdom

[tommytomlin]

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7016/wwekingdom.jpg

 

 

Vince McMahon sits on a folding steel chair in the middle of the WWE RAW ring. A lone spotlight shines down upon him from the rafters. This Vince McMahon looks older than what we're used to seeing. His hair is greyer, his eyes are tired, even his suit looks hagged. The arrogance that permeated his appearance was gone. This is a humble Vince McMahon.

 

A broken Vince McMahon.

 

 

Vince: I always thought of myself as a visionary. Someone who had a... sense of the future, who know what was coming. I saw the potential of pay-per-view, of Hulkamania, of 'Attitude' and of every superstar since. It helped me keep ahead of the competition, and it helped me turn the WWE from a territory into a global media powerhouse.

 

[Vince pauses.]

 

Vince: But at the same time, I was arrogant. And it the end, it was the arrogance that did it. Sure, that same arrogance helped me defeat Ted Turner, it helped me beat the U.S Government and everyone else who tried to bring me down, but once there was no one left to fight.... Once I'd closed all the open chapters... Well, I got careless. I was so sure that I was untouchable, that I was unbeatable, that I let everything I built slip away.

 

[Vince, obviously shaken, takes another pause.]

 

Vince: I lost my Kingdom. I pushed too far. Too far on the talent. Too far on the fans. Too far on my own damn family. And to make it worse, I didn't see it coming. When it all started at Survivor Series...

 

[Vince stops and shakes his head.]

 

Vince: But that's in the past. There's still a future, and there's still a future for Vince McMahon. But this time, I'm not going to get careless. I'm going to put the past in the past. I'm going to save this company... my company from itself. The Kingdom will fall, I guaran-damn-tee you that.

 

[The crowd cheer.]

 

Vince: But I've seen the future, and it tells me I can't do it myself. Now, I've still got some friends in this company, I've even got some family left that doesn't despise me. But I know I'll need more than that. So... it's come to this.

 

[Vince stands up. He looks around for the nearest cameraman, and stands directly in front of the lens. He is looking straight down the barrel of the lens.]

 

Vince: Bret... I vowed a few months ago that I'd never say these words. I said it would take the forces of heaven and hell to get me to say that I'm sorry. I screwed you in 1997, and in 2010 I tried to ruin you for good. You were right. Everything you said that night you returned, you were right. We had gone too far. We couldn't run this industry like we did. We were corrupt, we were immoral, we pushed too damn far, and it almost cost me my life.

 

[Vince's voice was shakey during that last sentence, so he pauses again to regather his composure. When he looks back up at the camera, his eyes paint the whole picture. Vince McMachon isn't just broken – he is desperate.]

 

Vince: Bret... I need your help.

[tommytomlin]

And there's your hook. More back story to follow.

 

I'm not going to promise much on this dynasty, my last dynasty (WWF War) was well-received but I didn't really follow through. If I finish it, it will be a short diary, starting in full on the RAW after Tables, Ladders and Chairs and ending at Wrestlemania. It's basically my idea of how to rejuvenate the WWE.

 

That promo from Vince is sometime between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania. So basically, halfway through the diary we will reach that point. But as you can see, there's a lot of questions to answer before we start.

 

Hope you enjoy.

[tommytomlin]

6 months earlier....

 

 

 

 

WWE Raw – The night after Survivor Series

The Kingdom Begins...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3825/johncena14.jpg vs http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8665/tripleh2.jpg

 

[The crowd are now rallying behind Triple H. Cena has the STFU locked in, but Trips is slowly creeping forward towards the ropes. He reaches out his hand and.... grabs the ropes! The crowd pop, and the ref forces Cena to break the hold.]

 

Cole: And Triple H survives in his championship re-match!

 

[Cena lifts Trips to his feet, only to be met with a stiff elbow to the gut. Cena doubles over, and Triple H follows that up with a high knee. Cena's head is thrown back, and Triple H responds with a hard clothesline, then drops to his knees.]

 

Cole: And that flurry just took it out of Triple H!

 

[both men are struggling to their feet, but Triple H is up first. He throws a punch and connects, but Cena blocks a second. It's an old-fashioned slugfest for a few moments, won by Cena when he ducks a short clothesline, spins Triple H around and HOISTS HIM UP FOR THE F-U!!]

 

Cole: THE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!!

 

Lawler: Triple H is done for!!

 

[Cena connects with the F-U, then stands over Triple H's head and pumps his shoes...]

 

Lawler: Pin him!

 

[As Cena prepares for the five-knuckle shuffle, fans near the entrance ramp begin rumbling. The camera changes angles, and we see the reason for the disturbance. Stephanie McMahon is walking to the ring.]

 

Cole: What is Stephanie McMahon, Triple H's wife doing down here?

 

Lawler: She's more than just his wife Cole! She's one of the bigwigs!

 

Cole: Well I understand she's taking an interest in this match, but we haven't seen her for months!

 

[stephanie climbs onto the ring apron. John Cena looks pissed, and yells at the referee, who has no idea what's going on. Cena looks at Steph, confused, only to be ROLLED UP BY TRIPLE H! Stephanie looks shocked, as the ref makes the count! ONE! TWO! THR- Cena kicks out!!]

 

Cole: So last night Batista cost Triple H the WWE Title, and now Stephanie McMahon almost cost Cena the WWE Title! What is going on here?!

 

[An angry Cena is straight to his feet and throws a punch, only for Triple H to duck and floor him with a punch and then another knee! Trips then turns his focus to his wife, and talks to Steph, who is still on the ring apron. She smiles at her husband and nods, then pauses and SLAPS HIM IN THE FACE!!]

 

Cole: What!!

 

Lawler: Aaah!!

 

[Trips is spun around by the force, and is met with ANOTHER F-U FROM CENA!! CENA MAKES THE COVER! ONE! TWO! THREE!!]

 

Cole: AND JOHN CENA RETAINS THE WWE TITLE!!

 

[Cena celebrates with the title to (half) the crowd's cheers, and looks at Stephanie McMahon, confused. Steph looks down at her fallen husband. Cena poses with some fans at ringside, and begins his slow walk back up the stage. But instead of his music playing, Batista's music hits.]

 

Cole: And now what?!

 

[The Animal makes his way onto the stage to massive heat, and he pushes past Cena on his way to the ring.]

 

Cole: The man who cost Triple H the WWE Title last night at Survivor Series is here! But why?!

 

Lawler: He's going to finish the job!!

 

Cole: Is he with... is he with her?! What is this?!

 

[batista enters the ring, and Stephanie McMahon turns around and...SMILES? She gives The Animal a wry grin, and he begins to beat down Triple H!!]

 

Cole: And Shawn Michaels was taken out last night at Survivor Series by that man Batista! Triple H's dX partner isn't here to make the save!

 

[The crowd rock in heat, as the camera now focuses on John Cena. He's halfway up the ramp, looking down at Batista and Steph beating on Triple H. He looks at the crowd, looks back at the beatdown and...CHARGES TOWARDS THE RING!]

 

Cole: But Cena isn't going to stand for it!! There's bad blood between him and Triple H but he knows this isn't right!

 

[Cena slides into the ring, charges at Batista and....STOPS. He looks at Batista, looks at Stephanie and then STOMPS ON TRIPLE H!!]

 

Cole: WHAT?!!

 

[The crowd ROCK in MASSIVE heat, as Cena and Batista decimate Triple H with kicks and stomps! Triple H is bleeding from the mouth, and Stephanie is looking on in glee.]

 

Cole: IT WAS ALL A PLAN! CENA, STEPHANIE, BATISTA! WHAT IS THIS?!

 

Lawler: I don't believe it!

 

[Having destroyed Triple H enough, Cena and Batista shake hands. Stephanie steps in between them and raises their hands, to huge boos from the crowd.]

 

Cole: WHAT IS GOING ON?!!

 

[RAW fades to black...]

[tommytomlin]

One week after, following plenty of speculation about the new Stephanie/Batista/Cena alliance on Smackdown!, RAW began with some answers.

 

The Kingdom was born.

 

 

 

[RAW opens to the sound of Stephanie McMahon's entrance music, as the Billion-Dollar Princess makes her way to the ring, accompanied by 'The Animal' Batista, to huge heat. Mic in hand, Steph enters the ring and waits for the cacaphony of boos to end.]

 

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8285/stephaniemcmahonu.jpg

 

Steph: Well.. I guess we owe a few of you an explanation.

 

[stephanie grins from ear to ear, and laughs with Batista.]

 

Steph: Two weeks ago at Survivor Series, we began the first stage of a plan that had been in the making for a long time. And last week on RAW, we made sure the world knew about it. You see, this all started one year ago.

 

[The crowd boo, but Stephanie just smiles.]

 

Steph: One year ago, my father Vince McMahon took our entire family aside and he told us that at the end of 2010, he was retiring.

 

Cole: What?!!

 

[The crowd react in surprise.]

 

Lawler: Vince is retiring?!

 

Steph: And with his retirement came... opportunity. He didn't want to just give away the WWE to myself or to Shane or to Linda. He wanted us to earn it. Now, some of my family didn't want it. My mother decided instead to run for the Senate. So that left me, it left my brother Shane and it left my husband Triple H.

 

[The crowd cheer at Triple H's name.]

 

Steph: And from that moment on, Shane wasn't my brother, Hunter wasn't my husband, they were my competition. Now Shane was easy. I leaked a few stories about him, told Vince some backstage rumours, just enough to provoke a little spark of tension and just like I thought he would – Shane quit.

 

[The crowd boo, and Steph just smiles.]

 

Steph: But Hunter... well, he was a bit trickier. Vince always respected Hunter. And why wouldn't he? He was a wrestler, he was hard-working and talented. He was the perfect son-in-law. So how did I get around that? Well, I made it so he wasn't the son-in-law anymore. And then at Survivor Series and at RAW last week, I disgraced him. I had two of his biggest rivals, and I had them tear him apart. I proved myself as the rightful heir to this company. I proved I had the ruthless aggression, that I had the 'grapefruits' to take over the WWE.

 

[The crowd boo loudly, almost drowing out Stephanie.]

 

Steph: Which is why last night, my father...

 

[stephanie is interrupted by the sounds of 'No Chance In Hell', and the crowd pop as Vince McMahon walks towards the ring.]

 

Cole: Oh my! The boss is here!

 

Lawler: And I wonder what he's going to say about Stephanie's plan!

 

[Vince enters the ring, mic in hand.]

 

Vince: Steph...

 

[stephanie looks worried, as Vince turns to face her.]

 

Vince: I've never been more proud of you in my life.

 

[Vince hugs Stephanie, and the crowd rock in heat.]

 

Vince: And as you were going to say before I interrupted, last night I signed the papers. The heir to the WWE, the heir to the world's largest sports-entertainment company is Stephanie McMahon.

 

Lawler: Steph's our new boss?!

 

Vince: Once I step down at the end of this year, she is going to lead this company into a new era of prosperity. Now, I may have disagreed with some of your methods, but I can't argue with the result. In one week, you have re-shaped this company. You have rejuvenated it, even at the expense of your own marriage. You did prove yourself Stephanie. And who knows, maybe you'll be even more successful than me.

 

[steph has a tear in her eye, and the crowd are still booing.]

 

Vince: But as I look around this ring, I can't help but feel we're missing someone.

 

[The crowd boo, because they know what's coming.]

 

Vince: [grinning] Let's bring out The Champ!

 

 

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3825/johncena14.jpg

 

[John Cena's music hits, and the crowd ROCK in heat as the WWE Champion makes his way to the ring, belt and all. When Cena enters the ring, he shakes Vince and Batista's hands and gives Steph a kiss on the cheek.]

 

Cena: Well well well...

 

[The crowd boo.]

 

Cena: I guess by that response, you all think I... What's that expression Vince? Sold out?

 

[The crowd boo even louder. An '*******' chant starts.]

 

Cena: Is that what it's called? Is that why you're booing me? Is that why you booed me last week against Triple H? Or why you booed me when I fought him at Wrestlemania? Or when I fought Shawn Michaels, or when I won the Royal Rumble, or won my first World Title, or when I ended Umaga's winning streak, or when I beat Randy Orton in a Hell In A Cell? Is that why you booed me when I bled, when I tore my pectoral muscle straight from the bone, when I herniated a disc in my neck?!

 

[The crowd are just booing even louder, but an angry Cena is unfazed.]

 

Cena: What more did I have to DO for you people to respect me?!

 

[The '*******' chant just grows louder.]

 

Cena: But the other guys, the Triple Hs... the Rey Mysterios.. The Undertakers [the crowd cheer for each name], they had your respect, but not me. So when Steph came to me with her idea, when she told me I could DESTROY Triple H, that I could RULE this company and FORCE you people to respect me... Well...

 

[Cena smiles, soaking in the boos.]

 

Cena: I asked where I could sign up. And here we are. 'The Animal' Batista. The WWE Champion John Cena, and Stephanie and Vince McMahon. But this... this is bigger than Batista. It's bigger than John Cena, or the McMahons. We are going to re-shape this entire industry in our own image. We will take out every obstacle in our way. We are going to turn this company into our own personal Kingdom, and we will NOT be denied.

 

[The crowd are still rocking in heat.]

 

Cena: And it begins tonight...