WWE 2014 - The Civil War (Redux)

[Dawn]

 

READ HERE TO CATCH UP

 

 

 

OOC Backstory: Hello all and welcome to those who may choose to venture into my silly little writeups! My name on the boards is Smasher, but I prefer going by Dawn currently. I have a rather complicated history in these boards when it comes to dynasty writing. It all began pretty much the month I joined the boards with a very barebones WWE 2013 diary that didn't last a month in itself (but later would prove to be the most important diary I had ever written as you will see below).

Over the years after that first failed attempt, I've bounced back and forth between projects, and the one thing these projects all had in common was that none of them went anywhere. Be it for lack of patience, lack of long-term planning, or in most cases just plain bad luck with my hardware (another ''fun'' fact: the day after I started re-planning for this diary to be posted in here, I had to format my computer! Thankfully Dropbox had saved my TEW 2016 version of the save and I was able to edit the database all the way to where I was in October 2014 to get us started. Still, it definitely seems I'm cursed in here.)

The longest I ever went with a diary was a measly 2 months of in-game writeup (January 98 to No Way Out of Texas IYH). It's not as if I couldn't EVER stick to a save outside of diaries, as I had a WWF 1991 save that went over 2 years before my old hard drive chose to leave this world. I just needed the right setting, the right company, the right timing and the right premise.

Cue the ''Civil War''. MAJORLY inspired by the WCW 94 War of the Thrones diary written by my old friend Beejus (A DIARY YOU CAN NOW READ IN HERE AGAIN AND YOU SHOULD!) I sought to create a long-term storyline that would span many years and I could write everything else around. It was a long and arduous process, but I was finally able to do it. 4-5 some years ago, I finally felt comfortable enough to bring my most ambitious project to the boards...and then my old computer died on me AGAIN. Not going to bother with details, it makes me sad just thinking about it. The bottom line is, it definitely did take a mental toll on me, big enough that I gave up on diary writing in the boards for the past half decade or so. I feared folks were losing patience with me and wouldn't want to sink their teeth into stories that would never reach their conclusion.

I gave up until 2 years ago while stuck at home with the height of the pandemic. I was bored at home when one day the unofficial Discord of the boards opened up a diary writing section, and I saw I still had the savefile (what I had lost with the old computer were the writeups) for my brainchild. I figured it was worth a shot, and lo and behold, even through hardship I have been able to mantain it going strong until this day. Sure, you can say 5 (or more) years of the same diary only going from January 2013 to late 2014 is not that good of progress, but the lifeline I was provided on Discord has now given me the motivation to run with this diary until the very end. The endgoal for the Civil War storyline is and has always been WrestleMania 33 (2017) and the progress I've made on Discord has made me 100% certain I will meet that goal. I love this diary, this storyline I've come up with way too much to fail it.

So I kindly ask of anyone who may interest themselves in this diary, to be patient with me one final time. I will make my return to these boards a worthwhile one by telling this story. I promise you that. It doesn't matter how long it takes, I will make it until the endgame I've proposed to myself.

-

Before I move on, I want to thank a few great folks from past and present of the boards and a few others.

Beejus for being the biggest inspiration of mine when it comes to creating this diary. We've fallen out of contact recently, but I've always considered him a good friend and amazing writer.

TFC, TheLloyd, angeldelayette, Eisen-verse, Uncrewed, ink625, Kimberly/Piper's and many more of the greatest long-term diary writers in the boards who with their projects in the time I was inactive and even before that, kept me entertained and kept alive a speck of hope that one day I could do the same as they did.

MrLeedles, Jacob Jones, Chair, p4rk, lucid, Butter, Jango and anyone else who has given feedback or even just commented once on the Discord version of the diary. I appreciate even the tiniest bit of it and hope you guys continue enjoying the ride.

Cody (Discord mod, unsure of his board name) for motivating me to bring back the diary to the boards after how successful it became on Discord.

Everyone who's ever stuck around and given me a chance through my struggles in the past. It'd be rough to namedrop everyone, but I love all of you!

And I also want to thank the entirety of the team that worked on TEW 2020, not only for this game, but for all the amazing games they've created over the years that helped keep me (and I'm sure many others) sane throughout the pandemic.

 

STATE OF THE SAVE + CHANGES

 

The 2013 WWE diary I mentioned in passing earlier just happened to be a prototype of sorts for what would become this diary. In short, I recycled and rewrote many ideas from my fertile 13 year old mind and passed them through a more refined mind for booking as I'm now in my 20's. All these ideas combined into the one diary that you are now reading. With that, I had erred on a few factors that I came to fixing just recently. Two of them spring to mind:

1) Back when I first started writing this, there was a friend's diary on another website where he had created his own OC for a real life company. At the time, I thought the idea was sick and looked to do the same here. The thought process was ''might as well if I were going to be committed to just one save for a long amount of time'' but eventually grew disinterested when I realized how flawed that was in execution for this particular kind of diary. I was too late to write him off in the first version of the diary years ago (the first time I revived this save it was already set in August 2013), but he's since been removed from plans entirely. It was a stupid idea and I can't believe I ran with it for so long. The angles I had planned for him now have been given to another character that fits the mold, one that is actually a real life person.

2) This is by far what I hate having done the most. You may remember I introduced Xavier Woods as the SmackDown General Manager in order to slot him into an important role right away after Teddy Long's in-game retirement. Well, way back in the infancy of planning everything for this diary, I wanted to get Hulk Hogan back into things in a similar role as Steve Austin had in mid-2000's WWE, to help provide popularity rubs to younger talent. My younger mind unfortunately didn't connect the dots back then, and as such that was another angle I couldn't change having written from when I started the first version of this diary. Once on Discord I quickly pivoted away from it and wrote Hogan off entirely due to obvious reasons. I apologize for this having ever made it into booking in first place.

Surely there may have been a few other decisions I now disagree with that I made along the way, but nothing as obvious as these two. So, after this long time away from things, where do we currently stand in terms of the save?

I am currently moving at a very nice pace and find myself in October 2014 (compared to the original in-writeup start of August 2013 and the in-game start of January 2013). Things are penciled in all the way through WrestleMania 31 with solid main storyline plans for the following two WrestleManias and I will connect everything in between. I'm a stickler for the long haul, what can you do? To make the current storylines make more sense to all of you, I won't be just quick recapping everything in between the first diary start and where we're currently at; I'll instead provide a very brief recap of things from August until April and start us off with actual show writeups post-WrestleMania XXX. That marks the point in time where most initial storylines I set up with a lot of real life leftover adaptations got concluded.

Be warned that I will dump a lot of exposition right away, as opposed to the strategy last time where I did a month previous to the start of the diary every two days. I just don't want to take forever to get to the point. You will definitely be able to pinpoint where I've separated entirely from real life and started going with more current ideas than the disjointed ones I had in the past.

Since I already have everything pre-written from April to September, that gives us a solid 6 months to work with without a large pause to start things out. In the meantime, I will of course continue working on where I am at in-game.

No prediction contest outside of pay-per-views. That's definitely the better strategy pacing wise with me.

Lastly, yes, anyone here can just check things from the Discord diary and be spoiled. I will still be posting shows in there along with here. Post and predict here, there, anywhere at your own volition. I just ask that if you are a Discord reader from the already posted portion of the diary in there that you please don't spoil future events.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2022 by Dawn
Trying to make this look presentable

[Dawn]

Reserved.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Dawn

[Dawn]

Main Philosophies

 

1) Create as many new stars as possible. I am a firm non-believer of the figurehead system and all potential main event level stars must be treated as equally as possible. Everyone must have a character. Everyone must have a story. Lightning can strike in a bottle and change plans. While I definitely preach realism in here, you will see a number of match results that you probably wouldn't see happen in real life because no one would even think of these feuds in first place. If I've got nothing for you, you are more than likely TNA bound.

 

2) Bring the women to the same level as the men. The Divas era was long and painful and the workrate was at an all-time low, but now we transition into an influx of talent with the women's revolution where no one person will be credited for it, rather the entire roster.

 

3) The Intercontinental Championship should be important. People should want to win the damn thing and to keep it. Enough said.

 

4) Shades of grey. Make the villains believable and their motivations concise. Make the heroes worth rooting for, but not smiling goobers who would allow their rivals to steal their wallet from behind, laugh at their faces for it and be given a 10 minute headstart to run away with no retaliation from their part.

 

5) Tag team wrestling should be integral to the WWE as it once was. It is not supposed to be a farm system to the Shawn Michaelses of the world. This will probably be the toughest to get going, but I will do my best.

 

6) NXT should be built to be just as important as it once was in real life. The environment opens up a lot of stories I could not conceivably tell on the main roster.

 

7) Create a long lasting brand split that has reason to be and sets the two brands to be equals to one another, rather than an A and a B show. This will not be immediate, but it is coming up in the near future.

 

8) McMahons should be utilized to further talent, not hamper them.

 

9) The fans don't have the memory of a goldfish. I am a stickler for long term storytelling, even where you may not expect it. You can anticipate many callbacks in this diary and for me to retcon what I can label as stupid shit.

 

10) Bring back the past prestige of concepts such as the King of the Ring and Survivor Series. Same for special match types like Hell in a Cell.

[Dawn]

Reserved for roster and champions.

[Dawn]

This project intrigues me. It’s been a while since I read your work, but it looks like you’re trying to bring together WWE with anthology drama television series. I’ll keep an eye on this diary, for sure.

 

Thank you for the early vote of confidence, James! It's definitely great to see you back and along for the ride. I will have the recaps going later tonight and maybe even a week of actual writeup depending on how tired I am from work.

[Dawn]

2013

 

Road to SummerSlam 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

(The other months will be shorter lol)

 

- Trent Barreta had attacked Kofi Kingston as a recognizable face backstage numerous times throughout the year to make a name for himself as he felt he had been neglected by management for way too long. Their grudge match was set for the Kickoff show.

 

- Evan Bourne had fought for the affections of beautiful Frenchwoman Shantellé Bridgetté, the manager of The Legionnaires. Rene Dupree had developed beef with the high flyer since before the debut of his running mate Sylvester LeFort; upon being hit with the handicap odds, Bourne found an ally in Mason Ryan and the two formed Bourne to Victory.

 

- The Conspiracy (later merged and renamed the McMahon-Helmsley regime) formed under the leadership of Wade Barrett as men who felt their talents were being mis-utilized. Sin Cara was one of their victims as a man overhyped by management since the day he came into the company, and he found allies in Alex Riley & Zack Ryder to fight back. A surprise fourth in Randy Orton would accept to join the ''Team WWE'' quartet against Barrett, David Otunga, Big Show and Mark Henry.

 

- Xavier Woods had been a corrupt SmackDown General Manager since the retirement of Theodore Long, and his two biggest victims were Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd due to the two getting in the crosshairs of Woods' associates, Big E and Elijah Burke. Kidd would defeat his friend Sami 1-on-1 to earn a chance to fight Woods at SummerSlam.

 

- The half-brothers Cody Rhodes and Goldust had been entangled in a bizarre turn of events when Cody disappeared all of a sudden following an interaction with The Bizarre One. The entity known as Stardust would enter the scene shortly thereafter, causing havoc across the WWE and winning the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase for Cody Rhodes at the protest of Drew McIntyre. Goldust would promise to untangle this mystery and bring his brother back to his normal state by defeating Stardust at SummerSlam.

 

- Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho followed quite a similar story to their real life feud, with the patriarch of the Wyatt Family targeting Jericho as a man who promises much to the sheep with his label of savior, but he cannot save them from what's to come. Wyatt would cost Jericho the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, setting this grudge match.

 

- After The Rock lost the classic triple threat match to CM Punk (also featuring John Cena) at WrestleMania 29, he looked to have a final send-off on SmackDown and retire into the sunset, back to Hollywood for good. However, Damien Sandow would interrupt and go on an unusual anger-fueled rampage over how Dwayne Johnson had always poisoned the minds of the common man, before cheap shotting and viciously assaulting The Great One. Sandow would brag about this attack over the next few months and recruit a new protege in the form of former hippie CJ Parker (''reformed as a scholar'' and renamed Christopher James Parker by Sandow), until The Rock returned a few weeks before SummerSlam, wanting a piece of The Intellectual Savior.

 

- It had been a tough year for John Cena up to this point as he had not won a single pay-per-view match. After failing to defeat CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29 and Extreme Rules, he would be assaulted by Brock Lesnar and put out of commission for a number of months. Cena would return with a vengeance in early August, and with the knowledge that he has had success against Lesnar in extreme environments in the past, agreed to have a score settling Street Fight at the biggest party of the Summer.

 

- Justin Gabriel had upset Wade Barrett in a Fatal 4-Way match (also including Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater) to become the new Intercontinental Championship in February. He'd go on to be a fighting champion until he was outsmarted by veteran Christian at Over the Limit and again at their King of the Ring rematch. Gabriel was then given a final chance to regain the prestigious title at SummerSlam.

 

- The Miz fully embraced his face turn by accepting his past sins and making amends with his best friend John Morrison as the Shaman of Sexy returned to WWE in a surprise during MizTV. The two would go on to win the tag team titles from Team Rhodes Scholars at WrestleMania, but since then their impressive reign has always been observed from the shadows by The Shield, who had kept track of Miz since his departure from the dark side as a man who had not truly been given a taste of justice for everything he had done; and Morrison for immediately springboarding back into the spotlight without merit. The two teams had met in a Texas Tornado Match at Extreme Rules to a draw, and after Reigns and Rollins dispatched of The Usos in a separate rivalry through the spring, the rematch was set.

 

- The other third of The Shield in Dean Ambrose had an eventful year up to that point; he failed to end The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania 29, but shortly thereafter won the United States Championship from Kofi Kingston. In an act of rage, Ambrose would kidnap Fandango's girlfriend Summer Rae and keep her hostage even at the behest of his Shield teammates. Fandango would be sent on a quest to rescue his flame all the way to SummerSlam, where he'd also have the chance to defeat Ambrose for the U.S. title.

 

- Former best buddies, Kaitlyn and AJ Lee's relationship fell apart after 2012 turned to 2013 and AJ went full bananas. The dominant Divas Champion had reigned since the second week of the year up to SummerSlam, and had taken on all comers, but this was clearly personal and it would come to a head at SummerSlam.

 

- Dolph Ziggler had cashed in Money in the Bank to become the new World Heavyweight Champion on the first SmackDown of the year, proving himself to the fans as something he had always claimed to be: one of the very best wrestlers in the company. This, of course, didn't discount him from enjoying preferential treatment at the hands of Xavier Woods due to Ziggler's past employment of bodyguard Big E. Sheamus sought to put an end to the reign of Ziggler at SummerSlam, The Celtic Warrior riding a renewed wave of momentum.

 

- The legendary WWE Championship reign of CM Punk was still alive and kicking, and he would meet a familiar foe in Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. Bryan had been fully embraced by the WWE fans with the growth of the YES! Movement, the roles reversed from their rivalry a year before. Though Bryan had grown more popular, the champion had grown more dangerous since the start of his association with Paul Heyman, which would make for a collision course of epic proportions. Worth noting, fellow Paul Heyman Guy in Curtis Axel had won the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase the previous month in Salt Lake City, a complicated predicament for the uneasy allies.

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: The Legionnaires (w/Shantellé Bridgetté) b. Bourne to Victory; Trent Barreta b. Kofi Kingston

1. Bray Wyatt (w/The Wyatt Family) b. Chris Jericho

2. Justin Gabriel b. Christian © to WIN the WWE Intercontinental Championship

3. [REDACTED] (the OC) b. Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter)

4. The Shield (w/Dean Ambrose) b. John Morrison & The Miz © to WIN the WWE World Tag Team Championship

5. Xavier Woods (w/Big E and Elijah Burke) b. Tyson Kidd (w/Natalya)

6. Damien Sandow (w/Christopher James Parker) b. The Rock

7. Team WWE vs. The Conspiracy ended in a No Contest. Randy Orton no-showed the match and his teammates had no answer for the ensuing attack.

8. Dean Ambrose © b. Fandango (w/Summer Rae) to retain the WWE United States Championship

9. Sheamus b. Dolph Ziggler © to WIN the World Heavyweight Championship

10. Kaitlyn © b. AJ Lee to retain the WWE Divas Championship

- ''Stone Cold'' Steve Austin enters the ring to reintroduce WWE fans to 2011 Tough Enough Winner Andy Leavine and his valet Courtney Taylor, the young cowboy having hopes of a renewed career in the WWE. A Stunner is teased, but Stone Cold decides to let his protege go off unscathed.

11. Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman) b. John Cena in a Street Fight

12. Stardust b. Goldust by DQ after interference from Drew McIntyre

13. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. Curtis Axel (w/Paul Heyman) and Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship. Axel was added midway through the match as he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, but was unable to make a quick judgment call with the pleas of Paul Heyman providing Axel with a major conflict. Punk would hit his own associate with GTS, pinning Axel to retain. After the match, Punk would be met by the surprise arrival of TNA X-Division Champion AJ Styles (with the championship belt in tow), confronting a shocked Punk to end the night.

 

 

-

 

August 2013 Additions: AJ Styles, Courtney Taylor

August 2013 Departures: Evan Bourne, Santino Marella

[Dawn]

2013 CONT.

 

Road to Night of Champions 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- The Wyatt Family savagely attacked [REDACTED] the night after SummerSlam on Raw. In canon, [REDACTED] was a creation of Bray Wyatt gone wrong and Bray looked to right his wrong. This was done for me to set up one final match for the OC at WrestleMania and write him off for good.

 

- Following his loss to Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam, Fandango would look back on it as a learning experience and savor the rescue of Summer Rae. The two would look to recruit a third member for their spiritual journey in the form of Kelly Kelly, who had been starting to doubt her place in the roster in being passed by newcomers, having formerly been the sex symbol of the company. Instead of accepting the couple's offer in good faith, Kelly would turn on Summer Rae during a tag team match against The Bella Twins.

 

- Andy Leavine would be confronted by Tough Enough runner-up Luke Robinson, who would soon earn the mentorship of Damien Sandow as the finalists' rivalry was renewed. After Sandow's surprise win over The Rock at SummerSlam, there would seldom be a willing partner for Leavine to team up with at the Night of Champions Kickoff Show against The Intellectual Savior and his protege.

 

- Drew McIntyre would earn a 1-on-1 Money in the Bank Ladder Match against Cody Rhodes as he argued about the dirty way in which it was won with the help of Stardust. The tension between the two former tag team partners was palpable.

 

- Aksana would become the next contender for the Divas Championship, rising back to prominence with the return of her partnership with Cesaro. In the meantime, AJ Lee would go on an uncontrollable rampage over her loss to Kaitlyn at SummerSlam, being directly threatened by Stephanie McMahon with termination of her WWE contract.

 

- The night after SummerSlam, ''Stone Cold'' Steve Austin would close the show with his traditional beer bash, and would be interrupted by a debuting Austin Aries.

 

 

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived would insult Stone Cold and all legends appearing in programming verbally as men stuck in the past who are trying to obfuscate the future (himself). At the conclusion of Raw, Stone Cold promised that Aries had not seen the last of him. On SmackDown, Hulk Hogan would be attacked by an unknown assailant to write him off. Aries would challenge Hogan to a match at Night of Champions, with full knowledge he would never show up; nevertheless, if The Immortal didn't show up to their match, he'd be nothing more than a coward.

 

- Randy Orton would get the first crack on challenging for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship. The ominous presence of Wade Barrett's Conspiracy group loomed over this newest chapter of an on and off rivalry of the 2010s. Former champion Dolph Ziggler was another victim of an unnamed assault on SmackDown shortly after Hulk Hogan.

 

- Heath Slater, who had unsuccessfully challenged for the Intercontinental Championship against former partner Justin Gabriel at WrestleMania, earned another shot at Night of Champions with a Battle Royal win seen as a fluke by most. Gabriel didn't really take his former partner lightly, but also knew he was athletically superior and had beaten him in the past, so he sought to take Slater to school again.

 

- After the controversial ending to SummerSlam, AJ Styles was seldom seen throughout WWE programming in September, instead lurking around the shadows. Daniel Bryan, however, would vouch for and earn a Final Chance Match against CM Punk, one-on-one. Curtis Axel, who had been left empty-handed outside of his inaugural TV Championship, was forced to sit out the event and continue to carry out the whims of Paul Heyman and the WWE Champion.

 

- Also worth noting: after losing a 6-man tag team match with The Usos, Brodus Clay turned on the brothers and warranted interference from the backstage agents to stop the assault, including SmackDown General Manager Xavier Woods. In the meantime as Woods was outside his office, the resident horndog of the WWE Brad Maddox stormed inside and handed out contracts to women of past WWE history. To his chagrin, the only one with a remote interest in him was the overly raunchy Dawn Marie. Torrie Wilson would later align with Dolph Ziggler, and Sable would join her husband Brock Lesnar alongside Paul Heyman.

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: The Divas of Doom b. The Bella Twins; Damien Sandow & Luke Robinson (w/Christopher James Parker) b. Andy Leavine & Primo (w/Courtney Taylor and Rosa Mendes)

- AJ Lee shocks the world by hijacking a camera and breaking the pristine WWE style production to start off the show. Stephanie and Vince McMahon both order the arrest of AJ Lee.

1. The Shield © (w/Dean Ambrose) b. John Morrison & The Miz, The KoW (w/Eddie Edwards) and The Legionnaires (w/Shantellé Bridgetté) to retain the WWE World Tag Team Championship

2. Tyson Kidd © (w/Natalya) b. Trent Barreta to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

3. Dean Ambrose © (w/Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) b. Rob Van Dam to retain the WWE United States Championship

4. Cody Rhodes b. Drew McIntyre in a SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match

5. Kaitlyn © b. Aksana (w/Cesaro) to retain the WWE Divas Championship

6. Austin Aries b. Hulk Hogan by Forfeit.

7. Randy Orton b. Sheamus © by DQ following interference from Wade Barrett. Sheamus retains the World Heavyweight Championship.

8. Heath Slater b. Justin Gabriel © to WIN the WWE Intercontinental Championship following interference from Lacey Von Erich, who had not been seen since her former clients in Team Rhodes Scholars lost the tag team titles at WrestleMania.

- Dolph Ziggler confronts Xavier Woods over orchestrating the attack on him following SummerSlam, but it's revealed the perpetrators were The Wyatt Family.

9. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) fought Daniel Bryan to a draw. Bryan was first declared the winner after a back superplex, but both men's shoulders were counted down. Punk retains the WWE Championship.

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH

Raw post-Night of Champions: The McMahons make their way to the ring, the very special occasion of the three being together being brought by one person. Vince holds a contract in his hands, and Stephanie screams demands for AJ Lee to make her way to the ring and be handed her not so best wishes for future endeavors after failing to obey orders from management to stop her aimless rampage throughout the month of September. This brings an extensive security line holding AJ, her head down from shame, perhaps.

As she is escorted to the ring, Stephanie berates her for everything she's done to her, the company and her family lately. She says she warned AJ that her actions would bring by plenty of consequences her way, and this will be the harshest of them. AJ, meanwhile, remains with her head down all throughout the spiel, bringing the ire of Stephanie, who slaps her head off, revealing a wig! To the shock of everyone, that was no AJ Lee, it was a lookalike wearing a wig! But from behind comes the real AJ Lee, who strikes Mr. McMahon square in the back of the head with the heavy camera she hijacked the previous night at Night of Champions!

She retrieves her contract from his hand and hightails out of the scene through the crowd, as Stephanie and Triple H are in nothing but shock, Vince being limp and requiring EMTs to run to the ring and carry him out on a stretcher. After an agonizing amount of crying is heard from her part, Stephanie screams for security and guards to ''ARREST HER! BEAT HER DOWN! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!'' among other (more profane) things. But it is too late, as AJ has already escaped the scene by that point. This shocking turn of events ends this edition of Raw.

 

September 2013 Additions: Austin Aries, Becky Lynch, Dawn Marie, Sable, Torrie Wilson

September 2013 Departures: Ted DiBiase Jr. and a bunch of NXT filler.

September 2013 Turns: Brodus Clay to heel. Cody Rhodes to face. Dolph Ziggler to face. Kelly Kelly (Barbara Kelly) to heel.

 

 

Road to Vengeance 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- Xavier Woods announced the return of an old WCW concept in the Lethal Lottery, that would help determine a future #1 contender for a world championship match later in the year.

 

- While this dominated the build to Vengeance, the three world champions of the company would all defend their titles outside of the Lethal Lottery; they would be unable to be drawn from the ballot, and so would their challengers. John Morrison and The Miz came to the defense of Daniel Bryan following his latest failure amid shenanigans (with Miz making sure to point out he can't stand but respects the hell out of him) against CM Punk and emerged as his opponents. Randy Orton earned another opportunity against Sheamus after the nefarious conclusion (or lack thereof) at Night of Champions. Nikki Bella showed renewed aggression and would face Kaitlyn at the event.

 

- In a minor feud, Primo and Epico's boiling jealousy and tension over Rosa Mendes and their recent lack of success came to a head as the cousins Colón would meet in a Loser Leaves WWE Match at Vengeance.

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: Primo (w/Rosa Mendes) b. Epico in a Loser Leaves WWE Match. This was done to setup Epico becoming El Local to team up with Kalisto in NXT.

1. AJ Styles & Christian b. Erick Rowan & Fandango (w/Summer Rae)

2. Justin Gabriel & Trent Barreta b. Brodus Clay & Richie Steamboat

3. Kofi Kingston & Sami Zayn b. Andy Leavine & Jimmy Uso (w/Courtney Taylor)

4. Austin Aries & Luke Harper b. Curt Hawkins. Hawkins' partner was supposed to be Brock Lesnar, but The Beast never showed up.

5. Curtis Axel & Heath Slater (w/Lacey Von Erich) b. Big Show & Bo Dallas

6. Kaitlyn © b. Nikki Bella to retain the WWE Divas Championship

7. Roman Reigns & Sin Cara b. Chris Jericho & Rob Van Dam

8. Bray Wyatt & Dean Ambrose b. Alex Riley & Ryback

9. Dolph Ziggler & Seth Rollins (w/Torrie Wilson) b. Damien Sandow & Mason Ryan (w/Christopher James Parker and Luke Robinson)

10. Cesaro & Zack Ryder (w/Aksana) b. Elijah Burke & Goldust (w/Big E)

11. Alberto Del Rio & Jack Swagger (w/Ricardo Rodriguez and Zeb Colter) b. Alex Shelley & Darren Young

12. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. John Morrison and The Miz to retain the WWE Championship

13. AJ Styles won Battlebowl, last eliminating Dean Ambrose

14. Randy Orton b. Sheamus © to WIN the World Heavyweight Championship following interference from Wade Barrett; akin to Boss Man and The Rock at Deadly Game, this was the Night of Champions finish done right as Orton was revealed to have been a member of the Conspiracy/Regime all along. He would pose along with WWE Champion CM Punk to end things off, both world champions in firm control of the company.

 

 

Road to Battleground 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- Not a lot to explain here, just a lot of carrying over from Night of Champions and Vengeance (and a ton of filler ). Dolph Ziggler would get unexpected allies in the fight against The Wyatt Family in the form of the KoW, who felt the Wyatts were threatening the status of their great sport they'd like to mantain.

 

- Barbara Kelly and Summer Rae would finally go one-on-one after the betrayal the previous month.

 

- Sheamus would set his sights on regaining his World Heavyweight Championship, but first would face Wade Barrett in a Belfast Brawl.

 

- The former tag team champions as Team Rhodes Scholars in Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow would meet as The Intellectual Savior took offense to Cody trying to make the gullible sheep believe that he was not Stardust and was not utilizing the identity for anything other than his selfish gain.

 

- The issue between The Shield, John Morrison and The Miz would finally be resolved with Daniel Bryan returning the favor for the former tag champions backing him up against CM Punk even after everything that had taken place between himself and The Miz in the past.

 

- Curtis Axel would finally have enough of being CM Punk's bag carrier, and would immediately get a target painted on his back against the regime for it. He'd get backup in the form of the behemoth Ryback, a star-studded tag team match set to main event Battleground: if Axel and Ryback could defeat the two world champions, they'd both earn title matches at the following month's Survivor Series.

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: Sami Zayn & Tyson Kidd (w/Natalya) b. The Ascension (w/Kameron); Kharma b. Layla

1. Heath Slater © (w/Lacey Von Erich) b. Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter), Justin Gabriel and Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship

2. Sin Cara b. Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez)

3. The Wyatt Family b. Dolph Ziggler (w/Torrie Wilson), as the KoW left Ziggler hanging.

4. Wade Barrett b. Sheamus in a Belfast Brawl

5. Barbara Kelly b. Summer Rae (w/Fandango)

6. Cody Rhodes b. Damien Sandow (w/Sanctuary) by intentional DQ.

7. The Shield © (w/Dean Ambrose) b. Alex Riley & Zack Ryder to retain the WWE World Tag Team Championship

8. Daniel Bryan, John Morrison & The Miz (w/Becky Lynch) b. The Shield, granting the trio their first main roster loss as an unit.

9. Curtis Axel & Ryback b. CM Punk & Randy Orton (w/Paul Heyman), both men earning world title opportunities the following month at the Survivor Series.

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH

Raw pre-Battleground: Triple H and a visibly bothered Stephanie McMahon host the contract signing for Sunday's six-man tag team match extravaganza, as The Shield joins them first, followed by The Dirt Sheet, then Daniel Bryan, who has the whole capacity crowd right behind him chanting ''YES''. Ambrose says that the three men have been questioning their integrity for so long, it is time that they finally put them in their place. He says that it is not for Daniel Bryan, Miz, Morrison, or anyone else to decide what justice is, The Shield sees things for what they are and they carry out their actions with one single unified purpose, and if people disagree with that, so be it, they will be carried away in the storm as well. Bryan says that whatever they are doing lately, they are certainly not carrying out justice.

Instead, they have held the hands of people who do not deserve more help than they already get, they have prevented true worthy wrestlers of spots at the top, they have tainted their own image to protect the men they should be going for. Bryan looks Triple H and Stephanie right in the eye, saying that he's been warned left and right lately about something being very wrong in this company, his treatment since Night of Champions has been no coincidence, and he promises by his own life, he will get to the bottom of it, and it starts this Sunday, when he FORCES The Shield to re-think their judgment. Triple H blurts out that he doesn't think so, leading Bryan to ask him to say it again, and what he meant.

Hunter says Bryan is a nice little asset to the WWE, but he does not believe he has what it takes to lead a team to defeat The Shield. He had multiple chances to become WWE Champion, and blew them all. Stephanie rises up with a sneer, and tells Bryan to his face that he will never be anything better than a B+ player in the WWE. This leads to a moment of silence, before The Shield attacks the three men, a Spear from Reigns on a shocked Bryan leading the show to fade to black.

 

October 2013 Additions: None

October 2013 Departures: Darren Young, Gene Okerlund, Sakamoto, Theodore Long, Titus O'Neil, Vince McMahon

October 2013 Turns: Curtis Axel to face, Randy Orton to heel

[Strech]

Woah this is impressive! My advice for sticking with saves long term is to have a firm end point (weird but it works), templates for shows and a bucket load of determination!

 

From having a read through though, it looks like you've got the creative plans in place and this looks class, so best of luck!

[Dawn]

2013 FINALE

 

Road to Survivor Series 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- The Bella Twins had a falling out and Nikki would attack her sister to begin a feud between the two.

 

- The regime's law enforcement team in Derrick Bateman and David Otunga would come to odds with Fandango throughout the month as The Honorable One insisted they change course. They would captain teams to battle in the Survivor Series Kickoff Show.

 

- The sleazy The Brian Kendrick would rise back to prominence by forging a dysfunctional alliance with Cesaro over their mutual affections for Aksana (Cesaro never approved of such an alliance). He'd earn a shot for the Cruiserweight Championship against Tyson Kidd at the Kickoff Show.

 

- After bringing Mason Ryan to the fold following their loss at the Lethal Lottery, the issue between Damien Sandow's faction Sanctuary and the people they had targeted since SummerSlam would be heightened as Andy Leavine recruited none other than John Cena to take center stage as part of his and Rhodes' Survivor Series team. Much to Sandow's chagrin, the best person they could find as a fifth for their team was the antithesis of their entire crusade in the form of Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater.

 

- Kaitlyn would be summoned by Stephanie McMahon to captain a Survivor Series team against AJ Lee to this time beat her up for good. In the champion's team would be legend Trish Stratus, making a part-time comeback in order to Chick Kick some sense back into AJ's head.

 

- The long running feud between Alberto Del Rio and Sin Cara would also be resolved at the Survivor Series in an elimination match, Del Rio being handed the help of Big Show and Xavier Woods' associates by the regime to deal with the International Sensation. Del Rio promised that the worst was yet to come.

 

- Dolph Ziggler would find the help of former rival and Wyatt Family victim in Chris Jericho, Jericho's former partner in Christian and a returning Kane to fight The Wyatt Family at the Survivor Series. The Wyatt Family would add Judas Devlin to their ranks. This match would be sponsored by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as the movie was coming out around this time in real life, it's unironically my favorite movie of all-time and I just had to get one of my fandoms in a diary at some point.

 

- Fed up with the rants towards the legends from Austin Aries, The Rock would challenge The Greatest Man That Ever Lived to captain a team against him at the Survivor Series. Aries found himself one of the purest wrestling teams you could ever get in the form of Cesaro and The KoW, while Rock was one man short after taking Kofi Kingston and The Usos to his brigade. Rock would attempt to convince his bloodline in Roman Reigns to be the final man of his team, the powerhouse struggling with the pull of the light side of the force alongside the rest of his Shield running mates throughout the month. There would be no answer from Roman before the event in itself, and Rock would head to the match still seemingly one man short.

 

- Daniel Bryan, John Morrison and The Miz would be joined by #1 Contender AJ Styles and Sheamus to fight the men who had wronged them for the entire calendar year. Wade Barrett would originally be joined by the entire Shield lineup and Drew McIntyre; however, tension within the Shield over their goals and having strayed too far away from them meant that Rollins would depart from their ranks (albeit temporarily) and not compete. ''The Beast'' Brock Lesnar would instead replace him as a trump card.

 

- Worth noting this was also the month I started actually booking NXT. Tournaments were held to crown inaugural NXT Tag Team and Women's champions, which were won by The Ascension and Paige respectively. In the NXT Championship side of things, Bo Dallas defeated R-Truth to win the gold. I stayed true to real life here for the time being.

 

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: The Supreme Court (Derrick Bateman, Curt Hawkins, David Otunga, Jack Swagger & Trent Barreta) (w/Zeb Colter) b. Dance and Dominate (Fandango, Alex Shelley, Ezekiel Jackson, Shannon Moore & Shark Boy) - SURVIVORS: Bateman & Swagger; The Brian Kendrick (w/Aksana) b. Tyson Kidd © (w/Natalya) to WIN the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

 

1. Sanctuary (Damien Sandow, Christopher James Parker, Heath Slater, Luke Robinson & Mason Ryan) (w/Lacey Von Erich and Serena) b. Ruthless Rednecks (John Cena, Andy Leavine, Cody Rhodes, Goldust & Justin Gabriel) (w/Courtney Taylor) - SOLE SURVIVOR: Sandow

 

2. Hybrid Stratusfaction (Kaitlyn, Brie Bella, Naomi, Natalya & Trish Stratus) b. The Black Widows (AJ Lee, Barbara Kelly, Melissa, Nikki Bella & Paige) - SOLE SURVIVOR: Stratus

 

3. Aristocratic Diplomacy (Alberto Del Rio, Big E, Big Show, Hunico & Elijah Burke) (w/Ricardo Rodriguez and Xavier Woods) b. La Resistencia (Sin Cara, Alex Riley, Sami Zayn, Tyson Kidd & Zack Ryder) (w/Natalya). Rey Mysterio would come down the aisle as Sin Cara was left alone with Del Rio and Big E, but would shockingly attack his friend under the orders of the Aristocrat. - SURVIVORS: Del Rio & Big E

 

4. District 12 Show-Offs (Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Christian & Kane) (w/the cast of The Hunger Games and Torrie Wilson) b. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, Judas Devlin & Luke Harper). With only Bray Wyatt and Dolph Ziggler left, the patriarch of the Wyatt Family would kneel for the sacrifice, allowing Ziggler to superkick him for the win. - SOLE SURVIVOR: Ziggler

 

5. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. Curtis Axel to retain the WWE Championship

 

6. The People's Champions (The Rock, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Kofi Kingston & Roman Reigns) b. The Greatest Team That Ever Lived (Austin Aries, Cesaro, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards & Kassius Ohno) (w/Aksana). Roman Reigns would indeed accept his calling, and would dominate with three out of five eliminations for his team. - SURVIVORS: Rock & Reigns

 

7. The Phenomenal Warriors (AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, John Morrison, Sheamus & The Miz) (w/Becky Lynch) b. The Conspiracy (Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, Drew McIntyre, Wade Barrett & Xavier Woods) (w/Paul Heyman and Sable). Since Roman Reigns competed earlier in the night for The Rock's team, he left his regime team hanging, and Xavier Woods had to be rushed in as a replacement. Dean Ambrose would turn on Brock Lesnar during the match and The Shield would Triple Powerbomb him through a table, returning to their righteous path of justice. - SURVIVORS: Styles, Bryan & Morrison

- Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett would look to unleash an assault on the survivors, but they would be interrupted by...

 

 

- The Undertaker would come to the save, posing in the ring after clearing it. BUT ON THE RAFTERS!

 

 

- Sting confronts The Undertaker from above, pointing his bat at him in a tense, distant staredown between two icons.

8. Randy Orton © b. Ryback to retain the World Heavyweight Championship following interference from...

 

 

- Batista, dropping Ryback with Batista Bomb to allow his former Evolution running buddy to retain.

9. Cody Rhodes b. Randy Orton © to WIN the World Heavyweight Championship, cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase!

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH

Raw pre-Survivor Series: Triple H oversees the contract signing between CM Punk and Curtis Axel, Punk asking when Axel will proceed to flip out and start a fight between them, as is customary of a contract signing, after all, it is his one and only chance to be on top of CM Punk. Axel says it's funny, how Punk thinks he has the answers for everything, how he thinks he has everyone figured out and he will continue to succeed based on raw talent alone. Axel says they spent more than half a year together, and asks Punk how many times he got around to caring and getting to know more about his fellow Paul Heyman Guy.

Not even once. He asks how many times he got to study footage of his matches in order to increase chemistry with him in the ring, or how many times he watched footage of any of his opponents to prepare for his matches. He says Punk would rather bask in his own footage. And that was his one major mistake against a man who strives for perfection. He knows CM Punk better than anyone, because hell, he was forced to!

He knows his tendencies, his strengths and weaknesses, and all due respect to Daniel Bryan, he fell for so much tomfoolery and circumstance, that nothing else is left in Punk's bag. And should he try anything he's already tried, Axel has NO problem going dirty himself. He knows what he has to do, he has to dig down deep and wrestle the perfect match, against a man he knows everything about, versus Punk who will have to do that against a man he knows nothing about. Axel then flips the table over, seconds before Punk tried to do the same, a shock on the face of the WWE Champion, as Axel points at him and the title before we fade to black!

 

November 2013 Additions: Batista, Shannon Moore, Sting

November 2013 Departures: None

November 2013 Turns: Brie Bella to face. Mason Ryan to heel. Rey Mysterio to heel. The Shield to face. Triple H to heel. Definitely a turn heavy month.

 

 

Road to TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2013

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- New Cruiserweight Champion The Brian Kendrick would interrupt The Dirt Sheet and ramble about absolutely nothing as one does, drawing the ire of the trio (they added Becky Lynch to their ranks around September, forgot to mention that, oops ) and setting up a 6-person tag match at the TLC Kickoff Show.

 

- For pinning and eliminating the Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater at Survivor Series, Justin Gabriel would be granted one final opportunity against him at TLC; to raise the stakes even further for the champion, his beloved guitar would be suspended high above. It'd be a Guitar Ladder Match!

 

- AJ Lee and Trish Stratus would have a dream match at TLC following the legend's pinfall over the crazed chick the previous month at the Survivor Series.

 

- Following their forceful removal from the ranks of the regime and now with Triple H openly calling the shots, The Shield would be forced to defend their championship gold in increasingly more tenuous situations each and every week. While Reigns and Rollins were able to mantain their stake at the tag team titles up until TLC, Dean Ambrose was not so lucky, lasting until the very end in a battle royal for his United States Championship until being eliminated from behind by Alberto Del Rio (who was not an official entrant into the match up until that point). A rematch would be held at the Survivor Series.

 

- The final chapter in the rivalry between Bray Wyatt and Dolph Ziggler would be written as the patriarch described the fact he allowed The Show-Off to gain the upper hand at the Survivor Series to lure him into the lust of a phyrric victory. Be that statement real or not, the two would meet in a Tables Match!

 

- Rey Mysterio, out for the previous 6 months with an injury (he was actually filming a movie), would return as a part of Alberto Del Rio's new faction within the regime in the form of The Aristocracy. Mysterio explained he and Del Rio had brokered a deal in which the Mysterio family would be set for life long after he was gone. Imagine HBK-JBL. With this reluctant, yet aggressive new outlook, Mysterio would emerge as the first contender for Cody Rhodes' World Heavyweight Championship.

 

- The behemoth Ryback was far from done with Batista for costing him the World Heavyweight Championship, and the two were set for a destructive Chairs Match.

 

- The two men Triple H despised the most on the roster in the form of Curtis Axel and Daniel Bryan would be put between a rock and a hard place at TLC; they'd have to meet one-on-one and only one of them could qualify for the 2014 Royal Rumble Match, while the other would be left with absolutely nothing.

 

- TV Champion Sami Zayn would finally get his hands on Xavier Woods at TLC in a Ladder Match, where the two men would put what was most important to them at stake: it'd be Career vs. Power!

 

- It had been the biggest year of Tyson Kidd's career, with his surprise win over WWE Champion CM Punk in February by far his most renowned accomplishment. Kidd challenged Punk to a TLC Match at the titular event. After starting the year with a bang by defeating Punk and shocking a world, he'd do it again to end the year and become the new WWE Champion!

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: Becky Lynch, John Morrison & The Miz b. Aksana, Cesaro & The Brian Kendrick

1. Heath Slater © (w/Lacey Von Erich) b. Justin Gabriel in a Guitar Ladder Match to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship

2. AJ Lee b. Trish Stratus

3. The Shield © (w/Dean Ambrose) b. Drew McIntyre & Wade Barrett (w/Paul Heyman) and The American Wolves (w/Kassius Ohno) to retain the WWE World Tag Team Championship. The Shield would however lose the titles to Barrett & McIntyre the very next night on Raw.

4. Dean Ambrose b. Alberto Del Rio © (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) by DQ following interference from Brock Lesnar, who savagely assaulted Ambrose and left him limp. Del Rio retains the United States Championship.

5. Bray Wyatt b. Dolph Ziggler (w/Torrie Wilson) in a Tables Match

6. Cody Rhodes © b. Rey Mysterio (w/The Aristocracy) to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

7. Ryback b. Batista in a Chairs Match

8. Curtis Axel b. Daniel Bryan in a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match where the loser would have been barred from competing in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match

9. Sami Zayn b. Xavier Woods in a Career vs. Power Ladder Match

10. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. Tyson Kidd (w/Natalya) in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match to retain the WWE Championship

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH #1

TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs: Following Daniel Bryan's loss to Curtis Axel, Damien Sandow would then poke the wounds of the crowd by throwing backhanded shots at the dejected Bryan, who by then had headed backstage long ago. As his proteges set up his books to his liking, Sandow takes the opportunity to welcome his guest here tonight, a man who everyone in the audience knows, a man who has done his fair share to try and undo Sandow's life work, as he has brainwashed countless children into forcing their parents to utilize their hard earned money in order to buy his merchandise, and his movies, and his toys, and any other form of media that represents him as a real life hero, and that man is John Cena.

Cena comes out, and tells Sandow that he has NEVER forced anyone to follow his lifestyle and like him for what he is, he comes out here and people watch him busting his ass week in and week out, and they support him out of respect for what he is. Cena says that if Sandow doesn't take that wine drunk head out of his ass, he will personally rearrange that for him. Sandow signals for Cena to wait, as he never invited him to The Book Shop in order to incite physicality, he instead did so in order to lecture and warn him.

No matter how aggressive Cena became, or how differently he behaved this year, at the center of it all, Cena still represented everything that was wrong with the WWE as a brand and company, shoehorning his values into everything they could, and thus pushing for more people to be like him. But it is NOT a healthy thing for a human being to behave like John Cena, it was instead indubitably toxic. And it would be Sandow's duty to do one of two things: he would either study relentlessly to discover a method to destroy John Cena's legacy once and for all - garnering another response from Cena which Sandow pleads for him to keep listening - or he would give John Cena a week's notice to join his crusade of enlightenment, and provide his fans with the values that they should in fact be pledging themselves to.

(Follow-up: Cena would of course decline the invitation the next week, furthering his rivalry with Sandow and his followers.)

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH #2

Raw pre-TLC: The COO Triple H returns to the ring to a chorus of boos which he welcomes, saying he still has one more thing he must address before the end of the night. He summons AJ Styles to the ring, knowing he is backstage, and indeed, the Phenomenal One joins Hunter, red X championship in tow. Triple H asks him first, what the [expletive] is that garbage he brings out to his show, it might have flown with Vince McMahon due to show of power and what not, but to him, the very presence of that is below the quality that the WWE must meet. He says that the second order of business is, that AJ thinks he can just hold his Battlebowl title opportunity hostage until WrestleMania, well he is very wrong about that.

He informs AJ that, under his rule, only one match will guarantee yourself a world championship opportunity at WrestleMania, and that is the Royal Rumble Match. He tells AJ that by holding his opportunity hostage, he is effectively removing half of the Rumble winner's choice and thus, one of the most exciting moments of the year. So he tells AJ he has no choice but to do two things: throw that championship in the garbage where it belongs, and meet the WWE Champion before the end of the year, or else he will have his opportunity stripped. AJ stares at Hunter, and tells him there are not many words needed to smell the bullcrap coming from the COO.

He is still new around the company, but he's seen the machinery work, and he knows there is something in the works for the Rumble, that is why Hunter wants him to waive his opportunity. He wants one of his guys to be in the title match, not an outsider. Before this ordeal can get more tense, the two men are interrupted by...Austin Aries?

Aries claims to have no love for either one of the men inside the ring, as he has been physically assaulted by Triple H in the past, and his history with AJ is well documented, with Aries on top. He says he does agree with Triple H on one thing, and that is, AJ is not the one who should be headlining WrestleMania, HE is. And he will no doubt enter the Royal Rumble Match no matter what is thrown at him, win the whole damn thing, and WrestleMania will be The Greatest Show That Ever Was.

The two men come to blows, which end with Aries taking the upper hand and locking Styles in Last Chancery! Meanwhile, Triple H has seized control of AJ's red X championship, and as Aries rises to his feet, the camera pans out to the stage, where the COO has sprayed the signature green X of D-Generation X in the title, before stepping on it, and pointing at the two men in the ring, the message clear: any opposition to his rule will be met with an iron fist!

 

December 2013 Additions: None

December 2013 Departures: Scott Stanford

December 2013 Turns: None

 

OOC: Just because I'm not finding anywhere else to put this on, here is how the TV title lineage went in 2013!

 

Curtis Axel (Inaugural) February-September

Sami Zayn September-November

Elijah Burke November-Current

 

Woah this is impressive! My advice for sticking with saves long term is to have a firm end point (weird but it works), templates for shows and a bucket load of determination!

 

From having a read through though, it looks like you've got the creative plans in place and this looks class, so best of luck!

 

Thank you for the compliments, Strech! I definitely need to add you to the list of shouts as your Stardom diary is magnificent and in fact got me interested in joshi wrestling. I hope you enjoy what's to come!

[Dawn]

2014

 

Road to Royal Rumble 2014

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- Cruiserweights from all around the globe would be invited to participate in a Cruiserweight Open for the gold at the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show. All the while, champion The Brian Kendrick continued to be his obnoxious self on the daily.

 

- In the final episode of Raw in 2013, CM Punk defended the WWE Championship against AJ Styles and Austin Aries in a Triple Threat match. The match would never begin as The New Age Outlaws assaulted both challengers at the orders of Triple H. The rivals would be forced to coexist as the Outlaws would return to the ring for a Dumpster Match at the Royal Rumble; if Styles and Aries won the match, they would then compete one-on-one in a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match on the same night.

 

- Sheamus stood up to ''The Beast'' Brock Lesnar and challenged him to a match at the Royal Rumble.

 

- Randy Orton returned after TLC to claim what he ''never rightfully lost'' to his former Legacy protege in Cody Rhodes, the World Heavyweight Championship. In a feud fueled by personal animosity, the two men would clash at the Royal Rumble.

 

- A 4-Way rivalry took place for the Divas title as Kaitlyn was targeted by the always relevant AJ Lee, alongside the rising Becky Lynch and former champion Barbara Kelly. The ruthless Barbara would emerge as the #1 Contender and present herself as a true threat to Kaitlyn in which she would do whatever it takes to regain her position atop the mountain.

 

- Dolph Ziggler had a rough second half of 2013, but would quickly rebound to start off the year and be crowned #1 contender to CM Punk's WWE Championship, the very same reign he had challenged for two years prior at the very same Royal Rumble event.

 

- Daniel Bryan would earn his spot back in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match, and I can't briefly describe what I did here so you guys will just have to read everything in the spotlight segments below!

 

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: Shark Boy won the Cruiserweight Invitational, last defeating The Brian Kendrick © to WIN the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

1. AJ Styles & Austin Aries b. The New Age Outlaws in a Dumpster Match; Aries then threw Styles in the Dumpster to earn a spot in the Royal Rumble Match

2. Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman and Sable) b. Sheamus. Dean Ambrose returned after the match, not anywhere near 100%, but still took the fight to Brock Lesnar alongside Reigns and Rollins.

3. Cody Rhodes © b. Randy Orton to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

4. Barbara Kelly fought Kaitlyn © to a No Contest following interference from AJ Lee and Becky Lynch. Kaitlyn retains the Divas Championship.

5. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. Dolph Ziggler (w/Torrie Wilson) to retain the WWE Championship

6. Daniel Bryan won the 2014 Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating Drew McIntyre

 

List of 2014 Royal Rumble Entrants and Eliminations

 

1) Daniel Bryan (WINNER)

2) Seth Rollins (Elimination #15 by Wyatt)

3) Elijah Burke (Elimination #1 by Bryan and Rollins)

4) Luke Harper (Elimination #5 by Rusev)

5) Kofi Kingston (Elimination #3 by Rusev)

6) John Morrison (Elimination #27 by Barrett & McIntyre)

7) Heath Slater (Elimination #2 by Rollins)

8) Chris Jericho (Elimination #12 by Reigns)

9) Rene Dupree (Elimination #4 by Rusev)

10) Rusev (Elimination #6 by Bryan, Rollins, Morrison and Jericho)

11) Erick Rowan (Elimination #7 by Axel)

12) Curtis Axel (Elimination #9 by Nash)

13) Jack Swagger (Elimination #8 by Nash)

14) Kevin Nash (Elimination #10 by Reigns)

15) Christian (Elimination #11 by Reigns)

16) Roman Reigns (Elimination #14 by Wyatt)

17) Alberto Del Rio (Elimination #13 by Reigns)

18) Damien Sandow (Elimination #26 by Morrison)

19) Bray Wyatt (Elimination #16 by the OC, who wasn't a participant in the Rumble match. Done to set up the Mania match and put an end to this.)

20) John Cena (Elimination #18 by Sandow)

21) Big E (Elimination #17 by Cena)

22) Batista (Elimination #23 by Ryback)

23) The Miz (Elimination #25 by Sandow)

24) Davey Richards (Elimination #22 by Bryan)

25) Justin Gabriel (Elimination #20 by Richards)

26) Austin Aries (Elimination #19; Never made it to the ring as he was attacked by Steve Austin backstage)

27) Ryback (Elimination #24 by Barrett & McIntyre)

28) Kane (Elimination #21 by Batista)

29) Wade Barrett (Elimination #28 by Bryan)

30) Drew McIntyre (Elimination #29 by Bryan)

 

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH #1

Raw Old School (Week 1, January 2014): After the old Dirt Sheet intro is shown, we sit in the middle of the ring for an unannounced edition of Miz and Morrison's talk show, the two men both dressed as Shawn Michaels, Morrison stating that the Jannetty costume for Miz unfortunately had a lot of glass stuck in it. Miz says that they are happy to have qualified for the annual Royal Rumble Match, but unfortunately, something is still afoot that keeps them awake, there is not enough drama around about the exclusion of the hottest topic in the WWE right now.

The crowd goes nuts with ''YES!'' chants during this speech, as Morrison says they'll just cut the crap and get Daniel Bryan in there right now. Bryan comes out to the shower of adulation that he's used to, and Miz and Morrison step aside and give him the spotlight. Bryan says he has played by the rules too long, and look at where it got him. He says Triple H can't play by the rules himself, so why would he? He says the people in the back, Triple H, the Conspiracy, none of them rule this company, THEY, the crowd, they rule this company, so he invites them to do what they do best, and show exactly what they want, and that is, another chance for Daniel Bryan to enter the 2014 Royal Rumble Match!

The ''YES!'' movement grows insanely loud, finally bringing the attention of Triple H, alongside new tag champions, Barrett and McIntyre. Hunter says this is very charming, very amusing indeed, but that Bryan contractually signed for a match at TLC that forbids his entry in the Royal Rumble, so unfortunately there is nothing he can do; what he CAN do, is have a chance to not allow the tag team champions to qualify next week, as he will team up with a partner of his choosing for THEIR qualifying match.

Bryan shakes his head as the crowd turns to chanting ''NO!'', and says that Hunter doesn't get it; this is a force that he will eventually be unable to stop. Hunter heads to the ring with the champions and says that BRYAN doesn't get it, and if he continues to challenge his authority, his place as a commodity in the WWE will not look so nice in a month or two, he will make sure of it. This brings WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper to the ring, grilling Hunter with questions about his affiliation with the Conspiracy and why he's doing this to Vince's trust, plus why he's just so fixated on losing all the surefire money that is Daniel Bryan right now! Triple H orders Piper to get out of his face, or he will also get to meet consequences. Barrett and McIntyre step up in front of the COO, as Piper says thankfully, he got a friend for backup tonight!



JAKE ''THE SNAKE'' ROBERTS! The Snake clears the ring out of Hunter, Barrett and McIntyre by throwing his friend inside the ring, his vile smirk being seen in the WWE for the first time in 18 years! Bryan leads the crowd into another frenzy of ''YES!'' chants, as he poses alongside Roberts and Piper, leading us to fade to black!

(As a follow-up to this week, Bryan's partner for that match with Barrett & McIntyre would be William Regal. Barrett & McIntyre would win that match to both retain their titles and qualify for the Royal Rumble Match.)

 

SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT OF THE MONTH #2

Raw (Week 3, January 2014): The pyros go out for the longest running weekly episodic show in history as normal, but as the camera pans to the ring...Daniel Bryan is already there, standing in the middle of the squared circle? Cole notes that this is not a scheduled appearance by the bearded one, as Bryan, mic in hand, says last week finally made him see something. It doesn't matter what he, Daniel Bryan does individually to try and combat the elite that so desperately wants to silence him, it doesn't matter how many fellow wrestlers he gets to join his cause, it doesn't matter how famous, how powerful they are, at the end of the day, Triple H holds all the power, what he says is gospel, he can flick his hand and make all the Conspiracy associates dance to his music.

Bryan says that Triple H controls this company and all the individuals working for it. But there comes a time that every man sees he must take matters into his own hands, and find any holes to fulfill his dreams. Daniel Bryan's dreams have been denied over and over again by men in power and those related to them, so Daniel Bryan must find a way to take the power away from these men. Because no matter how much power Triple H or anyone else holds against him, there is ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE that they will NEVER hold power over.

Suddenly, the ring starts filling with individuals who run over from the crowd, including children at the arms of their parents, overriding security entirely due to the abundance of numbers. Those still in the crowd who are able to be contained are still seen to put up a fight, and since they are occupied with THOSE people, they are unable to do anything to refrain the people who are already sorrounding Daniel Bryan, perched atop the turnbuckle, and the entire ring. Bryan says that these people have voiced their opinions for years on end, and they have repeatedly been ignored by management.

These people were told decades ago their intelligences would NEVER be insulted again, that they were tired of that happening, but it didn't take long for us to go completely backwards on that promise, didn't we? Long they have been force fed those who have been chosen by management, over those who they have organically grown to admire because of their stories as human beings, or because of their raw skill in the wrestling ring. Long they have seen these people come and go and either find success elsewhere or completely fade due to being neglected by people in power who are quite frankly CHOOSING to be oblivious over the audience's feelings. There is no imaginary brass ring, there is being handpicked by the boss.

There is no listening to the audience over who they want to see featured on television, there is blatant post-production handling of canned crowd noise for false proof. There is no subtlety anymore in any of these claims, the removal of Vince McMahon from power ended up being WORSE for the WWE, because now, nothing changed when it comes to decision making, but the order and respect in the back are completely gone as well. Cronies from past and present running amok as they desire, all the while the audience has tried their hardest to voice what they ACTUALLY want to see featured weekly on television...

...this leads Triple H to at last appear before Bryan and the audience, their fever apparent as they hoist their arms up high and scream ''YES!'' repeatedly. Hunter says that it took him long enough, but Bryan's madness has at last taken a hold of him. He orders Bryan to get the hell out of his ring, and he'll immediately be assigned to return to anger management, for a year long course this time around. The fans then turn to screaming ''NO!'' right at Triple H's face, as Bryan says Hunter really doesn't get the point of all this. Hunter tells Bryan he is a fool, he lost multiple opportunities to defeat CM Punk and become WWE Champion last year, and reminds him of his fair loss to Curtis Axel to lose the spot at the Royal Rumble Match.

Bryan admits Axel was the better man that night, there is no shame in doing that, but reminds Hunter they wouldn't have been in that situation in first place if not for Axel having been forced by the Conspiracy to cost him the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, same for the numerous missed calls at Night of Champions that were just accepted as the final call for Bryan's opportunities. Bryan says Triple H wasn't content with costing him all these opportunities, he had to shove it down his face week in and week out. He HAD to let the audience know that they would not get what they wanted. As had been the Vince McMahon way.

But Triple H is a fool, for not realizing that fans had grown more vocal and tired of not being heard over time. With the lost subtlety, so came mutual disrespect from the fans for this method of work. And the fire within Daniel Bryan would not allow him to fade silently into the sunset and accept the corporate will like many have done in the past. The dreams of Daniel Bryan were connected to those of the audience, an audience that was finally challenged enough that they had no choice but to accept his invitation to HIJACK this show.

Hunter calls security down to the stage to end this nonsense, but his call is unanswered, as cameras pan down to the crowd to show that all extra security is doing their best to keep extra fans from making their way down to the ring. He says this has gone long enough, and calls McIntyre and Barrett to remove Daniel Bryan from the sea of fans. The camera pans to the back, where it is seen that the two men are brawling with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins once again! Hunter growls more and more, and says the show WILL continue one way or another, whether they like it or not, the boom on the stage indicating the arrival of Kane, Hunter telling him he has a match to open the show, so he'd better forcefully destroy everyone in his way and get in the damn ring.

Kane silently stares at his former tag team partner in Daniel Bryan, and after a few seconds, he just slowly retreats to the back, leading the fans and Bryan to return to their ''YES!'' chants. Hunter says that like Bryan said before, if you want something done, you'd better do it yourself, and he removes his tux, advancing to the front of the sea of fans, but is met by a rather large, imposing figure of a fan (portrayed by a plant, former NXT Rookie Eli Cottonwood), and as Hunter's pleas for him to move as Hunter can easily sue him and everyone else sorrounding Daniel Bryan are unanswered, in frustration, Hunter punches the man, leading to a brief struggle that leads to the COO being shoved to the ground.

Bryan says maybe Hunter has always been the one who needs anger management, and asks him how easily a fan could win a lawsuit over the performer who put his hands on him first. Hunter looks to dive in once again, but this time he is held back by the Outlaws, who tell him not to do more damage to himself, as Hunter screams to Bryan what the hell does he want to GET THE [CENSOR] OUT OF HIS DAMN RING.

Bryan says that he wants one more chance, one more opportunity to make things right and guarantee his spot at the main event of WrestleMania. He says he contractually cannot challenge for the WWE Championship anymore, as that was signed on in a contract with ink and paper while Vince McMahon was still the chairman. But his removal from the Royal Rumble Match can be reversed by Triple H. Daniel Bryan can still challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, and he can make it the most prestigious championship in this company, and he wants to challenge for it at WrestleMania, by winning the Royal Rumble Match.

Hunter screams that Bryan has his spot, and Bryan celebrates with the crowd, but just as Hunter is retreating, Bryan says there is one more thing. He wants Hunter to keep Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in the match, as they have rightfully earned THEIR spot in the match, THEY truly fight for what is right in this company now, and THEY deserve an opportunity just as much as Daniel Bryan, instead of being unceremoniously dumped to the curb while their teammate is on the shelf thanks to you guessed it, a Hunter cronie. He says Bryan has his spot, and so do Reigns and Rollins, and ORDERS him to leave.

Bryan says there is OOOOOOOOOOOONE more thing, and that is, Dolph Ziggler gets to keep his opportunity against CM Punk at the Royal Rumble, one on one, no bullshit, no nothing, since he heard rumors Hunter would make modifications to that match tonight. If Randy Orton can have his challenge fair and square, so can Ziggler. Hunter's face is red at that point, as he says he'll get Bryan back for this, but in order to keep his show going, he is forced to adhere to all his orders, but he GUARANTEES he will find a way to get everyone involved back for this! Bryan and the crowd, however, are too much occupied celebrating, as the fans head back to their seats amidst chants of ''YES!'', Daniel Bryan has changed the complexion of the Road to WrestleMania!

(Bryan would then draw #1 in a tainted live drawing the next week on Raw.)

 

January 2014 Additions: Averno, Caylen Croft, Kevin Nash

January 2014 Departures: Camacho, Dee Edwards, Diamond Dallas Page (RIP), Ezekiel Jackson, Kameron, Pat Patterson, Percy Watson, Rima Fakih

January 2014 Turns: None

 

 

Road to Elimination Chamber 2014

 

Pre-Show Notes

 

- Shark Boy shocked the world by winning the Cruiserweight Championship at the Royal Rumble, but would lose it the very next Thursday on SmackDown to Alex Shelley in a friendly match. The champion agreed to a rematch at the Elimination Chamber Kickoff Show.

 

- With Daniel Bryan unable to wrestle for the WWE Championship as long as CM Punk is champion, wrestling the World Heavyweight Champion would be his only option as Royal Rumble winner. AJ Styles and Austin Aries would be joined by Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater, John Morrison, Batista and Dolph Ziggler in an Elimination Chamber Match to determine the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship.

 

- Sin Cara hoped to bring his friend Rey Mysterio back to the light, but first he'd attempt to remove the United States Championship from possession of Alberto Del Rio.

 

- With a three-way impasse between Kaitlyn's rivals, a triple threat match would be set to determine her WrestleMania opponent. In the meantime, Kaitlyn would defend against Damien Sandow's prized student Serena.

 

- Curtis Axel had a vendetta on his mind against Triple H following his unceremonious elimination and sacrifice in favor of Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble. Hunter refused to give Axel a WWE sanctioned match against the culprit Kevin Nash, so Axel forced his way into an Unsanctioned Match instead.

 

- CM Punk would claim himself to be the mind behind The Shield upon the battle for control between the trio and the regime, and Seth Rollins would position himself as Punk's opponent for the Chamber.

 

- Cody Rhodes and Goldust would win the tag team titles from Barrett & McIntyre on the SmackDown after the Royal Rumble, but would lose them right back in a Falls Count Anywhere Match two weeks later, sending Goldust to the emergency room. After all that hardship, Cody would have to make it through one more title defense before a WrestleMania clash against Daniel Bryan: an Elimination Chamber Match against John Cena, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Damien Sandow and Christian.

 

 

Quick Results

 

Kickoff: Alex Shelley © b. Shark Boy to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship; Big Show b. Brodus Clay

1. AJ Styles b. Austin Aries, Batista, Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater and John Morrison in an Elimination Chamber Match to become the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXX. Aries would then receive a Stunner from Steve Austin after the match.

2. Alberto Del Rio © (w/The Aristocracy) b. Sin Cara to retain the WWE United States Championship

3. AJ Lee b. Barbara Kelly and Becky Lynch to become the #1 Contender for the WWE Divas Championship at WrestleMania XXX; since Kelly took the fall, she could never challenge for the Divas Championship again.

4. Curtis Axel b. Kevin Nash in an Unsanctioned Match

5. CM Punk © (w/Paul Heyman) b. Seth Rollins to retain the WWE Championship

6. Kaitlyn © b. Serena to retain the WWE Divas Championship

7. Randy Orton b. Cody Rhodes ©, Bray Wyatt, Christian, Damien Sandow and John Cena in an Elimination Chamber Match to WIN the World Heavyweight Championship following interference from Goldust, hitting his half-brother with a piece of tire iron.

 

 

 

Quick Results

 

Dark Match: Chuck Magnet b. Matt Taylor

1. Cesaro b. Sami Zayn

2. The Ascension © b. The Lucha Dragons to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship

- NXT General Manager William Regal introduces the newest, biggest acquisition to NXT yet: the former KENTA, renamed Hideo Itami!

3. Emma b. Paige © to WIN the NXT Women's Championship

4. Tyler Breeze b. R-Truth

5. Adrian Neville b. Bo Dallas © in a Ladder Match to WIN the NXT Championship

 

February 2014 Additions: Chuck Taylor (Chuck Magnet), Hideo Itami

February 2014 Departures: Scott Stanford

February 2014 Turns: Big Show to face, Goldust to heel.

[The Lloyd]

This looks great so far my friend. Hearing names like Mason Ryan makes me smile! Thought it was an invasion from TNA at first with AJ, and then Aries... I'll be following along

[kanegan]

This is tremendous and put together very well. I will be following along.

[Wrestling Machine]

World champ Cody!!

 

Great work so far nice read!

[PuroJoshi]

This looks great so far, can see an absolute ton of work has gone into it. Will definitely be following!

[Dawn]

WRESTLEMANIA XXX - BUILDUP

 

Road to WrestleMania XXX

 

Kickoff Show Buildups

 

Alex Shelley vs. Averno: Averno was introduced as the final piece to Alberto Del Rio's Aristocracy group (himself, Rey Mysterio, Hunico, Camacho, Averno and Ricardo Rodriguez) as a collection of Mexico's finest. He had an impressive showing at the Royal Rumble Cruiserweight Invitational but fell short; since then, he's risen up the ranks of the division and become the obvious challenger to the fighting champion Shelley.

 

Vickie Guerrero Invitational: Not to be outdone by The Rock's efforts at the Rumble with the Cruiserweights, Vickie Guerrero would announce that all the women who didn't find themselves in the WrestleMania card would meet in one single elimination match with random entrants to determine the next #1 contender to either Kaitlyn or AJ Lee's Divas Championship after WrestleMania.

 

Brie Bella vs. Nikki Bella - Loser Must Serve the Winner FOR LIFE: The twins returned to WWE in early 2013, only to be bulldozed by Kharma for their sins in a handicap match at Mania 29. Since that fateful night, they could not get their feet under them as a tandem any longer, and Nikki grew visibly aggressive and abusive towards her sister over time. Eventually, the tensions flared, and though Brie tried to patch things up to start, she could not take it any longer and challenged her sister to meet her one-on-one at Mania. The stipulation was named by Nikki as a requirement on her part.

 

Usos vs. Wolves, tournament finals: A large tournament between most regular tag teams in WWE took place through the months of March and April, in order to crown worthy new #1 contenders. Two long standing, brotherhood teams, one bound by blood and the other by a purpose are the final two remaining. The Usos have not tasted tag team gold since their debut in 2010, while the Wolves (alongside Kassius Ohno) have looked to get their footing in WWE and realize their goal of bringing back the honor to the sport that the WWE has spat on. Winning the tag team titles will go a long way towards that. As an added bonus, The Rock has declared that whoever wins this match will meet the champions the very next night on Raw!

 

Main Show Buildups

 

Bray Wyatt vs. OC: Bray creation gone wrong, Bray wants to destroy it, Bray shall.

 

Barrett & McIntyre vs. Miz & Morrison vs. Shield: A three-way dance between three decorated tag teams in WWE in order to determine the top dogs of the tag team division. Barrett and McIntyre backdoored their way into their second title reign, and their two sets of opponents at WrestleMania are all men opposed to the rule of the man who holds them as proteges.

 

Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin Rhodes - Winner gets added to the World Heavyweight Championship Match; if Dustin loses, he must retire

Goldust had returned in early 2013 seeking connection with his half-brother. Around the same time, Cody would undergo the bizarre turn of events where he'd disappear for hours on end while the entity known as Stardust would carry out biddings that'd favor Cody Rhodes, including winning him the Money in the Bank briefcase. Goldust and Stardust met at SummerSlam, but the match was interrupted by Drew McIntyre and ended inconclusively. Since then, Stardust has not been seen, but Goldust would keep warning his half-brother about some sort of danger coming their way.

Cody would cash in his briefcase successfully against Randy Orton at the Survivor Series for the World Heavyweight Championship, and the two half-brothers even defeated Barrett & McIntyre for the tag team gold in early February. After losing them only two weeks later, however, Goldust would be sent to the ER and Dusty would hand Cody a piece of tire iron to defend himself from a similar fate as his half-brother's at the Elimination Chamber. It would be a heartbreaking result as Goldust would enter the Chamber during Bray Wyatt's tumultuous elimination, grab the tire iron and hit his brother with it, costing him the World title. Goldust would appear the next night as Dustin Rhodes, claiming he had done it all for Cody's own good. Their one-on-one meeting would not happen until two weeks before WrestleMania.

SmackDown (Week 4, March 2014): The Rhodes brothers finally go face to face again for the first time since the Elimination Chamber, with Dustin still in his split makeup, and Cody struggling to go through with the meeting at all. Cody says he's not to blame for Dustin's career mishaps, he always felt a special connection to him, and now that connection is destroyed due to jealousy. Dustin says there is absolutely nothing that separates the two in skill (Stutters) BUT YOU DON'T GET IT! (Stutters) and that he should make their father proud one way or another.

Cody asks what's the jig with the two voices, while Dustin looks confused and insulted at what he means, saying it's just one frustrated man speaking to him right now, and he wants to put an end to this at WrestleMania. The Rock appears on the screen via satellite, talking about how this could use some more electricity! The Rock cites how Cody lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and how he could use a second chance! The Rock says if Cody Rhodes accepts this match, and wins it, The Rock will personally add him to the World Heavyweight Championship Match! But at the same time he does that, Cody will be ending Dustin's time as a performer.

Dustin asks what the hell The Rock's business is around them, as The Rock says The Rock's role is to provide The People with what they want to see; and they all hate Dustin for what he did. The Rock says if Dustin can't cut it against his own flesh and blood when all eyes are on him, then his entire purpose in life is ruined anyway. Dustin stutters, screaming HE IS DOING THIS TO SAVE HIM! (Stutters) Cody is having a hard time processing all the information, as Dustin says so be it, if this is how he can finally get his brother in the ring as two men this time!

Dusty Rhodes comes out to interject in the conflict, trying to separate his children, but a Dustin stutter leads to him slapping the American Dream to the ground! This finally has Cody at a breaking point, and he tackles Dustin to a brawl that ends when Dustin's second side briefly tells him to stop fighting and get away, as Dustin looked to gather the tire iron. Cody says Dustin, or whoever he truly is right now, is on for WrestleMania!

 

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose - Bourbon Street Fight

Dean Ambrose had tasted success from the getgo as part of The Shield with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, the three men dominnating the competition week in and week out. Their motivations for justice were questioned by their victims as they found themselves aligned with the brass. Eventually at the Survivor Series, all three men would find clarity and turn on the regime, including Dean Ambrose backstabbing the ace of their Survivor Series team in Brock Lesnar, leading to a Triple Powerbomb on the Beast. Ambrose would then lose the United States Championship to Alberto Del Rio in a Battle Royal on Raw, and during the rematch at TLC, a vengeful Brock Lesnar would absolutely maul Ambrose with help from Barrett and McIntyre to keep Reigns and Rollins at bay.

After Lesnar defeated Sheamus at the Royal Rumble, Ambrose would storm the arena on an ambulance and request that Lesnar meet him head-on, but Reigns and Rollins would save Ambrose against his will.

Elimination Chamber: After we come back from a grueling Unsanctioned Match between Curtis Axel and Kevin Nash, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are in the ring, with Reigns holding a steel chair for their protection, as Ambrose demands Brock Lesnar's presence immediately. They get Paul Heyman, who says he truly admires Ambrose's determination to find himself back in a hospital room. He says his client Brock Lesnar doesn't see him as worthy of his presence, but if you're a fly in Brock Lesnar's soup, you will find yourself crushed and chewed. Ambrose says Lesnar is all image, he doesn't fear him or Heyman's claims about him, he's been with them enough to know. He says Lesnar might have gone through many men, but there's always a more ferocious predator in the jungle. Heyman warns Ambrose that if you look to catch bigger fish than you're supposed to, you might find yourself getting kicked out of the chain entirely. Ambrose says there's no fish big enough for his hunger. Heyman says that Brock Lesnar is amused.

''The Beast'' appears before Dean Ambrose again at last, a confident smirk in his face, as Heyman asks Ambrose to name his terms. Ambrose says he wants Brock at WrestleMania, on HIS turf, an old fashioned Street Fight in New Orleans, they will dance with tables and tacks all night, and Ambrose will finally show Brock Lesnar who truly runs the jungle. After client and advocate confer with one another, Heyman tells Ambrose that Brock accepts his terms, and WrestleMania would serve as a warning to any small fish who decides to enter Brock Lesnar's pond that they will be devoured upon doing so.

 

Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara - Mask vs. Mask Match

Mysterio and Cara were a team for much of 2012 and 2013, but Mysterio would be assaulted by Alberto Del Rio after Over the Limit and be sidelined for 6 months as a result. At the Survivor Series, Mysterio would shock the world by attacking Sin Cara and allowing Del Rio to win the match for his team, aligning himself with The Aristocracy in order to further his family's future. Cara did not accept that the real Rey Mysterio would do any of what he did, instead he'd challenge his former friend to a match where one of them would lose their honor entirely in front of the entire world at WrestleMania.

SmackDown (Week 3, March 2014): Josh Mathews oversees the contract signing for the Mask vs. Mask match between Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara, with Cara continuing to chastise Mysterio for being a turncoat, and how he may have tainted his legacy forever. Mysterio says there's something about legacies, and that is, once a page of theirs is written, it remains written for good. Mysterio says he's more than guaranteed his share, and he needed to provide for his family next, asking Cara how hard that is to understand. Cara says there's a thousand ways to provide for your family, and ensuring everyone else hates you is not one of them. Mysterio says he needs no one to love him but his familia. He says his best days might be behind him, but Cara, he had his whole career ahead of him. Mysterio says he's still one of the best luchadores the world has to offer, and Cara has forced this ordeal to come down to one of them losing their essence, their identity, their mask, for good.

Mysterio says he defends his actions, his stance, and at WrestleMania, he will defend who he is. The Aristocracy appears from behind, with United States Champion Alberto Del Rio laughing at how pathetic Cara's attempts to sway Mysterio back to the ''good side'' were. Del Rio says that money, power and status are what ensures you will dominate this world, and Sin Cara, alongside all of Mysterio's ''friends'' were severely overmatched when it came down to the final offer to help Rey's family. Del Rio says Cara was foolish to extend the challenge, and that The Aristocracy will expose him at WrestleMania. Cara says a funny thing happened once Rey lost all these friends, they started hating Del Rio again. Out comes Christian, Alex Shelley, Ryback, Sheamus, Fandango, Alex Riley and Zack Ryder, all lining up to get their hands on The Aristocracy! Christian looks back...



IT'S EDGE! Edge appears on stage with the band, as he gives a smirk and a nod to Del Rio, before everyone else other than him runs to aid Sin Cara in clearing the ring of The Aristocracy! Cara says that at WrestleMania, Mysterio will be on his own, and all his new friends will make sure of that!

 

Beth Phoenix vs. Kharma: The two powerhouses had eluded one another in a face to face ever since their returns in early 2013, but both still dealt damage to the women's division in nearly every way that doesn't include winning the championship. Beth would be taunted by ticks of a clock throughout late 2013 and early 2014, until Kharma returned from injury to be revealed as the twisted mind behind the clock. At WrestleMania, Kharma sought to destroy Beth for her misbehavings of the past!

 

Curtis Axel vs. Triple H

The rise of Curtis Axel in 2013 was sudden and unexpected. From Paul Heyman Guy to inaugural WWE World Television Champion to Raw Mr. Money in the Bank to SummerSlam Main Eventer. There was one man who disagreed with the logistics of Axel as a true big time player in the WWE, however, and that was the COO himself. Triple H saw Axel as nothing more than the second coming of Daniel Bryan, and sought to kill that fire before it got going like the YES! Movement did. Axel fought through all that was thrown at him, until Hunter sent Kevin Nash to the Royal Rumble Match with the goal of eliminating Daniel Bryan; Axel sacrificed himself by throwing himself at Nash and being the one eliminated instead. Axel had enough after the Rumble match, seeking revenge on all things Triple H and his buddies. At the Elimination Chamber, Axel defeated Kevin Nash in an Unsanctioned Match, so it was only The Game left.

Raw (Week 2, March 2014): As Triple H enters the ring with a large piece of paper, declaring he must announce an important order of business, he's instead met by Curtis Axel, and as Hunter orders security to storm the ring, cameras pick up on The Shield amidst a fracas with Hunter's personal security in the skyboxes! Axel catches Hunter off guard with Perfect-Plex after that, and says it looks like he'll finally have to listen to him! Axel says he's always known Hunter has been behind all of this, it's Hunter who wanted him to stay on his lane all along, and that's just not how a Hennig operates. Axel says he's a walking, talking recorder on everything Conspiracy based, and he can blab any second he wants on what he knows; the only reason he hasn't done so yet, is because he wants Hunter one on one at WrestleMania, and a bargaining chip for that is always something you'd like to possess.

Axel says he'd like nothing more than to dethrone the King of Kings, the man who WWE would have you believe is the greatest of all time, but that's not the truth, is it? Axel says Hunter is good, really good. But he's not better than perfection. He says if he's able to defeat Hunter, he will ensure that he will never be ignored by him again. He will ensure that he takes him seriously as he should be, and treats him like a man, like the third generation commodity he is. Axel picks up Hunter's trademark sledgehammer, and says there is no one who will come to save him; they are all preoccupied with people who despise Hunter and the Conspiracy just as much as he does.

And hey, if Hunter isn't so keen on the idea, maybe he'll injure him like he did with buddy Kevin Nash so badly, the higher ups will realize how expendable he is as well. At that second, Triple H yells for Axel to stop, and accepts his challenge, as a security team ordered by Stephanie McMahon makes a beeline for the ring, right after Axel escapes the scene. Hunter is irate, as Axel regroups with The Shield, hoisting the sledgehammer up high as a symbol of rebellion, as we fade to black.

 

AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn - Divas Championship

Kaitlyn had won the Divas Championship from Eve Torres in her hometown of Houston on Raw just the second week of 2013, and since then had been one of the most dominant champions the division had ever seen up to that point. In parallel, her former fellow Chickbuster and former best friend in AJ Lee had gone completely off the rails by that point, even moreso after failing to capture the title at SummerSlam. AJ was the direct cause to chairman Vince McMahon's retirement, and had since played a game of cat and mouse with Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie has shown doubts that she trusts Kaitlyn to truly get the job done against AJ Lee due to their past ties, while AJ says she has nothing to lose by this point. Barbara Kelly and Becky Lynch both loom over this feud, with Kelly now unable to challenge for the championship ever again and having to resort to licking Stephanie's boots, begging for the stipulation to be lifted as she promises she could get the WWE rid of AJ Lee. However, each and every time Kelly has tried to get into direct contact with Stephanie in her office, the boss has always found herself not there or too busy inside to answer.

Raw (Week 2, March 2014): Divas Champion Kaitlyn enters the ring, talking about how in the middle of such a legendary championship reign from CM Punk, there has been another one that has come to be forgotten. Kaitlyn says she's defeated her former best friend multiple times, and taken on all comers as well. She says she's been wondering what it will take to cement her place in the eyes of the skeptics. She says she may not come from the independent scene, but she has worked her ass off to be the best, to be the quickest, most agile, strongest woman on the roster.

Meanwhile, AJ has played mind games with her and Stephanie McMahon for the better part of a year and gone nowhere doing all that. Kaitlyn asks what it will take for AJ to realize she is going downhill fast. Stephanie McMahon comes out and says that Kaitlyn may be right in the fact that she has defeated AJ Lee multiple times, but her biggest mistake was not getting rid of AJ Lee for good. She says Kaitlyn is mentally weak and unwilling to do what it takes to be the mercenary champion the roster needs right now, to input fear and respect, something the entire women's locker room is lacking in, especially when it comes to respecting Stephanie. Barbara Kelly comes out, on her knees, begging Stephanie to give her a last chance, and that she can be that person Stephanie needs!

Barbara says all Steph has to do is put her in the Vickie Guerrero Invitational and work her corporate magic to override the Chamber contract, as AJ Lee appears on the titantron, laughing with tears of joy at what is taking place. AJ says Stephanie is totally right, the women's division is a complete joke of personalities right now. There are those pandering and kissing up to Stephanie, those desperately attempting to do over what she has done to make an impact, and then there's the champion. The champion no one wants and no one likes.

AJ licks her lips as she says how delicious it was to put the powerful Vince McMahon out of commission for good, so maybe she would do that to a friend of Kaitlyn's later, before saying oops, she has no friends! AJ says the tough girl act can only get you so far, but that Kaitlyn can't lead the women into the revolution they need to get out of this state and finally be freed from the stench of Stephanie McMahon; but she can. AJ thanks Stephanie for the few months she spent as Raw General Manager 2 years ago, because that made her fully realize how full of shit this company was, and slowly but surely, she started moving the chess pieces. AJ says with one move, she overthrew an empire.

Now at WrestleMania, she would move the whole board at once and declare checkmate on Kaitlyn and Stephanie. AJ tells them to have fun catfighting over whose fault it was that she's still standing, still there, and just a few weeks away from being the most powerful woman in the history of the business, not because of political power like Stephanie, but after she wins the title, she will be the one the rest of the women have to listen to, and listen to her they will. Kaitlyn looks on with anger, as Barbara throws another tantrum for not being mentioned by AJ and Stephanie departs without a word, and we head to a commercial break.

Raw (Week 4, March 2014): Reading from a note, Renee Young introduces the final inductee in the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Class, noting that he is a member of the most storied, talented family in wrestling history, a doting father, brother, and his legacy beloved forever even after its untimely end!



Stephanie McMahon appears as fireworks and balloons are now in the scene, thanking Renee for her part, before proceeding to name every reason why Vince McMahon is the greatest man to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and naming herself the one who will induct him in the big night. This is interrupted by a cackling AJ Lee, having a riot at how pathetic this is. She says Stephanie manages to make everything about her, yet she's powerless to take control like she could in the past, so essentially, she is an useless shell of the McMahon Empire. She says the Hall of Fame speech will be filled with tears and cheers, but not because of any sadness and appreciation for Vince, but of joy as it will be the last time they ever see him around.

Stephanie holds herself from slapping AJ, knowing the ramifications that would bring her, as Barbara Kelly appears and points out how shameless AJ has been, and how she is the only one who can bring by Stephanie's justice if she will just revoke the Chamber clause! However, speeding into the frame comes the Divas Champion Kaitlyn, who Spears Barbara before anything else can be said! AJ sits atop the turnbuckle laughing, and Kaitlyn reminds AJ this isn't between her and Stephanie; it's between the two. Kaitlyn says that AJ has proven to have no turning back from this point, so at WrestleMania, she will do something she couldn't bring herself to do the previous times they met. She promises AJ that she will put her out of her misery for good, no matter the cost. AJ says she will love to see Kaitlyn try, as this time, she has completely earned the mental advantage heading into WrestleMania; and after she is the one standing tall when it's all said and done as has always been the case, she will have a first class seat to watch Stephanie's reaction as she witnesses her world crumbling.

 

AJ Styles vs. CM Punk - WWE Championship

The legendary WWE Championship reign of CM Punk would complete 868 days come WrestleMania in New Orleans, but his challenger would be one with full knowledge of his past. AJ Styles made his debut at SummerSlam while still TNA X-Division Champion, confronting Punk after his tainted title defense over Daniel Bryan and Curtis Axel. After looming around the shadows for a while, AJ won Battlebowl to earn a future title opportunity and even captained the team that defeated the regime's at the Survivor Series. He'd be forced to use his title opportunity in a lose-lose situation, The New Age Outlaws costing him the championship on the final Raw of 2013. After dispatching of the Outlaws against rival Austin Aries, AJ would win the Elimination Chamber match the next month by last eliminating and defeating Aries for good. With that, AJ now stood as perhaps the biggest challenger to CM Punk's reign yet.

Raw (Week 1, April 2014): Paul Heyman is chosen to preside over the contract signing between associate CM Punk and AJ Styles, as he lists all the reasons his client is superior to AJ and will still stand with his legendary reign after WrestleMania. Punk raises his hand for Heyman to stop talking, and stares AJ straight in the eyes. Punk says the two of them know each other for quite long. He says the two of them will have a hell of a match on Sunday, and one of them, maybe two, won't be able to stand in their own two feet afterwards. He says AJ will get his shots in and pose for the fans, but he will find out just how far Punk can go to prove he is the best this business has to offer in the whole world. He says AJ will learn respect, and he will learn that CM Punk is not only his superior, but his champion. AJ says that Punk is one hell of a wrestler, and it is true that it'll be tough to knock him down from his porch at WrestleMania. But AJ has something Punk doesn't have to rely on when he needs to, and that's a backbone.

AJ says Punk will have hard justice coming his way on Sunday, for how far he fell to be able to mantain that championship around his waist, so he hopes it will all have been worth it. Punk says he doesn't need anyone's help to prove himself, and so he promises AJ, it will only be the two of them at WrestleMania. The lesson in respect would be taught with only his bare hands. Paul Heyman looks on in conflict, but the contract is signed, and we are on to this dream rematch in 6 days.

 

Batista vs. Dolph Ziggler: Batista returned at the Survivor Series to help Randy Orton retain the World Heavyweight Championship (though he'd lose it immediately after to a Money in the Bank cash-in) and since then had looked to win the WWE Championship himself. At the Elimination Chamber, Ziggler would eliminate Batista, ending The Animal's quest to enter either world title match at WrestleMania. Batista would attack Ziggler and cause the Show-Off's own elimination, and all this led to the two agreeing to meet in a match shock full of parallels from Ziggler's debut in 2008.

 

Damien Sandow vs. John Cena

After Team Rhodes Scholars dissolved, Damien Sandow took it upon himself to a more aggressive approach in his quest to enlighten the masses. He'd savagely assault The Rock on the SmackDown after WrestleMania and come away with a shock win over The Great One at SummerSlam. With increased influence each and every passing day, Sandow would recruit CJ (Christopher James) Parker, Serena, former Tough Enough runner-up Luke Robinson and Mason Ryan as willing proteges on his crusade, his own Sanctuary. John Cena would enter the scene by circumstance, trapped in the middle of beef between Sandow and Cody Rhodes, plus Robinson and Andy Leavine. Cena's appearance as the final member of the Survivor Series team meant to challenge Sanctuary set Sandow and his followers in a path to target Cena as the biggest name on the roster and the one the masses so desperately look to emulate.

As for Cena, he has had by far the worst time period of his career, not having won a match on pay-per-view since Money in the Bank 2012. Cena seeks to set his legacy straight after these dark times and head back to world championship contention after dispatching of the man who wants to expose him at WrestleMania.

SmackDown (Week 1, March 2014): After a win over Christopher James Parker, an exhausted Cena holds his fists up, expecting a fight coming from Sandow's understudies. However, Sandow orders them to halt, entering the ring himself with a microphone in hand. Sandow laments on Parker's defeat, citing he's shown an interesting development, but still lacks what it takes to close things out against more experienced competition.

Cena asks Sandow what his deal is, and why he's painted a bullseye on his back since he saved Andy Leavine, mentioning how they ensured the latter was never seen in the WWE again. Sandow kneels to meet Cena's level, looking perplexed by the question, saying that he is genuinely peeved at how Cena has portrayed his quest. Sandow says that first of all, all along they were trying to HELP Andy Leavine; he had offered him a spot in the crusade for wisdom, but the foolish will never learn. He had to say no in favor of a petty rivalry between himself and Luke Robinson, one so one-sided due to the clear difference in willingness to learn between the two men. But even with all that, they continued to try and help Andy Leavine, because he was clearly not ready for what awaited him. Sandow says that would be the same thing that awaits every person who comes to this company, and that is...John Cena.

Sandow says his studies of WWE history prior to his arrival led him to many cases of men who showed tremendous potential for greatness not only when it came to wrestling, but to rise to great positions of fame like Cena's pen pal Dwayne Johnson, and actually do better with that position rather than to use it in order to teach the next generation to be deplorable, gibberish spewing mongrels. Sandow says these men were only lacking one thing, and that was the backing of the right people, the same right people who always kissed up to John Cena and his hunger for having more and more power. Sandow says Cena always viewed these men as stepping stones for his own gain, and nothing else; on the outside, he posed as the children's hero and the giving charity donator, but on the inside, John Cena's legacy was nothing but fraudulent. Sandow says it's no coincidence that what many consider to be the worst year of John Cena's career has come when his word's influence has grown backstage; the few beside him who he considered wise enough for his words to be fully bestowed upon, he's led upon this quest for salvation.

Cena calls Sandow a hypocrite, as Sanctuary has done nothing but work for Sandow's own personal gain since they were formed, as Sandow immediately refutes that claim, stating that this is for humanity's gain. Sandow says he's targeted John Cena for one reason and one reason only, and that is survival. Sandow says that all these men's trajectories led them to John Cena in the end, but he looked to break that trend and lure John Cena to work on his own time, all the while he studied everything that Cena did, and how he acted. He says his selfless actions in the meantime were noble for the cameras indeed, but they also took Cena's eyes off of the ball, and for him to know nothing about Sandow in return.

Sandow says all those beside him are there for a reason, and all of them now see that there are a great many issues with how this company is built in the current day, and they fully intend to correct all of them to fit his own vision, all in due time. After exposing Dwayne Johnson as nothing more than a swindler, the first order of business was to ensure the survival of all those fit to his new utopia, all of those who would meet the same criteria of the men whose livelihoods were entirely terminated because of one John Cena.

Sandow says he owes it to himself to avenge all of these men, and what he had to do was not only defeat, but humiliate John Cena in the biggest stage possible; so that every pair of eyes in the entire world would see the chicanery they had been subjected to for so long. Sandow challenges John Cena to meet him, no tomfoolery, one-on-one, for he will end the legacy of John Cena once and for all. Cena says that if the translation of all this bullcrap is that he gets to finally kick Sandow's ass at WrestleMania, he'd like nothing more than to use the pretentious Sandow to help kickstart a positive swing in his fortunes.

 

Austin Aries vs. Steve Austin

Austin Aries made his WWE debut on the Raw after SummerSlam, setting his sights on the legends of yesteryear in order to further his own name along. Stone Cold would be his first order in the slandering business, leading the Rattlesnake to promise retribution. Aries would ''defeat'' Hulk Hogan at Night of Champions, and after an unsuccessful spat with The Rock thanks to Roman Reigns, would still position himself as a top contender for the WWE Championship. Aries would earn a spot in the Royal Rumble Match by immediately backstabbing AJ Styles after their defeat of the New Age Outlaws, but Stone Cold would prevent Aries from making it to the match. Austin would again attack The Greatest Man That Ever Lived at the Elimination Chamber, setting the two up for a major confrontation.

Raw (Week 1, March 2014): Austin Aries enters the ring, claiming he's been unfairly targeted by a man who is so desperately grasping for any straw of relevance he's lost so long ago. He says ''Stone Cold'' Steve Austin might have once been great, but even he doesn't compare to the Greatest Man That Ever Lived. Stone Cold appears to an ovation, cracking open and drinking a few cold ones. He says it might be true good ole' Stone Cold's glory days are long gone. He says for years, he's been asked if he would have one last match, try one last run, but for years he'd say no.

Austin says his neck injuries cut his career shorter than he'd have liked it to, and doctors advised him not to come back, and he just could never really find a reason to get back in the business, because maybe it was time to let the next generation kick some ass in Stone Cold's stead. But then, SummerSlam happened. Austin says he was invited to reintroduce his Tough Enough protege Andy Leavine to the world, and he comes out the next night, and gets talked down by some skinny outsider S.O.B. who has a bone to pick with all who came before him. He says he went back to his ranch, drank a whole pack of cold ones after that, and forgot about it for a night. But the next day, all he wanted to do was to kick that sorry ass.

Austin says the pager 3:16 would not stop beeping, so he took a trip to the Royal Rumble and did the damn thing, and son, that revitalized the hell out of Stone Cold. Austin says he had forgotten how good it is to whoop pretentious ass, and now Stone Cold is fixing to get a new opportunity to do that again. He says for one night only, live and in color, same Stone Cold hour, same Stone Cold channel, with the approval of every damn doctor his side of Texas, he'll enter the ring one last time to do what the other men from his time can't give a rat's ass to do. He'll stomp a mudhole through Aries, who will at least be able to label himself The Greatest Man That Ever Had His Ass Whooped By Stone Cold.

He extends the challenge for WrestleMania. Aries says it will be a shame when Austin wakes up the next morning and realizes he's willingly stepping in the ring again to find out he can't hold a candle to those who have surpassed what was once seen as greatness. He accepts. Austin holds his hands high at that reply, the crowd going wild, as he throws a beer at Aries' hand, who doesn't expect it, following it with a Stunner! Austin says ain't no age going to ever affect Stone Cold's ability to open a can of whoop ass, and that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so!

 

Sting vs. The Undertaker - Career vs. Streak

After The Undertaker made his triumphant return at the Survivor Series to save AJ Styles' team from ruin, Sting would also appear in the rafters, and so he would sporadically appear over the next few months, stalking the WWE in search of the next sighting of the Phenom.

Raw (Week 4, February 2014): The gongs signal the arrival of the Deadman's Cometh, as The Undertaker makes his long walk to the ring, the crowd going wild in appreciation. Undertaker says it's been past an extended period of time since the reaper set his mark on his next victim's back, yet there has been no sign of that victim ever since. Taker says the reaper sees reasonings of his victims as futile, but for once, the reaper was actually tempted. He says that it is not common for a man to go after the reaper, it's not common for a man to run from his demise for multiple decades, only to so foolishly challenge the commandments of life as soon as he makes his presence known in his yard. He says that the reaper feels his victim's presence tonight, and this is his last chance of stating why he challenged the reaper, before the gates of hell unleash their will on him to force a discourse.



The crowd goes crazy as for the first time ever below the rafters, Sting has appeared in the WWE! The mood is eerie and the lights dim, as he carries his trademark black bat alongside him and joins The Undertaker in the ring, showing no fear whatsoever. Sting lets out a loud ''WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'' and the Bradley Center is in disbelief at the staredown. Sting says this has been years in the making. He says ever since WCW went under, he's been asked the same question, day in, day out. And the answer to that question is, there is no answer; the only thing for sure about Sting is that NOTHING is for sure. But he is here now, and that is all that matters. Sting says he's been observing the reaper up close all this time, watching how he operates, biding his time to strike. Sting points the bat at the WrestleMania sign, saying that there is no better time than the place where the reaper has made his name at.

21 victims, many of those with ties to him. Sting says he plans to be the one and only to end that and break the chain once and for all, and there is only one reason for that. He says their trajectories have been intertwined all this time from afar, and both of them had the knowledge that this would come to a head at some fateful point. All he had to do was gather enough strength after the grueling wars he had gone through, which admittedly was no excuse; but he wanted to give the reaper the best of Sting so that there would be nothing left in the ring but blood, guts and the one, true Icon of this business declared the winner. Sting said it took a long time, but he was finally there. And it wasn't as an emissary from WCW to fight for them, because it would be ridiculous at this point; But for himself, for his own legacy, to put an end to The Undertaker's.

The Undertaker says that very well, they shall put an end to this come WrestleMania. Undertaker says that 21 men came, 21 men made claims, 21 men had their soul sent to the hands of the devil. He says Sting may see himself as different from these men, but at the end, while one with a formidable history, he was but an ordinary man, made of flesh and blood. He stood no chance stepping into the ring with the Lord of Darkness himself. Undertaker says that the reaper extends one condition to their match at WrestleMania; should Sting fail his mission, he would not only be the latest to be sent to the grave; if he had put everything behind him to come to the reaper's presence, if he had built strength for so many years for this one meeting with the reaper, then he didn't deserve to continue fighting following defeat. Undertaker says that Sting's soul would be sent to rest in eternal damnation, and with that, his career would be over. Sting points the bat directly at The Undertaker, who doesn't back down or get fazed even a tiny bit, and simply says ''I accept''

 

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Much like in real life, Hulk Hogan makes a one-time appearance to announce the creation of a 30-Man Battle Royal to become an annual tradition in order to honor the legacy of Andre. Big Show positions himself as the early favorite, though the regime sought to end that early due to the giant having forcefully left their ranks in February. In a 4-on-1 handicap match before WrestleMania where no other wrestler could interfere lest they'd be fired, Big Show would come out victorious only due to interference from ''Superman'' himself, Shaquille O'Neal!

 

Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes OR Dustin Rhodes - World Heavyweight Championship

The rise of Daniel Bryan has been well documented in the recaps so far, I don't really know what else I could add

The Age of Orton was revived at the Elimination Chamber with the betrayal from Goldust, and it would take a hero's journey to put an end to it at WrestleMania. Would the added element of either Rhodes brother joining the fray change the complexion of the match?

I didn't really do a huge segment to further this feud because most of the work was done beforehand. Sorry if this one was anticlimactic!

 

I will be handing out individual thanks to everyone who's commented thus far and I haven't already addressed later tonight when I get Mania posted! I just need to say I am very grateful, if not stunned, for the early show of support either way!

[Dawn]

 

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Averno (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) vs. Alex Shelley (c)

Starting the Kickoff right off the bat with fans filling in the Mercedes-Benz superdome is some Cruiserweight action, as Alex Shelley is met with an initial onslaught trademark of rudo offense from the ''Luchador from Hell''. Averno's skillset was showcased to great lengths for all who were unfamiliar with him, and he no doubt offered Shelley his biggest, closest challenge to date. But the Cruiserweight's elite was able to utilize his superior speed to exhaust Averno as the match reached its climax, and Shining Wizard was enough for the win. (C-)

Shelley celebrates his win on the de facto opening bout, until he's blindsided by a masked man with a wrench! Tom Phillips questions if this is as a result of orders from The Aristocracy, but the man swings at Averno as well, before the rudo runs away with Ricardo Rodriguez. The masked man throws the Cruiserweight title on top of Shelley, before departing himself.

 

Vickie Guerrero Invitational

This was much like the Cruiserweight Open from early in the year at the Royal Rumble, and as we opened with Becky Lynch and Alicia Fox, Becky looked poised to go all the way. Alicia, Layla and Rosa Mendes would all fall victim to Disarmer. Summer Rae offered a challenge and showcased her gradual improvement since going under the arm of Fandango, before submitting herself. At the halfway mark comes...former NXT Women's Champion, Paige! Becky and Paige impress New Orleans with a very competitive portion of the matchup, and neither of them can utilize their signature maneuvers...until Becky is smashed from behind with Barbara Kelly's makeup box! Paige looks perhaps a bit disappointed with how it came to be, but shrugs it off as Paige Turner finishes off Becky with 4 opponents to go. Shantellé Bridgetté's rust, Serena's arrogance and Naomi's unwillingness to go as low as Paige all cost them their spot in this match, and lastly comes Natalya. This last portion mirrors the Becky-Paige portion in quality, though Natalya proves to be more resilient than the Irishwoman due to her superior experience. However, Paige takes Natalya by surprise with a small package counter to the Sharpshooter, and the 3 count is sudden but successful, Paige is the new #1 Contender! (C)

Renee Young steps out from the WrestleMania panel to interview Paige on her major win during her first night back from her stint in NXT, asking her the feeling of booking her WrestleMania moment. Paige says she didn't do this for the corporately created headline, she lives for the moment, and there will be many, many more to come courtesy of the future of this company. She says she will not rest until the image of women in the company is completely changed to fit her vision, and that begins by winning the ''Divas'' championship and giving it her own personal facelift; no matter who comes out of WrestleMania the champion, they are going to hear her screams in their nightmares.

 

Loser Must Serve the Winner For Life
Brie Bella vs. Nikki Bella

The contrast was obvious from the start, as Brie Bella wrestled a very hesitant matchup and Nikki looked to amp up the aggression and force her sister to fight back, just to fall down again every time due to Nikki's superior strength. Brie would gather energy to fight back thanks to the ever growing New Orleans crowd showering her in support with ''YES!'' chants, and she had Nikki reeling after a series of kicks, but she simply overpowered Brie by throwing her on the corner as Brie looked for Brie Buster, and the Rack Attack offered this one a sour ending. (C-)

 

 

Renee Young hosts a special edition of the Kickoff panel, featuring numerous Hall of Fame guests in attendance tonight, including the regulars in Booker T and 2014 inductee Lita, alongside Roddy Piper, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, The Million Dollar Man and JBL! The group recaps the large number of matches that WrestleMania XXX will have to offer, and Booker names his special WRESTLEMANIA SHUCKY DUCKY QUACK QUACK MOMENT the number Curtis Axel did on Triple H's office, and that Axel must go to a place he's never gone to before in order to defeat the King of Kings tonight - but he has all support of the Five Time, Five Time, Five Time, Five Time, Five Time World Champion to do so! Renee leads us to the ring for the final action of the Kickoff Show, before we go live with the Granddaddy of them All!

 

 

#1 Contender's Tournament Finals
The American Wolves (w/Kassius Ohno) vs. The Usos

As a Kickoff main event, this one delivered and then some. Two veteran teams looking to stamp their name in WWE lore, as The Wolves showcased their pristine technical wrestling expertise to wear down the quicker Usos early on, a tactic that was successful in order to have them control the entire middle portion of the match. But a miscommunication with Kassius Ohno to try and put the finishing touches in this one led to a fire being lit under The Usos, who showed their resilience with chops and slams, before Alley-Us on Eddie Edwards was enough to punch the Usos another chance at winning the tag team championship for the first time in their career. (B)

 

 

 

WWE WrestleMania XXX

April 6th, 2014

Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana

OC: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry ''The King'' Lawler

Meltzer Rating: A+ (100)

 

WrestleMania XXX opens to a shower of ''YES!'' chants right at the onset from the sold out Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as Jim Ross talks about the epic history of the big event, and how history will undoubtedly be made here tonight as well!

 

 

The show opens with Hulk Hogan rallying up the fans in the crowd with his usual posing, the celebration starting early on with the man who main evented the very first edition of WrestleMania! Hogan welcomes all the Hulkamaniacs here tonight in the Silverdome, bringing laughs from the audience, as he realizes his mistake, and says it must be the air in the building here tonight, because it feels like it was yesterday that he bodyslammed Andre the Giant and 93 thousand Hulkamaniacs screamed out of their lungs and helped make WrestleMania as big as Andre was, man! Hogan says tonight, one man will honor Andre's legacy and be tied to it for the rest of his career, while many others will also have the opportunity to be immortalized in the history books. This is WrestleMania, dude, and it's for all the marbles!

 

 

The Superdome erupts once more as the SmackDown Sheriff makes his way down to the ring, asking the audience if they can feel it, if they can smell it...the pure electricity in the air that is only possible at WrestleMania. The Rock says that The Rock and Hulk Hogan together in one ring is a phenomenon only brought together by this season, and they are here to have some fun with all the fans here tonight, because FINALLY, THE RRRRRRRRRRRROCK HAS COME BACK...TO THE SILVERDOME. The fans laugh once more, as Rock has a riot at Hulk's expense. Rock says that this calls for more, and says The Rock thinks someone is missing, a certain drunk, bald jabroni, and Hogan agrees, but says he'll find another way to kick ass here tonight! Rock says that The Rock and Hulk Hogan owe it to The People to start this one off on the right foot, but this night isn't about them; it is about all The People who will feel the magic and head straight down to SmackDown Hotel by the end of the night, and says 9 months from now, we will be selling The Rock bibs to The People's babies. Rock smiles, as he says it's not just about that, as The Rock must acknowledge the current generation of performers who have a major opportunity to make their names like The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and so many have done courtesy of WrestleMania in the past. So with that out of the way, The Rock sincerely hopes everyone in attendance enjoys the show they have in store here tonight, IF YA SMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING. Rock and Hogan pose to their respective theme songs, leaving the crowd in cheers!

 

 

Uh, if it hadn't been more obvious that this would happen in the recaps, Bray Wyatt won his match against the OC lol. No need to recap. A lot of good stuff coming for Bray, don't you worry.

 

Rating: B

 

 

Backstage, Barbara Kelly enters the scene of a locker room filled with the Hall of Fame inductees, as Barbara orders the fossils to let her know where Stephanie McMahon is. Lita offers Barbara words of encouragement for her unprecedented situation in the women's division, but also tells her if she calls her a fossil ever again, she will feed Barbara her teeth. Barbara spots Stephanie entering a locker room, and is unable to race her there, as the door is closed on her face.

 

WWE World Tag Team Championship
Drew McIntyre & Wade Barrett (w/Paul Heyman) vs. John Morrison & The Miz vs. The Shield

Barrett and McIntyre knew right away in this one that the four challengers would look to isolate them and keep them out of the match entirely, and so they applied the strategy of stopping the pace of this one completely whenever they had the chance in order to allow the other half to recover. This was perhaps to the detriment of the match's quality, but Barrett and McIntyre were not looking for style points in this grinded out title defense. Though all challengers had their moment of shine, a blind tag from Barrett aided by Paul Heyman led to an exhausted Miz hitting Skull Crushing Finale on McIntyre to no avail, and a quick reflex for the Bullhammer from Barrett was enough for their reign to survive another night.

Rating: C+

 

 

Renee Young is backstage with the WWE Champion CM Punk, as Paul Heyman approaches from the celebration with Barrett and McIntyre, citing the previous match as just the first on a clean sweep tonight. He tells Punk not to be proud and allow the waves to take their natural course against AJ Styles. Punk says if there's one thing no one can stop him from being is proud. He says that Paul should rest assured AJ Styles will learn his place tonight, and if Paul is smart, he will know his as well.

 

Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin Rhodes

The two half-brothers might have met the previous year at SummerSlam, but compared to that story of self-discovery and confusion, this was pure, unadulterated, built up frustration coming from both sides, with both having a multitude of reasons not only to defeat, but completely maim the other. Cody's youth and superior energy bought him multiple portions of control, but Dustin was determined not to let his brother and career get away this easily. He mounted a vintage, bowling shoe ugly Texas style offense that had Cody unresponsive, and had this one won after a Bulldog. However, he looked to add insult to injury with the tire iron behind the referee's back as he misunderstood Dusty trying to warn him of the weapon's presence, but a stutter led to the swing misconnecting with Cody, who quickly responded with a swing of his own. A very emotional Cody then hooked Dustin for the Cross Rhodes, and a hesitant pinfall for the three count meant possible retribution for the former World Heavyweight Champion here tonight...and the end of Dustin's career.

Rating: B

In tears, Cody and Dusty embrace the other, as Dusty tells his son to ''go finish your duty''. Eden also shows up to give her boyfriend a tender hug and kiss. Meanwhile, Dustin Rhodes finds himself unable to look at any of the three in the ring, licking his wounds amidst the crowd's delight, leaving the arena for what may very well be the final time. The camera pans to The American Dream one final time as he exchanges a glance with Dustin, one undoubtedly full of heart wrenching pain on both sides.

 

 

Bourbon Street Fight
Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman and Sable) vs. Dean Ambrose

This one had no time to rest from the very start, as Ambrose and Lesnar made their intentions pretty clear that they didn't want the other to leave New Orleans standing. Ambrose had the early advantage by carving The Beast's forehead and back utilizing barbed wire wrapped bats, and he also threw everything else he could find and the kitchen sink at Lesnar, culminating in a diving elbow drop assisted by a trash can lid. But Lesnar would boot the lid on Ambrose's face as he charged, and that was all The Beast needed to change the tempo to his favor, taking Ambrose to the flurry of German Suplexes he had made him familiar to last month. Paul Heyman provided Lesnar with brass knuckles, all legal in this environment, and soon Ambrose also wore a crimson mask with the ugly strikes the former UFC Champion dished out at him. Lesnar would not be satisfied with that, of course, proceeding to make Ambrose go through everything he had with the barbed wire earlier on, and unleashing a series of thumbtacks in the middle of the ring. Brock looked to F-5 Ambrose on them, but Ambrose desperately slipped out, and a struggle ensued at the spanish announce table area, leading to Lesnar brutally tackling Ambrose through the table. As Lesnar recovered, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins would appear in opposite sides of the crowd, emulating Lesnar's intimidation tactics, and though they never physically interacted with The Beast, this would take his attention away long enough to allow Ambrose to recover, with repeated kendo stick shots to the back! Ambrose would then hit two Dirty Deeds on the exposed floor, but the superhuman Lesnar would kick out at 2 and a half inside the ring, leading to a frustrated Ambrose sizing him up in the tacks, but Lesnar countered out of desperation with a German Suplex that barely missed the tacks but sent Ambrose flying across the ring!

Sable steps up on the apron to provide Brock with an enhanced pair of knucks, as Lesnar kisses his wife in a blatant disregard of Ambrose, who responds by shoving Lesnar right onto her! Ambrose follows that up by pulling and dropping the speechless Lesnar straight onto the tacks, and Paul Heyman screams in disbelief and shock! Ambrose hits a third and final Dirty Deeds on The Beast, as he drapes his arm over Lesnar's lifeless body, Dean Ambrose has conquered The Beast!

Rating: B+

Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins join their brother inside the ring, helping him back to his feet and nodding in respect of the unhuman feat he just accomplished. The three spot Lesnar slowly getting back to his feet somehow, someway at ringside, as Reigns and Rollins lead the charge to continue the assault on him! Ambrose stumbles his way to reposition the spanish announce table, and as Reigns howls, with all their combined strength even though Paul Heyman pleads for mercy with his client, the Triple Powerbomb puts The Beast out of commission, this time for good! The Shield stands tall at WrestleMania, as justice has been served!

 

 

Mask vs. Mask
Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara

The former friends finally came to blows in a confrontation that had been in the making since the Survivor Series, and this was a showcase of lucha libre style wrestling at its highest level, something that had not been seen before in a WWE ring. The infant fans at ringside had a hard time picking sides here, as many still held affection for the conflicted Rey Mysterio, which mirrored both the pace of the match in a very competitive, nonstop bout, and also the climax; as Mysterio had the match in hand when he untied the turnbuckle pad and looked ready to smash Cara's face in, he would completely stop dead in his tracks, and sit down in complete conflict with himself. Cara would give Rey time to recover and come to blows with him again, but Mysterio would never regain control, as a failed 619 led to La Mistica, and Mysterio could not hold on for long before submitting.

Rating: B

A dejected Mysterio ends up respecting the conclusion of this one, as many fans go on to see him completely without his mask for the first time ever. Cara shows Mysterio respect as he goes through the tough moment, and extends his hand for his former friend, but he is attacked from behind by Averno and Hunico! The two invite Rey to join them, but he would never exchange a single glance with anyone in the ring for the rest of the night, instead taking a long and slow walk out of the scene. Sin Cara retaliates against his attackers, and the fans shower him with love, as Cole notes we might have seen an unwilling passing of the torch here tonight.

 

 

Beth Phoenix vs. Kharma

This was one of the purest power matches WWE fans would ever come to witness in female wrestling, as Kharma looked to collect the debts of The Glamazon. Beth displayed many impressive feats of strength, including lifting Kharma on her shoulders, but every time she looked to gain any traction in this one, she would be derailed by Kharma's will. After toying with Beth and tossing her around the ring to weaken her, the Implant Buster proved enough to defeat one of the most dominant women in WWE history in imposing fashion.

Rating: B

 

 

Backstage, Renee Young asks Curtis Axel a simple question: how will he get past Triple H tonight. Axel says his father could never have a true WrestleMania moment in his legendary career, but he has the chance to rectify that by writing his own chapter tonight and pave the way for future generations of his family as well. So to answer her question, he would bring years of studying his craft to the table tonight and make his father proud. Tonight, the genesis begins. Axel sends a kiss to the sky, before heading out of the scene.

 

Curtis Axel vs. Triple H

After not being in the ring for nearly 2 years, Triple H showed no signs of slowing down as he pummeled the young, brash and determined Axel early on. The announcers discussed Axel's quest to represent the locker room against the tyranny of Triple H, and this defiance was shown here as Axel would not back down from anything The Game dished at him. Axel showed strength to return from long, stretched out rest holds, and in the biggest match of his career, he took Hunter to the limit, showing the long, hard earned improvement and pay of dues. As Axel took control, The Game desperately took it to assaulting the official, and after a sledgehammer attack on Axel, a second official finally appeared to make a run to the ring through the long stage. Hunter ordered him not to call the disqualification, but as he set up Axel for the Pedigree, this came back to bite him as Axel punched Hunter in the groin out of instinct! The referee looked inclined not to call a disqualification for that either out of spite, and Axel hit Perfect-Plex for the successful three count, the biggest win of his career!

Rating: B

 

 

WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel is in the ring next, as we dedicate the next few minutes to welcome the 2014 class of the WWE Hall of Fame!

 

''Cyndi Lauper!''

''The Man They Call Vader!''

''Lita!''

''Represented by his sons, Michael and Daniel, Paul Bearer!''

''Represented by his daughters, Brittany and Kimberly, Diamond Dallas Page!''

''The Ultimate Warrior!''

''And, the former Chairman of the board in WWE, MR. MCMAHON!''

''Ladies and gentlemen, the 2014 class of the WWE Hall of Fame!''

 

WWE Divas Championship
AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn

Stephanie McMahon makes her way to the stage at the conclusion of the ceremony, kissing her wheelchair bound father, before heading down to ringside, where a chair has been set up for her to watch the next matchup closely!

This longstanding rivalry looked to reach its final conclusion here, with all stakes having been turned up to eleven since the former best friends had last met at SummerSlam. AJ Lee showed a level of ferocity that had the champion on skates early on, but as has been the case during her year-plus long championship reign, Kaitlyn's breed of strength and athleticism gave her the edge over AJ that she needed to rebound from these periods. The two then reached a stalemate, that would be broken by a magnificent counter of AJ's part, turning the champion's Gutbuster into Black Widow! Kaitlyn had nowhere to go at that point, but used all her remaining core strength to...redirect the two of them onto the referee, knocking him down? AJ is forced to relinquish the hold at that point, and as both women show the wounds of battle, Stephanie makes her move at ringside, retrieving a chair and throwing it into the ring! She prepares to take a swing at AJ, but she goes back to her feet just in time to stare a hole through Stephanie, as AJ rips the chair from her hands, and prepares to strike...

...BUT...

...FROM BEHIND!

Kaitlyn swipes the chair from behind, and clocks AJ in the face with it! As she rises back to her feet again, she stares at Stephanie...and the two share a smile together? Kaitlyn lifts AJ's carcass back up for the Gutbuster-Spear combo, and though the referee is still out of it, Stephanie puts on the stripes herself and counts the 1, 2, 3! What the hell is going on here?

Rating: B-
Notes: Yes, this was a double turn.

Stephanie McMahon applauds as Kaitlyn is declared still your Divas Champion, and lifts her arm high in the air with a satisfied smile on both women's faces. At the top of the stage, the camera shows a shot of Barbara Kelly, mouth agape, finally finding out why Stephanie had been dodging her this whole time: she already had her ace right under her nose! Kaitlyn shoves AJ's lifeless body out of the ring with her feet, looking with disgust at her as Stephanie adds insult to injury with a Pedigree to the concrete on AJ! AJ is carried out by the EMT team, as J.R. claims that, whatever may have caused the origins of this alliance, they have certainly proceeded in getting rid of their number one enemy here tonight, and this doesn't bode well for the rest of the women's division now that both women find themselves at full power once again.

 

A video package showcases the history between WWE Champion CM Punk and AJ Styles, on their past and how their careers came to change direction, and how they have found each other in a collision course again in WWE. The package features ''Run On'' by Blues Saraceno.

 

 

WWE Championship
AJ Styles vs. CM Punk (w/Paul Heyman)

It was day 868 of the often controversial, but undoubtedly legendary WWE Championship run of CM Punk, but that information didn't have any impact on AJ Styles' performance, as he took to a direct assault against Punk early on and scored a series of quick nearfalls that had Punk gasping. What followed would be an expertly crafted, drawn out period where both men got their shots in, both men struck quick counters and attempted to put this one to bed with submission holds, but neither one seemed to run out of gas, even at the 20 minute mark. Styles then looked for Phenomenal Forearm, but was caught in midair by Punk, who pulled him down for Anaconda Vise! Styles would barely get his foot on the ropes, and Paul Heyman looked to call Punk for an audible, which the WWE Champion refused to attend, so he was tripped up by Styles and locked in Calf Killer! The sheer will of CM Punk made so he did not submit here, but the damage was done by the time he caught the ropes. Styles looked for Styles Clash, but was backdropped out of the ring, and as Punk gathered all his remaining vertical strength for a suicide dive, Styles would pull Paul Heyman to be in harm's way alongside him, softening the impact! Punk is irate at Heyman for that, and as he drags AJ back to the ring, he sets him up for Go To Sleep, but his leg gives up completely before he can fully lift AJ, who comes down in perfect position for Styles Clash, and as Charles Robinson counts the successful pinfall, AJ Styles has ended the more than 2 year long reign of CM Punk!

Rating: A (96)

As AJ Styles is given the top prize in sports today, the former champion in CM Punk regains his composure, with Paul Heyman looking at what is happening with an increasingly sour expression. The tension remains in the air between the two men, but Punk...shakes AJ's hand! The Superdome erupts in cheers, as CM Punk has given his blessing to the man who has dethroned him after so long, before leaving without looking at Heyman. Styles continues the celebration, as he has proven his valor in the grandest stage!

Notes: CM Punk has turned face, the turn was a complete success.

 

 

Batista vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Torrie Wilson)

The Animal looked to go to work quickly in this one, as he knocked Ziggler's head off of his shoulders with a massive clothesline. Batista would then unleash a series of power moves on the Show-Off, and this one seemed to be heading south for Ziggler as Batista ran for a Spear...BUT DOLPH COUNTERED! A massive, perfectly timed Superkick catches Batista completely off-guard, and Ziggler combines that with the Fame Asser and then the Zig Zag, which is enough for the quick and stunning pinfall!

Rating: B-

 

A video package shows us the history between Damien Sandow and John Cena, how Cena hasn't been successful in major action since his Money in the Bank Ladder Match win in July of 2012, and how Damien Sandow has declared it his mission to expose the fraud that is the wrestler and person John Cena here tonight. The package features the song ''Legacy'' by Eminem.

 

 

Damien Sandow vs. John Cena

The months of torment by the hands of Damien Sandow had finally built to this moment for John Cena, as he spared none of his fire and went right at Sandow with fury, a strategy that the Intellectual Savior swiftly countered by leaving the ring and running from Cena, to try and make him spend all his stamina early on. After that, the up tempo of this one slowed down considerably to Sandow's liking, though Cena was still able to overpower and offer brief flurries of offense to show he was still in. As Sandow missed a cartwheel elbow, Cena took control again, battering Sandow with the trademark Cena comeback. Five Knuckle Shuffle set Sandow up for AA, but Sanctuary would make their way down, though each of them would be knocked down by Cena. This brief interval, however, distracted the official enough that when Cena went for the AA again, Serena pulled Cena's legs from ringside, making Sandow fall on top! The Terminus followed, and Damien Sandow had kept his promise to the world, to audible gasps from the John Cena fans in attendance!

Rating: B+

Sandow basks in the shock of the crowd, as his proteges all gather in the ring, and Mason Ryan locks Cena in the full nelson hold, with Sandow grabbing a microphone, and talking about how THIS is the hero they've chosen to back up for so long, the man who has destroyed so many livings, so many families, so many careers, the one man who looked to set this company and maybe even the world back for decades! Sandow tells all to take a good look at how PATHETIC and WEAK John Cena is, how POWERLESS he is at the sight of his legacy being destroyed! Sandow says that knowledge is power, and he knew full well that Cena would try to end this one early when he saw his understudies were not alongside him! He tells Cena that he's completely and utterly irrelevant as of right now, and that he shall have a fun ride coming back to that reality after he inevitably takes a few months to ''recharge the batteries''. All the while, he will continue to build a mental stronghold for himself and all of Sanctuary, and all those who once followed John Cena shall LISTEN TO HIM, RESPECT HIM, and join the path of ENLIGHTENMENT!

 

 

Austin Aries vs. Steve Austin

This one got off the rails very quickly, as Stone Cold took the fight to Austin Aries at ringside before the match was even declared official, stomping a mudhole through his smaller opponent and throwing him around the ringside area, but Aries turned the tide by ramming Austin's knee on the steel steps, giving him an inherent advantage as the official was finally able to mantain order and start the match. The tough son of a gun in Stone Cold would still charge at Aries with strikes every now and then, but The Greatest Man That Ever Lived was able to completely limit the effectiveness of Stone Cold's approach by continuing to target the knee. This left Stone Cold with nowhere to go as Aries applied Last Chancery, applying pressure both to the knee and to Stone Cold's surgically repaired neck, and though Stone Cold would never submit, the official felt it was the most sensible decision for Stone Cold's health to call the match off on a technical knockout in Aries' favor as Austin passed out, akin to WrestleMania 13, but under even more dire circumstances.

Rating: B
Notes: Definitely a recent decision I disagree with nowadays, but I worked around it to everyone's benefit.

 

After the fans pelt the ring with garbage during Aries' celebration for spoiling the one-time return to the ring of Stone Cold, another video package details the careers of The Undertaker in the WWE and Sting in WCW, and what brought them to come to a head right here. It's Career vs. Streak, as something has to give. Mark Collie's ''In Time'' plays on the background.

 

 

Career vs. Streak
Sting vs. The Undertaker

This was it. The moment many fans all across the globe had been waiting for. And though the age of both men had slowed them down considerably by this point, the spectacle was perhaps the greatest of the night by a considerable margin. Every move built up to something with a bigger impact, as neither one of the two truly took control for the entirety of the match. Sting wowed the Superdome with a Stinger Splash, amidst chants of ''you belong here'', and he looked to finish The Phenom with Scorpion Deathlock, but the legend of The Undertaker lived another day as he successfuly countered it into Hell's Gate. Sting struggled in the devilish hold, but was able to escape it himself by slamming Undertaker in the turnbuckle and following it with a second Stinger Splash. But Undertaker caught a second wind, and took Sting to Old School and Last Ride, before looking for the Tombstone Piledriver, which connected, leading to an insane nearfall as Sting gasped for air! Undertaker signals for the slit throat, and goes for another Tombstone!

...BUT STING COUNTERS IT, AND LOOKS FOR THE SCORPION DEATH DROP!

HE HITS!

1...




2...








...NO! UNDERTAKER KICKS OUT!

STING LIFTS UNDERTAKER FOR ANOTHER SCORPION DEATH DROP!

BUT UNDERTAKER COUNTERS IT INTO THE TOMBSTONE!

1...






2...







...3!

Rating: B-

The 22-0 sign appears on the big screen, as a silence of appreciation is shown for both men and what they had just endured. Sting grabs his hips, and looks very much disappointed with himself, but points at Undertaker and nods in a sign of respect, a sign that is returned by Undertaker with a tip of his hat. The Superdome applauds Sting as he makes his departure, and Undertaker kneels as he watches the slow walk, before turning off the lights. Sting falls short in his goal to cement himself in the annals of the WWE and must retire, as The Streak lives for another year, even if just barely.

 

A commercial is shown for WrestleMania 31, which will be streaming live on the WWE Network on March 29th, 2015, from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California!

 

 

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

30 Men: The inaugural edition of this bout would begin with pure chaos, as every other man in the ring looked to gang up on the two giants, but instead, Shaq and Big Show threw their differences aside for their own greater good, and Show ended up throwing Mark Henry off his balance with WMD enough for a crowd of men to swarm him and eliminate the World's Strongest Man! Shaq would also backdrop a charging Brodus Clay to his elimination, surprising and frustrating big Brodus! Heath Slater was on dire straits early on, but utilized Brad Maddox as a human shield, and he was gone courtesy of Justin Gabriel.

20 Men: It would be Big E who would score the big elimination of Shaq, tackling him head on, and he would follow that by eliminating his own teammate and TV Champion in Elijah Burke! Ryback then dominated this portion of the matchup, eliminating names such as Alex Riley, Zack Ryder, Bo Dallas and even Kofi Kingston. The remaining men regrouped in the ring, but Ryback was rolling and demanding to be fed more.

10 Men: Big Show would still be standing, alongside the Intercontinental and United States Champions Slater and Del Rio, Fandango, Ryback, Sheamus, Cesaro, Big E, Chris Jericho and Christian! Fandango is the first casualty courtesy of a Brogue Kick, while Jericho and Christian take advantage of the faltering alliance between Slater and Del Rio to throw the United States Champion out. While Slater survives for the time being, he is soon eliminated by...Cyndi Lauper? Jericho and Christian then each read the other in trying to be the first to backstab, which leads to Cesaro lifting both of them over at the same time! Big E was soon gone due to WMD taking the wind out of him, and we had our final four!

Big Show, Cesaro, Ryback and Sheamus

Final Four: Ryback and Sheamus looked to mantain their uneasy alliance to survive the superior size of Big Show, and an inadvertent assist from Show to Cesaro came as Show threw Sheamus high in the air to counter Brogue Kick, and Cesaro followed that up with a massive Very European Uppercut! Sheamus was soon a goner with the combined efforts of both men, and though Ryback's dominance was able to contain the two for a brief period of time, Cesaro attempted to pull the same maneuver he had done with Vitamin C earlier, though only Ryback went over, and Big Show somehow held on! The big man absorbed everything Cesaro threw at him, and as he toyed with Cesaro with a military press, he looked to send him over and end this one!

BUT CESARO LANDS BEHIND BIG SHOW! AN UPPERCUT!

AND OH MY GOD, HE LIFTS THE BIG SHOW AND THROWS HIM OVER THE TOP AND OUT!

Rating: B-

The Superdome erupts at the great feat of strength shown and major win from Cesaro, as Big Show can do nothing but shake his hand, coming that close to winning the match he claimed he was destined to! Cesaro receives the trophy, and lifts it up high, amidst all the adulation! Cesaro has put his name on the map with a WrestleMania moment, as the first Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner!

 

A video package shows us the events that have led to tonight's main event for the World Heavyweight Championship; its major focus is on everything that has happened to Daniel Bryan since he came to the WWE. ''Monster'' by Imagine Dragons is the song that accompanies the video.

 

 

World Heavyweight Championship
Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

The conflict between Bryan and Orton was known to all fans, but the extra ingredient added at the last moment in Cody Rhodes would prove to be an interesting dynamic changer. Bryan fed off of the energy of the fans to take charge early and knock them down with simultaneous YES! kicks to both, but Orton would hurl Bryan to the concrete and put his momentum to a complete halt. Then it became the World champion's turn to dissect his challengers, a nasty backdrop to Cody on the main announce table that formed a welt on his back, and he relished on each stomp through Bryan's extremities, urging the cameras to pick his reactions from up close. The time Orton took to do all this gave Cody time to return to the fray, as he and Orton slugged it out in their usual back and forth rhythm, and Cody took the reins with Disaster Kick, but Bryan was able to save it! Cody and Bryan then circled each other, and their exchange led to the crowd being on the edge of their seats, including Cody barely escaping from the Yes Lock, but as Bryan gathered the love from the fans again, Orton jacked him from out of nowhere with an RKO as Bryan looked for the Busaiku Knee on Cody! Neither Cody and Orton could capitalize on a pinfall as they both knew the other would break it up, and Orton instead threw Bryan aside to take on Cody one on one again. This time, it spilled to the outside again, with Orton delivering the apron DDT on the concrete! Orton then eyed the tire iron on the top of the steps, and unleashed a vicious assault on Cody with it, his screams heard throughout the Superdome! Back in the ring, Orton amps up the pressure with a powerslam and a knee drop, and starts pounding the canvas, calling for the RKO!

BUT CODY COUNTERS, AND SHOVES HIM TO THE APRON! AND HITS HIM WITH THE TIRE IRON! HE HOOKS HIM UP FOR CROSS RHODES!

































BUT BRYAN COMES FLYING IN WITH BUSAIKU KNEE!

Daniel Bryan hits the knee on the exposed Cody Rhodes, who is rendered out of it for the remainder of this one, as Bryan turns his attention to Orton and locks him in the Yes Lock! The Superdome watches on in anxiety as the World Heavyweight Champion resists for nearly a full minute, but the roof blows off of the building when Orton gives in to the pain and calls it quits in the middle of the ring!

Rating: A (96)

The vast majority of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is filled with pure joy as Daniel Bryan is handed the World Heavyweight Championship, having finally reached the position of recognition he's sought for so long! Jim Ross calls that a miracle has just taken place on Bourbon Street, as Bryan leads New Orleans to the biggest, loudest party of the YES! Movement, their purpose having finally been fulfilled, Daniel Bryan having kept his word, and at the end of the grandest stage of them all, the cinderella story has reached the happiest of endings. The celebration doesn't stop as J.R. calls for us to fade to black, as the fireworks blast through the stage, thank you for being with us for another edition of WrestleMania!

Notes: Ignore the WWE Championship in the image lol.

[Dawn]

Absolutely exhausted as I first intended to just quick recap everything but key matches in that WrestleMania, but then I remembered I really freaking tried to make every match seem important

 

Will answer these really quick and go to sleep since I have a play to act on tomorrow! Either tomorrow (Thursday) when I get home if I'm not too tired or Friday at the latest, we'll get this party started with the weekly shows!

 

This looks great so far my friend. Hearing names like Mason Ryan makes me smile! Thought it was an invasion from TNA at first with AJ, and then Aries... I'll be following along

 

It is an honor and a privilege to have you along for the board, Lloyd! Your modern WWE diaries are some of the primary references people have on the board, and I strive to meet their quality and longetivity! You are also doing an amazing job with the Invasion, which speaks to the range you have as a writer. Great to have you here!

 

This is tremendous and put together very well. I will be following along.

 

Thank you for the compliments, kanegan! And welcome aboard to the ride. I fear Kane's level of usage is very up and down in the diary, though!

 

World champ Cody!!

 

Great work so far nice read!

 

Thank you, Puto! Your TCW diary has been a nice read in its own to me from what I've read thus far. And yes, Cody Rhodes is one of my favorites in real life, so it's to be expected that I'd give him a major role in the diary. It might be obvious who some of my favorites are outside of him, but I try not to be TOO biased!

 

This looks great so far, can see an absolute ton of work has gone into it. Will definitely be following!

 

Thank you, PuroJoshi! Undoubtedly a lot of work from my spare time has gone into this, for me to have the trouble of editing enormous databases for it every time a computer of mine decides to do a funny with me

 

Welcome along to the ride and I hope you enjoy what's to come. It really warms my heart to see happy faces reading my work.

[Dawn]

 

WWE Monday Night Raw

April 7th, 2014

Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana

OC: Michael Cole, Jerry ''The King'' Lawler and Joey Styles

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Trent Barreta defeats Primo with Dudebuster DDT. (B-)

 

''The Shield's Justice''

 

 

• The show opens with the NEW World Heavyweight Champion in Daniel Bryan making his way to the ring amidst the jeers and rabid ''YES!'' chants from the Smoothie King Center, the post-WrestleMania hangover celebration under way. Bryan is welcomed by chants of ''you deserve it'' among other things, and as he's finally allowed to speak, he thanks every single fan of his who has been along for the ride. It's been long and it's been arduous, but he can finally say that Daniel Bryan stands atop the WWE mountain, this championship reign is for all those who believed in him, and he promises to build the prestige of the World Heavyweight Championship like no one has done before, he will be a fighting champion and bust his ass inside the ring taking on all comers!

 

 

Suddenly, Triple H's theme song plays, and he comes out to the ring alongside wife Stephanie, with the quick realization by Cole that the two are now fully aligned again. Hunter brings a fake applause with him, congratulating Daniel and saying that he finally won the big one, but if he's been in this business long enough, he knows there's a saying in it; it's easier to get to the top than to stay in there, and that will be true tenfold with Daniel Bryan. Hunter says that, due to Bryan's Royal Rumble victory, there was nothing he could have done to nullify his main event, but in all the hijacking and YES! movement cinderella bullcrap, he was able to add a tiny little stipulation to last night, one Daniel Bryan did not notice in all his fury during the past few months; Daniel Bryan is the World Heavyweight Champion, and he very well may be a fighting champion as he promises! But he will never be the champion the people deserve. So to ensure that WHEN Daniel Bryan fails as champion, the fans are able to see through this whole charade for good, a stipulation was added to last night's contract.

 

Hunter says that last night, had Daniel Bryan been successful in his pursuit, which he was, the contract stated that Daniel Bryan is not to lose the championship during the year 2014, or else he will NEVER challenge for ANY world championship in the WWE ever again. Hunter says there will always be a nice little spot for Bryan when that happens, a spot dictated by those who know what the hell works in this industry. He tells Bryan good luck, as the clock starts ticking right now on that stipulation, and there are a whole lot of hungry wolves in that locker room who want to tear through the goat.

 

 

Batista and Randy Orton sorround the ring, but not before the new WWE Champion in AJ Styles appears! AJ says maybe Triple H's personal vendetta has clouded his memory, but Daniel Bryan was not the only person to win a world championship last night. AJ says if there's one thing he could agree with CM Punk on all this time, is that the show must end with the WWE Champion on top, and he'll make sure Hunter, Stephanie and all those in charge know who he is and where he came from; he says in this case, Daniel Bryan also deserves a slice of the adulation. Hunter says he's had that adulation for long enough, and it's now time we came back to the real world for a change. Hunter says Styles was scheduled to have the night off after his 30 minute match the previous night, but he couldn't help himself, so now it gave him an idea. Tonight's main event would pitch AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan teaming up with Batista and Randy Orton...with both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships on the line. As the champions ponder this announcement, Batista is seen arguing with Triple H about something, and Orton just leaves in silence, before we head to a commercial break.

 

 

 

• As Shannon Moore is inside the ring and is introduced by Lilian Garcia, out comes ''The Ravishing Russian'' Lana from NXT, who demands attention from all in attendance. She says the people of America will now get to have a first hand look at the man who has been trained to crush all those who dare stand in his way, all the pathetic volunteers to fight in front and in honor of such a miserable country. This man has been crowned a supreme athlete of the Russian Federation by the great Vladimir Putin himself...RUSEV!

 

Match #1: Rusev (w/Lana) defeats Shannon Moore with The Accolade. (D; 2:47)

 

 

 

• The former WWE Champion in CM Punk makes his way to the ring next, as Cole recaps how his 868 day run finally came to an end at the hands of AJ Styles the previous night. Punk walks through the ring while flipping the microphone, before sitting down in the middle of the ring. He says first things first, AJ Styles got the better of him at WrestleMania, and he certainly deserves to hold that WWE Championship right now. Punk tells AJ that the next time they get into the ring together, he will amp up his game even more, because he's the [CENSOR] Best in the World, CM Punk, and that's what he does day in and day out. He says he's always come out and told everyone he doesn't wear a white hat and he is an asshole, so he certainly won't apologize for anything that has happened the past couple of years; but he will say he lost track of what was truly important to himself, and it all only fully came to him last night. He hopes he will be able to rebuild the image of CM Punk not for anyone else, but for himself. CM Punk doesn't follow orders of a dozen yes men, CM Punk tells these men to go screw themselves.

 

 

Out comes Paul Heyman alongside the WWE World Tag Team Champions, Barrett and McIntyre, and after Heyman expresses his disappointment with Punk, McIntyre is quick to insult Punk's ''betrayal'', saying he knew he had better men behind him all the time, and pushed his weight around anyway, but now without Punk, they would be able to untap their potential. He tells Punk his time on top was long, but now it's over, and he will move out of the way for the future of this company, whether he likes it or not, and he better get the hell out of that ring so they will show these people what they're talking about. Punk leaves, flustered, without uttering any more words.

 

Match #2: The Usos defeat Drew McIntyre & Wade Barrett © (w/Paul Heyman) to WIN the WWE World Tag Team Championship after CM Punk kicked McIntyre in the back of the head behind the referee's back, leading to a flurry that concluded in Alley-Us on McIntyre for the twins to get their first championship win in the WWE. (B; 13:40)

 

 

 

• Stephanie McMahon returns to the ring, this time, to introduce us to the most dominant Divas Champion in the history of the company, the one woman who fooled all of us, a woman with such cunning and malice inside her, Stephanie thought she was talking to herself once business started to be discussed! Stephanie tells everyone to get used to seeing this woman as champion, because she was the one and only fit to carry the division today. KAITLYN!

 

 

 

The Divas Champion joins Stephanie with a huge grin on her face, as Stephanie can't contain her own joy, saying it's been long enough for a woman to grow some balls and take the reins to herself, no matter what personal cost! She says Kaitlyn put herself at the top of the food chain and ran with it, and now, it was time to assert herself. Stephanie tells all the women in the back that THIS is what you should strive to be, and any resistance will be met with harsh consequences. Kaitlyn says years ago, she came to this company and was treated like no more than a hooker. She won a competition that guaranteed her a championship match, yet she was never given that match until years later. She had to dance with Michael Cole, carry out a midget on a wheelbarrow, and pay her dues with the criticism she received for her inexperience. That carried out when Eve Torres tried to drive her out, and she can't thank her enough for all her failures; the humiliation made her realize how weak and pathetic she had become. When her best friend of years tried to do the same and Kaitlyn felt nothing, she realized she had grown past her failures, and become the true alpha female in the WWE. She says she had been friends with AJ a long while, that is true, but there was simply no place for AJ in her division any longer, as she had started to bore her and it had become clear she would not be leaving her be, and so, she was forced to enact a plan to get rid of her, and there was only one other person who shared that same feeling. Kaitlyn and Steph share a smile, as Kaitlyn says it was nothing personal, it was just...best. for. business.

 

 

A (physically and mentally) hurt AJ appears before the two, as Stephanie grins and says that she is not one to make false claims, and that AJ would be dealt with, making a signal to the back, as a group of orderlies from an asylum appear to attempt and grab AJ by force! AJ leaves via the crowd with the group behind her, with Stephanie screaming orders as Kaitlyn looks unimpressed.

 

 

Kaitlyn and Stephanie are then met by the arrival of the #1 Contender in former NXT Women's Champion Paige, who had made her debut in WWE programming the year prior, and says she doesn't care about the history between any of them or who happens to say they run the show; she re-introduces herself as the Anti-Diva, which means, anything that related to this ridiculous buzz word would be a plague in her world, and she would bring poison to rid the WWE of that plague. She says Kaitlyn speaks a big game, and it is true, she had kept the title for over a year, but again, she had only met DIVAS, and not a damn WOMAN. She warns Kaitlyn that she is up next, and she didn't care about any elaborate plans that had led Kaitlyn to that point, all she knew is that Kaitlyn would be screaming for mercy in RamPaige like they all have done before her. Stephanie says Paige's bold claims are remarkable, and indeed she would have the first crack at the new, improved version of the champion. And that would be in less than 4 weeks at Extreme Rules, where there would be no claims from either of the two anymore; they would get to prove which one of them was the most ruthless of the two, with Stephanie knowing which horse to bet money on; on that night, the two would compete for the Divas Championship...under Extreme Rules.

 

Match #3: Paige defeats Bambi with RamPaige. (D; 3:51)

 

 

 

• The Smoothie King Center is on its feet for the arrival of The Undertaker, as we recap the events of the previous night, where ''The Phenom'' defeated and retired Sting to ensure the survival of The Streak. Undertaker says 22 men have come...and 22 men have met their demise. He says the Devil welcomes Sting's soul to his collection in the underworld, and may Sting and all the pain he carried throughout his career rest in peace. Undertaker says that a many great men have come to meet the reaper, but that for the twenty-third man, the Devil had requested a man of greatest valor. Undertaker says there is only one answer possible for this invitation...in one year, under broad daylight, he would offer one more man a chance at immortality. This man had been crowned with a great number of mortal achievements, and the love of those who had come into contact with him. But it was now time for him to look Death in the eyes, as the gates of the underworld patiently awaited for the reaper's arrival carrying his soul. Undertaker summons...JOHN CENA?

 

 

John Cena indeed makes his way to the ring to come face to face with The Undertaker, a long staredown ensuing. Cena says last night, he endured one of the worst pains in his life. He says he's gone through truly the worst year of his career, and has looked nothing like himself for quite a while. He says he's not familiar to the unholy consequences should he say no to this challenge, but he quite simply does not feel like he deserves the opportunity to end The Streak at the current moment. Undertaker says the conflict within Cena has always been there...it eats away inside him. Taker says it does not take away from who he is and what he has done in this life, but that no mortal accomplishments mattered, or would be remembered as his soul is reaped, outside of his valor.

 

 

Damien Sandow interrupts the ordeal, sharing delightful laughter alongside Sanctuary. He says that he thought he had been successful in removing the essence of John Cena and the idea that he was a tenacious hero who had everyone's best interests in mind, but it looks like someone didn't get the message. Sandow says if anyone should get the chance to end The Streak, he is that man, in order to dispel the notion that it had been anything more than a marketing tool for WrestleMania anyway; he says Undertaker may once had been an imposing figure, but now he was old and decaying, and it would take a true man of the people who looked out for their future to get rid of his stench for good. Undertaker says that Sandow has crossed the rational line, and he must not try to explain the supernatural. He says that The Streak is too powerful than he can even imagine. Sandow laughs and rebuffs Undertaker, saying that he can defeat him with or without The Streak on the line. Undertaker says his actions have been followed closely, and the hands of hell surely would not decline the arrival of five souls more.

 

Undertaker says that in less than 4 weeks in East Rutherford, there would be four graves dug for those who have deemed themselves too big for the afterlife. Sandow would be given the opportunity of having all those who follow him alongside him, while the reaper only required the assistance of one man for this job. He turns to John Cena, who, after a few moments staring at both The Phenom and Sanctuary, says he accepts. Cena says he will look to regain his confidence once and for all and undo the events of WrestleMania by burying Sanctuary for good. Undertaker says he may very well do that, as the Devil demands they all be...Buried Alive. He says they will rest...in...peace.

 

 

Match #4: Rob Van Dam defeats Brodus Clay with Five Star Frog Splash. (B-; 7:20)

 

 

 

• Hulk Hogan enters the ring next, with the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy right next to him! He says that it is his pleasure to introduce the man who had the strength to overcome all the adversity at WrestleMania in Andre's memory and in the process, create an eternal WrestleMania moment for himself, brother!

 

 

Cesaro makes his way to the ring, with the Smoothie King Center appreciating his win from the previous night. Cesaro thanks Hogan as he poses next to the trophy, but it's not long before this is all interrupted by...Zeb Colter? Zeb says Cesaro made quite an impression for himself at WrestleMania, now being seen as a commodity in the company, and surely enough, old Zeb could teach him the ways of the beautiful land of the U.S. of A so he would use this to aid him and Jack Swagger in rebuilding the image of the WWE to that of great patriotic heroes such as Hulk Hogan on top of the mountain again! Courtney Taylor appears, and says Cesaro is certainly not looking to change who he is after his big win, and says that he would very much be welcomed with Alex Riley and Zack Ryder to fortify their alliance! Ricardo Rodriguez sells an unusual entry in The Aristocracy for Cesaro, being a formation of Mexico's finest, but that an exception would be made for Cesaro if he joined the fold; plus, he would gain himself Ricardo's services for ring announcing! Lacey Von Erich says Cesaro's ever growing resume is exactly what she is looking for in a client, and that he could join the Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater, or...if he prefers, keep the Intercontinental Championship in their fold in other ways. Aksana returns to TV for the first time in months, and she says none of them know what a man like Cesaro needs, caressing her former man and saying she is the only one who does, before Cesaro rebuffs her. This finally brings out Paul Heyman, who laughs at all those trying to court Cesaro, saying that success has only one brand here in the WWE, and that Paul Heyman would be the one to introduce Cesaro to that. He says he'd always known Cesaro would one way or another end up being a Paul Heyman Guy. Cesaro takes his time to think, and says that this is a tough decision, but in the end, the best decision for his career is to say he is...a Cesaro guy.

 

Match #5: Cesaro defeats Big Show with a massive Neutralizer. (B-; 8:01)

 

 

IN A WORLD FULL...OF WINNERS AND LOSERS, TWO MEN HAVE RISEN ABOVE! TO BRING YOU...

 

THE DIRT SHEET

 

 

• John Morrison and The Miz welcome the Smoothie King Center to a post-WrestleMania version of The Dirt Sheet, and they also welcome back their third wheel in Becky Lynch, with Morrison saying the three of them fought at WrestleMania, but all of them fell; however, only losers cry in the face of adversity, and the three of them would dance in the grave of adversity at the Palace of Wisdom, alongside Sanctuary's at Extreme Rules. Miz says Einstein didn't get the chicks, and may that be a lesson to little Timmy watching at home. Morrison says their guest tonight is a man who has taken a piss all over everyone's ears since he's started winning, because now you can't shut the man up, unless you're Cyndi Lauper. They welcome the Intercontinental Champion, Heath Slater!

 

 

Slater enters the ring alongside Lacey and Brad Maddox, as Miz skims through a list of questions Slater provided them and says all of them suck, so they will ask him this instead: how does it feel to be shoved aside by Lacey Von Erich, the person who wears the pants in the relationship? Slater is confused, as they run a clip of Lacey throwing herself at Cesaro earlier in the show, as Morrison asks Lacey what she meant when she told Cesaro maybe he could do something else to keep the Intercontinental Championship in her clientele. Lacey says she suggested maybe Cesaro could become the official polisher for Slater, which brings Slater to childlike joy, stating he's never had a polisher before! Lacey tells Brad Maddox he's now the championship polisher, as Miz and Morrison stare at each other in amusement over what is happening. Miz asks how does it feel for Slater to have been eliminated from the Battle Royal last night by a 50 some year old Cyndi Lauper, and Slater says it's become quite clear Cyndi Lauper has grown jealous of how much the One Man Band has overshadowed her past success, and this is her way of telling him she wants a backstage ticket to see his equipment. Slater and Maddox laugh as Lacey fakes a barf, and Morrison asks him how the hell he's kept the Intercontinental Championship in tow. Maddox answers excitedly that they've helped him keep it, to which Lacey shuts him up and sends him to the back, as Slater says he sees what is going on here. He says The Dirt Sheet was cool years ago, but now the hit in town was The One Man Band, baby...and Morrison most of all resented him for that because Slater made him look second rate in comparison. Morrison laughs, and says the answer to the question is that Slater has kept the title because John Morrison hadn't given a crap about that...until now. Slater says Morrison is at the back of the line, as Morrison replies that he'll find his way to the front, one way or the other.

 

 

Suddenly, Becky is jumped by a rabid Barbara Kelly, disrupting the entire interview! The two women have a stalemate of a brawl, with Barbara being pulled apart by Miz and Morrison, but she scratches Miz in the eye, and Morrison is smacked in the head by Slater with the Intercontinental Championship! Becky watches the scene at ringside, harmed and powerless, as Barbara screams repeatedly out of the top of her lungs that ''it should have been ME''!

 

 

Main Event: AJ Styles © & Daniel Bryan © defeat Batista & Randy Orton by DQ after Batista refused to listen to the official's orders against Daniel Bryan. Both men retain their respective world championships. (B; 18:27)

 

• Batista and Orton stomp on Daniel Bryan's carcass, as Triple H arrives, unbuttoning his shirt to join them. However, The Shield appears to run interference, sorrounding the ring as Hunter orders them to leave, but his orders are challenged, as they unleash a full frontal assault! This fracas is led to the back as AJ Styles helps Bryan to his feet, a team of EMTs helping the World Heavyweight Champion out of Smoothie King Center, though he walks out on his own power to applauses. The WWE Champion observes, but HE is jumped from behind...by Austin Aries!

 

 

Aries locks in Last Chancery, AJ screaming in agony, as Aries says it's time he took what is rightfully his, and what better way to do so than yanking it out of the pretender's hands. Aries says at Extreme Rules, they would finally meet one on one for the WWE Championship, and he would once and for all prove he is superior to AJ Styles, who had simply gotten his championship opportunities earlier than Aries, who could have also defeated CM Punk or anyone else for the title. He says he only needed one fall for that, but in order to ensure there would be no skeptics to his claim, he would defeat AJ in two falls; it would be a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Extreme Rules. Aries drops the microphone on Styles, gloating, as we fade to black.

 

 

 

NXT

April 9th, 2014

Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

OC: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Renee Young

Rating: C+

 

- The show opens with Solomon Crowe, having finally been revealed as the man stalking Hideo Itami and William Regal for a few weeks, and explains that he ''sees it all'' and must correct the wrong in NXT, such as the blatant favoritism towards Hideo that has been shown. As Hideo shows up with vengeance in his eyes, Regal stops the altercation just short, and announces that the two men will meet at NXT Takeover! (B+)

 

- Adam Rose & Mojo Rawley defeat Wesley Blake & Buddy Murphy with Hail Mary by Rawley on Blake. (D+)

 

- The NXT Tag Team Champions Konnor and Viktor are seen stalking Rose and Mojo from the shadows. (B-)

 

- NXT Women's Champion Emma lists her worries about Alexa Bliss' current state of mind to William Regal, as Regal says he'll look into it, but for now, Emma shouldn't be the one worrying about that, as she has a more pressing matter next week in a title defense against Maxine. (B-)

 

- Aksana defeats Skyler Moon with Divo Drop after a distraction from Audrey Marie. (C-)

 

- Tyler Breeze cuts a promo on how he will save the NXT Championship from being held by uggos after he defeats Sami Zayn at Takeover. (C-)

 

- Cryme Tyme defeats Kalisto & El Local with STO by Shad on Local. (C-)

 

- Enzo and Cass, at last reunited, appear before Cryme Tyme, as Enzo vows to take something away from the two as they did to him. He says JTG has been growing that hair quite a bit recently, and he knows it's a badge of honor around the streets, so he challenges him to a Hair vs. Hair Match at Takeover! JTG accepts, saying he'll get to strip Enzo out of his entire fake bad boy image. ©

 

- Another curriculum vignette on Chuck Magnet is shown, listing his medical achievements towards society, including having found the cure for erectile dysfunction. ''Chuck Magnet, HIRED'' (C-)

 

- Adrian Neville defeats Tye Dillinger with Red Arrow. (C-)

[Dawn]

OOC: I kind of hate the real life Raw theme song around this time so I'll never link it for Raw until I have a reason to change it but SD's is SOOOOOO UNDERRATED! Bask in its glory.

 

 

WWE Thursday Night SmackDown

April 10th, 2014

U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio

OC: Josh Mathews, John Bradshaw Layfield and Booker T

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Vitamin C defeats The Colony with a Frog Splash by Christian on deviANT.(B-)

 

''Perfect Outcome''

 

 

• The show opens once again with the same sight that was seen on Monday Night Raw; new World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, being serenated by a chorus of YES! chants all the way through his walk to the ring. Bryan expresses disappointment on how his and AJ Styles' defense on Monday couldn't end decisively, but says he plans on keeping his promise to be a fighting champion, and hopefully there won't be any questions the rest of the way as long as he has the championship in hand and the fans by his side. He briefly touches on Triple H's added clause, but says it will be in vain, as he doesn't plan on giving up this month, this year or any time soon after such a long time clawing his way to get here.

 

 

He adds that he is anxious to find out how the competition stacks up here tonight on SmackDown, bringing Cody Rhodes to come down to the ring. He congratulates Bryan on a well earned win at 'Mania, shaking his hand; however, he says he didn't have nearly enough time at the top himself, and his mental game wasn't at 100% to regain that spot after being forced to retire his half-brother Dustin. He says if he is to get that one-on-one rematch with Bryan, he will rectify those mental mishaps. Then out comes Dolph Ziggler, who says that at his point, he knows a thing or two about being at the top; and since now Batista had three new justice flavored thorns on his side, he could finally pursue that return to the top, no matter how much that would damage Bryan, Cody, or anyone else.

 

 

Sheriff Rock, via satellite, announces that tonight, on the post-Mania SmackDown, it would be an electrifying main event to determine Daniel Bryan's next contender between Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler!

 

 

Match #1: Tyson Kidd (w/Natalya) defeats Justin Gabriel with Sharpshooter. (C+; 16:27)

 

Notes: With my style of recap there are a couple of loose ends that I forgot to mention. Most of them are in NXT, but this is the biggest on the main roster. I had Kidd turn heel a week before WrestleMania. His former partner Justin Gabriel took Richie Steamboat under his wing and Kidd had started to grow frustrated with himself so he cost Steamboat his Intercontinental Championship Match against Heath Slater. I promise there are no more surprises you guys missed

 

As International Airstrike continues to implode with Kidd giving the boots to Gabriel, out comes Richie Steamboat! The second generation upstart who had his Intercontinental Championship opportunity lost at the hands of the last graduate goes wild at Kidd with chops, forcing him out of the ring before helping Gabriel back to his feet!

 

 

 

• Renee Young pursues an interview with recently retired Dustin Rhodes, who we learn will have his final farewell next week on SmackDown. She asks him how he's taken his loss to half-brother Cody, and he simply says he feels sorry for the inevitable doom everyone in the WWE has been left to deal with, before leaving in a huff.

 

 

 

• We are shown Brie Bella unwillingly serving her sister Nikki per their WrestleMania stipulation, wearing a butler tuxedo and giving her a smoothie. As Fandango and Summer Rae pass by, they are both visibly bothered by this, as Fandango claims this greatly disturbs the zen vibe of Fandangoing. Nikki throws the smoothie at him in response, which leaves Summer to jump at her. Officials try their best to separate the two, and they will have a match next!

 

Match #2: Nikki Bella (w/Brie Bella) defeats Summer Rae (w/Fandango) with Rack Attack after unwilling interference from Brie Bella. (D+; 5:49)

 

 

 

• Renee Young interviews Kofi Kingston before he is to challenge Elijah Burke for the TV Championship, asking him how confident he is going into that match. Kofi, not looking as joyful as usual, says he's kind of felt like an afterthought recently. He bluntly mentions that it's ''not even just recently'' but that is past the point. He says that hopefully tonight he can once again prove he can compete with the best around and send management some notice, but before he can continue, Elijah Burke and Big E interrupt him.

 

 

Burke says that the Pope is merciful, and thus he shall level with Kofi. He says he doesn't believe there should be a match in first place, for they have been observing Kofi very closely for a while now, and they have a spot just for him if he so desires. He says they have the same goals, Kofi has just been oblivious to that fact for so long. He claims it's not a limited time offer, he has time to think about it; however, it would be a disqualified offer should Kofi not allow the Pope to be the one to represent them as their face of television every week.

 

 

Kofi is confused, as Burke claims they could really use someone with his skillset, offering his hand for a handshake. However, at that moment, Dolph Ziggler erupts into the scene, screaming at Kofi not to believe their lies. He says these two helped work to actively hamper his success a year ago, and they would do the same to him. Kofi says that if he remembers well, Ziggler had done those things to him in the past, so why the hell should he believe him either? As the verbal altercation gets more heated, Big E levels Ziggler with a forearm, causing a major brawl between the four, before Burke runs away from the scene mainly unscathed.

 

As the smoke clears, it is seen that Kofi badly landed on his leg during the fracas, screaming in pain as the EMTs arrive to take care of him. Ziggler helps tend to him, but one thing is clear: he will not be in any condition to challenge Elijah Burke tonight.

 

 

Match #3: Alberto Del Rio © (w/The Aristocracy) defeats Sin Cara to retain the WWE United States Championship with Cross Armbreaker after interference from Averno and Hunico. An unmasked Rey Mysterio looked defeated at ringside throughout the match, but it was clear Cara still didn't have enough to deal with Del Rio's entourage even minus Mysterio. (B; 12:07)

 

Del Rio, joined by The Aristocracy with a still dejected looked Mysterio in the ring, briefly points out Mysterio's failure before ''cheering up'' Rey by saying he is only fine with what took place at WrestleMania because it makes Del Rio look so much bigger by proxy, mockingly slapping the expressionless Mysterio in the face multiple times. He mocks how easy the opposition has been since he became champion. He claims there is not one man in Mexico who can dethrone him, and since they are superior in every way to the pitiful wrestling perros of the USA, that these are jokes in comparison. He says he plans on giving the championship a facelift that better represents the greatness of Alberto Del Rio and rids it of the foul image of this lazy, pathetic, overweight country he despises setting foot in every week.

 

 

 

• The Cruiserweight Champion Alex Shelley is seen walking around the backstage area, as he talks with occasional partner Shannon Moore. But from behind, he is leveled by...A RED STARDUST? Moore is helpless as he is also swiftly attacked by the entity that many have claimed is Cody Rhodes, as he leaves the two out and cold on the concrete, but the question is...WHY? And what gives for the makeover?

 

 

 

• Renee Young tries to get coverage at Brock Lesnar's locker room, but Paul Heyman closes the door as he leaves, commotion and loud noises clearly being heard from the inside. He says there is simply no time for foolish questions, as Brock Lesnar is on a warpath and the only person allowed to be with him right now is his wife Sable. Heyman says that Renee Young would not like to find out what would happen should she try to force her way inside that locker room at this moment. He says Dean Ambrose played his cards well at WrestleMania, but his and the roster's victory that now feels The Beast is vulnerable in any way would eventually prove only to be a moral and detrimental one; for the wrath of Brock Lesnar would send shockwaves throughout the world very, very soon. And that is a spoiler.

 

 

As Renee leaves that scene, she runs by the Big Show, who greets her with a more radiant, welcoming smile compared to Heyman. Show says he just wanted to congratulate Cesaro on winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and then defeating him the following night, and now it was time for him to have a giant rebound. But first, he had to take care of some unfinished business. Show says he would like to call out Shaquille O'Neal next week on SmackDown, as their brief encounter at Mania was rather unsatisfactory; he says he's had been itching to lock fists with the former NBA Champion for years now, and it was time to get their score settled once and for all.

 

 

Main Event: Cody Rhodes defeats Dolph Ziggler (w/Torrie Wilson) with Cross Rhodes to become the new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Ziggler gave it a great fight, but his earlier brawl with Big E, Burke and Kingston visibly affected his performance. (B; 22:48)

 

 

 

• Curtis Axel comes out to a massive reaction from U.S. Bank Arena, a sight JBL describes as something he once thought of as ''impossible'' but that Axel had finally conquered the Hennig family demons and was perhaps on the right track to eclipse his father's legacy after his defeat of Triple H at WrestleMania. Axel says that WrestleMania was simply the perfect outcome. The King had overlooked him as a simple pawn, but he'd forgotten the fact that what is perfect always finds a way to come out on top. Axel says now that he's got that out of the way, the genesis that had been promised so long ago had finally started to take shape, but he still had a long way to go in order to redeem himself.

 

 

This brings Triple H and Stephanie out, as Hunter tells Axel you don't just discard a King that easily, not after one fluke and certainly not one that could have been so easily resolved. Hunter summons referee Rod Zapata to the ring, as the official who ran to the ring following Mike Chioda being incapacitated beforehand in the match due to Hunter's efforts. He thanks Zapata for his work, before firing him from his current position, saying he will now clear his and Stephanie's personal bathroom for what he did. As Zapata defiantly attempts not to break down, Axel asks what the hell this is supposed to prove, as Hunter orders him to shut the hell up.

 

Hunter says he is simply sick and tired of sideshow attractions like Axel and Daniel Bryan stealing more attention than they deserve from his show. It wouldn't have flown with Vince McMahon around, and he sure as hell was not going to start allowing it himself. He says Axel got his WrestleMania moment, and that's good, because it'd be his final moment.

 

 

Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett, clearly frustrated following their tag team championship loss to The Usos on Raw, run interference and put the boots to Axel. However, CM Punk ruins their party once again, the man who caused them to lose the titles saving Axel from impending doom! McIntyre is able to escape, but Barrett nearly falls victim to the GTS; however, Hunter pulls him out, before four of the main pillars of the Conspiracy leave the scene entirely. Booker briefly mentions how much Hunter has got in his plate right now, adding this to his issues with Daniel Bryan and The Shield. Punk helps Axel back to his feet, declaring a great deal of respect for him due to what he was able to do to Triple H at WrestleMania, a great history of no love lost between Punk and The Game. Axel and Punk shake hands, though Axel looks a bit apprehensive after what Punk had done to him the previous year. Nonetheless, the crowd cheers, bringing us to fade to black!

 

 

Heat

April 13th, 2014

OC: Josh Mathews, Byron Saxton and Matt Striker

 

- Zack Ryder defeats TAKA Michinoku with Rough Ryder. (B-)

 

- Ryder is then blindsided by the same Red Stardust from SmackDown that had attacked Alex Shelley and Shannon Moore, but Alex Riley is able to come to his partner's aid, though the Stardust disappears unscathed. (B)

 

- The Gatebusters defeat The Deep Sea Alliance with Reverse DDT by Hawkins on Taven. (C+)

 

- Renee Young interviews The Usos, alongside Jimmy's wife Naomi. The trio is elated, riding the high from the tag team championship win on Raw. Renee tells them that an extreme tag team turmoil will take place on the Extreme Rules Kickoff Show, and it will determine their next challengers! The Usos say they will take on all comers, and it'd take a great effort from any other team in the world to remove them from the top now that they finally had made it there after so long. (B+)

 

- Beth Phoenix defeats Serena (w/Sanctuary) with Glam Slam. Damien Sandow is seen scolding Serena after the loss. (B-)

 

- WWE Champion AJ Styles cuts a promo on his Extreme Rules challenger Austin Aries, saying he will gladly take the 2 out of 3 Falls stipulation chosen by Aries to watch him squeal longer in the Calf Killer and in the process, finally get him out of his trail. (B+)

 

- Bo Dallas defeats Primo with Running Bo-Dog. ©

 

- Renee interviews Becky Lynch, who is fuming after the events of Raw. She says Barbara Kelly chose the wrong lass to take her frustrations out on, and that she'd make the humiliation she felt at WrestleMania look like child's play once she got her in the ring again. (B+)

[Dawn]

 

WWE Monday Night Raw

April 14th, 2014

FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee

OC: Michael Cole, Jerry ''The King'' Lawler and Joey Styles

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Kane defeats BJ Whitmer with Chokeslam. (B-)

 

''Lines in the Sand''

 

 

• The show opens with newly minted #1 Contender to the WWE Championship Austin Aries in the ring, calling out AJ Styles on his comments from this past Sunday on Heat. Aries says Styles is nothing more than a hypocrite by chastising him for his career decisions when he's got nothing original going for him; his finishing move, his mannerisms, his nickname. All the while Aries has strived for nothing more than to be recognized as the one and only. He says that at Extreme Rules, he will expose AJ Styles and everyone will finally have to recognize him for being the greatest man who's ever competed in this industry.

 

And it pains him to see that just because AJ got to make his debut a month earlier, he gets the benefit of the doubt against Aries for the argument as to who followed who. Aries says he had his decision to come to the WWE made up a long time before he actually pulled through, while AJ jumped ship to look cool and spite Dixieland.

 

 

This brings out AJ, who asks Aries if he actually thinks twice before spewing the amount of shit he does each and every single week. He says the two of them have been on the grind for enough time to realize in this business you're bound to toe over the originality line, and shooting shots about it is poppycock; as long as you do it better than anyone else who did it before you, you're doing it the right way, and them indy veterans should back up one another for all the effort they spent before getting to the big dance, yet Aries chooses to label AJ as his enemy. So be it. He says that at Extreme Rules, Aries will get what's been coming to him for years now; he's only prolonged how much he'll suffer at the hands of AJ Styles.

 

 

An unexpected visitor in Rob Van Dam comes out, who Cole touts as Aries' opponent in tonight's main event! RVD says he's been here and been with the two elsewhere, and what both must do is chill out and realize they're just keeping the seat warm for him once he's finally out of this return honeymoon funk.

 

 

And then, out comes Cesaro, who denies that either one of the three is the true ideal candidate to represent the WWE as its main champion. He says AJ and Aries are on the high of being surprise arrivals still, and RVD is about a decade past his prime; eventually, they'd all fade, and the company would need someone who is on the right track to being registered in immortality to take over the helm. Cesaro says as everyone saw last week, he was going all-in on himself from now on. And it wasn't a question of if, but of when he would uppercut that bitch known as the glass ceiling and grasp that elusive brass ring for good to receive the returns on his bet. He says the three can blindly banter all they want, but it's in the ring where true men make their statements and he would prove that next week, by defeating AJ Styles one on one. After that, he would be coming for the WWE Championship.

 

 

 

• A local competitor is already in the ring as we come back. Out comes ''The Ravishing Russian'' Lana from NXT, screaming for attention. She talks about how last week was all but a warning as to the grim fate anyone who opposes the rise of Rusev will be a victim of. She says the supreme athlete and hero of the Russian Federation has been trained by the most ruthless mentors in the country to crush all the filthy Americans who feign superiority over the one, true great nation. He will simply not stop until those ideologies have been exterminated from this planet, and the WWE would be his platform to complete that mission.

 

Match #1: Rusev (w/Lana) defeats a local competitor with The Accolade. (D-; 1:41)

 

 

 

• Renee Young interviews Stephanie McMahon, looking for any updates on the contractual status of AJ Lee. Stephanie says AJ was still recovering from her injuries suffered at WrestleMania, and that she'd be warmly received back as soon as she was healthy. Directly to an asylum, that is. A large number of orderlies are shown in the backstage area, as Stephanie says AJ has been pre-approved to a year long program in the facility these gentlemen work on, so she urged AJ to come back soon. And as long as she checked out all the boxes a year or so from now, she'd be right at the back of the line where she belonged; a cozy spot for someone who once dared replace her.

 

 

 

• Elsewhere in the backstage area, Nikki Bella has Brie carry her heavy clothing bags for her, all at once. Layla approaches Brie to try and help her, as Nikki shoves Layla aside, telling her this is family business, and for her to return to obscurity where she had been for the past year. Layla says that back home, family business isn't handled like this, but promises she'd teach Nikki a lesson in values in the ring up next.

 

Match #2: Layla & Natalya defeat The Bella Twins after Nikki forced Brie to lay down and take the pinfall from Layla, following a comeback attempt from Brie. Nikki never tagged into the match, stepping down to ringside and refusing to get up in the apron, shouting sarcastic advice to her sister all the way. Layla was seen fuming at this all throughout the match, but embraced the win regardless to get out of her funk. (C+; 8:29)

 

 

 

• Conspicuous by their absence in the previous week, The Wyatt Family would appear in the titantron, bathed by the light of the fireflies. The patriarch Bray Wyatt gleefully announces the overwhelming success that was WrestleMania, the erradication of a disease that threatened to hatch its eggs and put an end to the work he had spent a lifetime preparing for. Yes, truly a success. He says that the sheep would not see any more of his failed offspring, that his brothers had ensured that would be the case; his existence in its entirety had been nothing more than a mistake, a mistake HE committed while his views were still clouded by the imperfections of the past. But now, his original creation, the one man who knew all about the greater purpose and selfishly wanted to bring it to a halt, was gone. And there was not a single being left that would be ready for what's coming next. He promises his next brand of work will be his biggest, most complete and rewarding for all those who follow the cause. There would be no more switching sides. For now, his true brothers and sisters would continue to make their mark in the world while he'd be enthralled in the task at hand.

 

We're here.

 

Match #3: The Wyatt Family of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan (w/Bray Wyatt and Judas Devlin) defeats Alex Riley & Zack Ryder (w/Courtney Taylor) with Discus Clothesline by Harper on Riley. (B; 10:13)

 

 

 

• As Renee Young prepares to interview Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater, the ordeal is almost immediately interrupted by John Morrison. Morrison throws his charm at Renee, before requesting to take over the interview. As Renee reneges, Morrison asks Slater the one question everyone cares about: if the One Man Band has the rocks to accept his challenge for that championship, at Extreme Rules. Slater says when it comes the time to put the bread in the oven, ain't no better baker round these parts than the One Man Band, baybay...but that Morrison had simply not shown anything with his blatant plagiarism to warrant an opportunity.

 

Morrison raises a contract, and says this is the pay-per-appearance that Brad Maddox had unknowingly made Xavier Woods sign for old hag Dawn Marie some odd months ago. He says that he and Miz hired a crack team of nerdy gals falling for the two after the latest edition of the Dirt Sheet on WWE.com (Be Jealous) to look over if there was anything else Maddox had royally screwed up in that meantime working on the bench, and that they found out he had named himself an official matchmaker of the WWE. Morrison pokes fun of Maddox for a moment for not putting himself in the main event of WrestleMania or giving himself a World title match, before returning to his point and stating that such a title is usually meaningless, but in this case Slater was looking to chicken out, so he had to resort to more ''extreme'' measures. Wink wink.

 

Morrison tells Maddox that if he gives him the match, he will magically make Dawn Marie go away. Maddox jumps at the contract and tells Morrison he's got his match, infuriating both Slater and Lacey Von Erich. Slater comes to terms with it, before slapping Maddox and telling Morrison he isn't even a level below him, and that Maddox would prove that by beating him next. He tells him he's so confident on his chances, so that if Morrison could beat Maddox, he could even choose their stipulation for Extreme Rules.

 

Match #4: John Morrison defeats Brad Maddox (w/Heath Slater and Lacey Von Erich) with Starship Pain. (B-; 8:02)

 

 

 

• As we return from the commercial break, John Cena makes his way to the ring to the usual thunderous mixed reaction. Cena apologizes to all his loyal fans for the lack of self-confidence he's shown in recent months, it has been a tough year plus since he won Money in the Bank in 2012. He says he's never gone through such a large wave of bad fortune before, but he's always stood by three words, and none of them are ''quit''. So at Extreme Rules, he will bury these doubts alongside Damien Sandow and his legion of cuckoos, an ideal form to start off a year of recovery, redemption and reclamation. For when he regains his momentum, he will feel a worthy recipient of the opportunities again, and the next time he gets such an opportunity...THE CHAMP-

 

 

Midway through Cena's sentence, Damien Sandow clears his throat, appearing alongside the rest of Sanctuary. Sandow laughs at how futile this elaborate show of weakness by Cena is; for years, he had been modeled to be the perfect professional wrestler. Not a single man could get past him, and the ones who did suffered dire consequences afterwards. It took one stretch to change all that, and he takes full credit for being the one to scramble Cena's confidence for good. He says he did it as a favor to all the ignoramuses watching at the arena and at home to realize their idol wasn't indestructible at all, instead a mere mortal man not worth modeling yourself after; such a lifestyle would not be sustainable for all the John Cena aspirants. Because you see, that's the rational way to look at life, and Damien Sandow was the embodiment of all things rational. Which is why at Extreme Rules, superhuman and supernatural would not be able to overcome rational; the two former simply could not and did not exist.

Cena says Sandow is all talk, much like all who came before him. He had triumphed at WrestleMania, but if he wanted to talk rational, then he may as well admit he would be roadkill by this point at the hands of Cena if he didn't have his brainwashed lackeys to watch over him. Sandow shakes his head, and tells Cena he just doesn't get it. He says Cena could be helping him contribute to a great new world, yet he prefers to adhere to the bohemian way of thinking imposed upon him. Sanctuary then circles Cena in the ring, bringing The Undertaker's gong to interrupt them!

 

 

Taker appears in the ring behind Cena, as Sanctuary throws caution out of the window and attacks the two men anyway! Cena and Undertaker have success fending off Sandow and company at first, until Sandow is able to blindside The Phenom with a low blow, throwing him out of the ring. Cena has nowhere to go at this point, and it's looking like Sandow will get one up on him again!

 

 

However, from the depths of hell emerges KANE who makes a beeline to the ring, and as he's completely fresh, he's able to gain the upper hand on Sanctuary, removing Parker, Ryan and Robinson from the ring before forcing Sandow into his grasp for the Chokeslam; Serena is once again there to save her leader, though, pulling his leg to secure his safety. As Sanctuary retreats, The Brothers of Destruction have a rare rendezvous in the ring, staring at each other with a feeling of trepidation in the air.

 

Suddenly, Kane clutches the neck of John Cena, hoisting him up for a Chokeslam! Undertaker doesn't seem to approve of his brother's actions, placing his arms on his hips and looking rather confused for once. Kane leaves the ring, having disposed of the man who will be teaming with his brother in 3 weeks. But why?

 

 

Match #5: Paige defeats Alicia Fox with RamPaige. (D+; 5:19)

 

 

• Paige has words for Divas Champion Kaitlyn after the match, who appears via satellite on the titantron, enjoying her new life as a McMahon-Helmsley protege inside a VIP locker room, sarcastically complimenting Paige's win over such great competition. Paige laughs it off, and unironically compliments Kaitlyn and Stephanie's plan to get rid of AJ Lee, as she truly seemed to have been a pain in the champion's ass for so long and couldn't think straight for two seconds as to the obvious fact people were scheming behind her back.

 

She says it was truly brilliant, as now AJ has nothing and may essentially be out of town for a year, and it had gotten tiresome to watch this gooey BFF will they, won't they soap opera unfold with no opportunities for actual newblood to step forwards. Paige says they were brilliant to a point, but the arrogant minds always show to make the dumbest mistakes eventually, and the two did just that last week, when Stephanie spoon-fed them the Extreme Rules stipulation for their match in 3 weeks. Paige tells Kaitlyn to make no mistake about it; she wasn't AJ Lee. She and Kaitlyn had never met before, but unlike the champion, Paige had wrestled ever since her mum brought her up into the business, so she had met all kinds of bitches around the world and a lot of them were a lot more intimidating than Kaitlyn; all of them now heard her screams in their nightmares every night.

 

She warns Kaitlyn that unlike AJ, she would have a gameplan heading into Extreme Rules that would not just be that of throwing balls to the wall and seeing what sticks. Still, her plan would involve Kaitlyn losing a few teeth and her spot as the shiny new toy of Stephanie McMahon. At Extreme Rules, what she will do to Kaitlyn will be unlike anything anyone has ever seen before when it comes to the vanilla women's wrestling style of this company; she would reign triumphant in a puddle of blood and bring a new era, one in which Divas would be sent to the slaughterhouse, and only real women would stand a chance.

 

 

 

• As Paul Heyman leaves Brock Lesnar's locker room amidst more turmoil, Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett are awaiting him outside, asking what gives. Heyman simply replies ''not yet'' which brings the two to grow frustrated. McIntyre turns to the camera, and shouts at CM Punk that he's made a huge mistake continuing to stick his nose where he doesn't belong. He says Punk could have been set for life alongside them, but now his life was about to become miserable; McIntyre says it were a long 868 days having to stand by Punk's side and pretending not to be disgusted by him, but now he didn't have to do that anymore, and nothing was stopping him from taking his long overdue satisfaction. As McIntyre departs, Barrett says Punk's fate has been sealed, and he will not come out of this the same man, mark his words.

 

 

Main Event: Austin Aries defeats Rob Van Dam with Last Chancery. (B; 15:50)

 

 

 

• As we return, The Shield is in the ring at full strength, with Dean Ambrose still showing the wounds of war from WrestleMania. Seth Rollins says that Triple H had challenged their values by making them perform miscarriages of justice whenever convenient, but that ever since they had started pushing back, he had gone and sent the entire cavalry after them. Rollins says he was now sure Hunter had something to do with King of the Ring from the previous year, as a message not to overstep their authority on what to do and what not to do...they were simply hounds to him. Ambrose, circling the ring during Rollins' spiel, grasps the mic as he screams for Hunter and the Conspiracy to look at them now, before removing his tanktop and revealing more welts and bruises.

 

Ambrose says Hunter had sent every damn cronie this side of Connecticut their way, but The Shield had overwhelmed each and every single one of them EVERY DAMN TIME! Ambrose says that Triple H was wrong to cross them...they were not just hounds, but they were Hounds of Justice. And they smelled fear across the carcasses of Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton and all those who dared use their influence to dictate the landscape of the WWE, up until three men who were simply bigger, smarter and meaner came along, and now NO ONE had a solution to the unbreakable conundrum that was The Shield! Ambrose says all who opposed The Shield had been handed fame and fortune on a silver platter, and now it was time to be shunted back down to reality for all of them, PAYBACK'S A BITCH!

 

Reigns offers the final words, saying Triple H hasn't given the fans anything to believe in with his deceit and treachery throughout his entire career and management. But that you can believe in The Shield, as justice WILL be served.

 

 

The three behold the sight of a helicopter landing in a helipad near FedExForum, and the audience grows shocked to the sight of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair being the first man to come out of it, joined by the aforementioned trio of Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton, all in formal tuxedos! It is 2003 all over again!

 

The Evolution foursome makes their way to the stage, and the honors are given to the Nature Boy for an explanation. Flair says the Nature Boy believes in natural selection, and he had watched three of the greatest predators in the business be disrespected by ungrateful prey for far too long! Flair says there is only one rule in this business, and that is to adapt or perish, and that the three men beside him had ruled atop the food chain when united for a common purpose a decade ago. Now, a decade later, they all had a purpose again, and it was up to the Nature Boy to glue the pieces of the band together!

 

 

''So welcome to the ride of your life, boys! Courtesy of your wheeling dealing, Limousine riding, Jet flying, son of a gun. But unlike Space Mountain, this is one ride you are NOT getting out of! WOO!''

 

Evolution, minus Flair as he sticks to the outside, raids the ring and an all-out brawl ensues, the crowd going ballistic! Unfortunately, no conclusive result is taken from this conflict before we are forced to fade to black. But, one thing is for sure: the battle lines have been drawn!

 

 

 

NXT

April 16th, 2014

Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

OC: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Renee Young

Rating: C

 

- Bull Dempsey defeats TAKA Michinoku with Bulldozer. (D-)

 

- Baron Corbin speaks for the first time afterwards, addressing his issue with Bull as a matter of establishing his dominance; the Lone Wolf intended to be the only dominant presence around in NXT. (C+)

 

- Skyler Moon cuts a promo on her match against rival Audrey Marie and Aksana next week, promising to get a partner who'd help her put an end to the months of targeting from Audrey Marie. (C+)

 

- Enzo Amore (w/Colin Cassady) defeats Simon Gotch (w/Aiden English) with a tainted roll-up. (E-)

 

- Cryme Tyme attempts to assault Enzo and Cass afterwards, as JTG carries a bucket full of shaving cream alongside him. However, Enzo and Cass turn the tides, causing JTG to decide to fight another day in order to preserve his bucket, while Shad falls victim to Cass' big boot. (D+)

 

- Solomon Crowe defeats Matt Taylor with Sleeper Hold. (C-)

 

- William Regal voices his displeasure at Crowe's intentions to undermine the ongoing rise of NXT and its arrivals, but endorses him for trying to make a name for himself in the jungle. He says their match at Takeover will be No Holds Barred! (C+)

 

- A new Chuck Magnet video resume is shown, as he denounces every major sport in the world as second rate compared to the wonders of laser tag, the joust of champions. He is shown taking on a horde of kids on his own in a round and defeating every single one of them while fake explosions are simulated around him with Rambo's music playing in the background. After all this, there's only one way to go. Chuck Magnet, HIRED! ©

 

- Emma © defeats Maxine with #EmmaLock to retain the NXT Women's Championship. Melissa was on commentary, pleased with the result as she wants to be the one to defeat the bubbly Emma herself. (C-)

 

- The BFFs of Maryse and Sasha Banks request that their third member in Charlotte join them in the ring and finally explain herself as to why she's been giving them the cold shoulder recently. Bayley interjects again, advocating for Charlotte to use her abilities for good. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair appears with his daughter on stage, raving about what a week it's been, as the past had helped the present gain back its footing on Raw! But now, it was time for the future to receive the Nature Boy's stamp of approval, and there was no one better for the future of NXT than his own flesh and blood! Charlotte says Sasha and Maryse are small fish, and if she was ever going to expand, they were entirely expendable to her; that time had come. She also denounces Bayley for her innocent views to the world, but that she was simply and utterly inconsequential to her in the grand scheme of things, so the best thing Bayley could do was to just get the hell out of her way; and that if they were ever to meet again in the ring, she would knock some sense into her by knocking her out silly. Charlotte says there is only one person she needs alongside her, one legendary man who will help lead her to the legendary career SHE is meant to have. The rest of them are all there only to be witnesses. WOO! (B-)

[Dawn]

 

WWE Thursday Night SmackDown

April 17th, 2014

Amway Center in Orlando, Florida

OC: Josh Mathews, John Bradshaw Layfield and Booker T

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Derrick Bateman defeats Matt Taylor with DBD. (D)

 

''Extreme Measures''

 

IN A WORLD FULL...OF WINNERS AND LOSERS, TWO MEN HAVE RISEN ABOVE! TO BRING YOU...

 

THE DIRT SHEET

 

 

• The Miz, John Morrison and Becky Lynch open up SmackDown with a new edition of The Dirt Sheet, in which they mostly mock Brad Maddox and his obvious sexual issues, before Morrison finally announces the stipulation he's choosing for his title match with Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater at Extreme Rules: none. That's right, he knows he can beat Slater on his best day and even on his worst day, and he didn't need any fancy stipulations to show the world what John Morrison was made of. Still, he would need some help to ensure Slater wouldn't hightail out of there as soon as he'd smell danger. He had Maddox and Lacey covered with Miz and Becky, yet Slater was still a cunning guy on his own, he had to give him that.

 

Morrison says there's only one person Slater fears more than the Billboard Hot 100, before Miz continues fact checking and saying there are more people he fears as they basically run through most of the roster. Morrison raises his eyebrow at this, and says he basically has got the match won already if he's able to contain Slater. That's why the only element he'll be adding to their match is a special referee to ensure things will go down the way they're supposed to: WWE Hall of Famer Cyndi Lauper!

 

 

But almost as if clockwork, an interruption is afoot, courtesy of United States Champion Alberto Del Rio and his Aristocracy, including a still dejected and unmasked Rey Mysterio. Del Rio asks what is the meaning of this circus that's been set up on his show, and says that in Alberto Del Rio's America, clowns like Miz and Morrison would never get a job. Del Rio demands that both of them leave the ring, so he can make good on his promise and introduce the new, more prestigious WWE Mexican Championship. Ricardo Rodriguez is seen holding a covered belt, while Averno and Hunico carry out a comically large trash can. Del Rio says that this trash can is the only appropriate size for a championship that represents such a deplorable country.

 

This finally brings out a protest from The Miz, who takes exception from Del Rio's words. He says that he is a former multi-time United States Champion and he feels damn proud about that, to represent the greatest country in the world. Sure, America wasn't perfect, but it was due to it being a land of opportunity that all of them, including Del Rio and company, were even standing there in first place. Miz talks about all the greats that have held the gold, and he wouldn't allow Del Rio to just [CENSOR] its legacy like that. Only over his dead body. Del Rio grins, saying he's superior to Miz in every way possible. He's beaten him many times before, so it'd be a piece of cake to do it one more before he'd retire the United States Championship. Miz says he will have Del Rio in the ring tonight for the title, and Del Rio says that the stupid untalented perro is on.

 

 

Match #1: Elijah Burke © (w/Big E) defeats Shannon Moore with Elijah Experience to retain the TV Championship. (B-; 6:27)

 

 

Dolph Ziggler has words for Burke and Big E on how they continue to be thorns in his side; he would be #1 contender right now if not for them. Burke objects, saying this time, it had been Ziggler who meddled with The Pope's business. And if you shit in the Pope's woods, you will get a sinner's punishment, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Burke says that if Ziggler has to learn something, it's that sinners will have a special place in hell reserved for them, and he knew all about Dolph Ziggler and how he had committed every sin in the book. Exoneration was not impossible for him, but it would be a very, very painful road with a big, capital E in front of it.

 

 

As Ziggler advances to the ring, a limping Kofi Kingston appears on stage, asking just how the hell he's been forgotten in the middle of this story already. Kofi says he's tired of being treated as if he's stupid. He was going to make his opportunities happen instead of smiling through and waiting for them to come. He says he should be in that ring holding the TV title right now, yet he's been ruled out until Extreme Rules. And there, he'd put the whole roster on notice as to the fact he is a dangerous competitor when he sets his mind to something; and he'd start with Dolph Ziggler, whose change of heart he never bought. After that, he would deal with Burke and Big E. Ziggler says that, if defeating Kofi in a match is what's necessary to get him to listen, then he'd gladly give him that match.

 

 

 

• Backstage, Tyson Kidd is with wife Natalya, who seems rather conflicted. Kidd explains his actions from recent weeks as waking up to the facts. Fact: he had hit a ceiling by being a smiling goody two shoes with Justin Gabriel. Fact: he had watched while fallen flat in his ass as CM Punk, Heath Slater and others cheated their way through him to retain their championships. Fact: he was the last damn graduate of the Hart Dungeon, and that shit is supposed to mean something. Fact: it was time he put all that Hart knowledge to good use. Fact: this was the year he would finally win a major championship, because he's that damn good and it was time the world got to know that; one win over CM Punk just wouldn't do.

 

 

Richie Steamboat comes out, saying he always had a bad feeling about Kidd when around him; his father had warned him as to how complicated and treacherous the Harts could be. Kidd is flattered, but asks who Richie was outside of his last name. Richie laughs, and says he had struggled his way through the start of his career, sure. But since Justin Gabriel had taken him under his wing, he had gotten his feet down and scored a few signature wins. He rode that wave of momentum until a few weeks ago, when he had Heath Slater on the ropes and was about to win the coveted Intercontinental Championship his father had held when he was just a baby dragon. Kidd had resented him for that since he had outworked him against Heath Slater out of all people (which brings JBL to cry out that no one respects the great champion that Heath Slater is) and he couldn't stand being a failure anymore. Kidd says that the fact is, failure is Richie's middle name.

 

Richie says he knows he can outwrestle Kidd, so it was time he challenged him to a match at Extreme Rules. He says Kidd can name the terms, he doesn't care; all he wants is to have him one on one. Kidd says he'd introduce Richie to the one place where fake gutsy kids like him would get exposed on the daily: The Hart Dungeon.

 

 

Match #2: Vitamin C defeats Averno & Hunico (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) with Codebreaker by Jericho on Averno. The Usos were on commentary, watching two potential contenders to win the Extreme turmoil. (B-; 8:03)

 

 

 

• We then have a complete change of pace as the camera follows Big Show on a road trip to...Atlanta, Georgia?

 

 

 

We are shown the Inside the NBA studios with host Ernie Johnson alongside former players Charles Barkley, Kenny ''The Jet'' Smith and of course, Shaquille O'Neal.

 

 

As Ernie raises the question if the Miami Heat will be able to repeat following their thrilling seven game finals win over the San Antonio Spurs the previous year and a whole lot of championship hangover and injuries this season, security is alerted.

 

They converge at the entrance to the studio, where the towering presence of Big Show has arrived! Shaq is the only one of the four to have an idea as to why this is happening, and as Ernie tries to make sense of it, Chuck jokes about how at least Shaq's extracurricular activities ain't with the big ol' women down in San Antonio. Shaq tells security to let Big Show in, and the two have a tense staredown. Show says he didn't mean to interrupt the people who have nothing to do with this, but he couldn't find Shaq anywhere else, so he had to take some extreme measures. He says he wants Shaq straight up at Extreme Rules; they had gone far too long dancing around their encounter.

 

Shaq says he lives for the dance, and that Show just wasn't ready for him. He was like the pythagorean theorem: there is no answer! Show says he will accept anything if he can get Shaq one on one, even a game of 21. Shaq says that the broken backboards would be too extreme for his employer's liking, so instead, he would enlighten Show on the art of Shaq Fu, and after Show had mastered the millenial techniques of the fighting style, then they could finally meet as they have always been destined to.

 

 

Match #3: Rey Mysterio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) defeats Alex Shelley © by count-out after the Red Stardust attacked Shelley behind the referee's back once again. Shelley retains the Cruiserweight Championship. (B-; 16:12)

 

 

 

• Commotion is shown backstage, as we see Barbara Kelly and Becky Lynch having a heated brawl all over the area! There is no love lost between the two, as Barbara cheap shots Becky and throws her onto the catering table, before officials are finally able to separate the two.

 

 

• Elsewhere, CM Punk and Curtis Axel meet in Axel's locker room. Punk says he won't sugarcoat it: he doesn't like Axel, Axel doesn't like him. But Axel had earned Punk's respect, having done everything to undermine the powers that be after Punk had screwed him at SummerSlam; he could have called it quits then and most people wouldn't hold it against him. Punk says that Axel is of wrestling's finest heritage, and he can always respect that as well. Punk extends his hand, saying they both have a lot to deal with right now, and it'd become a whole heck of a lot easier if they just agreed to do it together. Axel shakes Punk's hand, before pulling it back. Axel says if Punk ever thinks of double crossing him again, he'd be ready this time. Punk says he would expect nothing less, as the two smile to one another.

 

 

Match #4: Justin Gabriel & Richie Steamboat defeat Corey Graves & Tyson Kidd (w/Natalya) with Flying Crossbody by Richie on Graves. Kidd looked greatly uninterested in the match, listening to music in his headphones the whole way through and never tagging in after a while. (B-; 12:56)

 

 

 

• Dustin Rhodes has his final farewell in the ring, not showing much emotion to anyone who has chosen to give him one last goodbye. The names include Booker T, Yoshi Tatsu, Aksana, Vickie Guerrero and Zack Ryder, who was ''just there for the cupcakes, man''. It's a comically uneventful time, and the obvious absences are of course, every other member of the Rhodes family due to how sour he had gone on them in recent memory.

 

 

• As we return and Dustin is gone from the ring, it is his half-brother Cody, the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship who enters the ring. He laments his absence from the festivities, but it was for the best. He says that, at Extreme Rules, he'll make all that happened at WrestleMania mean something by reclaiming the World title and making the Rhodes name a household one again.

 

 

Champion Daniel Bryan joins him, saying he respects the hell out of Cody and the rest of his family, but he wasn't about to let his dreams come to an end so soon. Even moreso with the new implications afoot.

 

Cody says his father Dusty used to wage wars with the best at his time; long, brutal, bloody wars. He tells Bryan if he is to honor his family and help clear the recent dissention, then he may as well do it in Dusty's wheelhouse. He challenges Bryan for it to be a Bunkhouse Brawl, the first of such a nature in WWE history! Bryan says he's a man of his word, and he will take on Cody under any circumstances come Extreme Rules; no matter what, Daniel Bryan's dreams will overcome all the adversity. The two shake hands on it...

 

 

...but then, Cruiserweight Champion Alex Shelley comes out? Shelley says he's stuck to making his name in the ring since coming to the WWE, but he couldn't just sit down like a lap dog and let this slide. Shelley asks what the HELL Cody Rhodes thinks he's doing by mopping the floor with him and others when he has that makeup and mask on, and then coming to the ring and pretending like nothing happened. Cody seems actually confused as to what Shelley means, as Shelley rolls the footage of Stardust attacking him earlier in the show when he was defending the title against Rey Mysterio. Bryan joins Shelley in chastising Cody, saying that he thought Cody had gotten over this Stardust business, and he hoped to have a fair fight come Extreme Rules against a real man.

 

 

Cody swears he didn't do it, and even though Shelley and Bryan look greatly doubtful about that, THE RED STARDUST APPEARS AND ATTACKS SHELLEY AGAIN!

 

NOT ONLY THAT, A GREEN AND A BLUE ONE ATTACK DANIEL BRYAN AND CODY RHODES! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

 

This legion of Stardusts lays waste to all three men, before flashing the hand sign in unison. The three leave amidst the trademark maniacal Stardust laughter, only amplified even further. Josh, JBL and Booker are completely and utterly confused, raising all the questions. Why are these Stardusts doing this? Wasn't Cody Rhodes supposed to be Stardust? And WHO are these three?

 

Main Event: The Miz (w/John Morrison) defeats Alberto Del Rio © (w/The Aristocracy) to WIN the WWE United States Championship with Skull Crushing Finale after Sin Cara and John Morrison were able to play defense against The Aristocracy. Rey Mysterio was not present at ringside during the match for whatever reason, so Cara and Morrison were able to take care of Averno, Hunico and Ricardo on their own. (B; 12:15)

 

Morrison and Sin Cara join The Miz in celebrating the third United States Championship win of his career, Cara looking slightly bothered by the fact he couldn't do it himself, but still greatly satisfied for finally getting rid of Alberto Del Rio as champion! Speaking of Del Rio, he looks very frustrated, slapping his three cronies repeatedly as they walk out of Amway Center, carrying out the supposed replacement championship away himself as he grunts. For now, The Miz has saved the legacy of the United States Championship, and brought himself singles glory for the first time in a long while! On this celebratory note, we fade to black.

 

 

Heat

April 20th, 2014

OC: Josh Mathews, Byron Saxton and Matt Striker

 

- Bo Dallas opens the show criticizing The Shield's speech on what people should believe in. He says the only thing they should do in order to succeed...is BOlieve! (B-)

 

- Bo Dallas defeats a local competitor with Running Bo-Dog. (D)

 

- Backstage, Alex Riley is seen arguing with partner Zack Ryder. It seems he's trying to talk Ryder out of something, to no avail. Ryder says he has to do it, bro. Riley storms out of the locker room, as Ryder holds Courtney Taylor back, telling her he needs the time alone. (B+)

 

- Fandango (w/Summer Rae) defeats David Otunga with Last Dance. (B-)

 

- The KoW hype themselves as the favorites to win the Extreme turmoil, and though the Usos were also a part of wrestling royalty, they were not nearly as skilled as any of the three. (B)

 

- Eddie Edwards (w/Richards and Kassius) defeats Matt Taven with Dragon Sleeper. (B-)

 

- The Raw Rebound shows the events that took place this past Monday with John Cena, Sanctuary, The Undertaker and Kane. Tomorrow night, The Brothers of Destruction reunite as The Phenom has requested an audience with Kane! And what will John Cena say? (A)

 

- Renee Young interviews Ryback and Sheamus, who are both looking to redeem themselves from a losing effort at WrestleMania. They acknowledge their differences, yet agree that for them to return to their past glory, it has to start with a win tonight. (B+)

 

- Ryback & Sheamus defeat The Hall of Pain with Brogue Kick by Sheamus on Brodus. (B-)

 

Only two more weeks of programming until Extreme Rules! Let me know if you guys are liking the pace in which I'm posting these, or if you'd like me to slow it down a little

 

WWE.com:

 

WWE has come to terms on the release of Tamina Snuka (Sarona Reiher). WWE has also come to an agreement with Rosa Mendes (Milena Roucka) that her current contract will not be renewed at the end of the month. WWE wishes them the best in their future endeavors.

[Dawn]

 

WWE Monday Night Raw

April 21st, 2014

Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth, Georgia

OC: Michael Cole, Jerry ''The King'' Lawler and Joey Styles

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Alex Riley (w/Courtney Taylor) defeats Curt Hawkins (w/Trent Barreta) with You're Dismissed. (B-)

 

''Sierra''

 

 

• The show opens with the ominous presence of The Undertaker, demanding answers from his brother Kane about his actions in the previous week. Kane does indeed emerge from hellfire and brimstone, and defiantly says he doesn't owe his brother an answer. Undertaker says he owes the hands of the underworld an answer, as they have demanded he delivers them the soul of John Cena in its purest state; that cannot happen should John Cena not aid him in reaping Sanctuary. Kane says that he knows what the devil demanded, but John Cena is just not the answer.

 

Undertaker says it's not up to Kane to determine that. Kane says Cena had defied the devil before when he refused to embrace the hate, so if he were to regain his confidence, what's to say he wouldn't do it again? Kane confirms his brother's belief that the conflict within John Cena is brewing deeper than ever before, and now it was his opportunity to seize. Kane says he could not allow Cena to make it to Extreme Rules, because the potential consequences a year from now would be infernal; he was simply burning the evil from its root. Taker says when the devil makes a demand straight to the reaper, that demand is carried out, and Kane knows that. He chastises Kane for failing on his assignment, but now it was his turn, and he doesn't fail to carry out the condemnments handed out to him; the ink and sulfur had gone dry on the contract for eternal damnation already.

 

 

John Cena then comes out, and looks greatly insulted. He asks Kane how many times he'll have to put it through his thick skull that he lives for what he does and he will not turn his back on his fans, no matter what happens? He says he'll gladly take on Kane one more time next week to feed his sadism. Kane laughs maniacally, and says that this time, it is different; and he would take that match next week. Undertaker says it does not matter, and that for now, John Cena is still going to be conjoined with the forces of the underworld at Extreme Rules.

 

 

Out comes Zack Ryder, much to the surprise of the men in the ring, as he says he can't believe it's all happening again. Embrace the hate, forces of hell, his good bro Cena feeling down...it all feels like 2012 again. And do you know what happened in that year? He got shafted hard. Well, the people in charge back then ain't around no more, so it's time he stepped up for his bro again, because he knew this man more than anyone else on the roster, and he knew how much he worked on his craft each and every single week. Ryder defends Cena's belief over Kane's that he will never turn his back on his fans. Kane asks Ryder where was Cena two years ago when he threw him off of the stage, or when he choked him lifelessly on the wheelchair, or when he lost the United States Championship he had fought tooth and nail to win. Cena pulls Zack aside, as an expression of conflict is apparent. He is heard saying ''it's not worth it'', and after a few moments, the two depart the ring.

 

 

Suddenly, The Brothers of Destruction are sorrounded by Sanctuary again, an ambush ordered by Damien Sandow! Undertaker says he will take the odds, and Kane nods to his brother. Charles Robinson comes out and we have an impromptu matchup to start us off!

 

Match #1: The Brothers of Destruction defeat Sanctuary of Parker, Robinson and Ryan (w/Damien Sandow and Serena) by DQ after Sandow attacked Undertaker when The Phenom had Parker set up for Tombstone Piledriver. Undertaker retaliated against Sandow, leading to another Sanctuary escape for their lives. (B-; 12:49)

 

 

 

• Next, ''The Ravishing Russian'' Lana introduces her client, the dominant hero of the Russian Federation in Rusev, as highlights of the impact he's made since debuting after WrestleMania are shown.

 

Match #2: Rusev (w/Lana) defeats a local competitor with The Accolade. (D-; 1:57)

 

 

 

• In the ring, Paul Heyman introduces his clients Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett. He says he and his clients felt betrayed at WrestleMania when the cutthroat CM Punk left them for dead. But Punk didn't realize that once you enter the cutthroat business, you don't leave it, ever; and payment will soon be demanded of you. He says his clients would be more than happy to settle their differences in the ring at Extreme Rules, where they would utilize their unison as former tag team champions to ''perfection'' which is what Punk's new buddy Curtis Axel strives for. He says perfection is what's in the ring with him, two of the best Paul Heyman Guys he's ever had the pleasure of advocating for, vowing that his clients would surpass anything and everything Punk or Axel ever did or dreamed of doing.

 

 

The two men in question then appear at the stage, and Punk says it took a while for them to come up with the challenge, asking if it was because McIntyre and Barrett were out planning their boring chosen one speech of the week or recruiting their thousandth stable. Axel says there is no love lost between he and Punk, but they are both made of an ambitious cloth that hunts for championship gold and glory. And that couldn't be achieved if they had the two perennial underachievers in Barrett and McIntyre sniffing down their necks every single week, so they were on at Extreme Rules, where he would show them perfection.

 

Match #3: The Usos (w/Naomi) defeat David Otunga & Derrick Bateman with Alley-Us on Otunga. (B; 9:41)

 

As the champions celebrate their win, the camera pans to the stage, where the Wyatt Family trio of Harper, Rowan and Devlin is seen lurking and staring menacingly at them. The Usos catch that sight, and invite the three to come to the ring, but the gaze is all they get. Will The Usos have to deal with this after Extreme Rules?

 

 

 

• Renee interviews Intercontinental Champion Heath Slater, who scoffs at John Morrison's idea of a handicap towards him for Extreme Rules. He dismisses Cyndi Lauper as someone who wouldn't even fit as a roadie in the age of the One Man Band, who was jealous he could score hotties such as Lacey so easily. Lacey is seen simulating a barf outside of Slater's eyesight, as Slater turns his attention to John Morrison. He says that the One Man Band is one for the party, but it was all business at Extreme Rules, where he would give Morrison the performance of a lifetime and show the whole Milky Way chocolate factory why he had been the one and only champion that mattered in the WWE for 7 months and counting. He'd make them understand!

 

 

Match #4: Kaitlyn defeats Layla with Spear, after Brie Bella hesitantly pulled her legs as she looked for Layout. Nikki Bella was seen cackling on the stage, this obviously having been ordered by her. (B-; 7:56)

 

• Kaitlyn brags about her ''easy win'' before stating this awaited Paige at Extreme Rules. She says she was more woman than Paige could ever dream of being, or could ever handle no matter how long she practiced beforehand; however, she embraced the Diva label, because she was quite simply the best to ever do it and the life of a Diva comes with its perks. She was everything every other woman on the roster dreamed of being, and was at the spot they dreamed of being at. And she wasn't about to lose everything she's achieved to a bratty vampire who was flopping through developmental a month ago, you could count on that.

 

 

 

• Renee then interviews Cesaro, asking him about his upcoming match against WWE Champion AJ Styles. Cesaro says the radar was finally picking him up after so long, and he would give AJ the fight of his life; one that would surprise him when he'd find himself staring at the lights. Cesaro says the only possible result of this all-in bet on himself is becoming WWE Champion, and if AJ dares pose an obstacle, he'd punch a hole through him.

 

 

Rob Van Dam intervenes, saying that Cesaro had been quite impressive recently, but it'd be RVD who would put out his smoke. Cesaro says RVD is formidable opposition, so he'd take his challenge. RVD says that at Extreme Rules, Cesaro will learn the hard way why he's an ECW original, and the Whole F'n Show.

 

Main Event: AJ Styles defeats Cesaro with Styles Clash. This was an insanely competitive match and Cesaro looked as if he belonged with the champion every step of the way. (B; 22:47)

 

After the match, Cesaro leaves in frustration, and as AJ is left alone in the ring...Austin Aries comes out from behind! Aries unleashes a hellacious assault on AJ with a steel chair, before locking in Last Chancery until the champion passes out of exhaustion. Then, Aries turns AJ's back and simulates the successful pinfall, as if he had just taken two falls over AJ Styles. Aries raises the WWE Championship, will this be true come Extreme Rules?

 

 

 

• At the top of the hour, Evolution enters the ring in their tuxedos. Flair struts around his three proteges, WOOing as if he'd won the Super Bowl, as Triple H has a smile in his face. He says the band is finally back together...and it's time that they took complete control of this company again. It begins a week from Sunday at Extreme Rules...when they'd obliterate The Shield. Hunter issues the challenge: Falls Count Anywhere, elimination style. One match to determine the one dominant unit in the WWE. It is take it or leave it; should they take it, The Shield would be no more following Extreme Rules. Should they leave it, The Shield would be disappointing all who they promised they could believe in them...and they would also be no more, because they would hunt them down anyway.

 

 

And indeed, The Shield appears through the crowd. Ambrose says Hunter has no idea what he's asking for...the three fossils and Doc were looking to go extinct for good, and The Shield would be much obliged to carry out the final nail in the coffin. Batista said he used to munch around and spit on people like The Shield at the height of Evolution's power...it's time he started doing that again. Roman Reigns steps up and stares Batista down, as Hunter orders The Animal not to act without thinking twice. Orton says that The Shield talk a big game for three men who have done nothing truly significant...sure, Ambrose had a tainted win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, but now in the ring with them it were all multi-time World champions from WWE and WCW.

 

Orton says they were in the great game now, and The Shield had absolutely no idea how terrifying they would be in that situation. It was simply an elite level of pedigree they had no hope of getting through. Ambrose says he took down Brock Lesnar in his turf because Lesnar underestimated him every step of the way...and it looks like Evolution was starting to do the same with him, Rollins and Reigns.

 

At Extreme Rules, it would be The Shield and Evolution...and the latter were kidding themselves by believing they would be the ones in the driver's seat. Rollins says they will be entirely in their element come Extreme Rules, and due to their experience with Triple H, they had ample study as to how to deal with each and every single member of Evolution. Reigns says it's right there in the name...at some point, you fall behind and a better version of you shows up. That is pure and unadulterated evolution. And you can believe The Shield was going to prove its supremacy the following week, because they were craving some hard justice. The two teams continue their staredown, fuses threatening to be lit at any second, but we fade to black before anything else can happen.

 

 

 

NXT

April 23rd, 2014

Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

OC: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Renee Young

Rating: C

 

- Aksana and Audrey Marie enter the ring as Audrey insults Skyler Moon, before the latter arrives, fulfilling her promise of bringing with her an appropriate partner. This is revealed to be her distant cousin Ember Moon! (C+)

 

- Ember Moon & Skyler Moon defeat Aksana & Audrey Marie with an impressive move by Ember called the Eclipse on Aksana, pinning her for a surprising debut and some retribution for her cousin Skyler! (D)

 

- Renee interviews Enzo & Cass in the ring, as Enzo says he and Cass have mapped out a plan to take Cryme Tyme by surprise before Takeover; everyone would find out what they meant by that next week, when they'd venture outside Full Sail University to find an even bigger bucket! (B-)

 

- Baron Corbin defeats Andy Leavine with End of Days. (D)

 

- The Ascension cuts a promo on their Takeover opponents in Rose and Mojo, dismissing them as worthy of unseating them. (C+)

 

- Melissa defeats Raquel Guerrero with Air Raid Crash. ©

 

- As Alexa Bliss joins Melissa in celebrating by jumping up and down in elation, Melissa drops her superfan with Air Raid Crash as well, beating her up before Emma comes to the save! As the champion sends Melissa packing, Alexa shoves her out of the way, leaving in a saddened tone as this conflict continues to get weirder. (B)

 

- A Chuck Magnet video resume is shown, as he is seen atop the tallest landscapes in the world such as Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building, only for it to be seen it's all replicas of them. Still, he holds a superhero-esque pose every time, talking about legendary sights call for legendary men. Chuck Magnet, HIRED! (C-)

 

- Adrian Neville & Sami Zayn defeat Jinder Mahal & Tyler Breeze with Red Arrow by Neville on Breeze.

 

- Mahal then drops the champion with Khallas, hoisting the NXT Championship as Tom reminds us Neville has never pinned Jinder! (B-)

 

WWE.com:

 

WWE is shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry ''The King'' Lawler, a former multi-time world champion in companies such as the AWA, USWA and many others. He was 64.

 

WWE extends its condolences to Lawler's family, friends and fans.

 

Thursday's edition of SmackDown will feature a break from the current storylines taking place on WWE programming. Instead, it will celebrate the career of Jerry Lawler with a two-hour tribute to the one and only King.

 

A surprise curveball thrown at me here, and indeed I did the thing WWE would probably have done in real life and turned SD into a memorial show for him, shortening my Extreme Rules build. I did post it on Discord, but decided I will not be going to post it here because it's not really relevant to storylines. The only relevant part is that now, the King of the Ring will be dedicated to King every year. In matches, AJ fought Daniel Bryan to a 60 minute time-limit, Honky Tonk Man defeated BJ Whitmer, Cena and Brian Lawler beat Brodus and Mark Henry.

[Dawn]

Heat

April 27th, 2014

OC: Josh Mathews, Byron Saxton and Matt Striker

 

- The Hall of Pain defeats Primo & Shannon Moore with World's Strongest Slam by Henry on Moore. (B-)

 

- Clay and Henry cut a promo on their recent misfortunes, but that they were the two meanest sons of bitches in the company, and they would return to mowing down the competition for the regime's sake and their own in no time. (B-)

 

- Alex Riley (w/Courtney Taylor) defeats Sylvester LeFort (w/Dupree and Shantellé) with You're Dismissed. (C+)

 

- Renee Young goes after Riley to try and get answers on what he was disagreeing with partner Zack Ryder about the previous week, but he refuses to take the interview. (A)

 

- Corey Graves defeats Matt Taylor with Lucky 13. (D+)

 

- Backstage with Renee Young, Becky Lynch officially issues a challenge to Barbara Kelly for Extreme Rules: and she would like her in a steel cage, with nothing but submissions as a way of winning. She says she will see that lasshole Barbara cry one way or the other. (B+)

 

- Sin Cara defeats Averno (w/Hunico and Ricardo) with La Mistica. (B-)

 

- Alberto Del Rio vows that he's got a safeguard plan that will make the ungrateful American commoners on the roster regret taking up arms against him. He also promises that prized possession Rey Mysterio will be whipped back into proper shape next week on SmackDown. (B+)

 

WWE.com:

 

WWE is pleased to announce that backstage interviewer Renee Young has been promoted to full-time colour commentary on the company's flagship show, Monday Night Raw. She will start effective immediately.

 

-

 

WWE has received notice that Zeb Colter (Wayne Keown) intends to retire from the wrestling business. He will be granted a release from his contract at the end of the month. WWE wishes him the best in his future endeavors and a happy retirement.

 

-

 

WWE has come to terms on the NXT releases of Anya, Garrett Dylan, Marcus Louis and Travis Tyler. WWE has also come to terms on the legends contract releases of Howard Finkel, Jimmy Hart and Michael Hayes. WWE wishes them the best in their future endeavors.

[Dawn]

 

WWE Monday Night Raw

April 28th, 2014 (May Week 1)

American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida

OC: Michael Cole, Renee Young and Joey Styles

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Mason Ryan (w/Sanctuary) defeats Yoshi Tatsu with Full Nelson Slam. ©

 

''Hotel''

 

 

• The show opens with Michael Cole and Joey Styles welcoming new addition Renee Young to the Raw commentary table. Renee is elated to be there, though she laments the circumstances that forced it to happen. Cole says we have a great night of action here tonight, on the final Raw before WWE goes extreme this Sunday. Before anything else, however, he is pleased to announce that this year's King of the Ring tournament will begin at the end of the month, and the bracket will be announced after Extreme Rules. This year's tournament, of course, will be the first to be dedicated to the eternal Jerry ''The King'' Lawler.

 

Match #1: Becky Lynch & Paige defeat Barbara Kelly & Nikki Bella (w/Brie Bella) with Paige Turner by Paige on Nikki after botched (?) interference by Brie. (C; 11:53)

 

A major brawl takes place as Nikki loses her mind with her sister, and of course, tensions erupt between Barbara and Becky. Renee mentions Barbara's acceptance of Becky's challenge on WWE.com, as Paige recovers from the physical match in the corner. Divas Champion Kaitlyn enters the ring, and takes advantage of how spent the other four are, spearing every single one of them for a show of dominance over the rest of the division. However, the fifth person in her Extreme Rules opponent Paige counters, sidestepping the champ's signature move and dropping her with Paige Turner! Paige lets out a primal scream as she raises the butterfly belt.

 

 

 

• Backstage, Batista and Randy Orton are seen grilling Vitamin C of Jericho and Christian after a staredown, with Orton insulting them by mentioning how little they've done recently. Jericho says Orton's always had an inferiority complex when compared to Y2J, and the two teams nearly come to blows before the leader of Evolution in Triple H comes to intervene. He says both teams could use some warmup before Extreme Rules, so he was ordering them both to the ring next!

 

Match #2: Batista & Randy Orton (w/Ric Flair and Triple H) defeat Vitamin C with Batista Bomb by Batista on Christian after blatant interference from Ric Flair. (B; 12:35)

 

 

 

• ''The Ravishing Russian'' Lana introduces the powerhouse Rusev next, bragging about the number he's done to every American who's dared step foot in the ring with him. She promises things were about to get even more...extreme...very soon.

 

Match #3: Rusev (w/Lana) defeats Matt Taven (w/Shark Boy) with The Accolade. (D; 0:41)

 

 

 

• In The Wyatt Family compound, patriarch Bray Wyatt talks about how his brothers had planned a self-liberation from their inner chains by establishing themselves as the supreme ''tag team'' of this plan. He says Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are not a tag team. They are bound together for life as part of a greater plan. They are misunderstood geniuses who are finding their absolution by serving the cause. And the cause endorses their personal quest. The son of Judas will join them and bring by the watchful eye of Sister Abigail...all the while he completed his task of utmost importance. Follow the Buzzards.

 

 

 

• WWE Hall of Famer ''Rowdy'' Roddy Piper opens up Piper's Pit, with guests John Morrison and The Miz first of all! Piper congratulates Miz on his win from two weeks ago, thanking him for saving the legacy of a championship he fondly remembers holding himself. He remembers a time when he thought Miz was just another little shit who talked trash and did none of the work inside that ring, but now he was a changed man ever since he joined back with John Morrison. And speaking of Morrison, he had a big match this Sunday at Extreme Rules. So he would be bringing out the other parts of that match to the Pit!

 

 

Fellow WWE Hall of Famer Cyndi Lauper joins the trio, slapping their hands and looking happy to be there again. She thanks Morrison for his choice, and promises she'll call the match right down to the middle. If Slater is to retain the championship, it will be because of his skill.

 

 

The four start laughing as soon as she says that, which brings the Intercontinental Champion to the ring, unusually fuming. He asks what in tarnation is so funny about the idea of the One Man Band outperforming the competition as he's done time and time again for the better part of a year. Piper asks Slater how many times he's defended that without anyone's help. Slater says the One Man Band needs no help. He is an unstoppable hunk of a wrecking crew who was honestly getting sick and tired of the disrespect; he had to be entering the talk of the greatest Intercontinental Champions in company history by this point, for [CENSOR]'s sake!

 

Morrison says he's been a tad too dickish towards Slater when it comes to his skill, because he had improved a great deal since he was a rookie in NXT; he remembers the beatings Slater had helped Nexus give him years ago. But the thing is, as a champion he was a joke. Slater says the only joke is Morrison himself, who was supposed to be the can't miss star out of the Dirt Sheet, but always found himself playing second fiddle to The Miz. Morrison steps up from his stool, as Slater laughs and says the only reason someone could get frustrated by such a statement is if it were completely true. So here was the deal: the One Man Band would once again find himself in the winner's column this Sunday, he didn't care about Cyndi Lauper, who...wrecked his guitar...(Slater is clearly holding back tears)

 

...but he did start caring a great deal about this match, and so, come Sunday, John Morrison would get a first row ticket to the One Man Band's greatest hits. Slater promises that the next day, every single newsletter will still address Heath Slater as the Intercontinental Champion, while John Morrison will once again be labeled as the choker, the Jannetty, the one who can't get it done when it comes to the big one!

 

 

Match #4: The Shield defeats The KoW with Spear by Reigns on Kassius Ohno. (B; 18:21)

 

 

 

• Dueling promos between longtime rivals and Extreme Rules opponents in WWE Champion AJ Styles and Austin Aries are shown, with AJ again accusing Aries of being all talk but a piece of trash who saw his fellow independent scene grinders as inferior to him, while Aries scoffed all the claims, though he agreed with AJ on one thing: AJ was clearly inferior to the Greatest Man That Ever Lived, and on Sunday he would fall victim to a 2-0 sweep that would finally complete the inevitable rise of Austin Aries to the top of the industry.

 

 

 

• Backstage, John Cena is getting ready for his main event match against Kane, as Zack Ryder and Courtney Taylor join him for Zack to wish his good friend some good luck. Suddenly, Ryder's partner Alex Riley storms into the room, screaming at Cena to stay away from Zack this time around, calling him the biggest, most pretentious douchebag in the locker room who only looked out for himself. As Cena stares at Riley expressionless, Courtney Taylor does her best to pull Riley out of the room, Ryder arguing with his partner as he continues to shout obscenities at John Cena.

 

Main Event: John Cena defeats Kane by intentional DQ after Kane kept the Claw Hold for too long while Cena had his leg under the bottom rope. (B; 14:03)

 

As Kane looks satisfied at the work he's done on John Cena, the familiar sighting of Sanctuary circling the ring ensues, though this time, Kane leaves through the only side of the ring where a member of Sandow's cult isn't there to meet him, throwing his hands in the air and waving the white flag. Cena is helpless, as Sandow's proteges do a number on him, before the leader lays him out with Terminus, no sign of The Undertaker or anyone else to save Cena. Will this limit how effective Cena is going to be on Sunday?

 

 

 

• In the ring, The Shield are in there without their usual vests. Ambrose says that they come here not as men, but as uncaged animals roaring for a fight. He says Evolution had dodged this for far too long, but they were simply not waiting until Sunday to get a crack at them. He shouts for Triple H and company to get inside the ring and meet them, and though Hunter is shown to be reluctant, Batista and Randy Orton can't be stopped as they sprint to the ring for the brawl between the two factions! No one has the clear advantage, until Roman Reigns surprises Triple H with an earth shattering Spear, stopping everything around him for that time being! Orton slithers away, as Batista falls victim to Triple Powerbomb! The Shield has made a statement here on Monday Night Raw!

 

 

 

NXT

April 30th, 2014 (May Week 1)

Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

OC: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Renee Young

Rating: C

 

- Kalisto defeats Tensai with Salida del Sol. (C-)

 

- Jinder Mahal cuts a promo on how inner peace has helped him prepare for his NXT Championship Match against Adrian Neville at Takeover; he had never been hit with Red Arrow, but Neville had already felt the impact of the Khallas, and it would be that move to finally bring him the glory all his former comrades had already felt to that point. (C+)

 

- Bull Dempsey defeats Mickey Keegan with Bulldozer. (D)

 

- The BFFs are seen on the lookout for Bayley in the backstage area, and as they finally find her, she is overmatched by them. Elsewhere, Charlotte and her father Ric Flair are seen watching from a distance, and both of them just laugh and move along. (B)

 

- Adam Rose & Mojo Rawley defeat Danny Burch & Slate Randall with Pounce by Mojo on Burch. (D)

 

- The Ascension lurks outside, observing their designated challengers for Takeover as the happy go lucky Rose and the energetic Rawley don't seem to be backing down from their imposing figure. The tag champs will compete next! (C+)

 

- The Ascension defeats Local Competitors with Fall of Men. (D)

 

- Renee Young interviews Alexa Bliss, asking her about her complicated relationship with Melissa and Emma. Alexa laments how Melissa has been so moody recently, but says she knows the two of them have been fated to be the greatest of friends, and she was aspiring and dreaming for that fate to come true soon as if a fairy tale, with the happy ending of Melissa as NXT Women's Champion and her standing right by her side! (C+)

 

- The following video is shown courtesy of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. Just switch Sylvester LeFort with JTG. ©

 

- Solomon Crowe defeats R-Truth with Sleeper Hold. (C-)

 

- Hideo Itami comes face to face with Crowe again, as the latter promises to put William Regal's prized acquisition to sleep at Takeover. ©

[Dawn]

Since I am prepping for a weekend vacation and I doubt I'll keep up with my schedule then (plus there was no week 3 SmackDown and this one is super short), I'll already put this SmackDown in the oven and the Extreme Rules prediction card! I know my posting pace has already been insane, but don't expect it to be THIS insane normally

 

 

WWE Thursday Night SmackDown

May 1st, 2014

Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia

OC: Josh Mathews, John Bradshaw Layfield and Booker T

Rating: B+

 

Dark Match: Alex Shelley defeats deviANT with Shining Wizard. (B-)

 

''Cosmic Warning''

 

Match #1: Natalya & Tyson Kidd defeat Jimmy Uso & Naomi (w/Jey Uso) with Sharpshooter by Kidd on Jimmy after using the exposed turnbuckles to his advantage. (B; 10:09)

 

A victorious Kidd basks in the glory alongside his still hesitant wife in Natalya, but from behind, Justin Gabriel and Richie Steamboat unload at him with punches and chops, until he's barely able to escape through the crowd! Richie is ready for Extreme Rules!

 

Match #2: Richie Steamboat (w/Justin Gabriel) defeats David Otunga (w/Derrick Bateman) with Flying Crossbody. (C+; 7:40)

 

 

 

• As Sheriff Rock is present in the arena, Cruiserweight Champion Alex Shelley demands an audience with him to discuss the Stardust situation and what he plans to do about it. The Rock says The Rock values the champions that are regularly on SmackDown, so The Rock would work tirelessly to figure out how to get rid of them as non-contracted jabronis, and also figure out who in the Kevin Costner they are in first place. Commotion is heard outside his office, and as he opens the door, it is seen that Primo, Yoshi Tatsu and returning The Brian Kendrick have all been laid out by the three Stardusts, who have all vanished in a puff of smoke. Shelley advises Rock to make it fast.

 

 

Nearby, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan joins challenger Cody Rhodes in his locker room in anticipation of their main event tag team match tonight, letting him know the Stardusts had struck again. Cody says he's tired of being accused of being responsible, he doesn't know anything about what's happening. Bryan says he doesn't know what to believe, but he's hoping for a clean match on Sunday, the only dirty part of it hopefully being the blood, sweat and tears they will spill over the arena. But for tonight, he'd gladly join forces to defeat Burke and Big E, from one competitor to the other.

 

 

The two pass by at that moment, as the Pope says he's feeling a high wave of belief being passed on to him from the other side today. He says Bryan doesn't exactly scream face of an institution that has any self respect, yet his beliefs had carried him all the way through here. Well, no one's beliefs were stronger than the Pope's and all those who were affiliated with him. He says this weekend is going to be big for his church, and what a way to set that up would pinning the world champion be...so that's exactly what he would do tonight.

 

 

 

• Barbara Kelly confirms that she has accepted Becky Lynch's challenge for Extreme Rules, where they will meet in a submission match while entrapped in a Steel Cage. Barbara admits she isn't the most technically sound competitor in the WWE, but ever since she woke up from her state of eternal fake ass joy, she's become one of the most ruthless; she says she'd make Becky beg for mercy, even if not in a submission hold. Becky shrugs off Barbara's coments as cute, and says she had not changed at all; she had just gotten from a smiling bitch to a grumpy bitch instead. Becky says Barbara thinks she'll receive the opportunities while she's riddled with the Elimination Chamber contract, well look around them, no one was getting anything easy anymore with Kaitlyn running the show. Becky says she plans to be the one to put an end to that charade, but first, she had to get Barbara off of her back; so in 3 days, she would not only defeat Barbara Kelly inside the Cage, but she would break the [CENSOR] out of her arm as well. And if she came out the next night to cry foul, she'd break the other one and make sure she could never compete not just for the title, but period.

 

 

Match #3: Rob Van Dam defeats Rene Dupree (w/Shantellé and LeFort) with Five Star Frog Splash. (B; 9:48)

 

 

 

• Dolph Ziggler visits Kofi Kingston's locker room alongside Torrie Wilson, hoping for one final chance at speaking some sense into his former rival. Kofi says there's nothing to be said, he had made up his mind a long time ago and he would defeat Ziggler at Extreme Rules; he didn't need any stipulations whatsoever. Ziggler says so be it, but after he'd beaten Kofi to a pulp, he didn't want any excuses; he had tried to get him out of a bad situation the easy way.

 

 

 

• In the ring, Alberto Del Rio is in a foul mood alongside the rest of The Aristocracy, including Rey Mysterio this time around. Del Rio asks where Mysterio had been the previous week, as he answers in low volume he had been healing from injuries after a long match with Alex Shelley. Del Rio tells him to shut up and slaps Mysterio, telling him there are no excuses; Mysterio was his and he must do what he was told, the way he was told, when he was told. He reminds Rey of the night Del Rio came to the WWE, and how he had completely emasculated him. He asks Rey if that is how he feels right now, before continuously slapping him more and more.

 

 

Sin Cara runs interference, pointing at Del Rio and shouting that it had been enough! He had disrespected the legacy of one of Mexico's greatest for far too long, and it was time he did something about it. Cara challenges Del Rio to one more match at Extreme Rules, with two contracts in a pole; if Cara won, Mysterio would be released from his contract that binds him to Del Rio. If Del Rio won, Cara would pledge himself to The Aristocracy. No friends, no outside interference, no anything. Just the two of them.

 

Del Rio laughs, and gushes at how much this is sounding like a rich man's Christmas. Del Rio says he's beaten the failure of a perro in Cara every single time they had met, the coward who refused to show his face. He says he'd do it one final time at Extreme Rules, and have complete power over the entirety of Mexican wrestling by having the two at his employment.

 

 

Match #4: Cesaro defeats Primo with Neutralizer. (B-; 7:19)

 

 

 

• Barrett and McIntyre cut one final promo on their match with Punk and Axel on Sunday. Barrett says that Punk's big mouth runs uninterrupted, but deep down he knew how dangerous Barrett was still. He says he's a natural born leader, and that's why he had such ease recruiting men to fight for his goals. McIntyre says he'll ensure Axel isn't so perfect anymore, vowing to rearrange his face before putting them down for good.

 

 

 

• A vignette is shown of Big Show being trained in the art of Shaq Fu by the Big Shaqtus himself, the two wearing incredibly tight martial arts clothing and going through a Kung Fu Panda esque montage of useless exercises. At the end, Shaq says that Big Show is ready for their battle on Sunday, and says people will talk about their legendary encounter for decades afterwards.

 

Main Event: Cody Rhodes & Daniel Bryan defeat Big E & Elijah Burke with Cross Rhodes by Cody on Burke. (B; 19:38)

 

As the two opponents for Sunday shake hands and prepare to leave, the screeching high pitched voice of the Red Stardust is heard as he appears on the titantron. He confirms the notion that he is not Cody Rhodes, and says he was there because ''he'' had sent them on a mission. He says the Cosmic Key had been lost, and now there was no stopping inevitable doom that would rage first across the WWE, then the entire galaxy! He says ''he'' must be stopped, the Cosmic Key had to be found! Only it could save the fate of the cosmos, only it could ensure the survival of mankind! He says futile quarrels would not be tolerated, and they would be dealt with accordingly! THE COSMIC KEY!

 

As the transmission of the Red Stardust fades to black, it is not long before we do the same, but not before a long, confused staredown between champion and challenger. What does all this mean, not only for Extreme Rules, but for the future?

 

 

Heat

May 4th, 2014 (Part of the Extreme Rules 2014 Kickoff Show)

OC: Josh Mathews, Byron Saxton and Matt Striker

 

- Renee interviews a returning The Brian Kendrick, who announces his intentions to woo Divas Champion Kaitlyn and become THE newest member of the McMahon armada as a result. (this did not age well and you'll see why after the PPV) (B+)

 

- Bo Dallas upsets Alex Riley (w/Courtney Taylor) with Running Bo-Dog, after miscommunication between Riley and Courtney Taylor.

 

- Bo tells Riley that better days are afoot for him, where he will not be under the boot of John Cena any longer! All he has to do is BOlieve! (B+)

 

- Alex Shelley & Ryback defeat The Colony with Shellshocked by Ryback on deviANT.

 

- Ryback helps Shelley fend off the Stardusts, who again quickly disappear once they're not a threat any longer. (B+)

 

- Sheamus defeats Derrick Bateman with Brogue Kick. (B)

 

- John Cena is showing arriving at the Izod Center, as he enters a dark and isolated room that one can only assume is The Undertaker's. (B+)