Road to Summer Slam '06 - II

Part I is here.


Road to Summer Slam ’06 – 2

So.

Let’s get this out of the way.

Obviously, the first part of the build for Summer Slam ’06 was written before Benoit. It just happened that he was written out of this cycle of the Counterfactual, stretchered out of XXII after the Lashley attack.

The working plan was to bring him back after Summer Slam for the the number one contender’s battle royal, to continue building the friendship between he and Michaels, to have Michaels turn on him (as obviously it’s past time to turn Shawn) at XXIII and then spend the next year with the two of them feuding, culminating at XXIV in some big league blowoff, with the idea being that Jericho would return (I’m guessing) inside that program.

I don’t plan on bringing Benoit back now; I think it would overwhelm the rest of the Counterfactual. Had it happened a different way, he could have had the sendoff that Owen and Eddy got – but it just seems too heavy, too weighty, for what is essentially a frivolous exercise.

So, his loss to Rey at XXII and stretcher job to Lashley wraps him up. He and Angle both left at the same time.

Sometime, in this stretch before Summer Slam, we’ll announce Benoit’s retirement due to the sternum, they’ll do a celebratory show, and that will wrap him up.

On with the build.

Go to the previous post to see the initial set up where we put together half the card:

Unified Tag Titles: PAUL/? v. Booker/Conway
Glass Light Tube Match: Cactus Jack v. Sabu
LWO in the Balance: Chavo v. Carlito
Former Tag Champs Explode: Orton v. Cena

We resume where we began – The 51% Solution is in the ring to open RAW post-Mania and they announce that the process for choosing Rey’s opponent for the main event of Summer Slam is about to begin.

Flair says he and HHH-M have each chosen 4 wrestlers, wrestlers who are the best of the best, and the idiot fans, through wwf.com (Counterfactual integration!) were allowed to choose one so those 9 wrestlers will come to the ring right now.

Flair goes first.

He says his first choice is the man who, last night at WM XXII defeated Shawn Michaels – and will in one year at WM XXIII (note, in every arena is advertising promoting WM already) defeat Matt Hardy in the Cell…..Edge!

Edge enters, carrying what the announce reminds us is Matt Hardy’s contract. Matt Hardy finally became an official employee of the WWF by defeating Flair last night – but that means that Edge controls his contract – and if he touches Edge before XXIII – their main event Hell in a Cell Match is off and Matt Hardy is out of the WWF.

HHH-M then introduces the former IC Champ – and a man who helped out the 51% Solution – Steve Regal!

Regal enters, his swerve of the babyfaces in the War Games match led Steamboat to lose his 49% managerial control. And then he and Fit went through a hellacious war last night that weakened Finlay to the point where HHH-M took the IC title.

Flair says the 51% Solution is obviously the most powerful force in the history of wrestling – but there’s another organization that he has had a good working relationship with in the past – that’s the LWO – and from the LWO – Super Crazy!

Crazy, with flag and bandana, flashing gang signs enters, along with Carlito – Carlito cuts “we’re Hispanic gangsters” promo doing his best Konan impression, ‘cause I’m just ripping off LAX.

HHH-M says there’s a man, a former partner of his, who got beat last night – and he’s calling him down here just to laugh at him – he lost the Clique name – he lost at WM – - he doesn’t have much left – he’s The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels

Michaels enters, stoically accepting the jawing from Edge, Flair, and Hunter – the LWO struts in one corner – Regal pompously taunts the fans – Lashley gets nothing but room, one corner by himself – no one goes near him, no one addresses him – his hood remains on. 4 wrestlers down. 5 to go.

Flair says, while we’re mentioning losers from last night – how about a big hand for the man who generously handed off the Worldwide Titles to HHH-M last night – the Former – champion – Fit Finlay!

Fit and Dean enter – Fit is walking slowly, having been in two title matches at last night’s WM.

HHH-M says as a representative of the McMahon family, it’s important to him to create new stars. To give to the next generation – and based on his actions last night there’s a man who he thinks has what it takes to take it to the next level. Randy Orton!

As mentioned in Part I, we’re gonna do Orton/Cena at Summer Slam. Orton and Cena now emerge as their real world gimmicks. Orton’s cocky, privileged “I’ll fuck any diva I want” dude – Cena’s…you know, whatever the fuck it is Cena does that people seem to like. Fake street dude, I guess. Beats the fuck out of me.

Orton enters. He’s the 6th of 9.

Flair says his last pick will surprise some people. He says there’s a young kid who has been around here awhile. He won a tag title. Flair met him when they were both in the NWA. Flair says mainly, what’s happened is that he’s gotten his ass kicked a lot. Flair liked seeing him get his ass kicked. Flair’s enjoyed kicking his ass. Flair says the 51% Solution will enjoy seeing him get his ass kicked on the Road to Summer Slam – Sugar Shane Helms!

Okay, the Spreekillers are gone, no more scrawlings on Helms’s body, Helms is foresquarely gonna do the underdog gimmick. In fact, he’s gonna spend the summer getting his ass beat by Lashley – but he’ll keep coming back for more. Time to think of Helms as pure white meat babyface, underdog babyface – always fighting from beneath, getting his ass kicked babyface. That’s his spot.

Helms enters.

The Solution gets one more pick.

HHH-M says there’s something he heard all night when he and Flair were out partying – and that is that the only reason he won the IC is because…

And for the first time, someone in the ring actually addresses the Executioner.

…of Lashley.

HHH-M bigtimes Lashley a little bit.

He says he appreciates The Executioner. So does Flair. But he and Flair are two of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived. And some guy in a mask gets all the credit?
(you can see where, down the road, this is headed…but it’s down the road)

So – HHH-M says, he thought that the 8th and final man he wants to bring to the ring tonight….

Is the Undertaker.

Bong. Bong. Bong.

Since Lashley arrived at Survivor Series ’05, the only man who has stood face to face with him is the Taker – and as the Dead Man enters – he goes to the ring and goes right up to the Executioner and goes nose to nose with him. Lashley and the Undertaker. Lashley and the Undertaker. Lashley and the Undertaker.

So, to recap – here’s who is in the ring, as the Solution says they’re selecting a number one contender for Summer Slam:

-Flair, HHHM, Lashley
-Edge
-Regal
-Crazy, Carlito
-Michaels
-Fit, Dean
-Orton
-Helms
-Undertaker

Hit Punk’s music.

To the aisle comes CM Punk with Maria….and behind him….a few paces behind…are London, Kendrick, and Noble. London and Kendrick are jawing at each other, separated by Noble as they come out – Noble keeping them apart so Punk can take the mic.

Punk says wait a minute. Wait a minute.

You call 8 guys to the ring – the “8 best wrestlers” in the WWF to select a number one contender?

How can you say these are the best wrestlers in the WWF – when the 4 guys who had the best match at WM – are right here on this ramp?

Flair says he’s had more world titles than Punk’s had pieces of ass. Or some variant thereof.

HHHM says he’s never actually seen Punk wrestle on TV – that what we have in the ring are Superstars – Legends – Gods – far as he’s concerned, what they have on the ramp are 4 guys who belong back in the indies wrestling in front of a bunch of smart marks who type on the computer all day.

Everyone in the ring, faces and heels alike, look at Punk with scorn and derision.

Punk says he agrees with HHHM (with some extra sarcasm dripping on the word “McMahon”)

He says the ring is filled with Superstars – that HHHM (again, the dripping) is absolutely a Superstar. And the ring is filled with Legends. The Undertaker is the ultimate WWF legend. And the ring is filled with Gods. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels are on Mt. Olympus. They’re icons. They’re the best who ever lived.

Punk says I’m none of these things.

I’m just CM Punk.

And I’m a professional wrestler.

And I’m going home.

Punk says I do belong in the indies. I’m indie all the way, Hunter. I am GDI – God Damn Independent.

And if you fans – smart marks on your computers all day or otherwise – if you want to see CM Punk – you won’t be able to see him on Monday Night RAW…

But you’ll find out real soon where you’ll be able to see him.

Punk drops the mic – he and Maria smile, laugh. Exit – followed by Noble, and the bickering London and Kendrick.

What comes next is, ideally a deal with ROH. But if that’s too much fiction for the Counterfactual, it could be a deal with any indie – or, the WWF could start running 500 person venues.

It’ll look like an indie show – that level of footage, that type of tape quality. It should feel small and intimate and grainy. It’ll start off as just clips – clips sent to RAW of Punk being treated as a hero by whatever tiny crowd he’s in front of. And it won’t start off as full matches – just clips sent in that wind up, to the incredible frustration and anger of the Solution, on RAW. Clips of Punk against, say Jimmy Yang, once his WWF deal starts. Or Brent Albright, before his deal expired. Or 2 Cold Scorpio, once his deal began.

Eventually – this is what turns into the Sci Fi Show.

GDI Wrestling on Sci Fi.

And that’s where the workers who I want to use but can’t go. That’s where Noble, London, Kendrick all are.

So – RAW is where we live, it’s the big angles that set up the PPV.
Smackdown’s always been where the sports entertainment happens. Where you go to see the famous guys who the Counterfactual only uses when it has to.

And now Sci Fi is the indie show. It looks like ROH, it looks like old ECW, it looks different than WWF and that’s where Punk spends the summer of 2006.

GDI Wrestling.

The two dark matches at Summer Slam will be another four way with Punk/London/Kendrick/Noble and Strong Style taking on Dreamer/Sandman

Back to the ring.

Flair says these 8 men are the picks of the 51% Solution – that in this_very_ring is the next WWF Champion.

But the fans picked one more man.

And the Matt Hardy chants start.

Flair and Hunter fume.

Flair, with disgust in his voice – says the man chosen by WWF fans –

Is Matt Hardy.

Matt enters, once again a contracted member of the company.

Matt does a nose to nose with Michaels, the two of them in a slowburning feud as you can see from back posts.

And then Matt turns to Edge.

Announce plugs the new show.

Matt. Edge. Hell. Cell. 24/7/365.

Which, as the post of the same subject indicates is our ripping off the great HBO build to Mayweather v. De La Hoya.

It’s a full on documentary style production.

Matt’s half crazy babyface.

Edge is jackass heel.

Edge has money and bitches and hints of drugs.

Matt works out.

We run the episodes on RAW, on Smackdown, and on GDI.

As the whole year – every show – is a constant build to XXIII, where they meet in the main event, a match a lifetime in the making.

Matt. Edge. Hell. Cell. 24/7/365.

We’re gonna do two things with the show over the summer.

JR comes back into the fold, serving as the voiceover for the pieces.
We are gonna get new Ring Boys.

Recall, this is how, way, way, way back when Matt, Jeff, Edge, and Christian were introduced into the Counterfactual.

Matt and Jeff were the ring boys for the Clique.

Edge and Christian were ring boys for the Hart Foundation, which at that point, was just Owen.

And now we’re going to do it again.

Matt’s going to get Kenny Doane and Cody Rhodes.
Edge is going to get Teddy Hart and Harry Smith.

And like we did previously, the four young wrestlers become friends, as they’re all in this together. But given that they are in opposite camps, tension is created.

They’re largely in the background, they’re kids – earnest, forthright, just trying to learn their craft from these two stars as they approach the biggest match of their careers.

Matt. Edge. Hell. Cell. 24/7/365.

Back to the ring.

Edge takes the mic.

Says the fans can chant all they want.

Matt Hardy will not be the number one contender.

Because Edge has his contract.

Edge waves the contract in Matt’s face, we reset the premise, Edge is in total control of Matt’s WWF career, total control of the fate of WM XXIII and the biggest match of all time.

And Edge wants to make clear – if Matt Hardy is named number one contender and fights for the WWF Championship at Summer Slam – then the Cell match at XXIII – is canceled.

This doesn’t bother Flair and Hunter – one of them takes the mic to tell Matt to get the fuck out. They don’t need him in the ring anyway. One of the men in the ring is the next WWF Champion – and that man won’t be Matt Hardy.

Matt then hits Twist of Fate on either HHH or Flair – and the brawl is on, everyone in the ring against everyone else – with Matt and Edge being sure to have no physical contact – during the full on brawl, Rey comes to the top of the aisle – and so the scene is set – it’s the ring – it’s Rey – who will be the number one contender?????

So, over the course of the summer – we have all 8 guys wrestle – with the Solution watching, taking notes.

You already know it won’t be Orton, since we set up his grudge match with Cena for Summer Slam.

It won’t be the Undertaker – he’ll go over his comrades, Kane and PAUL in singles matches over the summer, before Kane gets taken out by Lashley, as detailed in part 1 of the build for Summer Slam. Lashley, of course, took out Kane as part of the building war with the Taker – and it would be assumed that, with the Taker not working Summer Slam – and PAUL going to Summer Slam to defend the tag titles against Booker and Conway, that it will wind up being the Taker who works as his partner.

That will not be the case either.

It won’t be Regal or Fit – they will feud all summer and work as the 3rd dark match at Summer Slam.

It won’t be Crazy or Helms. They’ll trade wins all summer, as a sidecar to the Carlito/Chavo program. Chavo will aid his former SpreeKiller partner Helms when he’s jumped by the LWO. This allows for some tag matches between the two sides – and will get us to the Carlito/Chavo – LWO angle that was set up in the first part of the build.

Crazy v. Helms will be our record breaking 4th dark match for Summer Slam.

And it won’t be Edge or Michaels.

‘Cause they’re going to rematch at Summer Slam.

And they’re going to do it by climbing a ladder.

The Matt/Edge angle over the summer is all the contract stuff. Edge will have him wrestle multiple times a night. Edge will put him in handicap matches. Edge will reverse decisions where Matt has won a match.

Edge has Matt’s contract, after all.

It’ll build to two spots.

One will be Lita’s blowoff – she’s been in and out of Edge’s side since her heel turn a year ago – but all summer she’s with Edge as he runs Matt Hardy’s career.

We’re constantly reminded that Matt can’t touch Edge – and that’s why he never retaliates.

But there’s a moment where he decides to retaliate against Lita.

He lays her out with a twist of fate that results in her being stretchered out and wraps her up.

That freaks Edge out – and he gets back at Matt by having him face every monster in the company in one night.

He beats them all but the last one – Lashley. Lashley goes over Matt – then hits the Dominator through the table – the move that ended the career of Chris Benoit.

And that knocks Matt Hardy out of Summer Slam.

During an Edge gloat, he eats the Michaels superkick.

Michaels says Edge may have beaten him at XXII.

And Edge might be the main event for XXIII.

And Edge might be the new guy around here.

But he’s still not the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He’s never been WWF Champ, never held the Triple Crown, and he can’t beat Michaels in his signature match – the Ladder Match.

Edge loves it. He wants it. He’s ready to go.

But he laughs at Shawn a little bit – what are we going to climb the ladder to get?

Michaels says – Matt Hardy’s contract. Because if there’s one thing I hate, it’s a guy who uses his power indiscriminately.

And that winds up being the stip.

Edge v. HBK in the Ladder Match at Summer Slam for Matt’s contract.

And that allows us to make the opening tag – parejas increibles.

Recall, last summer Flair, then babyface half of the Flair/Steamboat team, established parejas increibles as the new tradition for the Summer Slam opening tag.

This year – Cactus/Sabu v. Edge/Michaels.

Which means we’ve got all the matches except for the two singles titles.

We get one good night for graps with these two – Tajiri and Tanaka both worked One Night Stand – so, there will be a RAW where Rey goes over Tajiri and Hunter pins Tanaka.

The Hunter gimmick is, of course, that Lashley, as bodyguard, keeps saving his title – all summer, Lashley keeps saving HHH.

HHH keeps promising Lashley a reward. The credit is coming, Executioner. The credit is coming. You’ll get what’s coming to you.

With Hunter seemingly having exhausted the supply of contenders over the summer – cutting some promo to that effect, “Summer Slam is going to be an easy night for the champ – there’s not a man in that locker room who can step up to HHH-M”

And that’s when we get the return of Leviathan.

Batista, recall, was Flair’s protégée in the Horsemen, the two of them tag champs at one point. When Flair went general manager, Batista was turned to Arn’s care – but they set him up, and the 51% Solution was formed a year ago at Survivor Series when Flair and Arn turned on Batista and later joined HHH-M.

He’s been gone since – but now he’s back – he wants revenge.

It’s Leviathan against HHH-M for the IC.

Who wrestles Rey?

Well, Flair didn’t lie. He said someone in this ring will be number one contender.

Sure, the 8 guys he called to the ring are spoken for. Matt hit the ring – but he’s injured.

Carlito has a match and Dean Malenko is (unfortunately) retired.

But 3 other men, as Flair explains from the ring one RAW when he will finally reveal who the Solution picked to face Rey at Summer Slam, 3 other men were in the ring that night.

Flair, HHH-M, and Lashley.

And they stand in the ring now.

Flair says it can’t be HHH-M, he’s defending the IC that night.

That leaves….

Flair turns to Lashely.

And given that Lashley’s an undefeated monster, that he has taken out Benoit and Matt – that he was the most instrumental figure in HHH-M IC reign continuing and that HHH keeps promising him a reward..

One assumes it’s going to be Lashley facing Mysterio for the strap at Summer Slam.

But it won’t be.

Flair cuts promo on Rey, reminds us that he never wanted Mysterio as WWF Champ – that he brought in the LWO to take him out, that he put Rey in handicap matches, that he watched Rey beat Eddy Guerrero and Chris Benoit in their last matches in their careers – and still – here we are – at Summer Slam 2006 – and Rey Mysterio is still the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.

So Ric Flair himself, just named the great wrestler of all time (see that post on the greatest wrestlers in counterfactual history, which would have been a tv clip special, and culminated with Flair’s receiving some type of trophy) Ric Flair himself will have to do it.

With Rey being the 9th ranked wrestler of all time and Flair first, that becomes an element of the match.

We also get to see the only previous Rey/Flair singles match - Fall Brawl 1996, a full 10 years ago - when Rey took Flair's US Title.

As we ramp up to the event, Flair begins to indicate that he doesn't want the help of the Solution - he wants to face Little Rey mano y mano.

And that’s your card.

Undisputed Championship: Mysterio v. Flair
Worldwide Championship: HHH-M v. Leviathan
Unified Tags: PAUL/? v. Booker/Conway
Ladder Match for Matt’s Contract: Edge v. HBK

Glass Light Tube Match: Cactus v. Sabu
LWO in the Balance: Chavo v. Carlito
Former Partners Explode: Orton v. Cena
Parejas Increibles: Edge/HBK v. Cactus/Sabu

It’s Summer Slam ’06 from Boston.

Call your local cable company today!!