Part 1 is here.
3 matches down; 5 to go.
The WWF Championship program begins in the same fashion as did the tag title program, a RAW, say a few weeks after Summer Slam, begins with Commissioner Arn Anderson in the ring with the WWF Champion Chris Jericho.
Arn puts Jericho over – says Survivor Series will mark his 1 year anniversary as WWF Champion – and now it’s time to name the man he’ll face. Arn says it’s been a challenging decision – and he has been unable to talk to the man he’s going to bring to the ring right now, as he arrived late to the building tonight – Johnny Nitro.
Nitro comes to the ring with girls, he’s wearing a fur coat and sunglasses, the clip of RAW after Silver where Arn said that following his blow off win over Shelton that he should go home and train for a title shot down the line plays – Nitro clearly expects to be named number one contender – and he and Jericho go nose to nose.
Arn says he’s sorry he has to do this in front of everyone – but he has to go back on his word. Arn then calls to the ring Chavo Guerrero.
Chavo – gone since the beginning of ’09 comes down the ramp, he’s got new gear as he’s left the LWO – the clip plays of Jericho, back before the Rumble, telling Chavo to go home and train as he wanted to give him a shot at the WWF Title – which would mean a shot at the Triple Crown – Jericho’s biggest ever rival, certainly the biggest rival of his NWA and early WWF days was Eddy – Chavo has had a very good career here – IC and tag title champ – and now he, Nitro, and Jericho all stand in the ring.
Arn says it’s a timing issue – before he became Commissioner, Jericho promised a shot to Chavo – then Arn promised one to Nitro. The only fair thing, Arn says – is for Nitro and Chavo to fight for it – on the season premiere of Fight Night (which we’ll say is the last Friday in September).
Chavo nods his head – moving toward Nitro – but Nitro says nope – says it’s his shot and his shot alone, and he doesn’t want to bruise his hands on Chavo’s face.
Nitro exits – and he’s passed on the ramp by an entering MVP.
Porter, billed as the Greatest Intercontinental Champion of all Time for his year and a half long title run, lost his shot at Jericho’s belt in what (hopefully) was a good match – one that people wouldn’t mind seeing again. Because he gets to the ring and cuts what sort of sounds like his first ever babyface promo.
He says he’s a man, you cant survive in jail as long as he did and not be a man – and a man admits when he got beat. And he got beat at Summer Slam 1-2-3. But - Porter says – but - there’s no question in his mind that he can beat Jericho at Survivor Series – and if that chance to fight Chavo for the shot is available – Porter will gladly step up and take it.
Nitro then comes back to the ring and gets in MVP’s face, tells Porter he’s showing him up – trying to punk him out.
MVP laughs – tells Nitro that all he’s trying to do is become WWF Champ – when the day comes that he decides to punk Nitro out – he’ll know it.
Now Jericho interrupts as the ring gets heated – says the truth is that he’s been WWF Champ for a year – and he plans to be WWF Champ for many more – there will be time for him to beat both Nitro and Porter.
And now Chavo has to cut a fiery promo – he’s got to get right in Jericho’s face – if Jericho’s looking past him , he’s making a mistake. Jericho’s a golden boy, Jericho walked off the street into a TV title in the NWA, he walked off the street and into an IC title in the WWF – he left this place for years, to drink, to play in his band, to try to make it in Hollywood – to find himself – and he walked back in here and into a WWF Championship – into a Triple Crown.
Chavo says he’s been wrestling since he was in the womb – and has never even one time wrestled for the World Heavyweight Championship.
But whether he has to beat MVP (he stares at Porter) Nitro (he stares at Nitro) he will – and at Survivor Series he’ll take Jericho’s title – just like Eddy used to do – and he’ll become the second Guerrero to win the Triple Crown –
And now everyone in the ring is jawing at each other when Arn announces that tonight – in this very ring – we’re gonna start sorting this out – Jericho and Chavo will tag up against Porter and Nitro.
It breaks down – Nitro winds up walking out, Porter chases him into the ramp and they start fighting – Chavo and Jericho take a count out win and Chavo leaves Jericho laid out with the Three Amigos suplex sequence and the frog splash.
MVP is given the Fight Night shot since Nitro refused it – Chavo beats him – Nitro enters the ring postmatch to laugh at Porter – and gets slapped across the face for it. They brawl – and they’ll meet at Survivor Series.
So will Chavo and Jericho, for the strap and the possibility of a Triple Crown for Chavo. There’s one more element to this match, in the go home Fight Night – Chavo beats Mysterio, and how we get there allows us to talk about another match for Survivor Series – Rey v. Sydal.
Rey lost his IC to Michaels at Summer Slam, and immediately after he’s in the type of program you’d see in the real world – he’s attacked by untalented monsters – say Kozlov and Jackson (they would have been the tenth team in that tag battle royal I mentioned in part 1, I think if you add Flock and LWO to the ones I gave you, we’re at ten).
They were eliminated by the LWO in that battle royal – and they set upon Rey. Kinda for revenge, but really that part is just to start putting them together – as really they go after Rey to make their bones. He’s a legend, they’re new. Boom.
They attack him in a big man/little man type of way, lay him out good – look fearsome.
This will need Rey to accept the aid of the LWO.
A little history – Carlito and Crazy were once the LWO, and Carlito won Chavo’s membership, but then coerced him to fully embrace his allegiance to the group. Carlito and Chavo turned face a couple of years ago backing Rey up when he was in a program with Booker and he was supported by Heat (the brief build for Chavo/Porter on Fight Night will reference that). Rey didn’t become a member – but that history of a good working relationship was in play in the build to Silver when the LWO, once again heels, now Carlito and Primo, used heel tactics against the Flock to protect Rey from them.
Rey again didn’t join – keeping his distance from ratifying their behavior.
But now he asks for help – there’s a backstage “I need you guys” moment from Rey – a knowing smile from Carlito – and the three men, together, wind up attacking and taking apart Jackson and Kozlov, using chairs and sticks and all manner of foreign objects smaller men might use to whip some monster ass. It’s a full on sneak attack – justice, perhaps, given what happened to Rey – but a sneak attack, and we make clear, in a separate match that same week, to continue to position the LWO as full heels, they wrestle and lose to say Young Money, and do all the heel things one could do (no Rey, he’s not there).
A few weeks later, Rey appears unannounced on GDI.
Now we rewind.
Not long after Summer Slam, Hunter appears on GDI.
This is unusual.
He announces that, after much negotiation, GDI has been purchased from the McMahon Family. Hunter says he personally has never seen the appeal of a bunch of independent wrestlers doing flips in small buildings – and will be glad to see it go. Hunter says the buyer was anonymous – but will apparently reveal himself at Survivor Series when he officially takes possession of GDI. Hunter says therefore GDI will become, as it once was, a totally separate company from the WWF – WWF talent will not appear on GDI and GDI wrestlers won’t appear on WWF shows.
So enjoy the next several weeks – because everything changes at Survivor Series.
Sydal, the top babyface, and Tatsu, the top heel – now program against each other in the last several episodes of GDI before the change. We’re told that both men will be, as part of the purchase, leaving GDI to go to the WWF main roster beginning at Survivor Series – we’re also told that 2 new wrestlers, who will be at Survivor Series with the new owner, will take their spots on GDI. Further, after Survivor Series, GDI will get a new announcer – its own announcer as it will no longer be using WWF talent – and that GDI will be leaving Tuesday nights on Scy Fy to move to Thursdays on WGN.
Tatsu, heel since his turn on Noble – will, for the first time, cut promos. The promos will be in Japanese.
He’ll need a translator – and he’ll get one in the form of a guy who has largely just been used to do voiceovers in this world (although he very briefly did some announcing years ago, even doing one Wrestlemania) Michael Cole.
Cole speaks Japanese. Crazy!
Tatsu will cut condescending promos “this building is a toilet – the fat lady in the third row smells like hamburger meat” which will, apologetically be translated by Cole. He doesn’t want to say “your women enjoy my taut buttocks” but he will. Part of the gig.
With not more than a few episodes remaining, say after a match between Sydal and some high flyer..like Pac, that would be good, let’s pretend it was Pac (Jack Evans is more likely) Rey enters unexpectedly. If Rey Mysterio walks out unannounced in some small building in southern California, say there for a PWG/GDI taping, they will be pleased to see him.
Rey puts over the show – and puts over Sydal – says maybe people remember when Rey was the best high flyer in the world. Rey says he’d very much like to see how much air he can still put under his wings – he’d like to challenge Sydal – next week – right here on GDI.
So – it’s Matt Sydal, young, adrenaline fueled babyface in the biggest night of his life wrestling the legendary Rey Mysterio –
And after as many spots as we can cram in, the LWO enters and stomps Sydal out.
Rey pushes them off – and there’s a shouting match as the show ends.
The following RAW, Rey calls them out to the ring to give them the whatfor. Carlito says Rey can understand their confusion – one night he wants them to stomp out Jackson and Kozlov, even picks up a chair to help them do that – it looked to the LWO like Rey was going to lose to Sydal – and now that Rey is LWO, he doesn’t ever need to lose again.
Rey says, first of all – I wasn’t going to lose. And second – he’s not LWO.
Primo says maybe five years ago – but now, the young guys, like himself, have passed Rey by – he was going to lose to Sydal – and without the LWO – he’ll be losing a lot more.
Rey gets hot – Carlito calms everything down. Tells Rey he should reconsider. He’s respected Rey’s desire to stay solo – Rey’s always been a lone wolf and Carlito respects that – but times have changed, and it’s dangerous to be all alone in today’s WWF.
Rey says thanks, but he’s good – Carlito shakes his hand and the LWO leaves.
Rey apologizes to Sydal (who isn’t there) says he feels bad they didn’t get to finish their match – and challenges him to do it again – at Survivor Series.
So – we have that. Match number 6. Rey v. Sydal.
Rey then asks Chavo to come out.
Rey tells Chavo although he’s wrestling at Survivor Series, the most important match is Chavo’s – that finally, after his long career – he gets a chance to join he and Eddy as WWF Champions – and as Triple Crown winners. Rey says he’s proud of Chavo and Eddy would be too. Rey says he’d like to help get Chavo ready – so he wants to face him, one on one, on the go home Fight Night.
Chavo accepts – so the very last piece of TV before Survivor Series is Chavo beating Rey on Fight Night – the LWO entering – and stomping both men out – Sydal and then Jericho come to the ring – they beat back the LWO – Sydal and Rey do some double wipeout highspot – leaving Jericho and Chavo alone in the ring – Jericho extends his hand – Chavo knocks it away – the two men going nose to nose as the show ends.
6 matches booked.
WWF Title: Jericho v. Chavo
WWF Tag Titles: D1 v. Regal/Fit
Porter v. Nitro
Rey v. Sydal
WMD v. HHH-M/Miz
DMW v. Taker/Cody v. Defiance v. Young Money
2 matches left. I’ll be back no later than top of October to finish the build.
NEXT
