Road to WWF 100: Royal Rumble 2012

(Outside of our narrative, this is the 7^th anniversary of the Counterfactual; over that time I’ve changed jobs and gotten married – and that was just in 2012.  I’ll be here another year if you will.  Even if you won’t, I’ll still be here.  I got nowhere else to go.)

Survivor Series 2011 was here.

We’re headed to WWF 100, the 100^th PPV in World Wrestling Federation history – Royal Rumble 2012.

And we have a disputed commissionership; Steve Regal, head trainer for Underground, currently possessing each title belt in the WWF was promised by outgoing Commissioner Bret Hart that he would be his replacement, but they had a falling out – and at the close of Survivor Series it was Mick Foley, making his return and bringing with him GDI (with the two newest members, the Kings of Wrestling) who was named Commissioner.

The only resolution – War Games, to be contested on a Fight Night say a month after Survivor Series. 

The stips increase, if GDI wins, whomever gets the submission gets the WWF Title shot against Nemeth at the Rumble.  If Underground wins, whomever submits can’t wrestle anywhere in North America for a year.   

There are pre-tapes where each side is selected.  I want that done away from the ring. 

Regal pretty quickly picks Nemeth, Sheamus, Barrett, and McIntyre.  He then explains why he isn’t picking Gabriel or Riley (Empire has to defend the belts at WWF 100, War Games is a brutal match, they want to make sure at least two members are at full strength). He explains why he isn’t picking any of the Douchebags (sometimes, what happens outside the cage in a War Games can determine the result; Michael Cole will tell them what to do). He doesn’t need to explain why he isn’t picking DiBiase.  

DiBiase’s not there.

Why?

At SSeries, Orton got his mojo back; the Fight Night right after the PPV was he and DiBiase – Orton beat him and then punted him with the Golden Goal. 

Then it gets tougher – that leaves Kidd, Black, Ambrose.

Regal says he can’t pick Kidd and Black, then shows a tape – it’s of another War Games for control of the WWF, this one between Steamboat and the 51% Solution, with Regal turning on Team Steamboat and intentionally throwing the match to the heels. 

No one knows the potential for skullduggery in a War Games like Regal – and it isn’t that he doesn’t trust Kidd and Black, but the risk is too high.  Kidd understands, Black does not – Black’s been with Underground since after Mania – what does he have to do to prove himself?

Regal says maybe they find out at War Games.  But he won’t be the fifth man – that’s going to be Ambrose.

Team Underground is set.

The selection process is similar with GDI, but it starts with Steamboat bringing someone to speak to the crew – Dean Malenko.

He shows the tape of his submitting in another War Games match; that submission ended his career.  Malenko says in the NWA he and Benoit and Eddy and Jericho were in the same spot – all World Champions, all with success around the world – those three came to the WWF and won Triple Crowns, Dean never won a single thing.  War Games ends careers – make sure they’re prepared to be the one who loses before they volunteer for the mission.

Steamboat asks for volunteers – everyone raises his hand.

First two are easy – Punk and Danielson.  Steamboat says he also wants the Kings of Wrestling.  He turns to Sydal/Tatsu says he needs them outside, no one knows Cole and Douchebags like they do. 

But that’s everyone.  No one left.  That means the fifth man will be a mystery.

Fun!

More build – on RAW they do a full face off for a coin flip for who will get the man advantage – it’s Underground. 

And GDI is able to goad Nemeth into saying that he will be the first man in the ring (because he’s not scared of nobody, get it?)

They establish the psychology; will Underground be tight, fearful, no one wanting to be the one to cost Regal control of the WWF?  Will GDI turn on each other – everyone wanting to be the one who wins to get the shot, no one wanting to suffer the penalty of losing.

And then it’s time.

First into the cage is Nemeth, the World Champion.

Next is Punk – who obviously feels cheated given how Nemeth took the belt from him and, one notes, he’s never gotten a rematch.

Next is McIntyre. 

Then Hero.  Hero and Punk working together in late 2011 WWF.

Then Sheamus – reuniting the Hooligans who do some double team stuff. 

Then Claudio – the Kings square off against the Hooligans while Punk fights Nemeth.

That’s when the Douchebags hit the ramp – there are five of them and only Sydal/Tatsu for GDI, which is about right given who is involved, they get in some brawl and then the entire security force moves them all to the back.

Then Barrett.

Then Danielson – but not Danielson, because he’s stomped out on the ramp by Kidd and Black, they leave him laying – medical helps him to the back – meaning when Ambrose comes to the ring next, it’s 5 on 3 for Underground, and just desperate times for GDI, Douchebags cleared security out of the way allowing Kidd and Black to prove their loyalty and now here we are – we don’t know who the fifth man for GDI will be, but we know it’s not Kidd or Black, and it will need to be a game changer, because it’s 5-3.

It is.

It’s Swagger.

Swagger hits the cage and suplexes everyone in the ring on his way to Nemeth, his former partner, who hits his knees to beg off – and that’s enough time for the an Underground recovery, quickly enough they get control again, given the 5-4 advantage – there’s a spot where it looks like Hero will have to submit to Sheamus but Punk saves him - all looks lost until Danielson emerges from the back, limping his way to the ring, he does the superhero thing and soon has McIntyre in the Cattle Mutilation – Punk has the opportunity to break it up (so Danielson isn’t the one who gets the shot) but instead blocks Nemeth from doing the same thing and McIntyre taps. 

GDI wins.  Mick Foley is the new WWF Commissioner.  Bryan Danielson will wrestle Nick Nemeth for the WWF Title at WWF100.  As Danielson realizes what Punk has done, he finally accepts him into the GDI fold – and for the first time the entire group is on the same page.  It is Steamboat and Danielson with the full compliment of GDI behind them challenging for the WWF Championship at WWF100.  Will the "best wrestler in the world" finally grab the top prize in the sport?

Let’s fill out the rest of the card.

Sheamus defends the IC against the Miz.  Miz is the last man standing in the Clique; Sheamus, the Clique Killer, has seemingly ended the careers of Edge, Christian, and now Nitro.  Also gone is Natty, she leaves with Nitro after Survivor Series.

So it’s just Miz, the last man standing, against Sheamus.

At WWF 100, every wrestler/valet/announcer who has ever been a part of the previous 99 PPVs is invited  to return.  That’s going to mean you should expect everyone not dead or with TNA (except for one guy with TNA, who WWF was able to use at an event in 2012, you may recall) to attend.  As we get closer, one of the selling points is a first time ever uniting of the entire Clique.  Do you want to see the whole Clique together for the only time ever?  Do you want to buy the t-shirt? Only on Pay Per View at WWF 100.

With the spirit of WWF history in the air, Foley announces the challengers to Empire for the tag belts.  

Two WWF veterans both with a grudge against Underground – Booker T and Jerry Lawler.

(Both were assaulted by Underground). 

It’s a last ride situation for both guys, and for Lawler his first ever chance at any belt in the WWF.  

With all those WWF veterans in attendance, wouldn’t it be something to see Lawler/Booker take the tag belts.

And that’s the matchup all the way until the go home RAW, when Orton (not booked for 100) angrily confronts Foley in the ring – he’s just another corporate puppet, he’s just another example of a guy Orton’s hated his whole life, a guy who used to be something but now he tells people who are something what to do.

They hash out that what Orton wants is in on the tag match with the current version of Defiance. 

Foley says he didn’t know Orton had a partner. 

Cue the new partner – Cody Rhodes. Rhodes, as you've seen since Mania, feels slighted by the WWF, and that's what's drawn he together with Orton.  

Orton and Rhodes, Defiance, make the tag title match a three way.

4 singles matches.

Punk and Cena rematch – they had a draw at Survivor Series, for Cena it’s the biggest match in his life (essentially the same build as the prior show) not only wrestling a 3 time WWF Champion, but doing so at WWF 100 in front of the legends who built this sport.  Punk doesn’t much care about the legends who built the sport, doesn’t much care about WWF 100 – he cares about himself and GDI.  Punk isn’t there to prove anything to the legends, he’s there to beat John Cena.  Cena drapes himself in the promotion's history and heritage as we get closer to 100, Punk's the guy who threw down the WWF Title belt - and he's made every apology he's ever going to make already.  If that's not good enough for some of the legends returning at 100, then screw 'em.  

McIntyre needs to prove himself after submitting in War Games; he hates that he’s let Regal down – he demands to go into WWF 100 in a not enviable match – against Jack Swagger.  Swagger was only marginally effective at War Games after that initial burst – his obsession with Nemeth his only concern.  

Swagger’s first singles match in over a year will be at WWF 100.  He only promos in pre-tape, because that lisp is hard to manage, ideally he radiates a single minded hatred for Nemeth.  

Following War Games, Sydal/Tatsu began to slowly get some payback against Douchebags – and that culminates in Tatsu’s facing Heath Slater at WWF 100. It's expected that Sydal and Ryder may find their way to become involved - and the match is made No DQ.

Young Money wrestles again; this time in a cage – Foley says he appreciates a man’s need to get to his shift at Ikea, but Killings isn’t escaping this time; it’s Kingston and Killings in a cage at WWF 100.  Foley uses a lot of "once and for all" language, signifying this may be the blow off.  

Finally the opening tag – we’ve added a Colon, Epico – they’re heels, and they poke at Henry having lost his tag title shot enough that we get Henry/Santino against the Colons in the opening tag.

Add in over 200 returning WWF legends - it's WWF100.  It's going to be a happening.

WWF Title: Nick Nemeth (w/Kelly) v. Bryan Danielson

IC Title: Sheamus v. Miz

Tag Titles: Empire v. Booker/Lawler v. Defiance

CM Punk v. John Cena

Jack Swagger v. McIntyre

No DQ: Yoshi Tatsu v. Heath Slater (w/Cole)

Cage Match: @TruthKills v. Ka$h Kingston

Henry/Santino v. Colons

Back in January with the Rumble