Wrestlemania 29 is here.
Summer Slam is in August from Los Angeles
Let’s reset the board as we begin the new wrestling
year.
RAW is the flagship show; it’s bigger than the real world
RAW – more video walls, less of a feeling like it is a contained television
show and more like an event being covered.
The announcers at a big sporting event aren’t on the same team as the
performers, they’re covering the performers, that’s the feel of RAW.
Pre-tapes and backstage stuff look more like TNA than
WWE. Few in ring promos, Renee Young
debuts in the old Mean Gene role. Heyman
Hustle serves as the in ring talk show to drive big angles.
Joey Styles is the voice of the WWF, he does RAW. Paul Heyman is the analyst, he doesn’t work every week, if Lesnar is on the show, we don’t see Paul except with Lesnar.
Smackdown is Fight Night; it’s a small show, designed to
feel intimate, feel immediate. It’s
almost entirely matches, no in ring promos, no vignettes. There can be pretape and some clip packages,
but it’s a wrestling show. There’s a
greater level of violence on Fight Night (and a greater level of violence in
this product overall – it’s not designed for children; hopefully children watch it – but in the way while 8 year olds watch professional sports and adults also watch professional sports)
Joey also does Fight Night now that JR is gone. Steve Regal is the analyst; he remains in
charge of developmental, and now that the new facility has been built he’s in
Orlando every night except for Fight Night.
His managerial duties for Underground end after an angle the night after
29 that we’ll get to momentarily.
Main Event is a one match, two at the most card, featuring
matchups that aren’t in any of the main storylines. Zach Ryder can have a year long feud with
Yoshi Tatsu that never gets on PPV, but
they can have 15 minute matches on Fight Night and build to them with angles on
the website (the Network once it starts)
NXT is Underground, it’s the same idea, largely the
developmental guys and guys on the main roster who came through
developmental. Periodically there’s a
GDI takeover, so the guys in GDI who don’t get to work PPV can mix in. Scott
Stanford is the voice for both shows.
The back catalog on the Network, once it starts, can be used
to give context to current stories. If
I’m watching online, a click during a Lesnar angle will get me to Lesnar
matches from 10 years ago; if I’m watching on TV, you show a clip and voiceover
that the rest of the match can be seen on the WWF Network (I don’t know why
this isn’t how WWE is using their catalog).
Here’s the Summer Slam card.
WWF Championship (Steel Cage) Brock Lesnar (w/Heyman) v.
Bryan Danielson
Lots of space to cover between Mania and Summer Slam, it
allows for multiple chapters in the build.
There’s not gonna be a Summer Slam is my favorite Summer Slam beat to hit, it’s a perennial.
Here, although Lesnar (who doesn’t work for WWF in storyline, he’s match by match) had a return match clause, he’d holding up the promotion. Or rather, Paul’s holding up the promotion on Brock’s behalf – Lesnar won’t speak to anyone in the company, whenever someone tries to talk to him (like Foley, still WWF Commissioner, but not for long) Heyman intervenes, dripping with contempt:
The Champ…will not be
speaking….with you.
Lesnar smirks throughout all of those interactions; he’s
having a good time being champ, as evidenced by his being accompanied all
summer by the Bellas. Also in the
entourage is, of course, Swagger, who is starting to loosen up – his hair
growing – we see some vignettes (not unlike the Paul/Lesnar take on New York
segment to build to 29) where the Paul Heyman Guys destroy clubs – Swagger
drinks, the Bellas grind on the Champ – Heyman gets a little loose
himself. They’re riding high.
Not riding high is Steamboat – within a week after Mania,
his run as the face of GDI ends. GDI
meets as they have always done, in an empty arena, every man in the ring –
Steamboat apologizes to Punk and says he’s stepping away. He’s going to go on the road and scout new
talent for GDI, but not appear at ringside any longer as he clearly can’t rely
on his judgment. There are protests –
but Punk takes control, thanking Steamboat for all he’s done, wishing him well,
says he doesn’t hold any grudges, and he gives Steamboat a hug.
Not riding high is Foley – he’s unable even to talk to
Lesnar and his frustration increases – he interrupts a special Paul Heyman Guy
Celebration; say a Heyman Hustle promoted for a couple of weeks that is
designed to be a real excessive segment, maybe it’s a Bellas strip show where
they each give Lesnar a lapdance (note, not Swagger).
It’s interrupted by Foley – Foley says this is a wrestling
show, not the Gold Club (or equivalent in whatever city we’re in). Foley
demands that Lesnar stop screwing around and agree to the rematch at Summer
Slam. Lesnar whispers something to
Heyman – Heyman shakes his head no, they do that a couple of times, and then
finally, regretfully, Paul says that the price has just gone up – and now, what
Brock wants is a night with Foley’s (unsettlingly hot) daughter Noelle.
Foley lets that soak in – and then he attacks Heyman,
getting in as many shots as he can until Swagger peels him off and then hits
him with as much of a move as Foley is able to take.
That’s it for Foley, you can’t attack talent and he is
removed from the position. We’re told
that he’s been replaced by a three man committee of WWF legends, they won’t be
part of weekly television; they’ll be revealed at Summer Slam, two via
satellite and one live in attendance.
Not riding high is Danielson, he lost the title and now the
rematch seems uncertain. Danielson isn’t
broken from the match in the way Punk clearly was from his loss to Lesnar –
he’s not getting in the ring, but he seems excited, it’s all just part of what
it means to be a wrestler, to live the art – now he gets to experience losing
the title and trying to win it back.
There’s another Heyman Hustle, Paul says its to make up for
Foley interrupting the strip show – who knows what the Bellas will do?
This time Danielson shows up – it’s his first confrontation
with Lesnar since 29, Heyman attempts to intervene and hit the new catchphrase
but Lesnar stops him – Lesnar wanting to have the face to face with
Danielson.
Danielson says Brock can keep screwing around with contracts
and with (nodding at Brie) the girls– but when he’s ready to face a real man,
there’s one waiting for him at Summer Slam.
Lesnar laughs, says he tapped him out once, he’ll do it
again.
And then Danielson says he didn’t tap out. Far as Danielson’s concerned, if that towel
wasn’t thrown, Danielson would still be wearing the title belt right now. And who knows (nodding at Brie again) “maybe
she’d be with me.”
Lesnar freaks out.
Comes close to taking the fight – Paul has to shove his hand over
Brock’s face to keep it from happening.
Heyman tells Danielson he’s pathetic – that if he wants a match – he’s
got one, in two weeks, against Swagger.
So, this opens the floodgates – except for JR immediately
after it happened, no one has questioned that Punk throwing in the towel was an
issue. But that’s what Danielson is
doing, and now we have tons of speculation – the wrestlers work it on twitter,
the announcers all discuss it (Joey steadfastly holds that Lesnar won). It’s a topic the rest of that RAW, then all
week – then into the following RAW.
On that show – another GDI meeting – this one led by Punk, in the ring, without Steamboat (cause he’s gone) and without (noticeably) Danielson.
Punk is heated – he says he is drawing the line right here –
he points to two sides of the ring and wants every member of GDI to declare if
they think he screwed Danielson out of the WWF Title or not by walking to one
of the two sides.
Everyone, some with hesitation, but everyone, walks over to
the side that Punk did the right thing.
Except for Chris Hero.
Hero is second to last, and Punk gets right in his face
after he makes the choice. Punk says “do
you know who I am – I am a 3 time WWF Champion, I started GDI, I would never
take the WWF Title away from a GDI brother.” – Hero says “nobody knows you
better than I do, that’s why I’m standing right here.”
Claudio’s last, he pauses, but Hero then nods that he should
stand with everyone else.
Hero, note, is a heel
- this has been referenced before, since he returned from his broken
arm, he’s been the bad cop in the Kings of Wrestling, while Claudio has been
the good cop.
Punk counts everyone (Sydal is even there, he’s been gone
forever, he’s still out, but this shows how important this meeting was, at
least to everyone but Danielson) says it’s clear who GDI is standing
behind. Danielson then walks to the
ring, gives it a once over, and stands next to Hero. Punk is angered beyond words, he exits.
The following week is Danielson’s first match since 29,
against Swagger – it’s a non finish, it looks like maybe Swagger’s going to
win, as he has an advantage – but Brock, out of nowhere, enters, Heyman seems
surprised – Brock pushes Swagger out of the way and hits an F5 on Danielson –
then drops a contract on his body and grabs a mic – “I didn’t beat you? I crushed you. And at Summer Slam I’m going to do it again –
in a steel cage!”
Heyman puts his head in his hands – Swagger looks hard at
Lesnar – all three men walk up the aisle and as Danielson comes to he’s
laughing, he’s in pain, but he’s laughing.
Joey explains – “it’s a set up, it’s a set up – The American Dragon gets
his rematch!”
And as we come to understand over that next week – Danielson
goaded Lesnar into taking the deal, appealing to his pride; there’s a pre-tape
with just Punk and Danielson, Punk saying “you had me going there, that was
pretty good” and Danielson responding “sometimes you don’t have a choice, if
there was another way, I would have taken it.”
Later comes another pre-tape; with Punk, now confident that
everyone is on the same page, apparently looking to let bygones be bygones with
Hero – but Hero instead says “you can fool the fools – but I know who you are ”
It’s Lesnar v. Danielson again, this time in a steel
cage. Lesnar wrestles, of all things, in
a pre-match tune up, squashing Kofi.
It’s designed to help Kofi – he shows heart, doesn’t go down easy – it’s
like a 5 minute match where he gets in one ridiculously crazy spot, he kicks
out of some nearfalls. It’s supposed to
help, even as he’s getting squashed.
The other thing is Heyman, after the attack by Foley he
starts wearing a neckbrace and Swagger starts standing behind him at the
announce table as his bodyguard.
IC Championship: Nick Nemeth v. Christian
The big angle the night after 29 is the Triple Crown
ceremony; that’s when the previous winner of the Hart-Guerrero Memorial Triple
Crown hands the trophy over to the new winner, who will keep it until the time
that another wrestler accomplishes the feat.
And that means the return to the WWF of Edge.
Gone two years – just disappeared cold after the RAW
following 27 – and now his music hits.
Edge was a heel forever, it’s been a long time since WWF fans got to
cheer him – and I’d suggest there will be a sustained ovation.
He cuts babyface promo – glad to be home, puts over Nemeth,
Edge says he had to break his neck, literally, to win the Triple Crown – and
the guy he’s about to introduce makes it look easy. Edge introduces Nemeth, who enters in
streetclothes with Regal and Sheamus, whose shoulder is heavily bandaged.
Nemeth cuts less cocky than normal babyface promo – the
Triple Crown’s a big deal, nothing can ever take it away – Nemeth puts over
Underground, says they’re his blood.
And now Edge pivots.
Blood is an interesting word, he says, he knows all about
having a wrestling family – because Edge, even today, is in the Clique.
The reason, Edge says, he hasn’t been around in two years is
because Nemeth’s blood, Underground, ended his career. Edge then points to Sheamus – “and that guy,
your blood, walked around here for a year calling himself the Clique
Killer. My blood got spilled all over
this ring, Nick. My blood. “
Sheamus waves him off, “this isn’t the time.”
Edge doesn’t relent.
“The thing is if you’re going to call yourself the Clique Killer – you
better make sure you finished the job. “
And that’s when Miz and HHH come down the aisle and into the
ring. “I’m not dead. And these guys aren’t dead.” Edge then gets into Nemeth’s face “And worst
of all for you – he’s not dead”
Edge points up the ramp – Christian’s music hits – he runs
down the ramp – Miz and HHH grab Sheamus and hurl him, shoulder first, into the
turnbuckle mimicking the way Underground took out both Edge and Christian two
years ago. Ideally Edge would spear
Regal – but if he can’t he can just punch him to the ropes and clothesline him
out of the ring – and Christian cleans house on Nemeth, getting in multiple shots
and then knocking him to the outside.
Nemeth and Regal don’t have time to regroup – they need to gather
Sheamus, who was already injured – and get him to safety – Christian grabs the
IC belt (not the Triple Crown trophy – that’s a prop bigger than this angle)
and holds if high in the air.
That’s obviously a babyface spot for the Clique – it
continues through Fight Night when Christian returns to the ring in a six man
with HHH/Miz against 3 guys in Underground, none of whom are Nemeth. Edge sticks around to manage that one so they
can end with all four guys standing tall in that show too. But as the months go on, the reason to stick
Christian with clear heels Miz and HHH is that’s what it’s going to take to
turn him.
What gets established is Christian’s incredibly bitter – he
got thrown off of a Cell at Wrestlemania 20, and now we’re approaching
Wrestlemania 30. 9 years, 9 lost years –
Christian’s never won a singles title in
WWF – while a guy like Nemeth can just waltz in and in a couple of years become
an immortal.
Christian loses two more years on his career with Nemeth and Underground take him out – he comes back and its Nemeth who is getting cheered. He’s done with the fans – he’s done playing this game.
A bitter veteran Christian vs. the cocky hotshot babyface riding high is the storyline – they can mix together multiple times, there are lots of Underground vs. Clique matchups to do all summer long (Edge is gone after that first week, he doesn’t work here). This serves to turn all of Underground babyface, albeit not at a high level – but they all essentially flip by virtue of being with Nemeth. Sandow benefits the most from the absences of Sheamus and Barrett (also injured) and he demonstrates value.
One more event for Nemeth, unrelated to this program, we’ll
see that next.
Tags: (No DQ) Shield
(Ambrose/Langston) v. Defiance
The Shield’s been a babyface act, not in its origin, Black
got brainwashed, or re-educated, while forced to compete on the Tough Enough
reboot to save his job, and abandoning GDI isn’t a babyface move. But attacking Underground, particularly in
the way they’ve done over the past several months is – and the triple powerbomb
of the Rock doesn’t really hurt that status.
Defiance is generally a heel act, really moving up and down
the continuum depending upon the opponent; there’s no chance to get them
cheered and the Shield booed in this program – but the booking will shade that
way, the Shield will be scornful of the crowd adoration and Defiance will play
it pretty straight.
There are 6 guys involved here so that’s plenty of matchups
all summer – including some 6 mans that will really be what this match is
designed to look like, even though Black and Bernard aren’t officially in the
match, but the No DQ stip sort of promises that it’s a 6 man.
Two more items – The Usos look for revenge for the attack on
the Rock, Jimmy and Jey want to go get the Shield now, but Reigns says wait,
wait for the right moment. And they
don’t question Reigns. Usos feud with
Team KTFO, coming off its win at Mania.
The Shield debuted a new catchphrase at Mania “We take all
the turns” – we see that play here twice, the Shield surrounds Nemeth at one
point when he’s isolated, Ambrose taking the lead – why is it that Christian
gets this IC shot – how about a shot for a member of the Shield.
Nemeth says he’ll take any one of them on at any time. Ambrose makes clear that’s a promise – Nemeth
says there isn’t a man in the WWF he won’t face one on one. Ambrose extends his hand – Nemeth shakes –
the Shield triple powerbombs him and hits the catchphrase. We take all the turns.
Late in the build it happens to Swagger –they say they want to send a message to Lesnar, that his title isn’t safe either – they triple powebomb Swagger, which knocks him out of what was a planned Summer Slam match, say against Kofi (which, when its called off is what gets Kofi, at his own volunteering, the match with Brock) and hit the catchphrase. We take all the turns.
CM Punk v. Dos Caras (w/Vicki&Ricardo)
This comes fairly late in the summer, I see Renee Young
backstage asking Punk, who obviously has been part of the main event storyline,
who he will be facing at Summer Slam at the same time Dos Caras (who, recall,
beat Punk at the Rumble and then was part of the 29 build for Punk/Jericho) is
walking in the background – Punk grabs Dos Caras and throws him into a vending
machine then comes back to the interview “Him, I guess.”
Straight babyface revenge match build.
Bray Wyatt (w/Family) v. John Cena
The Wyatt vignettes, recall, began after the Cena match at
29, that wasn’t an accident. They
continue and start to go after Cena – Bray says Cena is too blind to see it,
the years of Wrestlemania bloodbaths covering his eyes, but he lives in his
worst possible timeline. Bray says
there’s a world where John Cena isn’t a scarred up freak, but instead a movie
star, a hero to children, on the cover of cereal boxes, living in a mansion and
having sex with a Bella. Cena doesn’t
see it, the people don’t see it – but Bray sees it, and he can take Cena to
that place.
That’s the build – it’s cult leader Wyatt offering a better
life to Cena, who, obviously, rejects this notion.
Recall, there is no Rowan, it’s Harper and Virgil, both of
whom are masked.
RVD v. Kane
RVD v. Damien Sandow
Van Dam returns, after years away, on a Heyman Hustle. Paul puts him over – ECW Champ, IC Champ,
legendary ladder matches with Michaels and Mysterio, Paul references that
they’ve had their ups and downs (Heyman left the company after losing a feud
against Van Dam, see how the Network would be useful there? They’ve got all
that old material, they want people to subscribe to the Network, but they don’t
connect what they’re doing now with that back catalog – honestly, I don’t
understand it) but that he isn’t one to hold a grudge and would like RVD to
become the third Paul Heyman Guy.
RVD says no – no offense, but no, he’s not coming back to get involved in politics or wars or factions or any of that stuff – he just wants to hang out with his friends and put on the best show he can. RVD says at Summer Slam, he’s asked to wrestle twice, because he’s been gone so long he wants to give the fans all he can give them (the two opponents then come up on the video wall). RVD refusing to be in a stable is a reference to his most recent TNA angle, and if you’re aware of that – that’s good product knowledge.
Heyman says that’s cool – wishes Van Dam well, says to keep
his head on a swivel at Summer Slam, Van Dam might not know about how
Underground rolls, it’s harder to stand alone then it used to be
This is a Summer Slam tradition, albeit one that comes and goes as the situation requires. And the partners aren’t that increible – Nemeth and Punk are named captains, this is a decision explicitly made by the new Championship Committee, whose identities are still secret, but will be revealed at Summer Slam. Nemeth, as current Triple Crown holder, gets to select as his partner anyone on the card.
He picks Sandow – they’re Underground brothers, Sandow has stepped up in meaningful ways this summer, and Nemeth ‘s loyalty to the Underground cause is being established during this build. He’s a prick, but he’s a prick who is loyal.
Punk picks Christian – they tagged together in the main
event of 26 and haven’t had much contact since, it’s a call back to their long
program that resulted in Punk’s face turn; now, Christian is the one turning
heel and their relationship, always interesting, gives some extra juice to the
show.
Which – is now set.
WWF Championship (Steel Cage) Brock Lesnar (w/Heyman) v.
Bryan Danielson
IC Championship: Nick Nemeth v. Christian
Tags: (No DQ) Shield
(Dean Ambrose/Langston w/Tyler Black) v. Defiance (Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes
w/Giant Bernard)
CM Punk v. Dos Caras (w/Vicki&Ricardo)
Bray Wyatt (w/Family) v. John Cena
RVD v. Damien Sandow
RVD v. Kane
Parejas Increibles: Nick Nemeth/Damien Sandow v.CM
Punk/Christian
I’ll be back in July with the next TNA show, then August
with Summer Slam 2013
4 comments
Some questions:
1)"but in the way professional sports isn’t specifically geared for an 8 year old and if you watch it as an adult you feel stupid – that’s this too. "
I assume you meant if you watch it as an adult you DON'T feel stupid, right?
2) So when Heyman's managing Lesnar, does someone sub for him on colour or does Joey just fly solo?
3) You had Bray Wyatt wrestle on PPv before under his real name: will counterfactual WWF acknowledge that?
1. I looked at that a couple of times, finally, I just changed the language.
2. Solo this year.
3. No, I think I referenced this at some point when I first mentioned I was going to use the Bray character, I may not have - but no.
I have seen the alternate universe that Bray Wyatt speaks of.
It is not a pretty sight. And I sure as hell don't want to live in it...
Ah, yes, that HORRIBLE universe with The Shield and Daniel Bryan and The Wyatt Family and NXT. That shitty, evil nightmare world. Please.
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