Road to Survivor Series 2016 - Part 2

Part 1 is here.

In Part 1, we began the Survivor Series, a 64 man tournament to culminate in Toronto at the annual Survivor Series PPV.  Here's the card so far.  Okay, most of the build is for a tag defense from Trash against Steen/Generico,

AJ Styles v. Kalisto
Tyler Black v. Dean Ambrose
Chris Jericho v. Roman Reigns
Sheamus v. Luke Harper
Styles/Kalisto winner v. Black/Ambrose winner
Jericho/Reigns winner v. Sheamus/Harper winner
Finals

3 more matches.  

Steen/Generico v. Claudio/Perkins

Brock Lesnar v. Bill Goldberg

Women's Title: Charlotte Flair v. Natty Neidhart

Okay, most of the build is for a tag defense from Trash against Steen/Generico, there's a lot of Neville and Claudio explaining the reasons for the turn (Neville is just fury, Claudio is multilingual Euro prick) and placing the blame for busting up GDI on Steen (which is fair). The argument is less "Steen's an asshole" and more "Steen was a crappy leader because he always put his pet Generico first to the detriment of the squad" (which is less fair, but they're heels).  Steen calls them whiny bitches, says he's glad they aren't together anymore, and even glad Trash is the WWF Tag Champs - because they're the 99th tag champs - and that means Steen and Generico will be the 100th.  

Gargano and Ciampa start to mix in here, as the Dark Ride GDI team they're in the middle, they wind up wrestling against both teams and working as singles against all 4 guys, it allows us not to do any Trash v Steen/Generico tag matches in the build.  

Neville gets hurt like 3 weeks before Survivor Series, the tag titles will now not be defended, but Claudio says he'll find a partner to wrestle Steen/Generico anyway - that partner turns out to be Perkins, who was an end of the road babyface in the tournament (the sport has just ground him down, even into homelessness, but he just keeps going) and he wrestles Generico in the go home RAW, works as a subtle heel, Claudio interferes to get Perkins the win - and then they beat Generico down.  Perkins cuts a "this sport has ground me down, even into homelessness" heel promo and he and Claudio will wrestle together at Survivor Series in a non title match.  In the build to Summer Slam, Steen's being Canadian was emphasized, so that doesn't seem forced here as we ready for a match in Toronto.  

Brock lost to Devitt at Summer Slam, but then fractured his skull postmatch and that's enough for a victory lap. He makes a heavily promoted appearance on Heyman's Hustle where he's going to announce his plans for the future.  There's a couple of weeks of graphics "What's Next for Brock Lesnar?" Lots of speculation - Lesnar can't fight for the WWF Title, he's gotten revenge against Devitt, Danielson is long gone - are there any worlds left to conquer in professional wrestling?  

At RAW, in the front row is Bill Goldberg; we haven't seen Goldberg in a dozen years since he and Lesnar were tagging together.  He signs some autographs, poses for some pictures, but otherwise watches the show like everyone else.  Then we get to the Lesnar segment, they tease an announcement - but Lesnar then notices Goldberg and tells Heyman to wave him into the ring.  Goldberg shakes his head - but Lesnar is insistent.  Goldberg enters, Heyman puts him over to the portion of the crowd that doesn't know him, he was an NWA Tag Champ, he's one of the few men who Brock could stand for long enough to be in a tag team with him - so it's nice to see him here.  

Goldberg says if tonight was going to be Lesnar's last night in professional wrestling, he needed to be there, because he wants to spit on his grave.  Goldberg says he came to the WWF after the NWA died wanting to be WWF Champion - and here, Brock Lesnar, the Next Big Thing, wanted to tag up with him.  And Lesnar ruined his career.  He winds up on the wrong side of Mick Foley, which meant he was on the wrong side of The Rock, which meant the wrong side of this entire promotion, and soon enough he's out on his ass.  Goldberg says Lesnar ruined his life - and now he's back in Atlanta working a 9-5 and Lesnar's standing here the 2 time WWF Champion and screw that.

Heyman tells Goldberg to go home before he gets hurt.  

Goldberg gets into Heyman's face - says he should shut his fat, parasite face - Lesnar grabs him - but Goldberg shoves him down.  Lesnar rises, but Goldberg spears him.  Goldberg stands over the fallen Lesnar, stares into the camera "Hey, Brock - What's Next?  I'm next."

Goldberg works once in the build, a squash against someone small - spear, jackhammer. We don't see Lesnar again, but we do see Heyman, he cuts a "it doesn't matter what Brock's announcement was gonna be, what matters is that at Survivor Series, the wrestling career that will come to an end, again, is Goldberg's" promo.  

The women's title match is Flair vs. Neidhart in Canada - ideally all the people you'd want to be involved in video packages discussing the historical implications of a Flair meeting a Hart Foundation member in Canada for a title would be.  Charlotte's the champ, Natty's the former champ - Ric Flair's daughter vs. #11 in Canada for the strap at Survivor Series.  

Which leaves only the election.

Rusev, the IC Champ, is neither on the card nor was he in the tournament - but he, Lana, and Bradshaw are all over the build cutting promos for Trump - we are going to stop funding health care, slice all social programs and regulatory agencies deeply, cut taxes on millionaires and billionaires, and form an alliance with the authoritarian leader of Russia - the American people are finally going to get the Plutocracy they deserve.  

GHB is triumphant as we get closer to the election - his man is IC Champ, he doesn't have to travel to Canada, that socialist cesspool, for Survivor Series, and Trump, who once had 18 holes in one while playing golf, is about to be President of the United States.

Except, of course, he isn't.  Linda McMahon wins the election.  Linda McMahon is the 45th President of the United States, promising to usher in an unparalleled age of economic justice. Which makes sense, there was a populist anger as evident in the Sanders and Trump movements (and Brexit) Linda had laid groundwork for years as a champion of the working class, she lacked real world Clinton's baggage, and the baggage Linda has (wrestling association, lack of charisma) is mitigated by her never appearing in a demeaning or exploitative angle here, Trump's own less statesmanlike persona, and the secret weapon - Vince, who knows how to talk people into a building (or voting booth).  Add in the McMahon celebrity and proximity to celebrity, particularly among the type of men who might have otherwise supported Trump, and it makes sense that Linda takes the election.

You might recall that upon Trump's election a year ago I indicated that it would cause me to change the finish of this angle.  This ain't the finish.  

Linda and Vince, the first husband and wife to become President and VP, will be making their first appearance at a WWF event in San Antonio in January a week after the Presidential Inauguration.

Okay, that's it.  Here's the card.

Survivor Series Final

Kevin Steen/El Generico vs. Claudio Castagnoli/TJ Perkins (non title)

Survivor Series Semifinal 2

Survivor Series Semifinal 1

Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg

Women's Title: Charlotte Flair vs. Natty Neidhart

Quarterfinal: Sheamus vs. Luke Harper

Quarterfinal: Chris Jericho vs. Roman Reigns

Quarterfinal: Tyler Black vs. Dean Ambrose

Quarterfinal: WWF Champion AJ Styles vs. Kalisto (non title)

See you in a month.