The Road to Wrestlemania, Part 1 2006

The Rumble is here.

Wrestlemania XXII is coming right at you from Chicago.

A total of ten matches on the card.

10?

Well, we have the traditional 8 to set up. Plus (here’s a tease) there will be an unannounced match during the show.

And – we have, of course, the dark match – and the build up for it, actually, is how we begin traveling the Road to Wrestlemania XXII.

Recall, at the Rumble, we saw the debut of CM Punk, seated in the crowd with Maria, also making her debut, Punk hopped over the barrier to hit the Pepsi Plunge on London in the 3 way that saw Kendrick get the fall over Noble.

This launches a program that’s going to run for the majority of 2006, centered around Punk as the guy who refuses to wrestle on WWF television.

Punk’s the manipulative heel, Joey puts him over as a puppet master; and when he reveals that he was the one telling Kendrick that London had screwed him out of his WWF spot – and telling Noble that Kendrick had screwed him out of his WWF spot – he maintains the animosity among the 3 men by convincing them that they are all simultaneously selling out and getting screwed over.

What do they all want? What, in their innermost hearts, before they fall asleep every night – what do London, Kendrick, and Noble all want?

They all offer the obvious answer – to be the Undisputed Champion of the World.

Punk says he couldn’t care less about that. He doesn’t wrestle for belts – he wrestles for himself.

He says that’s the problem with these guys, London, Kendrick, Noble – they have no code, they don’t have any honor – they’ll turn their back on the small company that made them for 30 pieces of silver and a shot at 3 gold belts.

And what does it get them?

Jamie Noble pinned Chris Benoit on PPV – and then he got fired.

Brian Kendrick got his arm busted up by the boss’s son in law – and then he got fired.

And worst of all is Paul London – one year ago, at Royal Rumble 2005, he beat, clean, in the middle of the ring, Rey Mysterio – the Undisputed Champion of the World – and where’s his world title shot?

He never got one.

See, Punk says, you all came here, to the WWF, to win titles – but the more you try for glory, for gold – the further away you get. Because, as Punk says, he’s never had one match in the WWF – and he’s won exactly as many WWF titles as all 3 of them put together – zero.

They challenge Punk – so what are you doing here then? Why are you in the WWF if you don’t care about being champion?

“Because I’m a professional wrestler. I came here to wrestle.”

The gimmick is that Punk refuses to wrestle on TV – not wanting it to be about ratings or camera angles or makeup – he doesn’t wrestle for the guy sitting on his couch, with his beer and his clicker and his hands down his pants – he wrestles for himself.

He’s so committed to it – as we get closer to XXII – that even though Wrestlemania is in his hometown of Chicago – and even though they have a match scheduled – a 4 way match to open up the show – Punk v. London v. Kendrick v. Noble – the only way he’ll do it – the only way CM Punk will go to Wrestlemania –

--is if it’s a dark match.

This allows for a discussion of the history of the dark match, it’s where we first saw Shawn take on Owen almost 20 years ago; it’s where, in the very first Wrestlemania, Dynamite beat Bret.

If it was good enough for Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart – Punk says – it’s good enough for me.

And that sets up the dark match – it’s Punk, the guy who refuses to wrestle on TV, against Noble, Kendrick, London – Noble/Kendrick doing an ex tag partner thing, playing up their ROH teaming – and Kendrick/London doing the same thing with their WWF teaming. Punk, all the while, continually stirring things up; also, continually refusing to wrestle – he gets booked in matches, but, wearing street clothes, always with a nearly naked Maria (so, so hot) in tow, refuses to work and takes forfeit losses.

The only other match that doesn’t have any relationship to the overarching 51% Solution angle is the ECW match.

Cactus Jack, recall, a Triple Crown Champion in the WWF, turned heel in his return at the Rumble. Foley appeared in the big tag champions matchup in the build to the Rumble, aiding RVD as he fought off Heyman’s ECW forces (if you don’t know why Heyman and RVD are feuding, check out the Rumble for the historical recap).

With Van Dam’s manager, Stevie Richards, out of commission, Foley seconded RVD in his Rumble match against Kid Kash – Van Dam went over – but then Foley turned on him, joining Heyman.

The thrust is that Foley has seethed seeing RVD called a hardcore icon – that Van Dam’s a pretty boy with the spinning and the flopping – and isn’t worthy of carrying on the ECW legacy (Van Dam beat Taz in the match that ended the ECW angle in the WWF, loser retired, winner got the carry the ECW flag forward) Van Dam’s a laid back stoner – not a hyperintense stoner like the ones who made ECW great.

Foley says he hasn’t been in a singles match at Wrestlemania in 6 years (more on Foley’s WM history in a minute) but when Paul Heyman, the finest man he ever met, called him to say, “Cactus, the boys need ya, come back for the boys” then he knew he had to return.

Cactus says he isn’t just here as the guy who was 2 time WWF Champion – not just here as one of only 9 men in the history of the WWF to hold the Triple Crown – he’s here as the greatest hardcore wrestler who ever lived – as the man who spilled blood on every continent and who lost his ear to Vader.

He won’t let Van Dam pollute his legacy.

We’ll also, since there isn’t one on the card, call this the Legend’s Match – and put over Foley’s WM history, for the benefit of the new fans.

Cactus’s first WM was XIII, in Chicago, as this Mania will be, he kept the IC over Vader in the blow off to their feud.

In XIV, he and Terry Funk lost their tag titles to the New Age Outlaws.

In XV, he regained the WWF Title, beating Owen Hart in a pure science matchup, Owen’s last ever match.

And in Foley’s last match as a fulltime wrestler, he lost that title the following year, at XVI, to Benoit, the man who currently holds that Triple Crown.

Foley then returned for the legend’s match at XX, teaming with The Rock to go over Goldberg and Lesnar.

Foley says if, at WM 22 – in Chicago – there’s going to be a match to determine who the greatest Hardcore Legend is – then it won’t be RVD with his hand raised – it’s gonna be Cactus Jack.

Stevie, as RVD’s mouthpiece, says he knows Cactus Jack’s pedigree – he’s seen him on the Today Show – he’s seen his books on the NY Times bestseller list – he’s seen Beyond the Mat – everyone knows that Cactus Jack is the greatest wrestler in ECW history…

…but answer me this, Cactus….how many ECW title belts did you win?

Stevie shows a clip – from November 2 Remember ’95, with Cactus getting pinned by 2 Cold Scorpio, failing in his bid to win the TV Title.

I guess that would be zero, Cactus. Zero.

But what about R….V…..D….Stevie rolls the clip package…

Van Dam, the following year at N2R ‘96, taking the TV strap from 2 Cold – then Van Dam, at Barely Legal, ECW’s first PPV, keeping that belt over the Great Sasuke – then at Hardcore Heaven, keeping over Al Snow –then at N2R ‘97, one year after winning the TV belt – keeping over Jerry Lynn –then keeping over 2 Cold at Living Dangerously ’98 – then, 2 years, a full 2 years after winning the ECW TV belt – keeping again, over Lynn at N2R…then over Sabu at Living Dangerously ’99…then over Taka Michinoku at Hardcore Heaven…then over Taz at Heatwave..finally losing the ECW TV title to Lance Storm at N2R ’99…

…3 years after winning the title.

Van Dam points to his head in the way that he does.

Stevie says he doesn’t need to show the clips of RVD winning his two ECW World Titles – being the last ECW Champ until the belt was taken over by WWF – doesn’t need to show clips of RVD being the 2 time IC champ – being the WWF tag champ –

--because when a man has held a title belt for 3 consecutive years, the longest modern day title reign – that man deserves to be called the Hardcore Legend – and at WM XXII, in Chicago – in the greatest hardcore match of all time – he’s gonna prove it – against Cactus Jack.

So, there’s that.

Dark Match: Punk v. London v. Kendrick v. Noble
Hardcore Legend’s Match: Cactus Jack (w/Heyman) v. RVD (w/Stevie)

8 matches left on the show, 7 to set up for the card. Everything else comes out of the 51% Solution angle.

Okay – to review. Flair, upon transitioning from full time active wrestler to co-figurehead GM, made his first WWF face turn at XXI, he and Steamboat doing the co-general manager gimmick.

Hunter, a full year out of the limelight, returned at Summer Slam ’05, now with the name McMahon added to his, having married the Princess. Hunter said he’d been overlooked too long, held down by the politics in the company, disrespected. And he promised that, next year, at XXII, he’d leave with gold.

They came together at Survivor Series; Hunter, with Edge’s aid, beat Shawn, forever ending the Clique – in a wild scene that revealed Hunter and Flair had been aligned in a grab for power – Flair’s 49% of management, coupled with Hunter’s 2% McMahon Family Proxy, giving them the upperhand, hence the term, 51% Solution.

With Arn, former member of the Titan Trust (w/Dean and Fit) as the 3rd member – they promised at 4th to be revealed at the Rumble – and that turned out to be the dominant newcomer, Executioner Lashley.

After decimating Rey, Benoit, and Steamboat at the Rumble’s close, the 51% Solution sets off on the Road to WM XXII as the pivotal force in the company.

The first thing they do is set up the two tag matches.

The LWO: Carlito, Crazy, Psychosys – which is morphing, because I like the angle so much, into an LAX group – hard, tough, less funny, less soft than the current Carlito/Crazy gimmicks. We’ll put them in whatever the relevant gang colors are – get Carlito to snarl a little bit – a scar would be a nice touch – by summer, they’ll have fully morphed into WWF version of LAX.

The LWO comes calling on the 51% Solution, asking for a shot at the tag belts held by Bradshaw (heel, the NeoCon) and Booker (face, just wants to get paid). Flair has a violent dislike of Rey as Champion, and has used the LWO in both Survivor Series and the Rumble to try to take the belt.

Both times they failed – but at the Rumble’s conclusion, the LWO stood with the 51% Solution to beat down the babyfaces, and now want a tag title shot in return.

Arn isn’t happy about it – giving Carlito the business for failing to beat Rey – and there’s a moment in the ring where it looks like it’s gonna go down between the two heel groups.

But Flair calms Arn down – and Hunter says they have a deal – that at XXII, Bradshaw and Booker will defend their titles against Crazy and Psycho.

And then MNM hit the ring.

Melina says at the Rumble – her men beat Dead Men Walking – and they deserve the title shot at XXII.

This pisses LWO off – Carlito making some type of sexual come on to Melina – which pisses N and M off – and it looks like those two heel groups are gonna go – when Dead Men Walking: Kane, PAUL, and the Undertaker, come to the ring…

PAUL says they may have lost at the Rumble – but they beat MNM at Survivor Series – and the Undertaker is the ultimate Wrestlemania legend, with 5 legends wins – and if anyone’s wrestling Booker and Bradshaw for the tag titles – it’s them.

Much staring – much jawing – the 51% Solution considers…

Then Orton and Cena hit the ring.

They say one year ago, at XXI, they became WWF tag team champions – they lost their belts to Booker and Bradshaw at Survivor Series – and as the only two guys here who have ever actually won WWF gold (a dig at the big men, none of whom have ever had any WWF title belts) they should get the shots at XXII.

Much jawing.

Flair settles things down.

Well, at WM XXII – there’s gonna be a tag title match.

Booker and Bradshaw will defend the Undisputed Tag Titles against…..Psycho and Crazy, the LWO…

…but it will be a 3 team match – because they’ll also be facing the winner of the opening tag team match – a match between Kane/PAUL – MNM – and Orton/Cena!

Hunter takes the mic…oh yeah, one other thing…he says…

There won’t be 3 teams in that opening tag.

There are going to be four.

Arn and Flair start to smirk.

The fourth team…”me…..and The Executioner!”

Lashley then hits the ring and cleans house – just destroying guys – all 3 members of the LWO – both Nitro and Mercury – both Orton and Cena – Lashley clotheslines Kane and PAUL clean out of the ring – and goes nose to nose with the Undertaker, until he is pulled away by the Solution.

Lashley’s a monster – an unstoppable beast – hopefully, the crowd pops – you get the idea of the booking.

So, to the dark match and the Hardcore Legend’s Match, we add the two tags:

Opening Tag: HHH-M/Lashley v. DMW v. MNM v. Orton/Cena
Undisputed Tag Title: Bradshaw/Booker (w/Conway) v. LWO (w/Carlito) v. ?

4 down, 5 matches left to set up.

And we’ll set those matches up, when the Road to Wrestlemania XXII returns…

Royal Rumble 2006

The build is here.




Royal Rumble 2006 – Miami
(Dark – Sandman d. Dreamer)
(Dark- Regal d. Morley)

Joey and Taz on the announce – but not yet, as the show starts with the tape of the lights out match.

1. Empty Arena Match: Matt d. Edge
-No music, no fans, no announce – the building shouldn’t even be ready for the show yet – just a stripped down production crew and a referee.

This still doesn’t really look like a worked match, although much closer to it than the out and out fight at Summer Slam – so, while there really aren’t holds, other than when they get blown up, but they do some spots which require more obvious cooperation.

It’s still more fight than not, double color, finish comes when Matt drives the WWF fork in Edge’s eye and gets the fall. Edge screams – blood everywhere, Matt covered in it – everyone swearing, we can hear the cameraman talk, incredulously, at what Matt Hardy has done to Edge – Matt forces the camera to focus on Edge – Matt, for the first time in a year and a half, talking to the camera – for the first time since he quit at Summer Slam 2004 talking to the fans, “I’m Matt Motherfucking Hardy. And I’ll never stop. I will hurt anyone who gets in my way.” And then the tape goes dead.

The announce, as the show proper begins, expresses shock at Matt – says that he is totally out of control – that they don’t ever want to say that Ric Flair, who has refused to offer Matt a contract and has been responsible for keeping him out of returning to the WWF, is right – but maybe he is.

2. MNM d. DMW (w/’Taker)
-You know, it’s the opening tag program – 50/50 booking – Kane and PAUL went over at SSeries, MNM got some heat back postmatch – Undertaker completed his joining of DMW with the face save – and here he’s on the floor.

MNM gets the win here, enabling the program to roll to a Wrestlemania conclusion.

The 51% Solution enters for an in-ring promo. Hunter, cool as ever, begins by saying that they don’t care about Matt Hardy – and have bigger things to discuss.

Flair, in full maniac Ric mode – then starts yelling about Matt Hardy. Matt will never be on WWF TV again – he’ll never get a contract – he’s a menace – he’s dangerous – if it’s the last thing Ric Flair does in this sport – it’s going to be to make sure no one ever remembers Matt Hardy’s name. Matt Hardy. Matt Hardy. Matt Hardy.

Flair takes off his jacket, does some elbowdrops to the canvas. You know, Ric Flair.

Hunter resumes, “as I was saying, we’re not here to talk about Matt Hardy…”

Hunter’s got three talking points (1) he’s about to get his guaranteed win over S Money. (2) like he promised at Summer Slam and reiterated at Survivor Series – he is walking out of Wrestlemania XXII with gold and (3) the 4th member of the 51% Solution will be revealed…

…tonight.

3. HHH-M (w/51% Solution) d. S Money (w/Angle)
Story is that Benjamin’s better than Hunter – Hunter escapes due to Flair and Arn’s interference, Angle maintains the pretense of being Benjamin’s trainer – not overtly telling Benjamin to take a dive – but looking increasingly nervous. Finally, Benjamin has leveled both Flair and AA – getting the big “dude’s turning face so we can cheer for him finally” reaction and has the fall on Hunter.

But Angle breaks it up. Leading to the pedigree.

Angle and Benjamin go nose to nose postmatch – Benjamin getting angrier and angrier – Angle slapping Benjamin – but, despite the fans, S Money doesn’t react.

4. RVD (w/Foley) d. Kid Kash (w/ECW)
Once again, here’s how we got here.

RVD came into WWF as a heel, a member of the ECW contingent, managed by Heyman. When that contingent dissolved, effectively joining WWF – RVD beat Taz in a retirement match/winner carries the ECW banner.

Van Dam won the IC title, beating Michaels in a ladder match – and got locked into a year long feud with Matt Hardy, which included 2 Wrestlemanias. Matt was managed by Bischoff, and they double turned during the feud.

That turn included a separation from Heyman, who has always been a WWF heel, and RVD even joined up with a formal rival, Mysterio, to win the tag belts.

Heyman paid off Team Angle (Regal, specifically) to take Van Dam out – RVD was gone over a year. In the past few months, Stevie Richards, who actually started the ECW migration as manager of Stevie’s Hardcore Family (Dudleys and Taz) before being taken out by Raven and Taz at Heyman’s instruction, appeared to taunt Heyman with the knowledge that Van Dam was coming back.

Heyman left his post as color commentator, marshaled the old troops – and met RVD in his return in that big tag gauntlet match that hopefully aired on NBC.

Stevie was knocked out in that match – but saving RVD was a WWF legend, Cactus Jack, and Foley is in Van Dam’s corner here and RVD meets Kid Kash.

Van Dam goes over, Foley is able to help keep the ECW group from interfering, RVD gets the frog splash and the pinfall.

Foley comes into the ring to celebrate with Van Dam – and then turns heel.

He double arm DDTs Van Dam – the rest of the ECW crew swarms – RVD is stomped out. Heyman and Foley hug.

Cactus Jack has turned heel at Rumble ’06.

5. Kendrick d. Noble d. London
Okay, quickly – London and Kendrick were an underneath tag team – Kendrick got hurt, London got a singles push. Kendrick came back at Survivor Series, blaming London for badmouthing him over the previous year.

Noble then came back on TV, blaming Kendrick for not taking him back to WWF when he had the chance.

Those views are apparently misconceptions, as we get the point that some mysterious unnamed wrestler has been manipulating the situation.

And then, right after these 3 are introduced, but before the match starts, we meet, who will turn out to be, said wrestler.

CM Punk, with Maria…hot, hot, Maria…come down the steps through the crowd, and sit in the front row – they have tickets, they’re in civilian clothes – Maria…hot, hot Maria…wears very little.

Joey and Taz tell those uninformed who this is – that CM Punk is an accomplished independent wrestler, and that, in fact, earlier today – he signed a contract with the WWF.

This match is for the workrate. Sweet, sweet workrate.

It’s one fall to a finish – unlike the main where 2 eliminations are required – the announce explains that at every turn.

Punk makes his presence known – leaping over the barrier to Pepsi plunge London on the floor, a move unseen by Noble or Kendrick.

It’s Kendrick who gets the fall, pinning Noble after Sliced Bread number two.

The announce speculates that things are about to get a lot more interesting with Mr. Straight Edge, CM Punk, in the World Wrestling Federation.

6. Michaels d. Angle (w/Benjamin)
This is the blowoff to a long program – a couple of years, really, and even longer than that when you consider the Lesnar portion of it. Team Angle v. the Clique was a long running program – the Clique is now dead and Team Angle has been busted up – Kurt’s beaten Michaels in their previous 2 singles encounters.

Here, Shawn gets over – pivotal moment comes when Angle reaches to Benjamin for leverage on a fall – and Benjamin slugs him.

Michaels escapes, superkick, pinfall.

Angle goes after Benjamin on the outside – another nose to nose – and Benjamin leaves him laying with an Angle Slam – and that’s a face turn.

Immediately thereafter, Edge, with bandage over his eye, runs in and spears Michaels, as did he at Survivor Series, allowing Hunter to beat him and end the Clique.

Announce puts Edge over as crazy and tough – he had a spike driven into his eye this afternoon, he lost to Matt Hardy – but here he is, stitched up, bandaged – and he hates his former Clique-mate Shawn Michaels enough to come here and spear him.

Like that.

7. Unified Tags: Booker/Bradshaw (w/Conway) d. Helms/Chavo
Book and Bradshaw are doing a face/heel thing – Bradshaw in his persona as George Herbert Bradshaw (GHB) waving his Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove flags, chased the tag titles for months, running through partner after partner (including his lackey Conway, who he nicknamed Anal Cysts after the medical condition that got Rush Limbaugh a deferment from Vietnam).

Eventually, he settled on Booker T, a bottom card vet doing a “I Got to get paid” gimmick of only wrestling when he needs a payday. Neither man had ever held a WWF belt – Bradshaw convinced Book to put their differences aside “GHB doesn’t care about black people” to join up – they did, taking the straps from Orton/Cena at Survivor Series.

It was a shortlived peace – Bradshaw went full on NeoCon again, and now it’s a full oil and water tag team, largely a comedy act.

Helms and Chavo were the SpreeKillers when they arrived from WCW, crazy hyped up meth addicts, words scrawled over their torsos – Chavo grew up and became a Horseman – Helms went through multiple partners – eventually turning face, finding Rhyno and winning the belts.

Chavo turned face at a similar time, helping Eddy in his feud with Horseman Leviathan. Both Helms and Chavo were, coincidentally, knocked out of action by Leviathan (Batista) but returned at the big tag gauntlet battle royal, reuniting and earning this shot.

Which they lose.

It’s a Bradshaw lariat and a Book Harlem Hangover on Chavo that keep the belts for the champs.

Bradshaw then does what he does, hitting Book with a lariat so he can take all 6 tag straps for himself as he exits.

8. Worldwide Titles: Fit (w/Dean and Regal) d. Benoit
-The Sunshine Boys quest to win gold is fulfilled.

Fit was a member of the Titan Trust (along with Arn and Dean) who ran creative prior to Steamboat and Flair; whereas Arn turned heel to join the 51% Solution – Dean convinced Fit that he was the man to train him to come out of retirement.

With the help of Fit’s longtime friend/rival and now training partner Regal – the old veterans fulfill that quest here at the Rumble – Finlay pinning Benoit after the emerald froisen.

An emotional moment.

We heated up the Dean/Benoit stuff before the PPV- as they are also longtime friends/rivals, and arrived together (w/ Eddy and Saturn) in the WWF as the Alliance. Whereas Benoit has become a WWF legend and current holder of the Triple Crown; Dean’s WWF career didn’t match his NWA heights (where he was world champion) and so we had some Dean/Benoit tension that upped the ante here.

But now – it’s postmatch handshakes – the veterans, Fit, Dean, Regal, Benoit, respecting each other at the close of the matchup.

9. Undisputed Title: Rey d. Crazy d. Psychosys (w/Carlito)
It’s a Triple Threat match, Rey pins both Crazy and Psychosys to keep his belt.

Crazy and Psychosys, along with Carlito Colon, are the LWO – the group that was fronted by Juventud – they arrived to go after Eddy, challenging his Hispanic bonafides and goading him into putting up the belt at Summer Slam against Rey.

This was supported by Steamboat, who was Rey’s biggest supporter in believing he deserved more of an opportunity – this was the biggest point of contention between he and Flair even prior to Flair’s turn. Now that Flair, with Hunter as the 51% Solution, has creative control – he stacked the deck against Rey, effectively putting him in a handicap match for the belt.

But Rey hangs on to win.

And then the postmatch shenanigans.

The LWO attacks Rey postmatch – Carlito refusing the accept the loss – the 3 men putting the boots to Mysterio.

In runs Benoit.

Benoit and Rey had begun to tag together just before the Rumble – we’ll mention this prior to Mania, but we’re just now establishing, by a transitive property through Eddy, a Benoit/Rey relationship. Eddy/Rey has a big brother/little brother relationship – and with Eddy gone, Benoit assumes a more protective posture.

The psychology of this largely goes unstated – but Benoit is driven, partially, by a simultaneous desire to be the Hart patriarch, to step into Bret’s shoes, and to avoid it – a drama that played out for years in his relationship with Jericho.

It will completely go unstated to whatever degree Benoit feels responsible for Eddy’s death, but, one could consider it if one were so inclined. Again, that's not part of the show at all, we played out the "Benoit feels he let his brother down" stuff overtly with Jericho - if people wanted to do the psychoanalysis of the Benoit/Eddy relationship, they can do that on their own dime. Just pointing out the subtext. No need to thank me.

So, as Rey, champion of the world, but oh-so-tiny – needs help – here comes the Crippler.

Benoit and Rey easily fight off the LWO – but to the ring comes the 51% Solution – Flair, Hunter, and Arn…

And now it’s 6 on 2 – and the heels get the advantage.

When to the ring comes…

….Ricky Steamboat…

Steamboat was prevented from getting physically involved during Flair’s turn at the Rumble – and then was laid out in the back by Flair and Arn, taking him off TV since then.

But now Steamboat – a WWF legend, a 2 time WWF Champ – the winner of the very first WM main event – the man for whom this Counterfactual is named – Ricky Steamboat comes to the ring and does some housecleaning.

Chops, armdrags – Ricky Steamboat, for the first time in a generation, really, is in a WWF ring and taking care of business.

And then, down the aisle, comes Bobby Lashley.

Lashley is Executioner Lashley – he debuted at Survivor Series and is doing a Black Goldberg gimmick – except with an Executioner’s hood that he throws off as he hits the ring. He’s brutalized both faces and heels, no one knows where he stands…

…Until now.

Because now, Lashley is revealed, as Joey Styles screams, to be the promised 4th member of the 51% Solution.

Spears to the 3 faces – a dominator, if he can take it, to Ricky Steamboat, and with the LWO applauding – Lashley takes his snarling, frothing, brutal place in a pose with Hunter, Flair and Arn – the 51% Solution has cleared house and stands alone as the Royal Rumble ends.

It’ll probably be a few weeks until we get going – but the build for Wrestlemania XXII is next.

Until then, come to www.myspace.com/spoonmillionaires - and check back here for updates. Hell, go back and read some old shows if you are coming new to the party – we’ve got over two decades of WWF Counterfactual, a consistent narrative throughline taking us from the War to Settle the Score all the way until Wrestlemania XXII.

Thanks for reading – so you on the Road the Wrestlemania