Road to Survivor Series '06 - IV

Part 3 is here.


Road to Survivor Series 2006 Part 4

Survivor Series 20 from the fighting city of Philadelphia is coming in November.

We’ve got the main event (if you missed the battle royal, go to older posts – this is part 4 of the build, so catch up, people): Ric Flair defending the Undisputed Championship against CM Punk.

Punk stays on Tuesdays, other than the final RAW before Survivor Series, when he will be persuaded to wrestle in a tag with Michaels against Flair/HHH.

Punk cuts promos on Tuesdays, we’ll show those promos on Mondays too – Punk’s coming to Philadelphia, a city known for independence – to fight for GDI – to fight for the sport of professional wrestling – to end the tyranny of the oppressive Solution.

The importance of defeating the Solution is seen when, on GDI one Tuesday, Shawn Michaels shows up.

Michaels, in streetclothes, comes to the ring to talk to Punk.

He says he’s not a fan of GDI. He’s not a fan of GDI because he’s a fan of WWF – his blood is in that ring on Monday nights – and he’s not coming to Tuesday to tell these fans or CM Punk he admires them or is on their side.

But he’s here to tell Punk he needs to win the title at Survivor Series.

Because the WWF isn’t about sports entertainment, not about superstars – it’s about wrestlers – wrestlers like London and Kendrick and Noble – and CM Punk.

Back in the day, when he and Owen were coming up – when it was the beginning of Hart v. Clique – when they were working dark matches 20 years ago at PPV – the guys above them were the Steamboats and the Hennigs and the Savages.

Wrestlers. We admired them. We respected their legacies. And we stood on the shoulders of the giants who came before us to create the World Wrestling Federation, the greatest professional wrestling organization the sport has ever seen.

But, Michaels says, you’ve just been here since January, Punk.

And you got here at a time when the WWF was run by the Solution.

And the Solution is about run ins and bodyguards and nepotism – and Ric Flair in 2006 being the Undisputed Champion of the World.

Ric Flair might be the greatest of all time, Shawn says.

But not anymore.

So, Michaels says – to protect my legacy and the legacy of those who have gone before me – we need a professional wrestler – some new blood – to win those belts and restore the WWF to its proper place of dignity and honor that it has held since Ricky Steamboat pinned Hulk Hogan.

Michaels says he will do whatever he can to see that CM Punk becomes the next WWF Champion.

Michaels extends his hand – Punk accepts. Michaels says he knows someone else who wants to talk to Punk. Someone who hasn’t been around since Summer Slam..someone who is returning at Survivor Series to defend the tag team titles…the Undertaker.

Over both the other shows that week, they discuss that the Undertaker will appear like you’ve never seen him before, on GDI on Tuesday – much speculation as to what that means. Heavy promos – Undertaker on GDI.

Undertaker appears in streetclothes. No gimmick. Well, the lifts in the shoes, otherwise, no gimmick.

Says he’s never done anything like this before, won’t ever do it again. But he wanted to personally…to personally tell Punk that the boys were with him. He wanted CM Punk to know that the locker room was embarrassed about the Solution – that the boys hate what’s happening right now with the singles belts – and even though Punk and the rest of the Tuesday night crew have chosen to separate themselves – that the boys will stand with them at Survivor Series.

Punk’s humbled – it’s a big deal – the locker room leaders have come to whatever indie hall we’re in to shake Punk’s hand. They’ve come to him and we need to recognize that’s important.

Near the PPV, Punk’s attacked by the Solution, doing a run in on GDI. Flair and Helmsley (not Lashley).

They beat him down – but Michaels is there for a save – and that sets up a tag match on the final RAW before Survivor Series. Michaels/Punk against Flair and HHH.

No finish, a Lashley run in to drop the faces – and then the Undertaker, making his RAW return – obviously in full Dead Guy gimmick – to enter and help the faces clean house. That’s the image I want just before the PPV – Michaels/Undertaker and Punk running Flair/HHH/Lashley out of the ring.

Flair v. Punk is your Survivor Series 20 main event.

Rewind a couple of months.

After the battle royal – Arn Anderson calls Ric Flair to the ring.

Arn says they’ve been friends for 25 years. They’re ridden the roads together. And when Arn left the Solution after XXII to manage Strong Style, he thought he did so with Flair’s blessing.

Flair doesn’t seem to understand.

Arn says then why was it Strong Style wasn’t on the card at Summer Slam?

Flair says only so many spots – Arn needs to understand.

Arn gets mad.

What Arn understands is that Strong Style destroyed the LWO, MNM, and Bradshaw and Booker. What Arn understands is that Strong Style dominated the Number One Contender’s battle royal. What Arn understands is that HHH-M doesn’t have an opponent yet for Survivor Series.

Flair says okay – Flair’s amenable – Flair wants to keep the peace – Flair says “you got it, Double A, whatever you want.”

That brings out HHH.

Hunter says he’d like to accommodate, he would – but he’s already promised someone a shot at his strap at Survivor Series.

“Who”

Hunter, clearly lying, just making it up – says, “Shane Helms”

Helms, recall, battled with both Benjamin and then Haas during the full run of the battle royal. Hunter clearly seems Helms as small and doesn’t respect him. Helms has largely been a tag act in WWF.

Hunter, the brain starting to work now, says…well….it’s only fair…since I’m a fighting champion…that both Shane Helms and whichever member of Strong Style you chose, Double A – gets to wrestle at Survivor Series.

3 way? The announce wonders.

Arn says okay – they shake.

Then Hunter explains.

At the beginning of the night – one member of Strong Style (who will turn out to be Haas, I don’t know how Strong Style will decide – they’ll wrestle for it – sure, that’s how – they’re wrestle for it – Charlie goes over Shelton – Charlie gets to go) will wrestle Shane Helms – and the winner of that match, later that same night, will go on to meet me.

We should look at that as Arn’s being duped a little bit – he does – and he stares hard at Flair as he leaves the ring.

So…Sugar Shane Helms, who will get an underdog push – he’s seen only as a tag – he’s been around a long time – but he lasted 45 minutes in the battle royal and he sure seems talented…he will get the biggest chance of his life, wrestling in the opening match at Survivor Series – against Charlie Haas.

And Haas is half of Strong Style, of course, he and Benjamin are former tag champs, he was gone for a year, but returned at XXII – and now he gets the biggest singles shot of his life.

Haas and Helms, two men who fought throughout the battle royal – will meet in the opening match at Survivor Series 20 – the winner will go on, later that same night, to meet HHH-M for the Worldwide Championship.

The tags – PAUL, angered at being blasted with the glass light tube by Sabu at the battle royal, buries both of them into vending machines in the back – PAUL is full on angry giant – no longer the cuddly giant he’s been since the face turn – he brutalizes Sabu/Van Dam and Stevie in the back, crashing them through vending machines and bloodying them up.

RVD and Sabu get revenge, with the glass light tubes, laying PAUL out and attempting, albeit unsuccessfully, to put him through a table.

And that’s your tag match – PAUL and the returning Undertaker, defending in a glass light tube tables match against RVD and Sabu. The tables will be covered with fluorescent glass tubes – both members of one team have to be put through the glass light tube tables to win.

Those are your title matches plus the opening match.

5 matches left. We’ll set them up later this week.

Undisputed Championship: Flair v. Punk
Worldwide Championship: HHHM v. Helms or Haas
Unified Tags: PAUL/Undertaker v. RVD/Sabu

Winner gets the Shot: Helms v. Haas

5 matches left to set up – the opening tag and the four big singles matches. Coming very soon – the Road to Survivor Series 20 Concludes.