Road to Wrestlemania 35 Part II - The Tags

Part 1 was here

A reminder of what we set up last month.

WWF Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura v. AJ Styles

Women’s Championship: Asuka v. Ronda Rousey (w/Horsewomen)

IC Title: Prince Devitt v. Ricochet (w/BWI)

Bryan Danielson v. Samoa Joe

Claudio Castagnoli (w/Gargano) v. Tyler Black

Cage: Kingston (w/New Day) v. Rusev (w/Lana and Strowman)

Here’s the other half of the card; six tag matches.

Tag Titles: Hooligans (McIntyre/Sheamus/Miz) v. Shoot Nation (Lesnar/Angle/Benjamin)

No DQ: Shoot Nation (Gable/Lashley) v. Underground (Alestair Black/Murphy)

The Legendary Rey Mysterio/La Sombra (w/Zelina) v. Kalisto/Apollo Crews)

Usos v. Revival (Special Guest Referee – Sami Zayn)

Hardys v. Mustafa Ali/Mascara Dorada

Mixed Tag: Bullet Club (Anderson/Lynch w/Gallows) v. Horsemen (Roode/Flair w/Strong)

I’m guessing there’s a name there that at least a few folks did not anticipate.

Okay, in a big Rumble angle, Regal joined Underground in a hotel room beating of the leader of a prior Underground generation, Nemeth.  In the main event spot for RAW eight days later, Regal returns with his crew (Alestair Black, Murphy, AoP, Gulak, Lorcan) in tow.  For a few months, Shoot Nation (Angle’s stable) had been working with the next wave of Underground trainees to make their ways to the main roster.  It was a little big brother/little brother here, with the Shoot Nation guys in the dominant position.  That taps into the old Angle/Regal dynamic (Angle led a stable for which Regal was the Enforcer; in the intervening years, Regal had periodically inquired of former TNA wrestlers how Kurt was doing).  Lot of miles between here and there, Regal became the primary architect of the developmental system; he’s really one of the pillars of the promotion.  So – you can see where sliding into that subordinate position upon Angle’s return might have worn thin.  Regal lays this out here; weaving in the idea of needing to make a statement; as they did when Underground rose initially.  How better to make that statement than by taking out Nemeth, the former leader. 

Angle and Shoot Nation are going to enter here – Angle’s says that he was fine ending his career by taking a victory lap – but instead, he ends his career going to war.  And then there’s a brawl.  Regal half returns to the announce desk; he and Nigel are splitting Fight Night now, sometimes they’re away with managerial duties, and when they’re available, they do Fight Night.  Sometimes they’re both there – sometimes neither.  The new RAW analyst is Heyman; we learn that he and Brock have amicably ended their professional relationship (Ronda’s getting more per date than Lesnar was not navigable) and Brock’s gone back home to re-assess next steps. 

So – it isn’t as clean as just building to that match; because we are wrapping Kurt’s in ring career here and there’s a lot of stuff we need to stuff into this build.  Shoot Nation is named the number one contenders for the tag belts, and because Hooligans was only able to use two of their members at the Rumble, they are very clear they’ll be defending them at Mania with all 3 guys. 

And that presents a dilemma – Shoot Nation has five members (Angle, Gable, Benjamin, Lashley, Nemeth) but Nemeth is recovering from the attacks and unable to work Mania.  The feud with Underground is going to lead to a Mania match against their two top guys (Murphy/Black). Angle is clear that he wants the match – but Benjamin talks him down; this is the final match of his career, he has a chance to win the tag titles – Gable and Nemeth had grown very close and Gable needs that match and it makes sense that he takes Lashley with him. 

So – that match is set.  Gable/Lashley v. Black/Murphy.  No Disqualification. 

That leaves Angle and his old protegee, Benjamin, in a handicap match for the tag titles (Hooligans could relent, but Miz is clear, all 3 of them are in this match, it’s Wrestlemania and they’re defending their belts, they’ve earned this).  Angle’s been wrapping up his career with hand picked opponents and so that is folded into this.  He wants to work handicap matches to get ready for Mania.  He asks Rey for a match.  Rey has La Sombra – but needs a third and he asks Kalisto. 

Kalisto, of course, jumps at it – and that continues the fissure between he and his partner Crews (Crews believes Kalisto is overly influenced by Mysterio at the expense of their team).  Crews is going to take the rare (very, very, very rare) step of calling Rey out (Rey is the locker room leader, think IRL Undertaker) Crews says Rey needs to step back.  Rey mists him a little bit, does some veteran voodoo, convinces Crews that actually, he’s doing Kalisto a service by helping him – that’s just going to make he and Crews stronger going forward, and in fact, Rey ups the ante a little further – says his first Wrestlemania match since his return is coming up, and he’d like it to be a tag match,

Mysterio/Sombra taking on Crews and Kalisto.  Crews can’t help but be won over here; that is a high profile match and Crews has been knocking on the door for awhile.

So, that sets up that match, Mysterio/Sombra v. Kalisto/Crews.

Rey’s team beats Shoot Nation in that match; it’s a handicap match after all – Benjamin eats the fall from Kalisto (which shows Crews that perhaps Rey is right). 

Angle only has one match left before Mania – and he tells Danielson he wants it to be against him.

He asks him to find two partners.  

Danielson says no – tells Kurt he understands why its not a singles match, he respects Kurt’s choices as a wrestler and wouldn’t want to put him in a position that doesn’t reflect where his career is right now.

But Danielson says a handicap match belittles both of them and he won’t do it and he, with respect, thinks Kurt should not do it at Mania.  Danielson says if Hooligans won’t drop down to 2 guys – then Shoot Nation should bump up to 3.  “Get a new guy, Kurt.  Big world out there.”

As for Danielson – he also needs to get a guy; it’s a mystery partner – so when  it’s match time, Angle and Benjamin are introduced first, then Danielson – he stands on the ramp and waits –

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…..For Kevin Steen.

It’s Steen’s return to the promotion after being run off by Mysterio following last year’s Mania unmasking of Generico.  It’s a surprise. 

Danielson and Steen go over. 

On a subsequent broadcast, an angry Mysterio calls Danielson out.  Says he was really clear, Kevin Steen has no home in the WWF and he wants that to be respected.  He’s earned it, after all. 

Danielson says no.  Steen’s paid his debt.  He’s a wrestler; just like Rey, just like Danielson.  No one likes what he did.  No one will forget what he did.  But he’s a wrestler; this is a wrestling promotion – he’s welcome in the locker room. 

Rey asks who Danielson thinks he is to get to decide he’s welcome. 

Danielson asks who Rey thinks he is to get to decide he’s not welcome.

The two veteran babyfaces go nose to nose – Rey says Steen isn’t like them.  He doesn’t love it.  Doesn’t need it.

Danielson says Rey’s wrong.  And shows him some footage – a cameraman spotted something a few months ago and then alerted a few people and they put something together.

It’s Steen at various WWF events, deep in the crowd, in enough disguise to not be noticed – and he’s marking out, totally wrapped up into whatever matches he’s watching.  He’s cheering for babyfaces (including Rey) booing heels.  He’s at TV – he’s at house shows; like a half dozen different events all from the last few months. 

Danielson says Steen wasn’t wanted here – but still couldnt stay away from wrestling.  That’s why Danielson called him up to be his partner.  Because he’s in this life.  He’s not a tourist, not a part timer, not an actor, he’s a wrestler.  And he deserves to come back.

Back to Angle. In the go home RAW, with the tag title still advertised as a handicap match (Hooligans has wrestled a couple of handicap matches in the build as well, unsurprisingly, there’s a scheduled in ring face to face of the 5 men on a Heyman Hustle episode.  Heyman and Hooligans poke at Angle a little bit – how does he possibly think he can win?  It’s a handicap match, for Chrissake. 

But it’s not, Kurt says.  It’s 3 on 3.  Because there’s a new member of Shoot Nation. 

And that’s when Lesnar’s music hits. 

Brock Lesnar has joined Shoot Nation – he, Angle, Benjamin stand together in the ring – just as they did at the beginning – and they’ll take on Hooligans for the straps at Mania.  There's no interaction at all between Heyman and Lesnar.  

Hooligans v. Shoot Nation.

3 matches left. 

The Revival took the belts from the Usos at last year’s Mania, Usos won the rematch at Survivor Series and they wrap up the trilogy here.  Largely it’s been a workrate program, a “we’re better than you, program” – with the Usos being the heels and the Revival as babyfaces, but fundamentally based on respect.  There’s less respect now – more “fuck you, you think you’re the best tag team in the world, we’re the best tag team in the world and you can die in a fire” – the Usos have gone from cocky babyfaces to cocky heels and are now just cocky.  They do a “If you want to cheer us, cheer us, if you want to boo us boo us – as long as you put respect on our names as the best tag team alive” sort of a thing. The Revival stop cutting promos entirely, not like Claudio “I won’t speak English to these people” – but instead saying they’re just over it; watch the matches, judge the matches, that’s it.  Two tag teams both claiming to be the best on the planet – each has beaten the other and it ends here at WM35.  There’s a special guest referee at each Mania – and this year it is the former El Generico, seen for the first time in a year, Sami Zayn. There’s a highlight package for that – the former Generico, tag champion, IC champion, returns to the WWF. 

Revival v. Usos.

Jeff Hardy and Mustafa Ali have been in a “the veteran takes the youngster to the learning tree” program – Ali’s youth and athleticism has brought into focus that Jeff’s not as young as springtime no more.  Ali starts to feel himself a little, tells Jeff that he wants to beat Jeff Hardy at WM (not in a heelish way, it’s youthful exuberance).  Jeff says that the singles spots on the card are full, maybe another year.  Ali says – what about a tag?  Ali says he’s been talking to Dorada that maybe they should do something together (it’s why Dorada is not around to be the third with Mysterio, he’s working with Ali at that time). They had some great matches against each other and they’ve been working on some stuff together during down time.  Ali asks Jeff if he thought maybe he could get a tag partner…

Jeff raises an eyebrow.  Says maybe he knows a guy. 

The next week is a video from the Hardy Compound.  There’s all the Broken Matt paraphernalia…but when the camera finally gets to Matt, he’s not there – what’s there is all the Broken Matt gear and a handwritten note…see you next week, Matt.

The following week – Matt Hardy, in streetclothes, no gimmick, is on RAW.  He says when he retired after last years Wrestlemania he meant it – his career is over in every incarnation.  But something hasn’t sat right with him.  His last match was on videotape in his house, as Broken Matt.  And that was fun – but it wasn’t wrestling.

Matt says he’s a professional wrestler, has been his entire life.  Not an actor – a wrestler. Like Danielson, like Rey, like Kurt Angle.  And his last match should be in a wrestling ring.  And it should be with his brother.

Jeff enters.

Matt says he heard Jeff’s been challenged to a tag match at Mania by some young whippersnapper. 

Matt says – one night only – one more round – the Hardys ride again at Wrestlemania.

The build is nostalgia – Ali/Dorada work as a tag on their own while the Hardys are gone, they put together a nostalgic video package – sort of like IRL “Tell Me a Lie” – with clips of the Hardys from their teenage days as Owen Hart’s young boy all the way to the broken universe.  One More Round.

The Hardys Ride Again. 

Hardys v. Ali/Dorada

And finally…

Paige/Becky/Sasha/Charlotte were 4-Ground, they dominated the women’s division – but then Charlotte joined the Horsemen and Becky joined the Bullet Club and we can’t have nice things.  Rousey’s entrance into the promotion catalyzed the group slowly moving back together.  Enough that Paige comes to the ring not long after the Rumble and asks that she be joined by the other 3 and Bailey, who, as Paige is medically retired, joined the other 3 against the Horsewomen.

Paige puts over Bailey; says if there’s any one who has the heart to take her spot – it’s Bailey.  And she says the rest of the spots should be filled. Come on home.  Sasha agrees, but the animosity between Charlotte and Becky is too strong – they start sniping at each other, they go nose to nose – and each of them exits the ring.   Anderson and Gallows started the wrestling year (post WM 34) by killing Arn Anderson; they’re laughing about it in the locker room, overheard by Roode and Strong.

They take offense – maybe Arn wasn’t with them, but that didn’t mean he isn’t a Horsemen for life, and they don’t want to her that shit. 

The Bullet Club asks what are they going to do about it – and that starts a locker room brawl that leads to a program – the Charlotte/Becky animosity is folded in -and you have set up the first mixed tag match in Wrestlemania history.

Anderson/Lynch v. Roode/Flair

Add a promised announcement of the newest Paul Heyman Guy to join the WWF – and that’s Wrestlemania 35.

WWF Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura v. AJ Styles

IC Title: Prince Devitt v. Ricochet

Women’s Title: Asuka v. Ronda Rousey

Tag Titles (Kurt Angle’s Final Match): Hooligans (McIntyre/Sheamus/Miz) v. Shoot Nation (Lesnar/Angle/Benjamin)

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson v. Samoa Joe

Rey Mysterio/La Sombra v. Kalisto/Apollo Crews

Claudio Castagnoli v. Tyler Black

Revival v. Usos (Special Guest Referee – Sami Zayn)

Cage Match: Kingston v. Rusev (If Kingston loses, New Day must disband)

No DQ: Shoot Nation (Lashley/Gable) v. Underground (Alestair Black/Murphy)

Mixed Tag: Bullet Club (Anderson/Lynch) v. Horsemen (Roode/Flair)

Hardys v. Mustafa Ali/Mascara Dorada (Hardy Boys Final Match)

I mean, I don’t know your life – but I think you’re buying this one.  You can’t get Wrestlemania on the WWF Network (I know, Vince is the one with the incredible business acumen and I just book dumb angles, but one of us recognized at the launch of the Network it was a mistake to give Wrestlemania away every year and it’s not the guy in Stamford) it’s only available on Pay Per View. 

See you in April.