Road to Wrestlemania 36-Part 1

Rumble 2020

Wrestlemania 36 is coming this April from Parts Unknown.  

Here's the card.  Today, we're just talking about the 3 men's title matches, plus that men's tag, plus all the virus stuff.  In March, the rest of the card.  

WWF Title Tyler Black v. Brock Lesnar 

AJ Styles/Sami Zayn v. Bryan Danielson/Kevin Steen

IC: Ladder Match: Aleister Black v. Nick Nemeth v?

Tag Tites: Edge/Nitro v. Street Profits

Women's Title: Shayna Baszler v. Asuka

Montreal Match: Charlotte Flair v. Becky Lynch v. Sasha Banks v. Bayley

Claudio Castagnoli v Angel Garza

Drew McIntyre v. Jimmy Uso v. Kingston

Legends Boneyard Brawl: Undertaker v. The Fiend Bray Wyatt

John Cena's Final Match: John Cena v. Randy Orton

Bobby Lashley v. Drew Gulak

Kairi Sane v. Rhea Ripley

As early as the Super Bowl, President McMahon addresses the nation about the coming plague; during the rest of the month, WWF goes into hyperdrive, getting as much of the build to Mania in the can as is possible before a shutdown.  The country, by and large, shuts down at the end of February.  

Counterfactual US obviously manages the pandemic significantly better than IRL US; the McMahon Presidency has been one of dramatic strengthening of the social welfare state and the use of the federal apparatus for large scale infrastructure development.  Shutting down nation wide, paying businesses to stay closed and to keep people on their payrolls, paying Americans to stay home (there could be a game element to it; downloaded apps, GPS tracking, those able to limit travel from their home the most get bonus payments) dramatic, early testing - contact tracing -quarranting - the stuff done by the IRL countres most successful would be done here; the kind of Presidency discussed for years as Linda readied her campaign through to Vince's Administration is exactly what you want in place when this type of catastrophe occurs.  Tests - eventually vaccines - significantly more likely to be rapidly produced and administered in a country that has devoted itself to giant infrastructure projects funded my significant tax expansion to the wealthiest Americans/corporations.  

However - for purposes of "does that mean you can have fans at Counterfactual Survivor Series because things are much better than IRL?"  It doesn't.  I'm not going down that rabbit hole.

Here's how things look:

1. We've got crowds all February and then there's enough canned stuff to get through much of the rest of the build; we're not going to shoot any empty arena matches to air before Mania, whatever holes we have will be filled by taped packages, distance promos, interviews.  

2. Mania's taped; WWF builds an NBA like bubble; needed personnel goes in for a specified period (maybe as long as a month) and tapes months of wrestling, like Lucha Underground.  I don't believe there is another live WWF match the rest of 2020 once we shut down at February's end.  The bubble opens, they tape a ton, everyone goes home - rinse, repeat the rest of 2020.

3. Royal Rumble 2021 will be the next live show.

4. WM 37 is planned to have some level of fans.  

As for the shows - if you've seen pandemic ROH, that's really the Fight Night format I've described for years; matches that are focused in the ring and taped pieces.  Sure, normally I want a small but rabid crowd, but X them out and Fight Night doesn't change much.

I think the pandemic provides an opportunity to experiment with something; if you watch The Challenge, for example, and think about the way they present their competitions as taped pieces interspersed with confessional observations - I think there's room here to turn an hour a week into that.  I don't want professional wrestling to become that - I like matches, I like sports - but as an alternative presentation; if you've got a bunch of taped wrestling matches, finding new ways to present them in an effort to grow the audience makes sense.  

I see that debuting at Mania as a second screen experience; Mania has always been on PPV; all the big four shows were PPV until very recently, none part of the Network package (which always seemed obvious to me).  The other 3 have moved to the Network, leaving Mania alone fotr PPV - but given the pandemic, this year it goes to FOX - first time ever - Wrestlemania is free.

That will be the traditional presentation - but on the WWF Network is a "Challenge" type of presentation; with the matches not presented as a live sport, but instead as a movie, the matches have already happened, the partipants have taped confessional pieces cut into their presentation.  

As for how matches/angles change without crowds; I think you cut out most of the ga-ga; large ring introductions - fireworks - posing, playing to the crowd that isn't there.  Early on there was a lot of "MMA is still pretty good and WWE is not" takes - that's just sport v non sport; cut the bullshit, focus  on the ring, which is the general approach here anyway, but more so in 2020.

I don't think heat angles are partcularly effective without fans; which makes a build to a PPV more challenging.  I don't think a lot of ringside action is that effective; I don't want to see a well lit arena with empty seats - darken the building, focus on the ring like it's a stage in a theater.  So the "brawl around the ring" match that I do a lot, I'll be doing that less.

For spot matches, brawls - they are way away from the ring; something like that football stadium match AEW did.  If you want something that isn't a traditional, hard hitting grappling match that largely stays inside the ropes - then go tape that thing in the concourse, in the parking lot - at the Hardy compound, wherever it is.  

Let's talk about the card.

AJ STYLES/SAMI ZAYN V BRYAN DANIELSON/KEVIN STEEN

The RAW after the Rumble opens with a promo from Danielson/Steen.  Steen explains that Rey took food out of his children's mouths, tried to end his career and he deserved every ounce of that beating. That he wanted immediate vengeance a year prior, but someone told him to be patient, pick a spot, the time would be right.  And it was.  And that person - was Bryan Danielson.

Danielson says attacking AJ Styles last night was better than any hyperbaric chamber, any stem cell injection, it added years to his career, he could feel the weight, the heaviness of having to be the hero to these people just lifted right off him.  All the time he's had to explain just the basics of this sport that he has mastered and they pretend to understand was just eroding his brain cells.  

Danielson says a year ago, when he and Samoa Joe were beating each others brains out, he made two phone calls, one was to Kevin Steen, because no different than when he left Ring of Honor to come to WWF, he realized his career was at an inflection point, that the American Dragon was dead and buried, and he needed to have people around him who he could trust to do what was necessary. Kevin Steen is a violent man and this is a violent world.  

The other call - well, he'll keep that to himself for now. 

And that brings out an angry AJ Styles.  

Styles gets in Danielson's face, calls him a coward, tells him no one cares whose DMs he's sliding into, that all he needs to say right now are when he's going to get back in the ring with Styles so he can get his ass kicked...again.  

 Danielson goads Styles, says he can get that, he can get Danielson back in the ring - on RAW, heck get him in any match he wants.  Does AJ want a no holds barred match?  Does AJ want Danielson trapped within the confines of a 15 foot high steel cage?  

He can get that.  

But first - he has to beat Kevin Steen.  Two weeks from tonight on RAW.  

AJ remains eager.  He wants that match.  

Danielson continues - but - if you lose -  then Kevin Steen gets your title shot. Kevin Steen goes to the main event of Wrestlemania to fight Tyler Black for the WWF Title.  

Steen excitedly kisses Danielson on the temple.  Styles agrees to the stip.

They build for two weeks.  

We get to the match, main event of RAW - Styles v. Steen, AJ putting up his title shot.

The referee is Sami Zayn. 

So, this is where you need to have followed along; Zayn's been a referee, positioned on TV as any other referee, since last year's Mania; no physical interactions, nothing designed to draw TV attention, and he's never officiated a single Steen match.

He's hiding in plain sight.

The finish comes when Danielson cheats somehow, Zayn's distracted, AJ is knocked out, Steen has the pinfall - Zayn counts to 2.  And stops.  

And instead of slamming his hand down for the three count - he stands up - his face transforming as if he'd been waiting years for this moment - he rips off his striped officials shirt - and just lays waste to Steen; and when Danielson runs in - he sends him flying from the ring as well - with a primal scream, Sami Zayn has cleaned house.

That's the last segment in the program that needs to be in front of a crowd. Promos beyond that can all be done via distance.  Zayn's a fired up babyface; Steen's a hypocrite, he thinks Rey tried to take his career?  Steen stole his entire identity.  El Generico was a great professional wrestler and Kevin Steen killed him.  Zayn spent years as Steen's best friend, the only guy who always had his back and Steen plunged the knife into him.  Steen, however, argues this is what he wanted all along - he killed Generico so Zayn could live and now, Sami Zayn is in the co-main event of Wrestlemania.  Styles is disgusted at Danielson; they've gone straight up at each other to see who is the "best wrestler in the world" and because Danielson couldn't beat him he decided to take shortcuts and anything else is just noise.  Danielson's stoked - he's having fun, the WWF is about to see a version of Bryan Danielson he's had to keep muted for a long, long time.  

 

WWF CHAMPIONSHIP: TYLER BLACK V BROCK LESNAR

The finish of that Styles/Steen match causes WWF to vacate Styles shot at the title and who gets it, is of course, Lesnar.  

Lesnar declared war on the Bullet Club at the end of the Rumble and that continues here; Lesnar makes clear that he's wiping the Bullet Club out of the WWF; one at a time until he gets to Black.  Somehow, that has to be enough to get Shoot Nation to let the Bullet Club thing go (Shoot Nation will also quickly be re-engaged with Underground). One by one, Lesnar kills everyone (that can be done after the shutdown as well, Lesnar shows up at Karl Anderson's house and F5's him on his deck, that kind of thing) - he kills Anderson, kills Gallows, doesn't physically attack Renee but scares her into leaving the promotion.  They're all gone forever.  Lesnar kills Kushida multiple times; he'll eventually come back but it will be a second.  Spared is Devitt, as he's been gone since Summer Slam, Lynch, as she played no role in killing Angle and is locked into a thing of her own - and Black, because he's saving him for last.  

They can get lots of Jaws mileage out of this, you never know when Lesnar's going to strike - is he about to ...no, he's not - everything's -- oh, no, F5.  It's babyface Brock out to avenge Angle and rid the promotion of the nefarious Bullet Club.  

Eventually, they're all gone.  It's just Black, at home in Florida or wherever.  

And Black's happy.  All his career, people constantly saying he needs a stable, needs an army, that Tyler Black just hops from group to group to keep him safe - he knows what people say - knows what Ambrose said - knows what Mauro Ranallo says.  

At Wrestlemania - Tyler Black stands completely alone.  Against Brock Lesnar.  1 on 1 for the WWF Title.  And when Black beats him, 1-2-3 - that will prove forever that it wasn't The Shield, it wasn't The Bullet Club - hell, it wasn't even Age of the Fall.  It's always been Tyler Black and a bunch of guys he carried to greatness.  

IC LADDER MATCH: ALEISTER BLACK V. NICK NEMETH V. ?

Black took Ricochet's IC title and then Underground resumes their assualt from last year on Shoot Nation; it leads to an undercard match to be discussed in March but also leads to this one.  Nemeth, recall, was beaten in his hotel room a year prior by Underground and so he's the one who ascends for this shot. There's lots of mix/matching that can be done here - Gable/Benjamin and Murphy/Crews aren't working Mania so they'll do a lot of fighting.  

Somehere in the build, Zelina Vega is able to successfully argue that La Sombra should be added to the match - and then at some point during quarrantine, it's made a Ladder Match as part of the "since there's a pandemic we're giving this away for free so let's put on a show for the people" vibe.

In the go home week we're told that Sombra is off the card for unspecified medical reasons and someone will be added to the match. 

WWF TAG TITLES: EDGE/JOHNNY NITRO V THE STREET PROFITS

Edge and Nitro returned to the promotion as Clique members with Michaels and won the tag titles; throw in Lee and Riddle and the Clique will be doing a babyface stable march throughout this build.  The Profits won this shot in the Survivor Series elimination match and have been doing their IRL babyface announcing shtick.  They make fun of guys, it's entertaining.  The heat here is age related, Edge and Nitro are older than the Profits, you see, and so are they past their prime or are the Profits too green for this moment?  We'll find out.

It's Wrestlemania 36.  No guest referee.  No dark matches.  No managers or valets.  The announcers will be remote.  It's 2020, weird wild stuff.

8 matches left to set up - we'll do that in March

Royal Rumble 2020

The build.

Royal Rumble 2020 from Houston is the 31st Annual Royal Rumble, the 132nd WWF PPV.

The announcers are Mauro Ranallo, this is his 18th PPV and Paul Heyman, it is his 16th as an announcer.

Dark: Ciampa d Gargano, BWI d. GDI/BSS, Walter d. Hero 

The show opens with shots from all around the arena, inside, backstage, parking lot, and it is rimmed with security.  The announcers tell the story, this past Monday, the Bullet Club viciously attacked Kurt Angle, and the streets are super hot tonight.  A decision has been made to separate the Club from Shoot Nation and the card has been structured to do that - the Shoot Nation match will be in the first half of the card, there will be an intermission, and then they will be escorted from the arena - at that point the Bullet Club will be allowed to enter and the Bullet Club matches will both be in the back half of the card.  Only Lesnar/Gable, who are wrestling tonight, will be allowed in the building for Shoot Nation, the rest of the squad has been told they will be removed should they attempt to enter.  Hence, security. We're told that after intermission, the locker rooms will be emptied, only wrestlers connected to the remaining matches permitted in the arena.  

Lots of crowd shots tonight - the "look at how many people are here, how excited they are - how jam packed with human electricity" vibe is evident.  

1. NEW DAY (LANGSTON/KINGSTON w/Woods/Banks) d. HOOLIGANS (SHEAMUS/MIZ w/Bayley)

-Langston gets the fall on Miz; along with Usos, these squads should be viewed as in the same rung of the card, with Langston the ND equivalent of McIntyre and Reigns as the powerhouse leader so in a match like this, where Langston is the only one of that trio working, he's going to go over.  The other story that's told is Bayley/Banks -- they have to brawl here, it has to be 50/50, it has to be uncontrollable, like they fight to the back - and then their fight continues in the back.  They've both got chips on their shoulders - Bayley hurt that the rest of 4-Ground didn't ever come to her aid when she was on the wrong end of the Horsewomen beatings -- and Banks irritated that even after pinning both of them at Survivor Series, that Lynch/Flair have a singles match tonight and she's not on the card.  

2. THE FIEND BRAY WYATT d. BOBBY ROODE

-It's a squash; Wyatt's doing his monster heel thing.  

3. IO SHIRAI v. KARI SANE

-Sami Zayn is the referee for the match; meaning that the "please, do not chant Ole" PSA airs in the arena prior to the match, but is not shown on the broadcast and the broadcast never references anything special about Zayn, he is always just treated as any other referee. This is a workrate match; they are friends turned momentary rivals after an inability to get along during the Survivor Series four way, but they both remain babyfaces and just do the best 15 minute wrestling match they have in them as it's the last time we'll get this matchup.  

4. LA SOMBRA (w/Zelina) d. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI 

-Lot to do here.  

Gargano doesn't enter with Claudio; we've seen the tension between them ratchet up right to the precipice of a breakup; they just keep losing too often to stay together.  Chris Hero intervened, throwing out that the problem is that this negative view of themselves they were perpetuating with the name Trash had dragged them down - that instead, they were Kings of Wrestling.  That's left hanging as we get to this one.

There's a ref bump and Zelina keeps Sombra (a technico) distracted while her other two charges, Garza and Carillo (rudos, both no masks) run in and stomp out Castagnoli.  

That leads to a save by Hero - Claudio's old partner, about to retire from the ring, runs in; he and Claudio clean house.  Hero points to Claudio and says "hey" -- there's a pause - will Claudio respond with a "hey" -- but before we can find out, Sombra re-enters, the referee is revived - the referee sees Hero in the ring and not Carillo/Garza, who have gone under the ring - Hero is ejected and the match is resumed.

Later, another distraction, Zelina distracting the referee - Dioses del sol Retorcidos returns from underneath the ring - they hit a double team on Claudio - Sombra is stunned - he didn't know they were there -- Sombra hesitates, but takes the fall on the prone Castagnoli.  

Garza and Carillo then gleefully stomp out Claudio.  Sombra doesn't like it - but Zelina holds him back - Hero runs back in - Hero and Claudio now getting the advantage over Garza and Carillo - Sombra is torn -- but at Zelina's urging - he now enters to aid Dioses del sol Retorcidos and now it's 3 on 2...save by Gargano, Gargano - Hero - Castagnoli now working together - getting the advantage - cleaning house - and Garza/Carillo/Sombra are sent packing.

5. DREW McINTYRE d. ROMAN REIGNS USO

-So, right now, McIntyre and Hooligans are babyfaces with a little bit of an edge; Langston and New Day are fully babyfaces and Usos are heelish but really more cocky babyfaces.  Obviously that's not ideal.  Eventually, we'll see Usos move in the current IRL direction, the IRL Reigns character at end of 2020 is easily, easily his best work and that's where Usos will go.  New Day is fine where they are - that means Hooligans will be in the middle, which is also fine, although at some point the mismatched thing with Miz becomes untenable.  Right now though, we need McIntyre to just be a babyface given booking demands.  So, this is a clean, hard fought win.  

6. SHOOT NATION (LESNAR/GABLE) d. CLIQUE (RIDDLE/LEE w/HBK)

-The main throughline for the night is the attack on Angle by the Bullet Club Monday, we haven't seen Shoot Nation yet - and when they enter for this match, Gable comes alone.  Gable fights alone for most of the match, eventually Lesnar emerges, his face a mixture of heartache and fury - he tags in without breaking stride and unloads on the Clique, laying both men out and getting the fall on Riddle.  Heyman, on the announce, says he's never seen this look in Brock Lesnar's eyes and there's no telling how dangerous, how destructive, this man might become.  

Security then converges on the aisle - escorting Gable and Lesnar from the building, Lesnar noncommunicative, even with Gable, giving a look over the shoulder as he exits the arena.

Taped package now covering the history of Texas PPV on one half of the screen, while on the other half, we see the Bullet Club (no Devitt, still) begin to arrive at the building, security escorting them in.  We see the wrestler exodus from the back, dark match participants, any of the first half of the card wrestlers, anyone who otherwise might just be here.

Runble '89 - Houston, Hennig with the PerfectPlex on Bret to take the IC Title

Survivor Series '94 - San Antonio, Shawn superkicking Owen, taking the WWF Title

Rumble '97-San Antonio, Cactus and Terry Funk in a death match, hitting each other with flaming barbed wire bats

Mania 17 '01 - Houston, Angle and Benoit trading suplexes in a fast sequence

Survivor Series '03 - Dallas, 4 way brawl with Lesnar, Eddy, Angle, Benoit

Rumble '17 - San Antonio, Punk with the Pepsi Plunge on Matt Hardy

Mania 25 '09 - Houston, the 2nd Montreal Match, Matt/Jeff/Edge/Christian; Matt celebrating after pinning his brother

Mania 32 '16 - Dallas, Styles coming out of his pod in the Elimination Chamber to the shock of the crowd

Rumble '17 - San Antonio, Steen and Generico hitting a double team maneuver on Neville

Survivor Series '17 - Houston, Black standing over the broken Ambrose

7. WWF TAG TITLES: CLIQUE (EDGE/NITRO w/HBK) d. REY MYSTERIO/KEVIN STEEN

The 109th WWF Tag Team Champions are Edge and Johnny Nitro.

It's Nitro's first tag title, he was IC Champ in 2010 and also NWA Champ during the period where that belt was actively defended in WWF.

Edge is a Triple Crown winner; this is his 3rd tag title; he and Christian had the belts in 2000 and again in 2009.  He was IC Champ in 2005 and WWF Champ in 2010.

Okay - both Nitro and Edge were Mystery Clique Members, so Mysterio and Steen are first in the ring - Michaels music plays, he enters -- then Nitro, making his return to WWF; Nitro was a Michaels protegee - Nitro has been a champion with TNA, with Lucha Underground, in his time away - and Edge then enters, retired nearly a decade, Steen and Mysterio will sell the surprise of that in the ring.  The crowd pop will be significant.  

So - it's Edge and Nitro, with Michaels wearing his cowboy hat.  In Texas where he gets a hometown reaction (this isn't San Antonio, but this has been promoted as a Texas Royal Rumble, hence the clip package at intermission) -- and Mysterio, obviously, will also have a significant fan reaction.

They have the best match they can, Edge gets the fall on Mysterio to take the belts.

Clique gets the big pop - they do the big celebration and exit - leaving Steen to console Mysterio.

And then Steen turns on him like an animal.  

No one is coming to help Rey - because - of course - they've all been escorted from the building at intermission and everyone else still has a match coming up tonight.  Steen is relentless, vicious, just burying Mysterio with a package piledriver, say atop the steel steps.  Steen screaming at Mysterio "you take money out of my pocket, you took food off my family's table."

As Steen will explain in a promo on the way to Mania, this was always the plan - Mysterio tried to end his career, end the way he provides for his family - he knew he would come back to WWF, wait for the right time, and when it came, he'd strike.  The tag titles, that was a bonus - if he could use Mysterio to add another belt to his collection, all the better.  

Steen is foaming, frothing at the mouth as he exits the ring, leaving Mysterio's battered body in his wake.  

8. CHARLOTTE FLAIR draw BECKY LYNCH 

This match gets thrown out when Bayley and Banks continue their fight - coming back down to the ring, all four women wind up fighting together, referees unable to control them - a full on four woman brawl, the announce speculating that the longstanding rivalry among these former stablemates threatens to torpedo all of their careers.  

9. IC TITLE: ALEISTER BLACK (w/UNDERGROUND) d. RICOCHET (w/BWI)

-Ricochet's IC reign comes to an end; Black becomes the 73rd IC Champ.  

Underground (the leaders being Black, Murphy, Crews and, of course, Regal) has been feuding on again, off again with BWI (Alexander/Tozawa/Ricochet) for many months and they come out on top here, Black gaining his first WWF belt.  Ricochet loses the belt he's held since Mania.  Underground doing the "whose house?  Our house" celebration postmatch first seen some 7 some odd years before. 

10. WOMEN'S TITLE: SHAYNA BASZLER (w/HORSEWOMEN) d. ASUKA

-Asuka's first loss in her WWF career.  The streak is over.

From her time in developmental, through Dark Ride Wrestling, through her chase of Lynch, the winning of the WWF Title, even her return after getting stomped out by the Horsewomen and having to relinquish her belt, Lynch remained undefeated, doing the full IRL Goldberg streak.  

But it's over - Baszler keeps her belt, winning the very best match they can squeeze out with all the spotlight they can manage.  The Horsewomen - Baszler/Ripley/Shafir/Duke each hit a turnbuckle to celebrate.  

11. NUMBER ONE CONTENDER: AJ STYLES d. BRYAN DANIELSON

-Styles beats Danielson again.

Since his return from concussion forced retirement; Styles has been a hurdle Danielson could not leap. His losses to AJ precipitating a metamorphosis of an all time fan favorite into...sort of a know it all dick.  But this was the chance to turn that all around - Danielson promised that once he beat Styles, that would put him in the Mania main event and he'd then regain the WWF Title and become the American Dragon once again that fans knew and loved.

And he loses.  Again.  

Main event style match; long, striking sequence, nearfalls.  Styles clash 1-2-3

Styles is triumphant - he is the number one contender and by all accounts will be heading to Mania to fight for the WWF Title.  Danielson is in a ball in the corner.

When...down the ramp...comes Kevin Steen.

Steen gets in AJs face - Steen yelling that AJ isn't the best wrestler in the world, doesn't deserve that title shot.  AJ and Steen are nose to nose, jawing back and forth -- from behind Styles comes Danielson, who kicks out his leg.  Danielson then pounces - viciously attacking Styles -- Danielson with the elbows to Styles neck - Danielson with cattle mutilation on Styles.  

Danielson and Steen stand above Styles - sneering, Danielson and Steen - together - Danielson and Steen are together!

12. WWF TITLE: THREE WAY DANCE: TYLER BLACK (w/BULLET CLUB) d. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA/SAMOA JOE

Black pins them both, pins Joe, then pins Nakamura, going over strong to retain the WWF Championship.  

The Bullet Club (no Lynch, no Devitt) does the full in ring celebration postmatch; flag flying - champagne flowing - as it's always been, as it perhaps always will be, the Bullet Club one more time riding high atop the World Wrestling Federation.

Camera cuts to the parking lot.  A car screams into the lot - it's Lesnar - and he does a full Stone Cold thing - he marches back into the arena - just destroying any security guard who jumps in his way - Lesnar laying waste to everything between he and the ring - the Bullet Club watches Lesnar on the video wall - incredulous as he gets closer and closer - and when Lesnar emerges at the top of the ramp - then bursting into a dead sprint - the Bullet Club does the crazy scramble out of the ring -- Kushida slips, falls - so he's in the ring as Lesnar smashes his way through - he eats the F5 - the show ending with a close up on a half crazed with grief Brock Lesnar who rips the Bullet Club flag clean in half.  

And that's the Royal Rumble.  

We're back in February for Part 1 of the build to Wrestlemania 36. As it turns out, a Wrestlemania unlike any other.