How would we book the “Road to WrestleMania” in WWE? Follow along to find out.
With Survivor Series just around the corner, some WWE fans are already looking towards the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. The next few months will shape the run up to what is seen as the most important card of the year in WWE. WWE may be in something of a lull right now, but things really need to ramp up in the period between now and WrestleMania.
We currently have one of the most talented rosters in the entire history of WWE, with a host of men and women at the peak of their careers. This should be the time when we are getting hyped up for some of the hottest matches, angles, and appearances, but it feels like WWE may just do enough to scrape by heading to the show of shows.
Since the WWE Draft split the roster in two (maybe not in two, but divided them at the very least), WWE seems to be in even more of a creative hole than they have been for a while. What was meant to make the product more exciting, has at times made it even more predictable.
With the thoughts of millions of fans around the world being the “Road to WrestleMania”, this is how we would book some of the action in the next five months of WWE.
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5. Raw Women’s Championship
The last few months have seen current Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, and former Champion Sasha Banks go at it. Everything has been centered around the two of them, with the other women of Raw seemingly an afterthought. Even women like Bayley and Nia Jax have been treading water at times, but that all needs to change, starting at Survivor Series.
At Survivor Series, Charlotte, Sasha, Bayley, Nia Jax and Alicia Fox will combine to make the Raw Women’s team to face the SmackDown Women’s team comprising Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Naomi. Current feuds have to be placed aside, with the better of the collective group the more important feature right now.
Coming out of that Survivor Series match, we need to see Bayley going at it with Charlotte for the Women’s title. Perhaps we see Charlotte walk out on Bayley during the match, when her teammate needs her the most. We also need to see Sasha and Nia Jax come to blows during the match, with Nia coming away as the monster heel she needs to be portrayed as.
Following Survivor Series we have the four woman paired off, with Bayley going forward to challenge Charlotte at the RoadBlock PPV in December, with the title on the line. We have the hottest babyface in the company heading for her first one on one match for the Women’s title, against the hottest heel in the Women’s Division on Raw, this should be one hell of a match.
With Charlotte in the ring awaiting Bayley, we cut backstage to see Nia Jax beating the life out of the challenger. Jax screams at Bayley, and then tells her that the next woman to walk out with that title will be Nia Jax, not Bayley. Bayley cannot make her title match, and Charlotte is awarded the win due to a no contest.
The following night on Raw we are told that Bayley is not here, she’s still in hospital after the beating from Nia. Charlotte stands smugly in the ring and tells Bayley that she had her chance and couldn’t make the match, so she won’t be getting another shot.
Whilst all this has been going on we’ve had Sasha being continually beaten down by Nia Jax. Each week they come to some kind of blows, with Jax always seemingly getting the better of her smaller opponent. The final straw comes when Sasha snaps after seeing Bayley be beaten down before the match with Charlotte. Sasha tells Jax that she will destroy her and then help her friend Bayley get revenge.
At the Royal Rumble, we have a heated match between Sasha and Jax, with the chance to be number one contender to Charlotte’s title on the line. The one small problem is the fact that Charlotte is the referee for the match, and we find out that Charlotte paid off Nia to attack Bayley before the match at RoadBlock. During the match at the Rumble, Nia is well in control of the fight and looks set to become the number one contender.
Charlotte doesn’t want to face Jax though, so she has another plan up her sleeve. With Jax in control, out comes Charlotte’s protege Dana Brooke, who combines with Charlotte to take out Jax. That leads to some familiar music playing, and Bayley makes her first appearance since RoadBlock to chase Dana away from the ring. Bayley then attacks Charlotte, before draping the beaten down Sasha on top of Jax and then using Charlotte’s hand to count the three.
Sasha is the new Number One Contender. Bayley is back and better than ever. Mia Jax is a furious monster. Charlotte is the cowardly heel champion who has so many people after her title. Following the interference strewn match at the Rumble, Mick Foley announces that we’ll have a tag match at FastLane. Having seen Nia in cahoots with Charlotte to take out Bayley, it’ll be Nia Jax and Charlotte against Bayley and Sasha.
That match comes around, with Nia and Charlotte having attacked each other on the preceding episodes of Raw, with Bayley and Sasha just standing back to watch the chaos unfold. Heading into the match it seems like we have one big mess. The match goes smoothly, with all four women getting their moment to shine. It all ends with another massive mess.
Nia refuses to take the tag from Charlotte, Sasha takes advantage and attacks the champion. Bayley drags Nia off the apron and takes her into a brawl through the crowd. Dana again gets involved in helping out Charlotte, who pins Sasha to win the match for her team.
Two weeks on Raw, all four women are called to the ring by Mick Foley. They are told that the current situation cannot continue, there needs to be a clean finish to a match to determine who really is the number one woman on Raw. He follows that with the announcement that at WrestleMania we will see Charlotte defend her title against Sasha Banks. And against Bayley. And against Nia Jax. A Fatal Four Way match that could go on to steal the show at WrestleMania.
4. Tag Team Championships
New Day have been unbeatable and look set to become the record holders for longest ever WWE Tag Team title reign. It feels like they have held the titles for years, whilst it’s approaching 500 days, that reign has to end eventually. Here’s how we think it should end.
As we speak The New Day trio are tangled up in a feud with the odd couple team of Sheamus and Cesaro. The challengers have beaten the champs, but not when the gold was on the line. Following the massive tag team match at Survivor Series, that feud needs to ramp up in big way.
At RoadBlock in December we should have a four corners tag team match, to determine the number one contenders to the New Days titles. The four contenders will be the four other teams that walked out of the match at Survivor Series, Enzo Amore and Big Cass, Gallows and Anderson, The Shining Stars and Sheamus/Cesaro.
Sheamus and Cesaro walk out victorious, having pinned the Shining Stars simultaneously, whilst Enzo and Cass brawled to the back with Gallows and Anderson. Sheamus wants to go for the belts as soon as possible, but Cesaro convinces him to wait till the Royal Rumble. When it looks like they are about to win that match, with Cesaro pinning Kofi for a guaranteed three count, Sheamus (on the outside of the ring) putting Kofi’s foot on the ropes to break up the pin.
Cesaro is then double teamed by Kofi and Big E, after Sheamus is knocked out by a trombone-wielding Xavier Woods on the floor. Big E gets the pin on Cesaro and Sheamus cannot believe what he has done, they had the titles won but Sheamus took that away from them. He explains that he wanted to be the one to get the pin, that’s why he did what he did.
After they get over the fact that Sheamus has cost them the gold, Cesaro tells Sheamus that he can’t continue this way. That leads to Sheamus telling Cesaro he’ll do whatever he can to get them another shot at the titles. Sheamus begs Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon to give them a way to get another title match. Stephanie agrees that if Sheamus can win a match at FastLane, then the team of Sheamus and Cesaro will get another shot at the gold, this time at WrestleMania. But if he can’t win the match then they will go to the back of the queue for a title shot.
They don’t tell Sheamus what that match is, he will only find out what that is on the night of FastLane. Sheamus agrees, thinking that he can beat anyone on the roster.
On the night of FastLane, Sheamus comes out for the match, and we have Cesaro on commentary at ringside. As Sheamus stands in the ring, Mick Foley comes out to tell us who he’s about to face. Then the fun begins.
Foley tells Sheamus that he’s about to face all three members of New Day, one after the other. He has to beat all three men in one on one matches, the only caveat being that if any member of New Day interferes in one of their team mates matches, then they will be stripped of the titles. New Day comes out and look like they are going to lap this up. Sending Big E in first, they are shocked when Sheamus gets the win after a powerslam on the concrete floor, then rolls Big E back in and pins him. After the pinfall all three, Kofi slides in and the next match is on.
Sheamus is looking beaten, until Kofi slips from the top rope and makes an awkward landing. Sheamus again takes advantage and gets the pin. With the first two men beaten Sheamus is out on his feet. Xavier Woods gets in the ring, and takes the match to Sheamus. By this point Cesaro is getting the crowd going, with them all now desperate for the Irishman to get the win.
In the dying moments of the match, Woods looks in complete control. Until he goes to the top rope and is knocked off by a stumbling Sheamus. One White Noise later and Sheamus is taking his team mate Cesaro towards a tag title shot at WrestleMania. Where the odd couple team finally wrestle the titles away from the record breaking New Day.
WWE.com
3. Undertaker Against … Goldberg?
An intriguing match that may actually put two of the biggest stars of the late 1990’s into an epic battle to decide who was better, WWF/E or WCW. This all revolves around streaks, from the two men who made their undefeated runs a massive part of their character and legendary careers.
Obviously Undertaker has the greatest WrestleMania streak ever, which was finally broken by Brock Lesnar at ‘Mania 30. Goldberg had a massive (if not totally legitimate) streak of 173-0, before being beaten by Kevin Nash (via Scott Hall and a Taser). Now the only problem is how do we get to this match at WrestleMania 33?
Goldberg is set to go head to head with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. They have an old score to settle, well Lesnar has a loss to avenge, the final match of Goldberg’s previous WWE run saw him beat Lesnar at ‘Mania 20. In the match at Survivor Series, Lesnar will be on the ropes against the WCW veteran, before the lights go out and we hear a familiar gong.
A bolt of lightning hits the ring. Goldberg hits the deck and Lesnar is able to go on and beat him. After the match Goldberg looks shocked at what happened. We don’t know why that all happened, but we’re sure to find out. Goldberg walks away from WWE, but you get a feeling he’ll be back.
In late January we have the Royal Rumble. With the match heading to the last couple of entrants, the clock ticks down for number 29 to enter the match. It gets to zero and we cut backstage to see Goldberg marching through to the arena, in his wrestling gear….
Goldberg comes to the ring and clears out a load of the men in the match. Then the clock begins for number 30. It gets to zero, the lights go out and that gong strikes again. The entrance fills with smoke and out strides the Undertaker. He hits the ring and Goldberg makes a beeline for him, attempting a spear, the Deadman avoids the big move and eliminates Goldberg from the match.
We then have Goldberg dragging ‘Taker out under the bottom rope and hitting the Spear to him outside the ring. He rolls ‘Taker back in and he is then eliminated by his old foe Lesnar, who goes on to win the match (more on that later). Taker walks to the back, but lingers on the ramp to point to the WrestleMania sign hanging from the ceiling, what does that mean??
Two weeks later on Raw it’s announced that the Deadman will be on the following weeks Raw. Undertaker shows up the following week, and is stood in the middle of the ring, ready to speak, when Goldberg makes his entrance. The former WCW man wants answers.
‘Taker stands in the ring and tells Goldberg that he wants a piece of him at ‘Mania to finally find out who had the better streak. Goldberg tells Undertaker that the ageing Deadman cannot hope to survive the Spear on the grandest stage of them all. Taker smiles and tells him to bring it.
The match is made official by Mick Foley, and one of the marquee matches is made for ‘Mania. WWF vs WCW. Undertaker vs Goldberg, to finally decide which company was superior.
At ‘Mania the crowd is hot for the match. With Goldberg looking like he has the win, out comes Kane onto the ramp. Undertakers brother holds the fabled urn, which gave ‘Taker so much power in the past. Undertaker is re-energised by the sight of the urn, finally gets the better of Goldberg and makes him pass out whilst locked in the Hell’s Gate submission.
We finally have the answer, the WWF was the better of the two companies, but with Vince McMahon still in control what more did you expect?
2. Universal Championship
So we still have Kevin Owens with the Universal Championship. He’s the standard bearer in WWE right now, but that may not last for too long. Coming out of Survivor Series it looks like we’ll have a Owens vs Roman Reigns programme, both men currently hold titles which makes for an interesting scenario.
At RoadBlock in late December, Owens will put his WWE Universal Championship on the line against Reigns. It will all come after some sort of shenanigans during the Survivor Series match in which both men will represent Raw. Owens will proclaim that as he’s the Universal Champion that he doesn’t need to fight for the United States title held by Reigns.
The match will see Owens walk away as Champion, but only after Chris Jericho has got involved to help his best friend Owens. Owens must react badly to that help, despite the fact that Jericho helped him in his real hour of need. Following that reaction we set off on a Jericho vs Owens feud, with the former friends going at it for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble.
Jericho is having a fantastic run in the twilight of his WWE career, it’s time for him to hold a trip title again. At Royal Rumble, Jericho beats Owens for the WWE Universal Championship, the wily veteran getting one over on his younger foe.
Also at the event we see the annual Royal Rumble match, the winner getting his shot at one of the top champions on the biggest night of the year, WrestleMania. After defeating Goldberg at Survivor Series, Brock Lesnar blasts through the filed to win the Rumble, and heads to ‘Mania to face the Universal Champion, at this point that is Chris Jericho.
After a few weeks of Jericho ducking every attempt to put him in any kind of match, the authority of Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon finally get sick of his attempts to hold on to the title. It’s announced that on the Raw prior to FastLane we will see an announcement made. That announcement happens to be that if Jericho doesn’t defend his title at FastLane the title will be taken away from him and he’ll be fired. He agrees to defending the belt, but only if he can pick his opponent. Foley agrees, and Jericho picks Kevin Owens.
In the time since the Rumble, Owens and Jericho have settled their differences. Owens can see that he’d rather have his friend Jericho with the belt than anyone else, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it back. Jericho picked Owens thinking that his friend would give him an easy night, that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
Owens destroys Jericho, wins back the Universal title, and is heading for a showdown with Lesnar at WrestleMania. The evil Owens leaves his friend Jericho a bloody mess in the ring and smugly walks up the ramp holding the title aloft.
The next few weeks sees a verbal joust between Owens and Paul Heyman,the advocate for Brock Lesnar. Two of the best talkers in the world give us some of the best promos WWE has seen in a long time.
Heading into ‘Mania this is one of the most heated matches for years in WWE. The Beast Incarnate vs the hottest property in WWE.
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1. WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Now we all know that AJ Styles is the WWE World Champion right now, but he has a huge match with Dean Ambrose in his very near future at TLC.
Styles has done a fantastic job of carrying the top title on SmackDown since the brand split. His match with Ambrose and John Cena at No Mercy is one of the best matches in WWE this year. One thing that will top it will be this TLC match with the title on the line. Styles comes out victorious after a brutal match. The ending coming after a Styles Clash onto steel chairs, after Styles had thrown Ambrose off the top of a ladder to the floor.
Styles heads back to SmackDown and still proclaims himself as the “Face that runs the Place”. That brings about the return of John Cena, the man who has been the franchise of WWE, and is desperate to equal or beat the record of World title reigns held by Ric Flair (16). Cena currently sits on 15 World title victories, but he will head to a match with Styles at the Royal Rumble.
Cena is the antithesis of what Styles stands for, but Styles cannot help but want to put Cena in his place again. At the Royal Rumble, Styles attacks Cena before the match, leaving the 15 time champ down at ringside. Styles gets the win via countout, but SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan comes out and tells the crowd that the match isn’t going to end that way. He helps Cena back into the ring, and tells Styles that there will be a proper ending to the match, not a screwy finish.
Cena does everything he can to get the win, but the pre match beating from Styles has taken it all out of him. Styles gets the win, but after the match tells Cena that he can have a spot in the Elimination Chamber to try and prize the title away from Styles. The next few weeks see Cena attacking Styles whenever he gets the opportunity. After a while it becomes clear that Cena will do everything he can to get his hands not that title again.
The Elimination Chamber match comprises World Champion Styles, Cena, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Dena Ambrose and the comedic jobber James Ellsworth. The final two men in the match just happen to be Styles and Cena, with Cena going on to get the win after hitting an Attitude Adjustment on Styles from the top of one of the pods inside the Elimination Chamber. In the course of hitting that, Cena manages to injure Styles’ back (in storyline terms at the very least).
As the final man in the match, and as the former champion, Styles tells Daniel Bryan that he will sue the company for his injury sustained in the Elimination Chamber if he doesn’t get his re-match at WrestleMania. Bryan has to accept the request, despite the fact that he thinks Styles can’t pass the medical tests needed to make it in time.
“Super” Cena makes all the running in the build up to the match, whilst we see Styles struggling in training, but insisting he can make the match at ‘Mania. Cena is desperate to keep hold of his belt, Styles is desperate to win it back. Who walks out of the biggest show of the year as the WWE World Champion? Well there’s only one way that Cena can win that record breaking title, and it starts with him losing the title at WrestleMania.
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