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| This is a feud that can last, trust me Photo Credit: WWE.com |
We all complain about the lack of long term vision that WWE seems to have, and it's for good reason. Outside of the two rematches from last year's WrestleMania, there has been hardly any build to any of the current matches since before the Royal Rumble. Exceptions might be able to be made for Kane/Randy Orton, since Orton tried awkwardly to retrofit a historical reason why Kane might have beef with him last night, and for the GM Battle, since there was SOME tension hinted at since John Laurinaitis took over, but I don't think anyone would say that there was any inkling shown by WWE that those would be WrestleMania things. If anything, the planning suggested that Orton might have finagled his way into the World Championship to defend against a cashing-in Daniel Bryan (and after Bryan's abrupt change in plans, vice versa), and the rumblings were that the multi-man match would be a returning Money in the Bank.
Although we cannot change what has happened, maybe there's hope that WWE will use WrestleMania not as a resolution to some feuds but as a climax or a rising-action signpost point. For me, the feud where I'm most interested in this happening is CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho. Even before the personal issue was introduced, I was salivating at the chance for these two old pros to get together and work something magical together. Right now, they're delivering on every note, but I feel like if they ended things at WrestleMania, there'd be some severe blue balls on not just my part, but on a lot of fans'. I think WWE realizes this too, as I think this feud is going to last at least into the June PPV, whatever the fuck it's going to be called. If I may though, I think I want to give my two cents as to how I want it to play out. Yes, it's fantasy booking. No, I don't care if you think it's lame. It's my blog, and I'll fantasy book if I want to. Here we go.
WrestleMania: Punk and Jericho engage in a chippy match. Jericho engages in a lot of verbal goading to try and get Punk to do something stupid, but Punk for the most part keeps his cool until the end. Jericho says something to Punk that sets him over the edge. The Champion flies into a rage and ground 'n pounds on Jericho until the ref calls for the bell and disqualifies him for castigo de excesivo. It takes the entire coterie of officials from the back to extricate Punk from and keep him away from Jericho. If there ever was a time for WWE to shy away from its "no-blading policy", it would be in this moment.
Reasoning: Yes, it might feel dissatisfying and even cheap to have a title match end in a disqualification at WrestleMania, but this year could be the best time to run an angle like that. Rock/Cena, Trips/Taker and Sheamus/Bryan can all have satisfying, clean finishes (although the specter of shenanigans in the Trips/Taker match might end up throwing a monkey wrench into these plans) and leave one of the big four matches to have this kind of story-prolonging angle attached onto it.
RAWs through Extreme Rules: Jericho claims shallow victory, mainly because he was robbed of his chance at the WWE Championship due to Punk's flaring temper. He accuses Punk of getting himself intentionally disqualified in order to keep from losing his title. Punk, obviously, is still furious over what Jericho said to him, although it's still not known what he said. Punk seems even embarrassed to let it out, and he threatens to lash out at Jericho for even hinting at mentioning it. Jericho blackmails Punk with the scandalous information for a rematch at Extreme Rules, but in true Jeri-troll fashion, he demands that it's not only a regular, non-hardcore tinged match, but one where Punk will lose the Championship if he gets disqualified. Punk accepts, and we go from there.
As for the match itself, it's similar to their WM encounter, but Punk is often more vigilant over losing his temper and getting DQed here. Jericho again utters what set Punk off at WrestleMania, and Punk lunges at him to beat the shit out of him again, except he pulls back, knowing he'd lose his Championship if he followed through. In the moment of hesitation, Jericho hits the Codebreaker, 1-2-3, new Champion.
Reasoning: Obviously, in order for the feud to continue, Jericho would need to win the title at some point. That's a given. I feel like this would be a great bit of storytelling, Jericho, the master manipulator, feeding into Punk's dual desires to not let family secrets get out and to being the Best in the World. Jericho gets a checkmate in their chess match here, leaving Punk to rebuild.
RAW: Punk obviously is irate and invokes his rematch clause for that night. Jericho obliges a bit too easily, on the condition that if Punk doesn't win the title, he gets no more rematches. The main event for the show is set. Punk seems a bit unhinged here, a man possessed, and he almost has the match won until Vickie Guerrero comes down to ringside and starts yelling at the referee. This allows Dolph Ziggler to sneak through the crowd and hit Punk with the Zig Zag. Jericho stands Punk up and hits him with a Codebreaker for good measure, and bam, Jericho retains.
Reasoning: There are three PPVs between Extreme Rules and Summer Slam, and since I don't believe in having a feud go from WM to SS based on having matches at every PPV between, there needs to be some logical break in the action.
RAWs through Over the Limit: The week after, Jericho, Ziggler and Guerrero start the show off with the announcement that at Over the Limit, Ziggler would get a shot at Jericho as his reward for helping eliminate the Punk threat. Super GM Teddy Long (assuming his team wins at WM, I know, it's a bleak hellscape of a future but bear with me here) comes out and doesn't like being undercut like this, so he sets up a contenders match between Ziggler and
While Jericho retains over Cena in a fairly standard WWE main event title program, the Punk/Ziggler feud takes on a more personal turn when Ziggler claims that Punk's life is in the dumps, and after OtL, when he defeats the Straight Edge Savior, his life will be so bad that it'll drive him to drink. The match, like their matches from the day after Survivor Series through the Rumble, is an ultra competitive affair with Punk getting the win by countering Ziggler's Fame Asser with a flash kick to the head.
Reasoning: Cena gives Jericho a nice PPV main event to hang his hat on and gets to exercise his demons, while Ziggler and Punk is there for match quality reasons. I know Ziggler losing here might be counterproductive to him being elevated, but presentation is still key for him.
RAWs through Money in the Bank: Punk declares his intentions to enter the RAW Money in the Bank match from jump, which is met with criticism from Jericho, who again is still banking on never having to face Punk again while Champion. Long mentions that while Punk can never get an outright rematch, there's nothing stating he couldn't enter Money in the Bank. Punk is named one of the competitors, and he continues to make the promise that he'll get back what is his and erase the mistake of taking his eye off the ball due to anger. Jericho continues to prep for his rematch with John Cena.
In the RAW Money in the Bank match, the action is crazy, but it ends up with Punk and Ziggler climbing up either side of the ladder to joust for the title. When they're halfway up, Jericho pops out of the crowd, rushes the ring and yanks Punk off, allowing Ziggler to continue to climb unabated. Before he can grab the briefcase though, Punk kicks over the ladder, causing Ziggler to fall over, taking him out of the equation. He then hits a Go to Sleep on Jericho and climbs the ladder for the briefcase.
In the title match, Cena looks like he has the match won until Punk comes out and interferes somehow, allowing Jericho to get the win. While this has a shocking heel turn veneer, Punk puts that to bed by giving Jericho a GTS to close the show.
Reasoning: Obvious booking decision is obvious, re: Punk winning MitB. Having Jericho involved in that match keeps it fresh in the audience's mind that he totally doesn't want to face off against Punk again. Now, having Punk involved in the Cena/Jericho match does a few things that I'll cover into the build to No Way Out...
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| Revisiting this feud is a necessary evil in my plan Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Punk/Cena is a hard fought match, reminiscent of their tilt from July the previous year. Surprisingly, Jericho keeps things on an even keel until the end, when Punk has Cena in the Anaconda Vice. Jericho rips Punk from the hold and gives him the Codebreaker. A weakened but still cognizant John Cena realizes that he doesn't want to win that way, gives Jericho the Attitude Adjustment and calls for another ref to come down. By the time the next ref comes down, Punk has recovered enough to give Cena a kick to the head and a Go to Sleep for the win. After the match, Punk holds up his briefcase to a terrified looking Jericho, then turns around to face Cena. He tells him he isn't sorry for attacking him at Money in the Bank and would do it again, but that regardless of his quest to be the Best, that he has nothing but respect for Cena, and the two shake hands.
Reasoning: Punk/Cena is there for four reasons. One, it's a logical storytelling device that allows Jericho to beat Cena for a second straight PPV at MitB without going over clean or using some other tired device. Two, it's a throwback to their hot match from last July. Three, related to two, it's a great coda to their feud. They didn't get a chance to have closure after SummerSlam last year, and this sort of feels like it would put the book to bed on that one, at least for now. Four, it allows Punk and Jericho to have their blowoff at the bigger PPV, not at No Way freakin' Out.
RAWs through SummerSlam: Punk demands to cash in his briefcase at SummerSlam, because proving that you're the Best in the World doesn't mean that you do it from behind or on a moment's notice. He demands that it's in a steel cage because Jericho needs to pay for all the shitty personal stuff that he's brought into the feud. Obviously, there'll be some resistance to the latter, but that can be taken care of in lead-up matches and such. Obviously, Punk wins the match clean, in the middle of the ring to reclaim his title and to put to bed a strong six months of feuding with Jericho.
That's how I'd take this feud and stretch it into and through the summer. In one afternoon, I just gave WWE a story to use. It may not be the best story, or the story that they'd HAVE to use in order for me to be happy. That being said, why do I feel like I gave this more time and thought in an hour or so writing than they'd give something like this over the course of six months? Okay, that's just me being a cocky dipshit, and I welcome all mocking for that. Still, I'd also like to think that that's a solid story. What say you?
