CLAYTON SUGGESTS A TOURNAMENT<
By: Corey Clayton
3/5/2003 2:42:00 PM
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THE WHOLE F'N COMMENTARY by Corey Clayton
With the recent ratings upswing courtesy of Steve Austin and the Rock's returns, we were expecting a huge Wrestlemania blowout that would capitalize on the momentum.
But with Kurt Angle's neck injury topping a slew of recent medical losses for WWE (Batista, Orton, Bubba Dudley), how can WWE recover and make Wrestlemania as memorable for wrestling fans as they hoped it would be?
Easy....look back in history at past Wrestlemanias, and one scenario comes shining through for the Creative Team to emulate.
Wrestlemania IV, Atlantic City. The WWF Championship Tournament. The tournament, which featured 16 of the top talent in the federation at the time, was a great one-night spectacle, and culminated in Macho Man Randy Savage taking the title in the tournament final, beating four men along the way with no byes.
Now, granted, we all expect Brock Lesnar to regain the WWE Title at Smackdown next week to let Angle leave the storyline for surgery. But, what would happen if Brock would get a DQ win over Angle, injuring Angle in the process? Smackdown GM Stephanie McMahon would have to announce Angle's injury is career-threatening and declare the title vacant. She could proclaim a one-night tournament at Wrestlemania to decide the new WWE Champion.
And with Eric Bischoff not wanting to be outdone, he would request his brand's superstars compete in the tournament in hopes to bring BOTH titles to the RAW brand. So, in the end, we have a maximum of 14 matches at Wrestlemania that would set up the road to the title (following the same structure of WM4) and set up some interesting RAW vs. Smackdown matchups.
I've set up a tentative bracket....let's see how the title would be obtained that night. (Matt Hardy is removed as the Cruiserweight champ....Triple H vs. Steiner is likely, so they are not included. Also, figure that some sort of match will be held between each round to give time for entrants to rest.)
First Round (8 minute time limits; Brock and Big Show receive byes to second round as last two WWE Champs before Angle)
Chris Benoit vs. Charlie Haas - Chris Benoit wins by submission, finishing off Hass with the Crippler Crossface at 5:10. Benoit fends off interference from Shelton Benjamin and Paul Heyman. Referee orders Team Angle banned from ringside for the remainder of the tournament.
Chris Jericho vs. Steve Austin - Austin hits the Stunner on Jericho at gets the three-count just as the bell rings for the time-limit expiration. Referees and timekeepers argue that the match is a draw, but replays show the referee's arm hit the mat for the three-count just before the bell started to ring. Stephanie McMahon awards the match to Austin with a pin at 7:59 and 99ths of a second.
Shelton Benjamin vs. Undertaker - Without anyone to help Benjamin, he gets thrashed around by Taker. But, Benjamin pulls out a chair from ringside and sets it on the apron. With the referee knocked down, Shelton attempts to use the chair, but the Taker takes it away. Referee sees Taker with the chair and DQs the Dead Man at 7:10, keeping Team Angle in the tournament.
Rob Van Dam vs. Kane - Kane and RVD struggle back and forth. Kane catches RVD in mid-air and sets RVD up for a tombstone piledrivers, but RVD wriggles loose and reverses Kane into a small package for the pinfall win at 6:30. RVD and Kane shake hands, but then, Kane chokeslams RVD as he celebrates after the match. Kane mocks RVD with his own arm-pointing motion.
Rhyno vs. A-Train - A sleeper match. A-Train and Rhyno attempt so many power maneuvers trying to top each other, the clock runs out and the match is ruled a time-limit draw. Neither advance. A-Train gets yelled at by Heyman after the match for allowing himself to get eliminated. A-Train grabs Heyman by the jacket and lifts him....Heyman apologizes profusely and is set down by A-Train.
The Rock vs. Test - Rock hits on Stacy Keibler at the match opening, enraging Test. Test's anger gets the best of him, as he charges at Rock and walks right into a Rock Bottom. Rock does the People's Elbow and picks up the pin at 2:30. He does the pelvic thrust at Stacy, who gives a scorned look to Rocky.
SECOND ROUND (15 minute time limit)
Chris Benoit vs. Steve Austin - In a rematch of the 2001 King of the Ring main event which sent Benoit to neck surgery, Austin fights his way out of the Crossface and reverses it, getting Benoit into a sharpshooter (eerily similar to the WM13 Hart-Austin match). Benoit refuses to tap out and passes out. As the referee goes to drop the arm the third time, the bell rings signaling the time limit. Neither advance due to the draw. Austin curses and raves around the ring. He stuns the referee, then calls for beer. He helps up the bruised Benoit and gives a beer to him and toasts him, calling him one tough S.O.B.
Shelton Benjamin vs. Rob Van Dam - RVD gets pulled off the ropes by Heyman when he attempts the Five-Star Frog Splash. Undertaker, still upset over the DQ, comes down and chases Heyman off. RVD recovers and hits the splash for the pin at 8:01. Because of the Austin-Benoit draw, RVD is through to the tournament final.
The Rock receives a BYE - Bye due to the Rhyno-A-Train draw. He still comes on the Safeco Field Titantron to entertain the fans and insult Brock and the Big Show, one of which he'll face next.
Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show - Lesnar finishes off Show with a titanic F-5 in 3:02 to Heyman's chagrin.
THIRD ROUND (20 min. time limit)
The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar - In a rematch of last year's Summerslam, the duo mix in tons of false finishes. Lesnar powers out of the sharpshooter and kips up to catch Rock on his People's Elbow run to hit the F-5 and win at 10:50. Rock gets enraged after the match. He grabs a chair and beats down Brock on the entranceway. He chokes Brock with a cable, then throws him through a glass panel. Will Brock be OK for the finals?
Rob Van Dam receives a BYE - Bye due to the Austin-Benoit draw.
FINAL ROUND (no time limit)
Rob Van Dam vs. Brock Lesnar - Stephanie McMahon tries to stall as long as possible to give Lesnar time to recuperate, but Bischoff DEMANDS that the match start immediately, so that his brand can win the title. Stephanie claims that the match isn't ready because the .... umm.....ummm.....LADDERS aren't in place yet. So now, the final match is a ladder match for the WWE Title.
Rob Van Dam comes to ringside with Bischoff sitting with the Smackdown announcers. Brock comes down limping, with blood still on him from the glass incident. RVD uses the ladder to pummel Brock, yet Brock has the strength left each time to push the ladder down and keep RVD grounded.
RVD rolls out of the ring after a fall, then Brock tries to climb. Heyman and Team Angle rush down and pull Brock off the ladder and beat him down in the corner. Bischoff is beaming....he looks like he set this all up.
RVD gets back in the ring and sees the beatdown going on. He starts to climb the ladder and has the belt in his hand....then looks back at the beatdown of Brock in the corner. Bischoff is yelling at RVD to grab the belt. RVD takes a breath, then leaps off the ladder onto Team Angle to save Brock. Bischoff goes ballistic!
RVD fights off Team Angle, then attempts to finish off Brock with a spinkick, which Brock catches and suplexes RVD with a capture suplex. RVD grabs his back and rolls out of the ring. Brock finds a ladder and climbs up to the belt, grabbing it just as RVD recovers to push the ladder down. Brock hangs with the belt for a few seconds as RVD grabs his legs to pull him off, but Brock falls with the belt in hand to win the WWE Title at 10:51.
RVD stares down Brock after the match, realizing that he cost himself the title. Bischoff fumes and says RVD is in for a world of hurt on RAW the next night.
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So, Brock and Smackdown retain the title in this scenario, but what if the writers want to take RVD heel? What if someone from Smackdown came in and pushed RVD off the ladder to save Brock's hopes?
We'll all find out March 30 in Seattle. The Creative Team has their hands full. Here's hoping they can pull out something special.
Corey Clayton is a section editor for the Sunday News in Lancaster, Pa. and an occasional contributor to 1Wrestling.com. You can e-mail Corey with comments and stuff at
CoreyClayton@comcast.net.
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