Hey Scott,I was just sitting here thinking about what I think would be an awesome way to do the Cena - Lesnar feud from this point. Thought it might make good conversation for your blog.....Someone posted a comment about running a "Knightfall" (from Batman) storyline involving Punk. I think there is some money to be made from copying the storyline from Rocky 3, where Lesnar just destroys Cena at Extreme Rules and takes the belt. He then destroys everyone else in his path for months on end, while Cena continues his downward spiral and loses at all pay per views because his "head isn't in the game" after the loss to Brock. Then sometime after Summerslam, The Rock returns and helps Cena regain his edge ala Apollo Creed did with Rocky. Cena then begins the climb once again to the top, building to another showdown with Lesnar at Wrestlemania next year with Rock in his corner. In the meantime, Lesnar could get cockier and cockier about the ease with which he is chewing people up. Hell, to kickstart the whole storyline at extreme rules, Lesnar could pull Cenas dad from the crowd before the match and clothesline him or something leading Cena to be distracted and easy pickings for Brock in a 5 or 10 minute match. And how awesome could the motivational workout videos of Rock and Cena be with Rock bringing the fire back to Cena. Whether anyone else would be into or not, it would hook me on the product again.
I think if you're gonna do that one, you'd have to do it at Summerslam because it's too long term to do in a promotion as accelerated as WWE. I think it's a terrific idea, though, with Cena being forced to go to his hated enemy for help because Brock is just too much of a threat. It's a pretty classic story, actually, which is why Rocky 3 used it and was such an awesome movie.
They really should put one of the belts on Lesnar right away, though. Having the two World titles as undercard matches underneath Brock does the belts no good. If Brock is the top guy in the promotion, he should be the champion, period. What I really wish is that there was a MITB briefcase floating around that Brock could get, because Daniel Bryan pulling out every cheating trick in the book to regain the belt from Sheamus at the PPV by the skin of his teeth and then getting immediately destroyed by Brock (complete with "shitting his pants" terror on his face) would have a really fun vibe to it.
The MITB case works best when someone needs to sneak in and poach a title away from someone (arguably) more deserving. If you want to move the title to Lesnar, then give Bryan his actual Honky Tonk Man moment. Move the belt from Sheamus to Bryan as you said, with Bryan winning via every underhanded trick there is, and the next night have an unbelievably cocky Bryan do an "I'm the best in the world, I can beat anyone in the locker room right now" speech. Enter Brock, enter pants-shitting terror, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd call me crazy, but an ensuing Brock/Sheamus match could be fun, with the smiling happy-go-lucky "I just like to fight people, fella!" babyface contrasted against the killing machine who just likes to hurt people.
This post is full of win in my book.
ReplyDeleteBrock playing Clubber Lang? YES!
Cena losing streak ala Rocky III w/The Rock turning into his Apollo Creed? YES!
"Daniel Bryan pulling out every cheating trick in the book to regain the
belt from Sheamus at the PPV by the skin of his teeth and then getting
immediately destroyed by Brock (complete with "shitting his pants"
terror on his face) would have a really fun vibe to it"? YES! YES! YES!
Love all of these ideas. Just hope Punk isn't the sacrificial lamb in this whole thing though.
Since Johnny Ace runs both shows, couldn't he just bring Brock out for a title shot any time he wants. the way Vince did with Batista at the 2010 EC PPV against Cena?
ReplyDeleteThis will then lead to the return of Kozlov, who will then kill Rock in an exhibition match.
ReplyDeleteI'm calling it now, Extreme Rules ends with Cena getting F-5'd into the ring post.
ReplyDeleteThis booking scenario is fantastic. The question is why random fans can come up with such obvious, time-tested great ideas like this and the people who actually draw a paycheck from WWE can't.
ReplyDeleteOr they could do Rocky IV. Build up a friendship between Cena and Booker T. Booker comes out of (semi) retirement to take a shot at Brock. Brock literally murders Booker (maybe WWE pays him off to go live on an island for the rest of his life and pretend to be dead). Cena goes to Siberia and runs in the snow for a few months while Brock trains with the fanciest Bowflex imaginable (living the dream) with a bunch of fancy doodads and whatzits taped to his chest and plugged into the usb port of the York Foundation's laptop. That's how you make a match-up into money.
ReplyDeleteThe culmination would wind up with Brock being suspended for juicing on camera though.
ReplyDeleteThis idea also sets up the opportunity for a tag match of Cena/Rock vs. Brock/someone getting the rub at Summerslam or Survivor Series. Brock could kill Rocky there to give Cena an extra push of motivation at the eventual blow off.
ReplyDeleteIn defense of the much chastised "creative team", mind you i've done my fair share, I've read so many interviews with former writers in which they have their heads in the right place - i.e. protect the titles, don't book newly crowned champs 50/50, etc....aaaaand Vince or Steph overrides them. I think, many of these guys (and gals?) come in, are fresh and bursting with ideas and then just get worn down by the schedule and maybe by ideas getting shut down and def politics, that they just give in to the machine. Know what I'm saying?
ReplyDeleteMany of our ideas exist in a vacuum.
A win over Cena at Extreme rules and a title shot (and win) against CM Punk at Over the Limit could be a very good start for the Rocky III story. :) At MITB then a title defense against Big Show or so, then at No Way Out against Randy Orton and then the Match against John Cena at Summer Slam...
ReplyDeleteI love, love, LOVE the Rocky III idea the poster suggested. I think it's fantastic in so many ways. Brock keeps his monstrous mystique (and builds it even more), Cena becomes human and a legit underdog and even Rock's role as Apollo Creed is pretty kick-ass.
ReplyDeleteCena vs. Brock at Summerslam with Rock in John's corner is AWESOME.
This is like a hybrid Rocky III and IV
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think Brock should destroy Cena in less than ten minutes at "Extreme Rules", destroy Orton in less than ten minutes at "Over the Limit" (May), and then face and defeat Punk for the title at "Money In The Bank" (June), but with the match lasting about twenty minutes and Punk and only losing because of some sort of cheating on Brock's part. Maybe Paul Heyman makes a surprise return and distracts Punk or the ref or something, allowing Brock to hit a low-blow and hit the F5 for the win.
ReplyDeleteLogically speaking, this shows that Punk provided more of a fight than either Cena or Orton, and leaves the door open for a rematch (personally, I'd want to see Brock/Punk at "WrestleMania 29") with Punk getting the rub of beating Brock for the title. THAT'S how you use your older and/or part-time stars, by putting them in situations where they can draw big money AND give the rub to a full-time guy.
Yeah, I dig what you're saying. And I can definitely see how that happens. I just left a job where people would come in fresh, fired up, and wanting to do something great only to get worn down and defeated by politics and stale thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think Brock should survive a Money in the Bank cash-in when he is champion. It would add to his aura of invincibility since he'd be the first.
ReplyDeleteWant Brock to put someone over strong?
ReplyDeleteWhy not Zoidberg?
Or someone other than Cena.
And later in the year, they could use Rocky Balboa as a storyline template whilst also plugging the WWE '13 game.
ReplyDeleteeg, Backstage Mason Ryan and Yoshi Tatsu are playing the WWE '13 as Flair vs Brock. Flair convincingly wins (because it turns out that Mason had bought strategy guide - available at Gamestop and other good stores) which gets everyone backstage talking about whether Flair could really take Brock.
Completely agree... great storyline. I also think you can slow burn a little bit by having Brock face Rock at summerslam where Brock destroys Rock as well.
ReplyDeleteFinally... it is realized that while Rock doesn't have it any more he know someone who could. Where Cena as Rock's protege finally gets it done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygQvB6OjHOU
ReplyDeleteI hope Brock mentions at some point that he beat The Rock for his first WWE Title, the guy who Cena couldn't beat in what he called the "biggest match of his career."
ReplyDeleteNo way should Brock have to cheat to beat Punk if he beats Cena and Orton fairly. Just having Punk get in there and last awhile before falling to Brock would give Punk a lot of credibility.
ReplyDeleteI understand your point, but if Punk loses cleanly, then why would he deserve a rematch?
ReplyDeleteI mean, granted, I understand that in WWE over the last ten years, a guy can lose cleanly several times in a row and still receive more title-shots, but, realistically, I think there has to be some doubt to warrant the rematch. It shouldn't be as simple as the "contractually-obligated rematch", or just insulting the champion until the champ gives in and gives the loser another match, that's lazy writing; if they want to make Punk look like their new star, then he has to be able to do what their other stars can't, and that's look like he may have had a chance at actually winning.
Those I Want Wrestling Podcasts Lagana did before he went to TNA gave a lot of insight into that. Anyone know a place that still has them up? Lagana's let his site expire.
ReplyDeleteI doubt you'll see any kind of extended run of dominance for Lesnar. WWE is....
ReplyDeletea) too married to the idea of 50-50 booking that nobody save Cena, HHH or Undertaker are allowed to look overly dominant. It wouldn't even shock me if Cena beats Lesnar in Chicago.
b) more than willing to throw away money in the same of 'sending a message.' Don't forget, Lesnar isn't a beloved legend like Rock --- he quit and didn't have "the passion for the business."
c) Lesnar could quit at any time. I have no doubt his contract is pretty iron-clad and he'd face a stiff financial penalty for doing so, but the WWE legal team is garbage. If they book Brock like a god for six months, then he flakes out, the company will look like fools.
They really are on the edge of a knife here with Brock. He still has that UFC cool factor with him right now. Depending on how they use him in the next several months is either going to make the WWE watchable again or bring Brock down with the ship so to speak. Really anything other then him being this unstoppable mma monster is not going to work. The second they make him just another entertainer in the eyes of the fans they have killed what they want to get from Brock's return.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that Rock's title aspirations should be a red herring of sorts - everybody is expecting him to win the title, so having Brock destroy him would really serve to build Brock up even more.
ReplyDelete