Current WWE

[Loss]

Beating HHH means more than beating Orton, not to mention that DB has already beaten Orton.

[Matt D]

I guess i just want them to recreate 1998-1999 here since it was so iconic. Beating the Authority Figure en route to getting the title back seems like a cleaner Wrestlemania narrative to me.

[NintendoLogic]

My greatest fear is that when HHH finally gets put in the Yes Lock, he does the HBK in the ankle lock deal where he struggles for like five minutes before tapping out.

[cm funk]

HHH putting Bryan over at Mania would be huge, but that scenario is pretty contrived. He can hand himself whatever match he wants, no reason for him to be ruining the Rumble like that. That isn't "good for business".......though it's possible "well meaning, good for business" HHH devolves into "THIS IS MINE!" HHH ala Vince losing his mind with power

[Loss]

Right, he can hand himself a match anytime he wants, but Vince could have just fired Steve Austin too. Would have made his life a lot easier. Plus, they can play up "Daniel Bryan headlining Wrestlemania is our worst nightmare come true!" in the build. But since he's the champ, their hands are tied. WWE logic twists and bends all the time.

[NintendoLogic]

Vince did fire Austin. Shane brought him back with an ironclad contract.

[Loss]

Whatever that means. I'm not sure any contract is so ironclad that you can freely beat up the owner of the company with the owner's hands being completely tied legally. That in a way proves my point. There's a contorted logic that if they choose can get them all the way to Mania with this feud without even really stepping that much outside of WWE norms.

[NintendoLogic]

You can assume someone's contractual obligations in WWE by signing a contract written up for that person, so I have no trouble believing in a contract that allows you to assault the owner. I don't disagree with the broader point, mind you.

[Loss]

You just gave me a great thread idea.

[Sidebottom]

I'm surprised so many people think this will last until Wrestlemania for a big payoff. With the exception of the Rock / Cena stuff fro mthe last couple of years, it's been impossible to forecast Wrestlemania in the Summer. If you look back over the last ten years, not a lot has been very typical of the summer events. As a huge DB fan, I hope I'm wrong though, I'd love to see him get a huge moment o nthe big show with a lot of build.

[cm funk]

I'm surprised so many people think this will last until Wrestlemania for a big payoff. With the exception of the Rock / Cena stuff fro mthe last couple of years, it's been impossible to forecast Wrestlemania in the Summer. If you look back over the last ten years, not a lot has been very typical of the summer events. As a huge DB fan, I hope I'm wrong though, I'd love to see him get a huge moment o nthe big show with a lot of build.

I just look at the way they've slow built Bryan and Orton and think what else could they possibly have planned for either of them at WMXXX? It's not as obvious as Cena-Rock "we're wrestling at WM next year!" but ever since the stuff with Hell No/Orton vs. The Shield started and they kept delaying Orton's turn that they were really building to a payoff way in the future. Bryan is having all these smaller payoffs like being the first one to beat the Shield, and beating Orton in the respect match, and beating Cena......but the eventual payoff has to be him beating Orton for the title that was stolen from him.....and if they've built all this for so long I think they can probably stretch it out til Mania.

 

I could be wrong about that, you never know, but I'd be surprised if that isn't the idea right now

[Matt D]

It's absolutely what I want and not entirely what I think will happen. Even the Rock vs Austin story for WMXV didn't really start til right before Survivor Series.

[Loss]

For what it's worth, it's been reported for weeks that a major angle has been planned for Summerslam that would carry them all the way to Wrestlemania.

[Slasher]

It would make more sense for HHH to put DB #1 in the Rumble instead of allowing him to challenge for the belt straight up. Keep in mind, as Orton proved a few years ago, winning the Rumble ensures you have a Mania title shot no matter what. If DB wins the Rumble on top of all the challenges he overcomes before then, he would probably be cemented as a main event lifer.

[Matt D]

It would make more sense for HHH to put DB #1 in the Rumble instead of allowing him to challenge for the belt straight up. Keep in mind, as Orton proved a few years ago, winning the Rumble ensures you have a Mania title shot no matter what. If DB wins the Rumble on top of all the challenges he overcomes before then, he would probably be cemented as a main event lifer.

It's even better if he has to beat HHH at TLC to get in.

[Slasher]

I still like the idea of HHH being the endgame. He is the King of Kings. Orton did not even do a single move in capturing the title. DB felled to the Pedigree in losing the belt. I am thinking DB fails at TLC vs the Shield or something in a handicap ladder match for the Rumble title shot, and so he gets back in the title picture with the stacked Rumble. You could even still have HHH come in #30 or better yet, Batista in a surprise one off, only for DB to overcome that.

 

Edit: Expanding on the Rumble idea, you could even have HHH announce at a RAW the week before the PPV that to make things more interesting, he would offer a bounty reward for anyone that eliminated DB from the Rumble. This way you have him either fighting or getting beat on the entire match. One thing that never impressed me about Benoit or Rey's wins were the amount of time they spent laying around while other angles played out during the matches. I know they and DB would need a breather but you could have someone laying him out for a few minutes at a time.

[cm funk]

I'd like Bryan having to win the Rumble to get a shot at Orton after months of being fucked with, win the title and have his WM moment, and then the next night HHH is like, "Randy Orton dropped the ball...I'm here to pick it up!" leading to a gimmick match for the title at Extreme Rules where Bryan taps HHH and we all live happily ever after

 

Probably WAY too much to hope for, but that would be cool

[Slasher]

Problem is that I like Orton, and he is obviously a major key player right now in the angle but I can't see a 7+ month reign for him in store. I am thinking the belt switches out at some point, either to HHH or even if it is to a face/tweener, it can still fit in the McMahon "corporate image".

[NintendoLogic]

We also have to consider Shawn Michaels' inevitable involvement in this angle. The obvious thing would be for him to seem like he wants to help out his former student only to betray him and join up with Team McMahon-Helmsley. But there's the question of whether Jesus will let him play a heel.

[Matt D]

Problem is that I like Orton, and he is obviously a major key player right now in the angle but I can't see a 7+ month reign for him in store. I am thinking the belt switches out at some point, either to HHH or even if it is to a face/tweener, it can still fit in the McMahon "corporate image".

I think he can trade it with Punk a few times. Maybe during Halftime Heat.

[cm funk]

I think swapping the belt around in the interim before it goes back on Bryan could potentially hurt the angle. There's probably a way to do it while keeping Bryan and Orton looking as strong as possible, but IMO it takes the heat off of what happened at SummerSlam and Bryan being the guy to overcome Orton & The McMahons.

 

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if at some point they decide they don't want Orton holding the belt for that long and they decide to put it on Punk for a few months. I think probably the best way to do that is a triple threat with Orton v Bryan v Punk where Bryan is about to win and "gets screwed" somehow . That keeps Bryan strong and chasing the title without being downgraded, and when Orton wins the belt back they're still on the same path

[Slasher]

We also have to consider Shawn Michaels' inevitable involvement in this angle. The obvious thing would be for him to seem like he wants to help out his former student only to betray him and join up with Team McMahon-Helmsley. But there's the question of whether Jesus will let him play a heel.

He could still be a babyface who just believes the McMahons are right. He doesn't have to actually play a heel. He could even do a similar "I'm sorry, I love you" superkick on DB leading to a pinfall. He could walk away from the ring tormented. Give a speech the next night about how much he loves DB and respects what he brings to the WWE, but... they are right. He doesn't have to stick around for the abuse. When he comes back down the road after DB is finished up with the whole storyline, his involvement would be forgotten.

 

This shouldn't be how it is played out but it is a way for HBK to turn on DB without turning heel in the name of Jesus Christ, his savior.

[cm funk]

Except I can't buy HBK buying into the McMahon reasoning re: Bryan, that's the opposite of the way he thinks. They could do a turn for the sake of surprise, but that would be stupid. Makes way more sense for HBK to try and be the voice of reason, and HHH "turns" on him to further his descent into McMadness

[Slasher]

I think swapping the belt around in the interim before it goes back on Bryan could potentially hurt the angle. There's probably a way to do it while keeping Bryan and Orton looking as strong as possible, but IMO it takes the heat off of what happened at SummerSlam and Bryan being the guy to overcome Orton & The McMahons.

 

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if at some point they decide they don't want Orton holding the belt for that long and they decide to put it on Punk for a few months. I think probably the best way to do that is a triple threat with Orton v Bryan v Punk where Bryan is about to win and "gets screwed" somehow . That keeps Bryan strong and chasing the title without being downgraded, and when Orton wins the belt back they're still on the same path

I sort of agree that they shouldn't do title changes if the storyline is DB overcoming all odds to get it, but I never got the impression Orton is it, the face of the operation. Yes HHH touted him as the face of the company, but it only felt kinda like "this is the best option right now" sort of thing. The real villain is Triple H. Austin vs McMahon did not end when Austin beat the Rock. It will have to end when DB beats HHH, and does it convincingly. If my wishful thinking plays out here, DB will be what permanently retires HHH from active competition.

[Slasher]

Except I can't buy HBK buying into the McMahon reasoning re: Bryan, that's the opposite of the way he thinks. They could do a turn for the sake of surprise, but that would be stupid. Makes way more sense for HBK to try and be the voice of reason, and HHH "turns" on him to further his descent into McMadness

That may be so. If nothing else, they laid out that foundation with that news item about Vince being down on someone and HBK defending the mysterious guy. They could spin it as it being about DB, even if he said otherwise.