WrestleMania 22 - What Could Have Been?

[DMJ]

The fall of 2005 was an interesting time in the WWE.

 

In the months after SummerSlam 2005, the Rey Mysterio/Eddie Guerrero paternity angle was long over, Hulk Hogan and Chris Jericho left the company, and Batista and John Cena's ascension to the top of the mountain was complete. As is typical for the WWE, September and October were relatively quiet months with fairly unremarkable pay-per-views. The waiting game until January's Road to WrestleMania had begun.

 

And then Eddie Guerrero passed away in November in the midst of a friendship/rivalry storyline with real life buddy, Dave Batista. A couple months later, Batista, then-World Heavyweight Champion, suffered a tricep injury that led to him vacating the title (it was picked up by Kurt Angle soon after in a battle royale).

 

My question is - how would WrestleMania 22 have looked had Eddie not passed? Had Batista not been injured?

 

The show's actual main event, Cena vs. Triple H, seemed set-in-stone already as the two were purposely kept separate in the fall of 2005 (when Triple H returned from a bit of a hiatus IIRC), but what happens on the Blue Brand? Does Rey Mysterio still get the nod to capture the gold? Does Orton get that spot instead? What does Angle do?

 

I'm curious to read fan theories as well as any other information people might remember from the tim about what direction the WWE might have been going.

[Jimmy Redman]

The plan for WM22 before Eddie died was him vs Shawn.

 

I assume the planned title match for SD was Batista vs Orton. Moving Angle over was a result of Dave going down. So Angle may have even stayed on Raw through that time. I don't think there's any way Rey gets his run if those two things don't happen.

 

So there wouldn't be too much changing. The top of the card would have probably looked like this.

 

WWE Title: Cena vs Hunter

World Title: Batista vs Orton

Guerrero vs Shawn

Edge vs Foley

Undertaker vs Henry

 

Since both Angle and Rey have nothing to do in this scenario, maybe they match up? Although they'd have been on different brands. Maybe they do Taker vs Angle at WM instead. Rey does something in the midcard because croozerweightslol.

 

You also wonder if Shawn works with Eddie, and Vince still wants to wrestle at WM, who does he work?

[bestintheworld3589]

Dang I wish that Shawn Michaels v.s. Eddie Guerrero match would have happened. It had the potential to be better than the Shawn Michaels v.s. Kurt Angle match the year prior.

[Jimmy Redman]

It sure did.