The Fink’s Payload 02.06.08: Raw’s Road To Mania

[Note/Disclaimer: Do not be surprised if your entry does not make it into the column. Selection is entirely random. Do not be surprised if your entry was edited because you did not stick to the guidelines of the set homework.]

Wilcox: Another week, another monstrous edition of The Fink’s Payload! Maybe it’s just because we’re on the Road to Mania, but we seem to be getting a hell of a lot more entries than we used to, which is tremendous. Joining me today is none other than Jordan Linkous, the man behind Why I Love/Hate Wrestling…

Jordan:Go Giants!

Wilcox: Yes, Giants Go… to hell. Once again we have a ton of entries to get to so let’s not waste any more time. Last week we asked you to book Raw’s Road to Mania in terms of the main event scene. Some just booked the outcome of the Elimination Chamber while others booked week-to-week taking us to ‘Mania. First up is Steve;

RAW-
The first two entrants are Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The fans would be on edge for the first two minutes. Both guys would fight for two minutes showing that both really want the chance at the title. JBL is the next to come out. He starts punching at Michaels. Triple H makes the save before Michales can get pinned. JBL whips Triple H through the chamber that Umaga is in. Making Umaga the next to come out. Umaga is with Triple H while Shawn is taking on JBL. Finally Umaga misses the big butt splash, and Triple H pedigrees him for the elimination. Jeff Hardy come out as the 5th guy and Jericho is 6th. Hardy surprises Michaels with a roll-up to eliminate him. JBL and Jericho are both bloodied. Jericho gets the clothesline from hell to get eliminated. Jericho doesn’t leave the ring right away as he grabs the ring bell comes back in and hits JBL with it, which leaves him easy prey from HHH. JBL is out cold and has to be carried out on a stretcher.

That leaves HHH and Hardy as the last two. Both men are beat but HHH has been in there the longest. Hardy starts getting the upperhand and goes for the swanton off one of the chambers. He misses HHH, both guys are down and Hardy gets up first and goes for the Twist of fate. He gets it but HHH kicks out at 2. HHH then gets the pedigree but Hardy kicks out at 2. They two go at it for another 10 minutes but HHH finally hits another pedigree out of nowhere for the pin at 24:42

Wilcox: The good news is that Jeff Hardy is kept looking strong even in defeat here. I definitely do not see the need to keep JBL as protected as you have though, and it would make more sense to have JBL cost Jericho the title again as opposed to the other way around. Other than that, I really have no quarrels with this entry.

Jordan:Sure Jeff looked strong, but I feel that Jeff deserves to win. That is just my personal preference. However, I like the way you go about having Jeff lose, I gotta agree with Wilcox and say that JBL is too protected here. Other than those, good booking.

Wilcox: Next up is Christopher;

Hi there. I’m an infrequent contributor at best, but your question this week got the old wheels spinning…

In the weeks leading to No Way Out, the main event scene degenerates into a chaotic mess. The champ and challenger, and all six men in the Elimination Chamber match, find themselves in an eight-way war as everybody wants a piece of everybody, as well as the title. Randy Orton politics with William Regal in order to make the championship match No Holds Barred; Cena has no problem whatsoever with this. On the go-home show, we see a 4-on-4 match in the main event, as Cena, Michaels, Hardy, and Jericho take on HHH, JBL, Umaga, and Orton. HHH ends up calling it an early night after he gets taken out by his own team mid-match; however, the heels still pull off the win in the end, due to face miscommunication, which, after the match, turns into a heated argument, and then to blows.

No Way Out comes around, and Cena and Orton have their match. It turns into the kind of long, hard brawl only two men who hate each other to the depths of their being could have. Both men are bloodied, battered, and bruised, and Orton, thinking it’s time to end this, sets Cena up for the RKO. However, Cena counters by flipping Orton up on his shoulders and delivering the FU! 3 and done.

The Elimination Chamber is up next, and Jericho and Umaga start. Umaga punishes Jericho, but Jericho gives as good as he’s getting. After five minutes, HHH is released. A wild three-way brawl ensues for the next couple of minutes, until Jericho locks the Walls on Umaga, who fights and fights and fights, and finally taps… just as JBL is released from the chamber directly behind Jericho! JBL rushes in and delivers a Clothesline From Hell to the back of Jericho’s head and rolls him up quickly for the 1-2-3. The incensed Jericho proceeds to demolish JBL, brutalizing him until the officials have to open the cage and stop the match to get him, and the unconscious JBL, out of there. The match restarts with HHH facing the next entrant… Jeff Hardy! Jeff extends his hand, and HHH accepts the handshake, before the two of them start fighting. Shawn is released, and again we find ourselves in a three-way situation, with all three men fighting for their very lives. At one point, as HHH and Shawn brawl, Hardy launches himself into a Whisper in the Wind from the top of one of the chambers, taking them both out! All three men struggle to their feet; Hardy’s the first to get up, and starts to go after Shawn, who pulls out the Superkick out of nowhere and eliminates Hardy. Finally we’re down to old friends and rivals HBK and HHH, and, after they remind us why they’re so great together, Shawn pulls a new trick from his bag to finally get the victory over Man-E-H’s (perhaps that submission hold he used to beat Kennedy?) An exhausted, exuberant Michaels drapes himself over the ropes… and just then Cena’s music starts. Cena limps down to the ring, and he and Michaels have a tense staredown to close the show.

Where do we go from here?
* The Jericho/JBL feud has just been taken to another level, in prime position to get blown off at Mania.
* The HHH/Hardy “I respect you” bit is rekindled, which can lead either to them teaming, or fighting each other.
* We have Michaels/Cena set for Mania, and unless I’m mistaken, this would be the rubber match between the two. WWE likes to push how controversial Cena is, and the divided crowd that will inevitably result at WM would drive that home nicely.

Wilcox: This is certainly a different if somewhat unlikely way to go. You get bonus points for the Whisper in the Wind from the top of the pod, a spot which I would have included in my own idea had you not mentioned it. But are people going to buy into Shawn/Cena again? I don’t know but if WWE were to go this way, how many people would really give Shawn a chance in hell of winning? And where does Orton go from here? He would end up not playing any major role in Mania and that would suck a big one.

Jordan:Orton looks like a jabroni, plain and simple. Michaels/Cena, while good, has been done before. I think the people want to see something new, fresh. HBK has been beaten by both Randy Orton and John Cena before, so I don’t think people would go for it.

Wilcox: We move on and next up is Travis;

Vince and Regal clearly don’t want HHH to get in to the main event at mania so he is going to be entrant #1. he’ll start with HBK. Every 2 minutes we get a chamber opening and the 1st one open is going to be Hardy. No one is going to be eliminated yet. 2minutes later we get JBL into the match. He tries to focus on Jeff Hardy, cause he thinks it’ll be easier pickings than HHH and HBK. Only to have HHH start fighting him after putting down HBK with a spine buster on the outside. Comedy/hidden highlight spot, HHH will take JBL’s head and start slamming it on Jericho’s chamber with Jericho punching the chamber where JBL’s head keeps hitting. Then we get the counter.
Next out is Umaga. He comes out on fire and goes lays a beat down on HHH, Hardy and JBL. In that order, cause as he goes to hit HHH with the butt alanche, HBK pops him in the mouth with Sweet Chin Music and he turns into a pedigree, followed by a swanton and pinfall. 1st elimination. Then Jericho’s chamber opens and out he comes, making a beeline directly for JBL. Jericho taps out JBL and in a repeat of the first EC he has HHH locked in the walls and HBK hits the super kick, but as he goes to pin him Hardy hits the twist of fate on HBK and as he goes up for a swanton HHH tosses him to the outside and pins HBK. Jericho then hits the Code Breaker and Hardy hits the swanton and HHH is done.
Plenty of back and forth action, lots of teased finishers, Y2J kicks out of a twist of fate, Hardy kicks out of the code breaker, and finally Jericho gets the walls and after about 7 minutes Hardy taps.
HHH can be mad at vince for putting him in so early, Hardy looks bad ass, but alas, no rope break so he had to tap, Umaga looks tough taking 3 finishers to get taken out, JBL can hate on Jericho for the elimination, or HHH cause he is friends with Vinnie Mac and had HHH not started to beat him down he would have done better against Y2J and HBK was on a roll and got blind sided. Keeps most everyone pretty strong and I want Jericho going to mania.

Wilcox: Again, an unlikely scenario but one that I think you’ve done well. The key factor here is the fact that everyone has been kept relatively strong heading into Mania which is going to be a very important thing.

Jordan: What I like is that the Orton/Jericho feud will start up again since we never really got an ending. Everyone looked strong, too, as Wilcox said.

Wilcox: Next up is Stephen Straka;

Both matches are set in stone, Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena and Youmanga vs. HBK vs. Y2J vs. JBL vs. Jeff vs. Trips in the Elimination Chamber. The booking up until NWO should be fairly standard: Cena does his usual face banter, Orton does his usual heel banter, JR and Lawler put over their rivalry and how it hasn’t ended yet, yadda yadda yadda.

No Way Out – February 17
Starts off as a fairly typical match. Orton gets in the offense to begin with before Cena starts dominating. Protobomb, YouCan’tSeeMe, Five-Knuckle Shuffle, picks Orton up for the FU and Orton counters into an RKO for the out-of-nowhere win.

Wait, WHAT!? Cena looks pissed off as Orton scampers away with the title.

Elimination Chamber has Y2J and JBL pick up from where they left off and beat the shit of each other long enough so that someone else can come in and pin them. Final three are Umaga, Trips and Jeff. Whilst Jeff is out of it in a corner, Trips and Umaga beat down on each other until Trips gets the spinebuster/Pedigree combo to eliminate Umaga. Trips though is weakened enough for Jeff to hit the quick Twist of Fate/Swanton combo for the win. Trips looks very pissed off as Jeff scampers off and the show ends.

Raw – Feb. 18
Cena starts off saying how he was so close to winning and demanding a rematch. Orton says that, like Cena said a few months ago, he got his shot and lost so he should let someone else have a shot. Orton says he won’t defend the title until WrestleMania. Regal announces Cena and Jeff vs. Orton and Umaga for the main event. During the match, the heels are dominating until Trips comes out…and swerves for the beat down on Jeff for the DQ. Umaga leaves. Cena is up…and also starts beating down Jeff. Orton is like “WTF” and they beat down on him too.

Feb 25
Orton is out demanding an explanation for the bullshit. Trips and Cena come out and Trips says that they don’t care about what happened at NWO, they’re going to take the title from Orton and face each other at WrestleMania for it. Cena says that he was supposed to come in and be so heroic by overcoming injury and beating Orton for the title but Orton had to ruin it with his selfishness. Beat down commences, JEFF makes the save. Regal announces Cena/Trips vs. Jeff/Orton for NEXT WEEK. Note that Cena is doing a gradual transition back to his gangsta rap gimmick. Also note that Orton is doing a gradual face turn.

March 4
Backstage, Jeff and Orton say they don’t like each other but will team with each other to fend off Cena/Trips. Cena/Trips state their mutual love of the spotlight, world titles and WrestleMania main event money but Trips says that once their match is set, the title is his. Cena says to bring it. Cena/Trips win the match by heel shenanigens with Cena pinning Orton.

March 11
Cena and Trips open the show with a cocky heel promo. Regal announces that next week Trips and Cena will get title matches against Orton and Jeff and if they win then they’re the ones main eventing WrestleMania. Cena and Trips demand to know who’s getting what shot and Regal says that they’ll face each other tonight and whoever wins gets the WWE title shot. Cena vs. Trips ends in a no contest when Jeff and Orton beat them down.

March 18
Regal announces that, due to Jeff and Orton’s interference, the WrestleMania main event has been changed to Randy Orton defending against Jeff Hardy, Triple H and John Cena in a fatal four-way. Regal also announces Jeff/Orton vs. Cena/Trips for next week.

March 25
Final promos. Cena says that he’s only lost the title once and that was with interference and a bogus ref and that no one can beat him again. Trips says that he’s won the title 11 times and he’ll do it again. Orton says that he’s gone through so much since he won the title and he needs to win simply to prove himself. Jeff makes fun of Cena’s theme music and says that, at WrestleMania, HIS time will be now. Tag match ends in a no contest when all four men end up brawling.

Wrestlemania 24 – March 30
FUND IT

Wilocx: Well it’s certainly different if nothing else. But it makes no sense. Cena and Trips teaming up? Cena turning on the fans at this point is also not happening and shouldn’t. I like the end product of the four way match but not with this dynamic. Cena should not be turning heel and Orton sure as hell should not be turning face when he is the best heel in the business right now.

Jordan:That was interesting. I could see a heel John Cena but a face Orton seems out of the question. I do like the fatal fourway because those matches always turn out to be fun.

Wilcox: First-time Payloader “spicerdesign” is up next;

My first time writing, and proposition. Thanks!

HHH vs. Cena vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Orton

At no way out hhh wins elimination chamber only to have the orton and cena end in a double 10 count/ko/some clean but unclear fallout. This forces a 3 way match at wrestlemania it is decided. hardy wins mitb and as the main event is set up, and the intros are done he comes out and demands to cash in his money in the bank right there and now. after confusion and protesting, Micheal Buffer confers with ringside, and announces that vince mcmhanon accepts this use of the mitb stipulation for this year only and allows it to be a 4 way threat match!

Wilcox: Again, I like the four way main event because that is something that has not been done for eight years and is fresh. It also ties up all of the loose ends of the last couple of months worth of booking. And this is a much better way of getting to that scenario and gives us something of a surprise when it comes to Mania.

Jordan:LOVE IT! It keeps the boundaries between all the competitors drawn and has Hardy looking like a true super hero.

Wilcox: Next up is Steveo;

May I start by saying that this Elimination Chamber match is awesome. In kayfabe terms i could see any of these guys being a threat to win

Starting next week there’ll be two weeks until No Way Out, right? We’ll just say that.
Next Raw: Chris Jericho vs Umaga, Triple H vs JBL, and Shawn Micheals vs Jeff Hardy. Umaga pinned Jericho (he needs to be a believable threat in this match). Jeff Hardy got the roll up win over Shawn Micheals in a 20+ match of the night, and Triple H pinned JBL in a match that wasn’t even as long as their entrances combined (JBL doesn’t need to be believable as a threat, he can get over with his talking).

Raw After Next: The big main event is announced by William Regal it will be Triple Haich, Shawn Micheals, and Jeffrey Hardy vs Umanga, JBL, and Christopher Jericho. The numbers count down and Jericho is out. He questions why he has to team with those two assclowns. Regal says that there needs to be an even number in this tag match and, quite frankly, Y2J is the lowest rung on the ladder. Jericho says if he has to team with two bad mamma jammas, he should be a bad mamma jamma to (at least for tonight). He gives Regal an Enziguri and a Lionsault. Regal stumbles to his feet and gets hit by the code breaker. Vince ain’t havin this shit and makes another match for tonight Y2J vs Regal & Snitsky in a handicap match. Meanwhile, backstage, Triple H wants to talk to HBK. HBK says he gets him and plugs a DX t-shirt. Triple H gets him to shut up and says he is HBK’s friend, but he doesn’t know if they can be partners. HBK understands. Elsewhere, Hardy says he’s a crazy bastard and will do what it takes to get another shot at the WWE Title (I think this match will catapult him to a money in the bank match, where he will win) Regal taps to the Walls of Jericho, but afterwards gets his ribs injured by Snitsky (the big bastard has to be good for something). In the main event, an injured Jericho plays face in peril for most of the match. He finally gets the hot tag to JBL. JBL lands a few stomps on HBK and then tags Jericho back in. Jericho argues with JBL, ref tells him to get in the ring, instead he hits JBL and hits the lionsault on the outside on JBL. Jericho takes a walk as a injured JBL (who was tagged in when he got popped in the mouth) stumbles into a Sweet Chin Music. Hardy dives out on Umaga as Triple H stands there. The faces win. Umagas up though and hurls Hardy into the ring post. He hits the ring and tries to get at HBK, but gets a superkick for his troubles. Triple H looks like he’s going to go after HBK, but hits the crotch chop instead. HBK goes and gets JBL, and hits the pedigree. They do the DX pose as the show goes off.

In the title match at No Way Out, Orton goes for the RKO, but Cena uses that momentum to get Orton on his shoulders for the FU. Cena is the champion again!! Elsewhere, in the Elimination Chamber. First out is Jericho and Umaga. Lots of Jericho getting tossed around, but he holds his own, until JBL comes out. Even more of Jericho getting tossed around a bit. out next is Shawn Micheals. Lots of all around offense, highspot includes Umaga hurling Jericho through a chamber door. JBL rolls him out of there and pins him (setting up JBL vs. Jericho in a Bullrope match at Wrestlemania). Out next is Hardy. He hits a lot of high flying moves, on everybody. Then to prove he’s crazy, he scales the fence and hits a Swanton Bomb (you fuckers know it’s gonna happen to somebody) on the prone Umaga. He gets the three count. Triple H is the last entrant and he goes apeshit on everybody. JBL takes him out with a clothesline not from hell. He pins H, but only gets two, goes and pins HBK, two as well. He pins Hardy, only two. Frustrated, he pickes up Hardy and hits the powerbomb and finally gets the three count. He then goes to brutalize HBK, tossing him into the cage a lot and utilizing the injured back. He is about to get the pin, until Triple H taps on his shoulder. JBL turns around and gets hit with a pedigree on the outside of the ring. HBK and Triple H fight in an epic final 15 minutes, with Triple H finally getting the win. HBK wakes up and congragulates him on the win. The two hug as HBK raises Triple H’s hand in victory.(I’m hoping for HBK vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania)

5 weeks till Wrestlemania

Week 1:Triple H defeats JBL in a match ( JBL protesting the unfair treatment of him in the match). Afterwards, Orton attacks Triple H with a chair (Shawn Micheals is at home recuperating, saw a hole, thought i’d plug it), ending with an RKO on the chair like he did with Cena. Orton wants to know why this egomaniac gets to jump me for a title shot. He then takes out Triple H’s knee with the chair, before Cena runs him out of the ring.

Week 2: Shawn Micheals makes his return to face Randy Orton. He defeats HBK pretty soundly and is about to kick him in the head. Cena runs out and says “you want some, come get some” You get your rematch next week”

Week 3: The rematch ends in controversial fashion with the old he tapped out while he was pinned schtick. Vince comes out and takes the title.

Week 4: They await to see who is the champion. Vince says ” ya both lost, so neither one of you is champion” He says there will be a triple threat match for the title at Wrestlemania John Cena vs The Legend Killer vs THE GAME. The game makes his return and hits the pedigree on Orton.

Week 5: They annouce that Orton will face Cena tonight, Triple H will face Randy Orton, and John Cena will face Triple H. Orton defeats Cena with an out of nowhere RKO. Triple H defeats Orton following a pedigree. Cena defeats H with the STFU. (You see, they all have the momentum going into Wrestlemania).

Wrestlemania: The three are in the ring, they lock up and (fade to black, like The Sopranos)

Thank you for your time,
Steveo

Wilcox: This right here is good stuff as we get the match that I most want to see out of all of this. I’m not sure I agree with having all three face off in week five but the rest is great stuff, especially keeping Orton so strong heading into WrestleMania.

Jordan:I actually like the round robin stuff in week five. This is booked in an appropriate manor and it just clicked.

Wilcox: We’re approaching the end now but next up is Matt;

Well we all know that Trips is walking out of No Way Out with the title shot, but just to be a bit more inventive we truly will be getting the 2nd coming as it will be Y2J who will emerge from the Elimination Chamber. Where obviously he will meet Cena, as Orton’s not gonna win that match is he…

So we have the 1st RAW after No Way Out and we start it with Cena coming to the ring, the new champion. He says that what he has achieved in the last 2 PPV’s (winning the rumble and then the title) is amazing considering he never thought he may be able to come back and do what he did best again (A bit melodramatic I know but we want this as a ‘Rocky Balboa’ type story). We then get Jericho coming out and congratulating him, telling him what an accomplishment it was to come back from a 12 month injury in less than 4. So we get a bit of mutual admiration, be it uneasy. The whole point of the build up is gonna be Jericho acting more and more subtlety heelish whilst still on the face of it being a er… face vs. face build-up. So then Orton interrupts and says that this is all fine and dandy but he wants his rematch for the title so for Jericho to step aside. Jericho says that he has his shot at Wrestlemania so they can go right ahead (the start of the process I outlined above). Cena says they should go right now but Orton wants a week to prepare so we build to next week. Main event sees Jericho beat Umaga in a strong, competitive tv match. Whilst this is happening Cena is doing commentary. After the match JBL attacks Jericho in the ring, Cena has a dilemma of going to help but does decide to. Just as he is getting into the ring though Orton attacks and RKO’s him on the outside.

Next week the main event is a No DQ match for the WWE title between Cena and Orton. William Regal has barred JBL from the building this week as a result of his post-match attack last week. This week for the main event it’s Jericho who does commentary. Cena and Orton have a brutal, bloody 25 minute plus match in which Cena retains. After the match Jericho goes into the ring and raises his hand in admiration. Cena looks on warily though.

The following week on RAW we get a version of the Highlight Reel but it is hosted by JBL. He says that he has unfinished business with Jericho and he will destroy him. He then says to Cena not to trust Jericho and plays on the screen the clips of Jericho and Cena’s match where Jericho had to leave the WWE back from 2005. Basically he is stirring the pot. He invites Cena out to be his guest and tells him all of this but Cena doesn’t come to the ring he just stays on the ramp. Jericho comes out of the crowd though and he and JBL start brawling. JBL through nefarious tactics gets the upper hand and starts to strangle Y2J with a bull rope he has with him. Cena eventually makes the save but not until a brief hesitation.

It is decided that to settle their score, Jericho and JBL will meet in a bull rope match, either on RAW on a SNME they tend to have before mania. Jericho does an interview where he says that the footage JBL was showing was in the past when Bischoff had his ear. He says though that this is not an excuse and back then he did not respect Cena, but now he does. A year long title reign and coming back form such a horrific injury so fast deserve his respect. Cena comes out and they banter back and forth until JBL comes out and tries to start causing friction between them again. JBL invites Cena to be a special enforcer in his match with Y2J confident they will turn on one another

SNME – Jericho and JBL have a bloody, barbaric bull rope match. Cena is special enforcer. Towards the end of the match JBL has been taunting Cena so he attacks him when JBL is going to ‘pillmanize’ Jericho’s throat; Regal gets officials to take Cena away. Jericho ends up winning the match decisively.

RAW – The Highlight Reel. Jericho comes out battered and bloodied but says that he has proved he will do anything to win a match and that will mean he will take the title at Wrestlemania. He also thanks Cena for helping him at SNME so calls him down to the ring to be his guest for a handshake. Cena comes down but now Jericho starts to act quite heelish. He talks about questions over just how healthy Cena really is. Is he really ready or is he not telling us the whole story? after all he hasn’t had many matches since he came back. Cena says he is fit and ready to go and that no doctor can stop him. The two have a really heated segment but Jericho says that he has some medical evidence, leaked files on how Cena is not yet healthy and could be risking his career by going into the ring at Wrestlemania. Cena says he is doing it for the fans, the title and because it’s Wrestlemania. Jericho goads him and says that if he really is healthy he should have to prove it by wrestling! Cena says fine how about Cena vs. Jericho tonight! Regal then comes out and says that he will not be giving away the Wrestlemania event main event free in ________ (insert insult about whatever town they are in) but they each have a week to find a dream tag team partner, from any brand, sport or continent to have a match next week, 7 days before Wrestlemania.

Have lots of build-up in the next 7 days on TV, and wwe.com speculating about how healthy Cena really is.

Last RAW before Wrestlemania, have Cena give a really emotional interview about how he may be going against Doctor’s orders but he is gonna go out and give it his all for the fans. Main event – Dream Partner Tag Team Match. Cena picks Jeff Hardy, a real solid fan favourite. Rey Mysterio would also work, maybe even HBK but we will go for Hardy. Jericho then brings out the Great Khali as his tag team partner! Announcers, fans, Cena are all shocked – it’s almost like Jericho has gone too far, it was meant to be about respect, ‘who was the better man?’ Anyway they have the match and the important part is that Jericho and Cena never touch, never have any physical contact. Match ends when Cena FU’s Khali. After though he is clutching his shoulder and is in lots of pain, doctors and refs try to check him over but he pushes them away. While this is happening, Jericho steals the title belt and poses with it in on top of the ramp whilst Cena looks on from the ring in pain.

What happens next??? Well you will have to buy Wrestlemaina! There you go intrigue, subtlety, suspense and drama. What’s more in the build up they never have any type of physical altercation whatsoever, there is not one shot fired in anger until we get to the PPV. But that’s another story for another time…

Wilcox: What I really like about this is that we have an actual angle going into Mania as opposed to just two guys wanting the title. The mystery behind Cena’s injury and Jericho’s slow but not quite complete heel turn begs some wonderful questions heading into Mania and that’s a great thing.

Jordan:I love how you incorporate real life intrigue into the feud. It makes it seem more important than just wanting the title. Good stuff.

Wilcox: And we’re bringing it to a close with Payload legend Dan from Brooklyn;

I admit it, they swerved me…but unfortunately they have also ruined the road to Wrestlemania and turned No Way Out into the most obvious of all obvious ppvs. After the Cena/Triple H reaction at the Rumble you might as well call it now.
Triple H wins the Elimination Chamber. Clean and simple. It sucks but lets all live with it. Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels start. JBL is in 3rd and dominates. Jericho is 4th and the faces gang on JBL and its Sweet Chin Music, Twist of Fate and Lionsault to eliminate him. JBL grabs a cameraman’s camera on the way out and nails Jericho setting up their Mania match and allowing HBK to pin and eliminate Jericho. Triple H is in 5th and teases eliminations of the other faces. Umaga comes in at last and assaults everyone. Shawn knocks everyone down and “hulks” up. He tunes up the band for Triple H but Umaga comes over and takes the superkick. Triple H seizes the opportunity and nails Shawn with the Pedigree. Jeff hits Umaga with the Swanton and we get simultaneous pin leaving Triple H and Jeff. Jeff counters the Pedigree twice, the second time hitting the Twist of Fate. He goes for the Super Swanton from the Chamber and splats and its Pedigree to Wrestlemania.
Cena wins the WWE Title – I hate this since it makes Orton look totally pathetic. FU/STFU goodbye!

WWE (C) John Cena vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 24

Dan from Brooklyn

Wilcox: This again, is good stuff. It’s simple booking and it gets us to the match WWE apparently wants to promote. I loved the tease of HBK hitting Chin Music on Triple H and that leading to his downfall was a nice touch. I also appreciate you putting Jeff Hardy over in a losing effort because after his hard work in recent weeks he does not deserve to be simply cast aside.

Jordan: All guys look strong, which is good. However, I would just like to see Orton look strong, like, say, him kicking out of one FU only to fall pray to another.

Wilcox: And now it’s the part of the column where Jordan and I present our own suggestions.

In the Chamber match, Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho start. They do some great wrestling and a few high spots before Umaga comes in and dominates both men. He tosses Jericho the outside and sets him up against one of the glass pods, but misses a Assalanche and goes through the glass. JBL us in now and targets Jericho. Umaga and Hardy fight. Michaels is next. Triple H is last. All 6 men are in with no eliminations. Umaga takes a super kick and Pedigree from DX and is first out. JBL is next to go following a Walls of Jericho, setting up an I Quit match for Mania. Jericho gets taken out by Jeff Hardy and a Swanton Bomb. Hardy gets on a roll and goes for a Twist of Fate on Triple H, but Hardy eats Sweet Chin Music. Triple H goes to finish him off with a Pedigree, but Shawn hits Trips with Sweet Chin Music! It only gets two though. DX fight each other and eventually Shawn falls to the Pedigree. It’s Hardy and The Game left. Jeff hits a ToF but tries a Swanton from one of the pods and crashes and burns. He takes a Pedigree and Hunter wins it.

In the main event, Orton and Cena have a tremendous back and forth match. The referee gets bumped and Orton takes an FU but there’s no ref to count the fall. Orton recovers and hits an RKO, but still no ref. Orton tries for the concussion kick but it’s caught and turned into the STFU. At the point, it’s mark out ‘mania because Bob Orton Jr runs in and drills Cena in the back of the head with the cast! Oh yes! Cena is out cold and Orton covers to retain the title.

On Raw, Cena is pissed and wants a rematch. Orton says he is focused on Triple H and WrestleMania, so no. Cena confronts Triple H and dares him to put his shot on the line. Triple H says no. Cena asks Triple H if he is scared of Cena, because he made him submit two years ago, and because he tossed him out of the Royal Rumble. Triple H says if Cena can be a handpicked opponent, he gets his match…

Next week, John Cena goes one-on-one with… Shawn Michaels! Oh yes, baby! It’s another tremendous match from these two, and Cena wins with a FU from the top rope. Triple H shows up to give Cena a Pedigree.

Next week, it’s Triple H vs. Cena. Cena has The Game in the STFU when Orton runs in and drills Cena in the back with a steel chair. Cena takes the RKO on the chair. Triple H takes a RKO. Vince McMahon comes out and makes it a Triple Threat.

Two weeks before ‘Mania, each man gets to pick a partner for a three way tag match. It’s Orton and Umaga vs. DX vs. John Cena and Jeff Hardy. DX get the win following a Chin Music/Pedigree combo on Cena.

The last Raw before the big show starts off with Randy Orton. He challenges Cena to a match tonight, and Orton says he will beat Cena so bad he won’t make it to Mania. The match goes 4 or 5 minutes before Triple H comes out and hits the Pedigree on Orton. Cena and Triple H stare down and brawl. Hunter gets dirty and brings out the sledgehammer. He drills Cena with it in the centre of the ring, and then turns around into a RKO. Orton stands tall heading into WrestleMania.

Jordan:Elimination Chamber: Jericho and JBL start. They brutalize each other and eventually Y2J looks ready to take out JBL. However, out of nowhere, JBL pulls out some brass knuckles and clobbers Y2J. He goes for the pin but Y2J miraculously kicks out. JBL is frustrated now and he picks up Jericho and goes to powerbomb him but HBK is out and Superkicks JBL. He pins him and JBL is out. HBK is setting up for another Sweet Chin Music, this time on Jericho, but Jericho ducks and hits HBK with a Codebreaker. Jericho locks in the Walls of Jericho but somehow HBK rolls out of it, although he is sufficiently weakened. Umaga is in now and hits a big yakuza kick on Jericho. Umaga powerslams Jericho into the turnbuckle and puts him in the tree of woe. He goes for a Buttalanche but gets caught with a Sweet Chin Music. Jericho then bulldogs Michaels and hits a Lionsault and pins but only gets two. HHH out now and takes out Jericho with a Spinebuster. HBK up now and goes to the top rope but Umaga crotches him. He tosses him of the turnbuckle and climbs up to the top of a pod. He goes for a diving headbutt but HBK rolls out of the way. HBK covers and Umaga is out. HBK and HHH team up now and HHH holds Jericho in place for a Sweet Chin Music but Jericho ducks and HHH winds up taking it. HBK is stunned so Y2J grabs him in the Walls of Jericho and HBK taps. Jeff is in now and all three of them have a staredown. HHH is bleeding from the SCM. HHH throws Jericho over the ropes and follows. Hardy comes out of nowhere and leaps over the rope and hits a plancha. He hits Jericho with a Twist of Fate on the steel and he is done. HHH and Hardy shake hands, but HHH kicks him in the nuts. He grabs him for the Pedigree but Hardy counters and back drops him. Hardy somehow manages to pick HHH up for a powerbomb and powerbombs him through the glass. Both men are out but somehow Jeff is to his feet and pins but gets two. He is mad now and tosses HHH into the ring. He goes to the top rope and goes for a Swanton but HHH moves. HHH hits a Pedigree but Jeff kicks out. HHH goes for another one but Hardy counters into a Twist of Fate and hits a Swanton off the top of a pod for the win. There you go.

Wilcox: This week’s homework is similar to last week’s, only we’re looking at the SmackDown side of things. Book the outcome of their chamber match, and their title match, and the build to their Mania main event.

Send all entries to [email protected], and we see you all next week.