There are multiple reasons for Rollins going over Cena at
TLC tonight, and not all of them are just to appease the Internet Wrestling
Community. Vacating the number one contender status opens up a multitude of
scenarios heading into the Road to WrestleMania, which is essential, given the
questionable status of the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
It is widely reported that Brock Lesnar’s WWE deal expires
sometime after WrestleMania. Having your current champion going into the final
show of his deal whilst holding the gold is an unenviable position to find
yourself in, as Vince McMahon infamously found out at Survivor Series 1997.
Here, I shall hypothesise several fantasy booking ideas that
makes sense of the current predicament WWE find themselves in. All of these
ideas revolve around Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Championship at the Royal
Rumble Pay-Per-View. Defending the WWE Championship in the Royal Rumble match –
for the first time ever.
Whilst the World Championship has been won in a Royal Rumble
match before – when Ric Flair won the vacated WWF Championship in 1992 – it has
never been defended in the thirty man, over-the-top-rope elimination match.
Step forward Brock Lesnar.
Or rather, step forward his
advocate, Paul Heyman.
In this fantasy scenario, Seth Rollins defeats John Cena at
the TLC PPV, costing Cena his number one contender shot at Brock Lesnar. This
frees Lesnar up for the Royal Rumble PPV, and leads many questions leading in
to WrestleMania.
Step forward, Paul Heyman.
Ever willing to push the boundary, since his ECW days, Paul
Heyman proposes something that has never been done before. Brock Lesnar has
heard the criticisms that he has not defended his WWE Heavyweight Championship
enough, so Brock will do what no man has ever done before. As the reigning,
defending champion, Brock Lesnar will put his WWE Heavyweight Championship on
the line in a thirty man Royal Rumble match.
Heyman’s announcement can cause dissent between Lesnar and
his advocate, just as much as it can solidify the duo, as Lesnar backs up
Heyman’s claims of dominance.
Scenario a) sees Brock Lesnar win the Royal Rumble match, in
turn making him the most dominant Champion in WWE history. Whoever Brock drops
the Championship to at WrestleMania will receive a humongous rub, akin to the
rub that Brock received for defeating the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at
WrestleMania XXX.
Scenario b) once again sees Brock Lesnar win the Royal
Rumble match, only for Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins to come out to cash
in on exhausted Lesnar, moments after going through a sixty minute elimination
match.
Rollins defeating Lesnar with his Money in the Bank contract
then opens up the opportunity for Paul Heyman to extol his client’s virtues.
Heyman can spin it that since Brock won the Royal Rumble match, he is now
entitled to a title shot at WrestleMania 31.
Scenario c) goes against recent booking of Brock Lesnar, and
relies on the strength of his advocate’s microphone skills once again. Lesnar
can be eliminated from the Royal Rumble match early; how early depends on how hot
you wish to get the crowd upon the impending title change. Paul Heyman can
assure the WWE Universe that Brock Lesnar was never beat to lose his title – a fact
that means that Brock is more than entitled to another shot at the World
Heavyweight Championship.
If Lesnar was to lose the Championship early on in the Royal
Rumble match, and his WrestleMania plans did not involve the World Heavyweight Championship,
then he can interfere later on in the Rumble match – presumably in the last
four – to cost someone the Rumble match, leading to a program with Brock heading
in to WrestleMania.
And let’s not forget – if the WWE do decide to have the WWE
Championship defended in the Royal Rumble match, then they can legitimately
push the event as the biggest, most important Royal Rumble match in WWE
history.
That would sell a few Network subscriptions heading in to
WrestleMania, wouldn’t it?
