WWE: Cena-Rock, Daniel Bryan Title Shot and the Rest of Wrestlemania 28

There was a time long ago when the week after Wrestlemania, Vince McMahon and his top creative staff members sat around a cup of coffee and discussed the top matches for the next year’s big show. They didn’t worry about the details. They were concerned with putting down on paper what should happen before ultimately getting to how it would happen.

While you would be hard pressed to convince me that in mid-April it had already been determined that CM Punk would be the focal point for booking for the rest of the wrestling year, it does appear that the company has made a concerted effort to consider long term booking to elevate new stars.

Since Daniel Bryan was the first wrestler not named Cena or Rock to allude to plans for Wrestlemania, it seems like a good time to take a crack at the next year’s card from nine months out.

Disclaimer: This is how I would book it while sitting in my armchair and dreaming while drinking a beer. While writing it from my fantasy perspective, that doesn’t mean I’m not taking reality into the equation. It’s also listed in match order, which explains the cool down between the top two matches. Just use it as a point for conversation and not a true prediction.

Christian vs. Chris Jericho

These two put on a classic at Wrestlemania 20. Jericho has said he’ll be back when he sees a role and sees an improvement in the product. In essence, he didn’t want to be attached or waste his time with a show that he didn’t think was good. With the way things have appeared to be moving recently, I could see him making a comeback. He’s got some books to promote and the Dancing With the Stars halo will have worn off as a new season will have run its course. I can’t predict the type of “new character” he says he would want with a return, but it would be great no matter what. I’d book him as one of the number of annual surprise entrants into the Rumble match where he’ll draw a big pop. Any returning star is usually a crowd favorite, so ride that tide for a few months. Both of these guys will compete in their Chamber matches, leading to a run-in and confrontation. Maybe we could even see a Trish return.

Winner: Christian

Divas Champion: Kharma vs. Michelle McCool

Kharma should be back in time for the Wrestlemania run next year and while she’ll be a new mother, I can’t see her missing this shot or WWE allowing her to miss this shot. With Undertaker coming back for his annual Mania run, Michelle McCool will also likely come back for a few months. It doesn’t matter which generic babyface Diva has the belt because come Rumble, I could see McCool showing up, challenging and winning the belt. Kharma returns as a surprise entry in the Rumble match. McCool retains in a title match at Elimination Chamber via DQ and then faces off one-on-one at Mania.

Winner: New Diva’s Champion, Kharma

Tag Team Championship: Miz and Morrison vs. Rhodes and Dibiase

Listen closely to the fan reaction Miz receives each time he comes out. He’s getting more and more pops each month and it feels that the face turn is going to occur at some point down the line. Morrison is coming back, which would play well for a face turn and reunion for a few months. While I can’t believe McGillicutty and Otunga will hold the belts that much longer, I also can’t believe it’s lasted this long.

After Morrison fends off Truth at SummerSlam, we get Night of Champions in September. While cutting a promo, Morrison shoots off on Nexus being without a leader and how pathetic they are still carrying the belts. Those two jump him backstage near Miz who pulls them off, kicks some butt and then looks down to see it was Morrison on the bottom. Crowd pops as they lock eyes and nod respectfully.

Morrison cuts another promo the next week that he wants to take the tag belts away from Nexus, but needs a partner and can’t think of a better one than the best he’s ever had, the Miz. They win the belts at Night of Champions, defend in quick rematch at HiaC and gets into a classic Survivor Series match. They carry on both shows, defend and retain, until Wrestlemania when Rhodes and Dibiase take aim and challenge them to a match.

Winners: New Tag Champions, Rhodes and Dibiase.

Two out of Three Falls, Mask vs. Hair: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio

In the Mania match that will draw the highest buy rates in the history of Mexico, we get a showdown between the biggest Mexican wrestling star in WWE history against the next big star out of the country. This would have been a triple threat if it weren’t for the recent controversy with Sin Cara. While Taker faces down the Streak every year, it’s become commonplace, essentially tradition, for Mysterio to defend his mask. As two Mexican wrestlers, a classic luche rules two out of three falls match feels appropriate.

Winner: Rey Mysterio, shaves ADR’s head

World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

To further demonstrate his role as truly evil executive, HHH fires Teddy Long as GM of Smackdown and installs Michael Cole in the role. He immediately takes aim at Daniel Bryan, forcing him to defend his Money in the Bank title shot as if it were a belt. After several successful defenses against Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett, Cole books himself in a match against Bryan at TLC in a Tables Match where Mark Henry helps Cole.

Bryan fights off Henry, even throws Henry through a table, but is then immediately pushed off the ring apron through a table that was set up earlier. Cole is Mr. MitB. Determined to make it to a title match at Wrestlemania, Bryan then shockingly wins the Rumble match. In a contest that was pushed off the show to a dark match the year prior, Bryan faces Sheamus and wins the belt via tap out at Mania.

Winner: New WHC Daniel Bryan.

The Streak: The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton

Orton wins the belt back from Christian in the fall and carries it to the Elimination Chamber where he loses in the Chamber match ultimately won by Sheamus. Orton comes out the next night in a special appearance on Raw and says it sickens him to see someone like Sheamus walking around with the WHC, but he’s already been informed that he won’t receive another shot at the title until after Wrestlemania. He’s not the kind of guy that is going to sleep walk to the biggest show of the year, so he’s going to make an impact. If he can’t win the WHC, he’ll do the next best thing and end The Streak. Taker accepts. We go to the show in a No Holds Barred match and get a classic brawl.

Winner: The Undertaker.

John Cena vs. The Rock

This match does not require the WWE Championship to be involved and therefore it shouldn’t. That doesn’t mean The Rock couldn’t get involved in Cena’s quest for the title. I would like to see The Rock brought in by HHH for the Royal Rumble to serve as a special enforcer outside of the Rumble match. In doing so, he inadvertently causes Cena to get tossed. Come Mania, Cena is growing increasingly paranoid. He’s upset the Rock continues to get bigger pops. Cena’s “I’m here every week” promos turn to “I’m here and none of your idiots appreciate it.” At the show, we see a redux of the Wrestlemania 17 finish where HHH slides Cena a chair for a vicious beat down of Rock for the pin fall. Since this is the finish here, it isn’t the final match to go on.

Winner: John Cena, completes heel turn and aligns himself with HHH.

Over the Top Rope Challenge: Mark Henry vs. Shaquille O’Neal w/ Teddy Long

It’s no secret Shaq is a huge pro wrestling fan. He’s now retired from the NBA and could participate in a “match” without risking injury and voiding his contract. The show is also in Miami where Shaq still has a massive fan base from his days with the Heat. This would need just a quick build.

After losing his job as GM, Teddy Long returns in February to announce that he’s been on the hunt for months to find a great talent to compete at Wrestlemania. He introduces Shaq. Michael Cole is disgusted, saying he didn’t approve of this contract signing, but he knows HHH is about the dollar signs and he knows money when he sees it. He says Shaq can stay, but he’s going to face the World’s Strongest Man at Mania. WWE loves celebrity involvement at Mania and this is a harmless, fun and buy rate driving way to do it.

Winner: Shaq

WWE Championship: CM Punk vs. HHH

Punk returns a week before SummerSlam to contest the existence of another WWE Champion. He challenges the champ, Rey Mysterio, to a unification bout at SummerSlam in a ladder match as a callback to the WM X classic between HBK and Razor Ramon for the IC Title. In that match, Punk wins, but this time, he doesn’t escape the arena with the belt. Del Rio cashes in and wins the belt. HHH refuses Punk a rematch telling him that since he carried the belt without a contract, he voided any right to another shot at the title.

They keep Punk away from the belt with Del Rio carrying the strap until Survivor Series where he finally earns a shot at the belt. At Madison Square Garden, Punk wins the belt. He retains in a rematch against ADR at TLC and goes on to raise hell. Punk hires Colt Cabana as a personal assistant and the two of them do some old school DX style bits. Johnny Ace shows up on the first show of the new year to tell HHH that he’s been sent by the Board of Directors to inform him that if he doesn’t take care of the CM Punk situation, they will remove him the same way they removed Vince.

Punk retains at the Rumble, but HHH comes down to the ring with Michael Cole carrying the MITB title shot. Cole hands the briefcase to HHH who drills Punk with it in the head. He hands it to the ref and cashes it in himself, still wearing a suit. Punk then wins the Elimination Chamber match to earn a shot at HHH at Wrestlemania for the belt. In the match, after HHH already helped John Cena beat the Rock, Cena comes down to try to take out Punk. Cabana gets in Cena’s way but is ultimately taken out only for Rock to come down and level Cena and hit a Rock Bottom. Punk hits the GTS and pins Hunter to retain the belt. The Rock slides into the ring with Colt Cabana, hands Punk the belt and raises his arm.

Winner: New WWE Champion CM Punk, pinning HHH

Fallout: After beating Jericho, Christian lines himself up for a title shot and battles Daniel Bryan to put him over as a legit champ for a few month.

Jericho locks horns with ADR for a few really good matches.

Miz and Morrison split and we get a well-booked feud with Morrison as the heel.

Orton remains strong as a babyface, battling a few monsters like Mark Henry.

HHH successfully negotiates his way out of being fired by sacrificing Michael Cole’s role as GM, dropping him down to a manager’s role as HHH continues to wage war on Punk leading to Punk vs. Cena at SummerSlam in a blow off.