My book of Rumble through Mania for WWE

I don’t understand WWE anymore, so I don’t really watch much.  They have some great talent, but they hide it and diminish it.  Let me just give a quick example of how I would have booked Rumble through Mania. 

I like the Rumble being for the title as part of Reigns vs. Authority story line.  It is the only way you are going to get many people to cheer Reigns.  However, I don’t take Reigns out of the match to rest.  He has to be in there until it is over.  Also, I put HHH at the top of the ramp to illustrate the point of the Rumble is to remove the belt from Reigns. 

I don’t throw Rusev away so quick to Reigns, but I like Reigns dumping the first guy quick.  Then bring out AJ Styles to the big pop.  Then I send in Rusev 4^th, and I can have Styles prevent Rusev from beating on Reigns to give Styles the clear face look.  Then you can run people in almost anyway you want.  If you are building to a Bray Wyatt v. Lesnar match then have Lesnar dump all the others.  Then after some trading back and forth with Bray have Ambrose dump them both while they are locked up near the ropes.  Lesnar then gets a Wyatt beat down.  No Sami Zayn because I wait on him until next show.  I have Reigns dump all the League of Nations guys so that after #29 Reigns is in by himself and #30 is Kevin Owens.  Owens limps out with it looking like Reigns is going to retain.  Owens somehow manages to get Reigns over and Owens is your new champ.  The crowd would go wild. 

Next night Owens is defending against Neville and wins clean after a good match.  Owens is about to ruin Neville in a Powerbomb on the ramp, and down comes Zayn (probably to a huge pop from the post-Rumble crowd).  This show would also have Ambrose saying he beat Owens one on one at the Rumble he deserves the shot.  I also have Hunter refuse to give Reigns a rematch because he cannot rematch the Rumble.  He did not lose in a one on one so no automatic rematch.  Reigns goes crazy and hits the boss.  I also use this as AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho (main event probably) because Jericho wants to see how phenominal AJ really is.  AJ wins. 

Payback then has Owens v Ambrose for the WWE Title.  Owens wins this time and Ambrose comes up short.  Reigns takes out Rusev.  Wyatt beats someone.  Strowman beats Big Show.  A2J wins Tag titles from New Day.  Zayn beats someone.

Zayn continues to demand his chance to do to Owens what Owens did to him: take his title and put him out of wrestling for months.  Owens puts up the roadblock demanding a big win.  Ziggler wins a shot at the title.  So at Roadblock you have Owens v. Ziggler with Owens getting the win.  Zayn vs. Neville with Zayn coming out on top.  Those two have enough of a history that it would be a good match.  A2J loses tag titles back to New Day and Jericho snaps beating on AJ.  Lesnar defeats Strowman.  Reigns takes down Sheamus.  Ambrose needs to drop the IC title to someone.  Pick a heel.  Maybe Ryback. 

This leads to the final Mania build up where Ambrose makes the claim he will face anyone anywhere.  He is unafraid.  Out comes Undertaker.  I have Breeze start taking out Kalisto.  I would use the claim that Breeze looks better with gold and no one wants a guy with a mask as champ.  Hiding your face is a crime.  There is your angle for those two to feud.  And New Day vs. League of Nations is good enough for me.  HHH comes out and says he will take care of Reigns himself.  And Mania is set up.

Owens vs. Zayn for World Title (I would book Owens to win)

Reigns vs. HHH (Reigns wins)

Lesnar vs. Bray (Lesnar wins)

Undertaker vs. Ambrose (Undertaker wins, but shakes Ambrose’s almost lifeless hand after it is over)

New Day vs. League (New Day wins)

AJ vs. Jericho (AJ wins)

Ziggler vs. IC Champ maybe Ryback (Ziggler wins)

Kalisto vs. Breeze (Breeze wins)

Women’s title match

This would set me up for next year which I would slowly make about Zayn seeking to get over the hump.  I would have him lose a close match with Ziggler somewhere, get him into a feud with the returning Ceasaro.  And give him a big WM moment next year with a win for a belt over either Ceasaro or Owens. 

Owens would get into a feud with Styles, whom I would eventually put the title on if the crowd was reacting.  I bring Samoa Joe up to feud with Styles (even if Styles does not get the title). 

I use the Reigns victory to remove the authority from TV.  It is getting too old.  I move Reigns into a feud with Bray and wait and see on the crowd reaction.  I would not have any problem putting Styles as the top face of the company, pushing Zayn ahead of him and even Ambrose.  Reigns has to have the fans backing after that run through the authority.  If not then consider a heel turn during this upcoming year and feed him to Styles at some point.  A heel Reigns would make a good feud with Ambrose and a nice way to bring back a hopefully returning Rollins. 

This also gives you a chance to see what Breeze can do with a push.  It would free up Kalisto to go back to team with Sin Cara and you can put the belts on those guys.  Not that Kalisto is not good as a singles guy, but you need the tag teams right now.  And I let Ziggler have a long run with the IC title to try and bring back some prestige to it.  I would consider a Mania to Mania run for Ziggler with the IC title.  He is over enough, and it would help bring back some luster to a tainted title. 

Hey and when Cena comes back a whole new crew is lined up for him.  Who would not pay to see Cena vs. Styles for the world title?  Cena – Owens has been good in the past.  And Samoa Joe vs. Cena would also sell tickets.  A returning Rollins has business with Cena and a heel turned Reigns could have a ready made issue with Cena being angry for Reigns turning his back on the crowd.  A good lecture about doing what is right no matter what the crowd chants would play well. 

Right now it does not feel as if they have set much up for after Mania.  And the top talent languishes under unpopular talent.