Post by Dominator / Mortimer on Sept 13, 2017 19:16:25 GMT -5
Hey guys,
I wanted to try something a little bit different. I'm a big fantasy booker and what I love more than anything else about wrestling/sports entertainment is trying to figure out where a storyline is going next. Even if it doesn't pan out the way that I would have liked, there are so many possible avenues in different storylines that can make it better or make it worse. Now, I know what you're thinking... it can't actually GET much worse, can it? Well, that's for you to decide. But what I'd like to do is just do a little segment when I see a particular storyline or feud and how it should be done to get the best end result.
As such, I welcome you all to "How Would Mortimer Book It?"
This week... KEVIN OWENS vs. SHANE MCMAHON
Up to this point, WWE have done a phenomenal job with this feud. Even though there is some reminiscence of the feud between McMahon and AJ Styles earlier in the year, Shane has a tendency of bringing out the very best in a superstar when they are working a program with him despite not being a "wrestler" himself. Owens is grossly benefiting from this feud, and will continue to do so should he topple Shane O Mac inside Hell In A Cell.
So let's recap... SPOILERS FOR SMACKDOWN THIS WEEK BY THE WAY...
Owens' assault on McMahon was on par with Randy Orton during his days in the Legacy; unhinged, erratic and full of pure, unadulterated rage. The manipulative play on words here was expertly crafted. By agreeing to allow KO to "beat a McMahon senseless" without consequence, Vince had sealed his own fate on that night. The fact that the opening headbutt to McMahon drew blood MADE this segment. No blades needed here, just a perfectly placed collision of skulls. Then the ensuing assault with the Superkick and Frogsplash.
What interests me the most though was the inclusion of Stephanie McMahon in this segment. It is a given that Shane is going to be out for blood to avenge his father come Hell In A Cell. But is there a BIGGER story developing here? Stephanie and Shane, although family they may be, are rivals competing on different brands. It seems an oddly specific detail that Stephanie H, the GM of RAW, would just happen to be backstage on the SmackDown that her father is bound to be present and her brother would not...
Literally, all Stephanie had to do was glare at him and point to the backstage area and Owens walked away like a naughty puppy. No staredown, no confrontation. Perhaps this is the only difference to Owens' assault against Orton's, in that Orton went as far as taking the fight (or punt) to Stephanie as well.
Here's what I would like to see...
I want Stephanie to be somehow still in cahoots with Owens. He was transferred from RAW to SmackDown during the Superstar Shakeup, perhaps unsurprisingly once the then Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose was drafted the night before. But WHAT IF Kevin Owens had been sent to SmackDown as a "double agent," a spy working for The Billion Dollar Princess. What if he had gone to SmackDown for the sole purpose of taking down Shane, manipulating false calls amongst his matches by antagonising Shane. Just look back at how he caused dissention between Shane and AJ Styles during the feud for the US Title.
The Endgame here is that by having SmackDown lose it's key player, it's General Manager, it's "McMahon," Stephanie's RAW would thrive whilst SmackDown would be sent to oblivion with nobody else with the suitable experience or authority to bring it back from the brink, making RAW, as Good Ol' JR would say, the "Dominant Brand" once again. Pun not intended. Shane-O gets taken out by Owens inside Hell in a Cell (it's pretty clear that's what will happen. Did you see the LAST TIME Shane was inside Hell in a Cell?)
The biggest question is, what would happen if Shane-O WAS forced out of his position, be it through injury or otherwise, by the beating he had sustained at the hand of Owens? A replacement GM? Who would fit the bill? Maybe a shock Eric Bischoff return? Unlikely, but I'd love to see it.
Perhaps a bigger question is what would be next for Owens once the Hell In A Cell has been raised alongside the victor's hand. If Owens wins, he can either move back to RAW and ultimately lose out to the reigning Universal Champion, be it Lesnar, Strowman or Reigns, or, and this is more likely, Owens stays on SmackDown and ultimately defeats either Mahal or Nakamura to become the Champ and pretty much dominate SmackDown (again, no pun intended) until he eventually gets knocked off his perch.
I would sooner see the latter here. Imagine the matches Owens could have as SmackDown's top tier champion. Rematches against Nakamura, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, hell, even a programme with Bobby Roode or Randy Orton would be fun to watch.
At the end of the day, Owens NEEDS to walk out of Hell In A Cell not just looking strong, but dominant (OK, now I'm getting a bit too reliant on this word), convincing and undeniable in his climb to the top of the SmackDown ladder.
But what if he loses...
What if, somehow, Shane O Mac is able to utilise the extreme environment that is the Cell to his utmost advantage and take down the villain like a superhero (SuperMcMahon? Mighty McMahon?). If we are to assume that Stephanie and Owens ARE still in cahoots, there would be hell to pay for Owens, most likely culminating in a match with Triple H, ideally at Wrestlemania. There's enough time to build on such a match. And if it looks like it is double standards due to Stephanie "ordering" Owens to take out Shane, she could easily say that he took it too far by assaulting her father, thus still portray the McMahon family as the victims and Owens as the villain. It is twisting the story to suit the end result. And, by that time, people would be so none-the-wiser that they'd absolutely lap it up.
I'm interested to know what you guys think about how WWE should book the climax to the McMahon/Owens feud and I'm sure that I've overlooked something or put some sort of plot hole in here, so if you pick up on something then let me know down in the comment box below. Then like, share and subscribe... wait... this isn't a YouTube video...
I had some fun writing this, so if there is a particular current storyline that you want me to cover, let me know down below.
This is Mortimer, signing off!
