WWE Creative Fantasy: The rocky road to (money in) the bank

Rules of the contest:

- Keep in mind the PG-13 rating while writing your storylines.- The storyline should focus on two key titles i.e. WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship and one rotating title, which will change every month. This month’s third key title is the US Championship.- You have to pick up from where the PPV ended, not the next RAW or Smackdown!- Superstar holding the title becomes an automatic character in your storyline.- Storyline for singles competition cannot involve more than four active superstars at a time. (Unless next PPV is Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Elimination Chamber or Money in the Bank)- You can only choose your characters from the active roster. Therefore, no returns (unless the wrestler actually returns) will be accounted for.(for eg. You cannot choose CM Punk until after he makes his impending return at Payback)- You are free to involve as many non-wrestling characters as you want. (for eg. Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman and more)- Entries remain open till the last WWE RAW before the next PPV.- You have to cover all weeks of action in between the two PPVs. Basically, one paragraph per week (incl. both Raw and Smackdown) describing what transpired between the characters.- Keep it realistic.

WWE’s June pay-per-view Payback delivered some eyebrow raising results. Here, we will focus on three major titles – the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship and the United States title as we move towards Money In the Bank.The WWE Championship was up for grabs in a 3 stages of Hell match. Ryback won the first fall in a lumberjack match, while Cena won the next two, putting the challenger through a table and an ambulance.

Kane and Dean Ambrose squared up for a United States title match. Although Team Hell No and The Sheild were feuding for months, this match lacked the build up for a one-on-one contest. In the end, Ambrose retained his title through a countout. The World Heavyweight Championship changing hands from Dolph Ziggler to Alberto Del Rio was a shocker, because the storyline seemed to suggest that Ziggler would have a long title run, especially since he held on to the belt despite suffering a concussion and not defending it at Payback.

The anticipation

There is always a sense of anticipation, the night on RAW immediately succeeding a pay per view. Everyone is left wondering whether the title feuds will involve the same characters or different ones. WWE’s Payback is no different, in fact, the results kept everyone guessing.

RAW kicks off the next night with Ryback demanding another title opportunity. He says that he was that close (gesturing with fingers) to winning his first WWE title. He calls out Cena and asks him to put his title on the line on that very night. Never the one to back down from a challenge, Cena accepts and a title match is booked.

The match goes back and forth, but after Ryback hoists Cena up for the finisher (Shell Shock), Antonio Cesaro comes out and costs Ryback the match via disqualification. (Ryback had slapped Cesaro during the Lumberjack match the previous night). Ryback is furious and chases Cesaro into the backstage arena. Cena staggers up and hoists the WWE title aloft.

There is no major development on the World Heavyweight Championship front with Alberto del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez celebrating their title win on RAW. Del Rio on the mic says that he won the title despite, and not because of the crowd, confirming his heel turn.

The US Champion Dean Ambrose is booked in a 6 man tag team elimination match with the Sheild taking on Team Hell No and Randy Orton. The tag champions are eliminated leaving Ambrose in a 3 on 1 situation. However, Bryan and Orton implode, but show their anger on Ambrose, nailing their finishers before Kane picks up the win.

On Smackdown, Kane and Ambrose tussle once again for the Championship, and the former wins via DQ due to interference from the Shield. However, both Orton and Bryan argue backstage, leaving Kane beat up… and very angry.

Dolph Ziggler comes out (with Big E Langston and AJ) and demands his rematch, del Rio comes out and says that he will wrestle for the title on his terms. Theodore Long comes out and says, Dolph is not cleared to compete, however, wants the crowd to see the World Champion in action. Hence, a tag match is booked with Del Rio and Ricardo taking on Langston and AJ. Langston pins Del Rio for the victory.

The build up

The question on everyone’s mind the next week on RAW is who would be next in line for Cena’s Championship. Cena himself comes out and cuts a spirited promo as to how he overcame The Rock at Mania and Ryback over the last two months. Vickie Guerrero comes out and says that Cena will defend his WWE Championship at Money In the Bank, and for the first time ever, instead of the briefcase, the WWE title will be up for grabs.

Cena queries who all will be in the match, and Vickie says that only former WWE Champions are eligible to enter and that he will find out himself. She books a tag match with Cena and Jericho teaming up against CM Punk and Ryback. During the match, Jericho turns on Cena while Punk and Ryback let their ego get better of them. Punk recovers to deliver a GTS on Cena.

Daniel Bryan, Orton and Kane argue in the ring over last weeks’ Smackdown. Dean Ambrose interjects and says that none of them is half as good as him. So all three of the wrestlers in the ring, one by one, ask Ambrose for a title shot and argue with each other why they deserve to be the No. 1 contender.

Brad Maddox comes out and makes a tag team match with Ambrose and Kane teaming up against Orton and Bryan. With a lot of infighting in both camps, Bryan pins Ambrose to pick up the victory.

On the other hand, Big E Langston comes out and says that since he pinned the World Heavyweight Champion, he is finally ready for the big league. However Dolph tells him that he believes that he is still a work in progress. A furious Langston leaves Dolph ringside and heads to the locker room.

On Smackdown, Daniel Bryan throws his hat in the ring for the United States title as he defeats Ambrose before being hammered by the Shield. Orton and Kane come to his rescue, but it is a bit too late.

Dolph Ziggler, now cleared to wrestle, demands a match with del Rio on the night. But, out comes Langston and says that he is in line for a shot as he pinned the champion. So, Theodore Long puts Langston and Dolph in a match to determine the No.1 Contender, which ends in a double count-out.

The next week on RAW and with MITB just two weeks away, Cena says that he will be keeping his eyes and ears open and would not be caught off guard again. However, the Shield come down and surround the ring. They attack Cena, but Orton and Kane drive the Shield away and rescue Cena…or so everyone thought, as once his back was turned Kane hits the chokeslam while Randy nails the RKO on the Champion.

Bryan is awarded an US title shot at Money in the Bank by virtue of his win on Smackdown but faces the Tag Team Champions in a handicap match on RAW. Bryan continues his momentum by pinning Rollins. Del Rio faces Langston in one on one competition, and through sheer power the latter overcomes the World Heavyweight Champion.

On Smackdown, Dolph challenges Langston and the second match of the installment goes to Ziggler. Kane and Orton resolve their differences in the ring, while Rollins challenges Bryan to singles competition.

The climax

The final RAW before Money In the Bank starts off with Jericho, Punk, Kane and Orton telling the Universe why they believe they will become the WWE Champion this Sunday. John Cena comes out and gives a speech as to how much the title means to him, and how he wants retribution. But, Vickie Guerrero makes a fatal four way with Cena as the special guest referee.

The fatal four way match descends into chaos as Orton, Kane and Punk are put down by their finishers, and while Jericho goes for the pin, Cena puts the AA on him. After Jericho taps, Cena lifts the WWE Title but is floored from behind courtesy a Skull Crushing Finale.

Daniel Bryan defeats Roman Reigns as he is well on his way to the US Championship match with Ambrose this Sunday. Dolph Ziggler takes on Langston once more, and this time the big man is victorious.

Smackdown provides a final opportunity for superstars to build momentum, and boy does the Shield get revenge on Bryan. They rob him off all his momentum by beating him up backstage, not once , but twice.

With Dolph, Langston and del Rio competing for the Heavyweight Championship on Sunday, del Rio took on Ziggler, watched on by Langston. In the end, Langston hits finishers on both, takes a long look at the title and walks away.

With a bizarre sequence of events in the lead up to MITB, it is anybody’s guess as to who will come out victorious in these three matches.