FanPost

Road to the King of Wrestlemania: Wrestlemania XXX



The final installment of the Road to the King of Wrestlemania is here! Check out Part One, Part Two, and Part Three to catch up on all the fun.

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Wrestlemania XXX is here!

After a grueling tournament, our final eight competitors fought and clawed their way to the biggest show in the business. At stake: Both the title of King of the Ring and the WWE World Heavywight Championship. The winner will have had to win three matches, and not just against the others in the tournament. The Animal Batista waits at the end, a fresh face in the Triple Threat match! What follows is the full card with the important storyline promos and events.

Match 1: Pre-Show
Goldust vs Cody Rhodes- 13:00

This is not a slight, not now- between the WWE Network, YouTube, and normal television, there are plenty of eyes for this emotional contest! Cody outlasts his brother and puts him down, but this feud is long from over.

Match 2: Opener
BIG E vs DEAN AMBROSE- Title Unification, 10:00

Dean Ambrose pulls off the upset and wins the unified title after reversing the start of Big E's finisher into his own. Rollins comes out and the two embrace, all is well...

Match 3: 1st King of the Ring match.
JOHN CENA vs BRAY WYATT- 8:00

Bray is put over very strong by a clearly wounded Cena. However, He Who Rises Above takes control late and almost ends it before Wyatt hits his finisher out of nowhere. 1-2- CENA gets out of the pin! A few more flurries and Bray is put into the STF. He doesn't tap. He doesn't tap. He passes out, match to Cena! Match is high energy and high impact, showcasing both of their strengths. Bray is trying to put Cena out to pasture while Cena knows he doesn't have the stamina to wrestle for long. Cena wins but he is more beat up than ever.

Match 4: 2nd King of the Ring match.
TRIPLE H v RANDY ORTON- 7:00

Randy is attacked as he poses around the ring by Rollins, who melts back into the crowd as Triple H enters. The Game takes the Viper apart piece by bloody piece, with finishers onto ramps, power bombs off of the top rope, chair shots- all the while, the referee fears for his job and does not disqualify the COO. When Randy gets a late surge, Triple H finishes him off and pins him. The beating is severe, one sided, and unwarranted- if they want to face turn Orton, here is the time to do so.

Match 5: Some point early in the second hour.
THE USOS vs NEW AGE OUTLAWS, Tag Team Titles- 7:00

The Usos dominate the match past the early game, their speed and stamina beating the Outlaws. Simple match.

Promos unrelated to the KotR used to cool off the crowd. App discussion, attendance, WWENetwork, ads for shows, general things. It is about to kick off.

MAtch 6: 3rd King of the Ring match.
DANIEL BRYAN vs CESARO- 8:00

Another high energy, high impact fight between possibly the top two in-ring workers in the business. Cesaro fights clean, fights hard, and almost puts Bryan away before the Bearded One reverses the neutalizer, hits the knee, and gets the pin. Post-match, Cesaro and Bryan shake hands and show respect, face turn for Cesaro.

Match 7: 4th King of the Ring.
SHEAMUS vs ROMAN REIGNS- 8:00

A strong match with little in the way of cunning or subtlety. The brogue reversed into a powerbomp then a spear, pin. However, early match domination leaves reigns hobbled. He can't wait for that break...

TIME TO PLAY THE GAME.

Triple H comes out, flanked by Ambrose and Rollins! There is no break, the next match is NOW.

Match 8: 1st King of the Ring Semifinal
TRIPLE H vs ROMAN REIGNS- 11:00

Reigns is beat up already so the early game is dominated by Triple H, who between runins(though the Shield is ran off by the ref, who has more backbone than the last one) and dominance seems to have it in the bag. However, Reigns pulls it together and the match could go either way. Triple H's experience is what seals the deal however, and Reigns is defeated. Ambrose and Rollins then beat him some more and pound their firsts together over his shattered form.

Promo- Ambrose and Rollins are asked why they turned on Roman. Ambrose responds that he was always a cocky, arrogant fool who believed he was better than they were. he forgot that they- Seth and himself- had been, have been, and will be forever more, champions. Unified, Tag Team, they can't be stopped, won't be stopped, and screw Roman. Rollins responds that they have friends in high places and aren't going to slum it with losers.

More time spent on promos and whatever to calm the crowd down.

Match 9: 2/3 of the way through the event.
BROCK LESNAR v THE UNDERTAKER, STREAK- 18:00

It isn't as great as the last few, but Brock can go and The Undertaker IS in-ring psychology given flesh and blood. Despite Lesnar's brutal assaults, the Deadman is victorious, the streak continues! Post-match, an attempted attack by Lesnar is thwarted, and he goes through the announce table for his trouble. He rests...in...peace!

Cool off promos. Authority. Triple H seems incredibly smug about something: His big surprise has just arrived and just in time...to be sure though, he asks Kane to settle his score with Bryan. Now.

Match 10- Start of the final hour.
DIVAS!- 2:00

Something happens involving Divas, though no one will see it as this is the final bathroom break.

Bryan is on his way to the ring and is attacked by Kane. He takes a beating but keeps on ticking, and the brawl ends with a running knee in the parking lot.

Match 11- 2nd King of the Ring Semifinal
DANIEL BRYAN vs JOHN CENA- 15:00

Daniel Bryan already has color because of the attack by Kane and Cena has been brutalized. The two titans engage in a superb fight, as both are good at ring psychology. Bryan breaks the STF, kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment, and hits a running knee that sends Cena over the rope. A suicide dive RIGHT into one of Cena's dropkicks, which launches Bryan into the steel steps. Both men are seriously injured and crawl back into the ring, where Cena taps to the Yes Lock.

As Cena crawls away and Bryan huddles in the turnbuckle recovering from his many war wounds, the crowd is going nutso. Bryan is too bloody and bruised to lead them in his chant, but no matter. The time approaches. Maybe a promo spot, a few quick stitches, and-

That damn saliva song starts up, and Batista comes trotting out, doing his Batista thing. He is jacked. He is fresh. He is looking for the kill.

BEHOLD THE KING!

THE KING OF KINGS!

Triple H comes out...in his suit. He tells everyone that he has a big surprise for them. See, there was a contract dispute and this man left, but they just came to terms and Triple H knows what is best for business and this man...is money. Silence. A pregnant pause.

WWE CM Punk Entrance Video Titantron 2014 HD (via DannygalvezTV)


Out comes Punk! CSS goes NUTS. Twitter DIES. The internet melts, televisions burn up, the Network collapses, and the crowd loses every ounce of their shit. Looks like Punk has gone heel and is working for The Authority for the chance to Main Event Wrestlemania and ride off into the sunset with the title. He comes down to the Ring and laughs as Daniel Bryan pulls himself up, blood and all. It is go time.

Match 12: Main Event, King of the Ring Final
DANIEL BRYAN vs CM PUNK vs BATISTA, Triple Threat for the WWE World Heavyweight Title and King of the Ring- 26:00

A furious start from Punk and Batista directed mostly at Bryan, an early Batista Bomb and pin attempt! After that, the match slows down as all three take their turns dominating certain stretches, with Bryan not doing as well as the others- even though he gets his licks in, mind you. Around the 20:00 mark as Punk is starting to take control, Bryan bursts out of his hibernation. Running Knee on Batista into the turnbuckle! Running Knee on Punk into the turnbuckle! he does that thing where he runs really fast and kicks them and falls on his back, except on both of them! Kicks everywhere, kicks galore! Then Punk and Batista take their turns and the match becomes a high intensity engagement with lots of close falls and many signature spots and unique ones. Bryan is GTS'd INTO a Batista Bomb. Neither man can capitalize as they go to town on one another. Punk goes to the rope after a minute of back and forth for his shitty elbow drop, but Bryan kicks him and and then hurricanas him off of the top rope. Bryan climbs to go for his flying headbutt, but Batista gets up and is about to suplex him. Bryan reverses it into a top rope DDT that transitions into the Yes Lock. Batista taps just before Punk gets back in the ring. Bryan hits the knee and sends Punk over the rope.

Bryan wins! Bryan wins! Triple H is stunned and furious as 70,000 people YES with our bloodied and bruised champion, Wrestlemania XXX's final image is of Daniel Bryan holding the title in one hand, his ribs with the other, on his knees in the center of the ring as the crowd has to be stopped from rushing the ring in ecstasy.

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So ends the Road to the King of Wrestlemania XXX. Punk has come back to win the title and works closely with The Shield in order to keep things under control. He and Bryan enter in an extended program over the title for the next few months. At Money in the Bank, Bryan guts out another amazing victory over Punk but Batista cashes in the briefcase he won earlier in the night and takes the title away. I would prefer this never happen but Batista's contract is a reality and while this booking is all fantasy, I would also like some realistic possibilities. Batista will now hold the title through Battleground or Hell in a Cell, so he can have his lengthy run while Guardians of the Galaxy is big. The blowoff to the Punk-Bryan feud is a Career Match at SummerSlam ins a Two of Three Falls, which Bryan wins. Punk gets what he wants here- top billing at Wrestlemania, a top program, and then done for good this summer. So Batista and Punk are fine.

Bryan is made in this tournament and gets the Wrestlemania moment to end them all. He becomes the top guy with this booking. Reigns is a babyface, but one far more isolated than the others and looking for revenge. His program with Triple H and the Shield can dovetail nicely with Punk and Bryan. Cesaro doesn't have a place initially at the top, but his skill and alignment makes him a threat. Intercontinental matches in his immediate future. Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family are put over huge by this tournament and become the most unified force, and set their sights on Cena. This program is not as high on the card but it is just as good as any other, as the Wyatts seek to break Cena and force him to heel. Orton is a Babyface, which I don't like but seems to be the way they want to go.

In the preliminary rounds, Damian Sandow, Barret and Rusev are put over to various degrees. Sandow has had a rough start to 2014, but has fair enough in ring skills and superb character work to become a big time heel. The same is true of Barret, with better in ring skills. Rusev gets to be made to look like a raw powerhouse that with more experience can beat anyone. As the top babyfaces are very well stocked, it is important that all three of these guys are pushed well. Sandow and Barret work very well as part of the Authority storyline, and Rusev is a good bruiser.

So there ends KoW, thoughts?

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