Alleged Smackdown plans for Mania

[Widow's Peak]

From the Observer, as copied and pasted to lordsofpain.net:

According to sources, WWE has already started the creative process of the return of Christian. Edge will cost Jeff Hardy the title, and reveal Christian as the "mystery person" who attacked Jeff the morning of Survivor Series. Triple H vs. Edge and Jeff Hardy vs. Christian is the current plan for WrestleMania 25. Jeff will get a chance to win back his title at WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble or in an Elimination Chamber at No Way Out against Edge, but will pass on the title shot for a grudge match against Christian.

I'm sure this plan will change, but its fun to discuss anyway.

I like the idea of Jeff vs. Christian, but him giving up a title shot for it?

[lovingway]

That is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard. Oh let me go through a grueling match and then give up the prize

[MGH]

...I know if this ends up being true I'll regret saying it later, but I refuse to believe that they'd be STUPID enough to have one of their biggest baby faces give up a title shot for a grudge match. You want to talk about ruining someone's credibility. Good grief.

[Snitsky]

i had hoped it was matt who attacked jeff to make it a brother vs brother match at wrestlemania

[randomranter]

Jan 2, 2009 14:45:24 GMT -5 lovingway said:

That is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard.

[Marvelously Mediocre]

Jan 2, 2009 14:46:56 GMT -5 MGH said:

...I know if this ends up being true I'll regret saying it later, but I refuse to believe that they'd be STUPID enough to have one of their biggest baby faces give up a title shot for a grudge match. You want to talk about ruining someone's credibility. Good grief.

agreed. the newz rarely gets thisngs right. has Chrstian even been signed yet?

[MGH]

Jan 2, 2009 14:49:36 GMT -5 Marvelously Mediocre said:

Jan 2, 2009 14:46:56 GMT -5 MGH said:

...I know if this ends up being true I'll regret saying it later, but I refuse to believe that they'd be STUPID enough to have one of their biggest baby faces give up a title shot for a grudge match. You want to talk about ruining someone's credibility. Good grief.

agreed. the newz rarely gets thisngs right. has Chrstian even been signed yet?

Dunno, but I know PWInsider said last night that his TNA deal is 100% expired now. Ball is in his court.

[Next Level was WRONG]

Didnt Hardy just spend the entire year focusing on nothing else other than the World Title? You know, which eventually cost him his sanity?



This is not going to happen.

[Krimzon]

Jeff Hardy would need to have Conan O'Brien's "Ass" stamp tattooed on his head if he did that, as would WWE Creative. There's got to be zero chance of that happening. Even they couldn't do something that stupid and illogical.

[Marc4u23]

I just want to see Christian in a WWE ring first...

[randomranter]

Here's how I would set it up:

Jeff wins vs. Edge at RR, to give him some credibility as champion.

At NWO, Christian costs Jeff the belt.

Jeff and Christian are both in the MITB ladder match at WM25. They're both on top of the ladder trying to get the briefcase down. The briefcase pops open, and the contract inside falls to the floor.

Both of them scramble to the floor, trying to get to the contract itself. They wrestle for it, and each of them comes up with a page from the contract (or a ripped piece of it.)

It is determined that they *both* deserve a title shot. So at the next PPV, there's a match between the two of them. The winner gets the MITB briefcase, which he can cash at any time before WM26. The loser gets his title shot that night.

Jeff loses the match, and gets his title shot vs. HHH (who won WM25) later that night. Edge comes in and interferes (It really doesn't matter who ends up with the belt at this point). Both Jeff and HHH are completely exhausted and can't defend themselves. Christian cashes in his MITB shot, and wins the title.

This sets up a main event scene of Edge, Christian, Hardy, and HHH. The variety and quality of the matches you can get from that would easily carry SD through the end of the year.

[Deleted]

This plan is bad enough to be believable.

[Tyfo]

I'm hoping that they bring Christian in at or right before the Royal Rumble to start the angle. Go with the HHH vs. Edge and Hardy vs. Christian matches at WrestleMania. But build No Way Out around the first Hardys vs. Edge & Christian match in years.

At least, that's what I'd do. I think that could sell some PPV's.

I have to say, from the stuff they taped for Smackdown, this report doesn't make sense.

[Hiroshi Hase]

Jan 2, 2009 14:45:24 GMT -5 lovingway said:

That is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard. Oh let me go through a grueling match and then give up the prize

That seems incredibly dumb to me as well. I doubt they'll go through with this if it's even remotely true.

[azz0r]

No-ones blamed Vince for this fake rubbish yet?

[Tea & Crumpets]

Jan 2, 2009 15:02:01 GMT -5 randomranter said:

Here's how I would set it up:

Jeff wins vs. Edge at RR, to give him some credibility as champion.

At NWO, Christian costs Jeff the belt.

Jeff and Christian are both in the MITB ladder match at WM25. They're both on top of the ladder trying to get the briefcase down. The briefcase pops open, and the contract inside falls to the floor.

Both of them scramble to the floor, trying to get to the contract itself. They wrestle for it, and each of them comes up with a page from the contract (or a ripped piece of it.)

It is determined that they *both* deserve a title shot. So at the next PPV, there's a match between the two of them. The winner gets the MITB briefcase, which he can cash at any time before WM26. The loser gets his title shot that night.

Jeff loses the match, and gets his title shot vs. HHH (who won WM25) later that night. Edge comes in and interferes (It really doesn't matter who ends up with the belt at this point). Both Jeff and HHH are completely exhausted and can't defend themselves. Christian cashes in his MITB shot, and wins the title.

This sets up a main event scene of Edge, Christian, Hardy, and HHH. The variety and quality of the matches you can get from that would easily carry SD through the end of the year.

I like this. It's clever and different. If things went down like this I'd be completely happy with it, even if a tied MITB might be hard to sell to the fans.

[Sparvid]

Jan 2, 2009 15:04:58 GMT -5 Tyfo said:

I'm hoping that they bring Christian in at or right before the Royal Rumble to start the angle. Go with the HHH vs. Edge and Hardy vs. Christian matches at WrestleMania. But build No Way Out around the first Hardys vs. Edge & Christian match in years.

This reminds me of when Jeff returned and I thought "Hey cool, they can have Jeff feuding with Nitro on Raw, and Matt feuding with Mercury on Smackdown, and then they'll all meet in the ring at the Rumble, building up to a Wrestlemania match which reunites the Hardys for the first time in like five years!"

And then the first Hardy Boyz match in years took place on some random ECW show, followed by the MNM-Hardys match in December with all of a couple of weeks build to it...

[Zen411]

I say Matt and Jeff vs Edge and Christian at Mania 25.

[Lance Uppercut]

Hows about a fatal four way MITB match? Matt vs. Edge. vs. Chrisitian vs. Jeff? Eh? I know that's like hoping a unicorn will grant you unlimited wishes.

[parder]

I guess the idea would be that Jeff would gain revenge on Christian at Mania and then go after the title at Backlash. It smells of compromise booking to keep everyone happy, which would blow up in their faces from a business perspective if they go ahead with this as it's stated here.