Warning: this post contains rampant speculation. I have no idea what the main event of Wrestlemania XXIX will look like. But I can fairly estimate this much: it will not be what people think it is today. Today, we have a rumour brought to our attention by Sergio at Cageside Seats, who has pulled a line out of the Figure Four Weekly (thanks Sergio!) that reads:
“There is at least some discussion, which will no doubt change countless times, of taking the title off CM Punk [at SummerSlam], doing Rock vs. Cena for the title at Royal Rumble, and then Punk vs. Rock for the title at WrestleMania.”
Sergio goes on to suggest that this plan doesn’t really add up:
If Cena does beat out Punk – and The Big Show – on August 19 at SummerSlam to win the WWE Championship, it will put him on a collision course with “The Great One” for the second time. But The Rock losing in January simply isn’t an option which is the only wrench in the plan. Would Cena drop two in a row to The Rock? Could Cena retain in January? Possibly if The Rock is also booked to win the Rumble itself but that’s silly, right?
Warning: this post contains rampant speculation. I have no idea what the main event of Wrestlemania XXIX will look like. But I can fairly estimate this much: it will not be what people think it is today. Today, we have a rumour brought to our attention by Sergio at Cageside Seats, who has pulled a line out of the Figure Four Weekly (thanks Sergio!) that reads:
“There is at least some discussion, which will no doubt change countless times, of taking the title off CM Punk [at SummerSlam], doing Rock vs. Cena for the title at Royal Rumble, and then Punk vs. Rock for the title at WrestleMania.”
Sergio goes on to suggest that this plan doesn’t really add up:
If Cena does beat out Punk – and The Big Show – on August 19 at SummerSlam to win the WWE Championship, it will put him on a collision course with “The Great One” for the second time. But The Rock losing in January simply isn’t an option which is the only wrench in the plan. Would Cena drop two in a row to The Rock? Could Cena retain in January? Possibly if The Rock is also booked to win the Rumble itself but that’s silly, right?
I agree with Sergio. It doesn’t really work. The Rock, CM Punk, and John Cena are the major players today, but how likely is it that a) CM Punk keeps the WWE Championship until the Royal Rumble, or b) that John Cena wins the title and keeps it until the Rumble?
Last year, there was a championship scramble over the course of several months. CM Punk won the title at Money in the Bank, and left. Rey Mysterio won a tournament to become the new champion, and then immediately lost it to John Cena. Cena challenged the returning Punk at Summerslam, and lost. Punk then lost the title within minute to Del Rio, who held onto it for a few weeks before losing it to Cena, who then lost it back to Del Rio a few weeks later, who in turn lost it back to Punk at Survivor Series. It was tumultuous, and it’s been refreshing to have the belt stay on Punk ever since. I’ll be the first to suggest that WWE has Punk vs Rock penciled in for The Royal Rumble. This isn’t the 90s. They wouldn’t spend the last segment of their 1000th episode beginning a feud that isn’t going to happen. But there’s a *ton* of time between now and the Rumble. The time is ripe for another scramble.
But that only takes us until the Rumble. What happens *after* The Rock has his WWE championship match? Main eventing against Cena would be predictable and a disappointment, and they surely know that. And if Punk is the opponent at the Rumble, that essentially leaves him out too (unless Sergio is right about Punk winning the Rumble next year). Who does that leave?
My prediction, given no real evidence and almost a year of time to change my mind, is that the main event of Wrestlemania XXIX will be The Rock vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.
It sounds half crazy, and it only works if CM Punk faces The Rock at the Rumble. Bryan vs Rock is fresh, which is what they prefer to have at Wrestlemania. Bryan vs Rock would be something for everyone, in that it would contain the best sports entertainer and the best wrestler both in one match. Lastly, Bryan vs Rock would also free up Cena and Punk to do two new stories at Wrestlemania (making for an easy triple-main-event hype). There’s the question of whether Bryan is a “big enough star” (copyright Kevin Nash), but that’s really entirely up to WWE to do. The only question remaining is which guy is holding the belt going in, and which would hold it at the end of the night?
I agree with Sergio. It doesn’t really work. The Rock, CM Punk, and John Cena are the major players today, but how likely is it that a) CM Punk keeps the WWE Championship until the Royal Rumble, or b) that John Cena wins the title and keeps it until the Rumble?
Last year, there was a championship scramble over the course of several months. CM Punk won the title at Money in the Bank, and left. Rey Mysterio won a tournament to become the new champion, and then immediately lost it to John Cena. Cena challenged the returning Punk at Summerslam, and lost. Punk then lost the title within minute to Del Rio, who held onto it for a few weeks before losing it to Cena, who then lost it back to Del Rio a few weeks later, who in turn lost it back to Punk at Survivor Series. It was tumultuous, and it’s been refreshing to have the belt stay on Punk ever since. I’ll be the first to suggest that WWE has Punk vs Rock penciled in for The Royal Rumble. This isn’t the 90s. They wouldn’t spend the last segment of their 1000th episode beginning a feud that isn’t going to happen. But there’s a *ton* of time between now and the Rumble. The time is ripe for another scramble.
But that only takes us until the Rumble. What happens *after* The Rock has his WWE championship match? Main eventing against Cena would be predictable and a disappointment, and they surely know that. And if Punk is the opponent at the Rumble, that essentially leaves him out too (unless Sergio is right about Punk winning the Rumble next year). Who does that leave?
My prediction, given no real evidence and almost a year of time to change my mind, is that the main event of Wrestlemania XXIX will be The Rock vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.
It sounds half crazy, and it only works if CM Punk faces The Rock at the Rumble. Bryan vs Rock is fresh, which is what they prefer to have at Wrestlemania. Bryan vs Rock would be something for everyone, in that it would contain the best sports entertainer and the best wrestler both in one match. Lastly, Bryan vs Rock would also free up Cena and Punk to do two new stories at Wrestlemania (making for an easy triple-main-event hype). There’s the question of whether Bryan is a “big enough star” (copyright Kevin Nash), but that’s really entirely up to WWE to do. The only question remaining is which guy is holding the belt going in, and which would hold it at the end of the night?