Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of FANTASY BOOKING where we discuss what we would do if we were given the power to control what happens when it comes to WWE Creative and the planning of events.

As it's the second-biggest event of the year, our next event to rewrite the book for is SummerSlam 2017.

The event is coming up soon and the card is starting to get packed, but it may not be shaping up the way you specifically would have preferred. If you were in a position to change things, how would it go down?

What would you do if you were in charge of creative control and could pick the matches scheduled for the biggest party of the summer?


The Rules:

1) You need to justify your choices within a reasonable mindset of what WWE has in store. Just because someone is a favorite of yours does not mean WWE would be pushing them to the title in any realistic fashion.

2) You cannot include people who are not a member of the roster, whether they are retired, working for another company, or obviously deceased. You can, however, work under the assumption that injured stars might possibly return in time for certain events (if it is within reason). Also, be realistic when it comes to bringing NXT stars up to the main roster. Don't flood the market.

3) The earliest time frame you can begin planning from as a reference point is the night after this year's WrestleMania.

4) The brand split cannot be undone.

5) Keep time constraints in mind. This cannot be a 10-hour event.


Raw Commentary Team = Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Booker T
SmackDown Commentary Team = Tom Phillips, John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Byron Saxton
Announcers = Mike Rome and JoJo
Backstage Interviews = Charly Caruso and Dasha Fuentes
Pre-Show Hosts = Cathy Kelley
Kickoff Panel = Renee Young, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Peter Rosenberg and several guests


This is a two-hour pre-show, so we have plenty of room to play around with for at least two matches, if not three, while also dedicating time for promos, recaps, panel analyst activity and so forth.

Extras

Spread between the panel analysis, the video packages and the social media lounge, there would be a segment with Elias Samson playing the guitar backstage, running into The Fashion Police. There might also be a meetup between Shelton Benjamin, American Alpha and Kurt Angle to pop the crowd.

Pre-Show Kickoff Match: Mike Kanellis vs. Tye Dillinger

This feud would be an introductory one for Kanellis. By this point, Dillinger will have been built up more, so people would actually have some investment in him.

The storyline would be simple and would revolve around Mike thinking the only Perfect 10 is Maria, while Maria thinks the only Perfect 10 is Mike, so they dislike Dillinger calling himself that. How can he be a Perfect 10 if he is single and doesn't know the power of true love?

Pre-Show Kickoff Match: Big Cass vs. Big Show

This is as basic as you get. Cass is the young guy looking to usurp Show's throne. I'd have changed Cass's ring gear and never would have given him that horrible entrance music, though.


Cruiserweight Championship Match: Neville (c) vs. Enzo Amore

I feel like Enzo Amore brings an excitement to 205 Live that is desperately needed. He'd come up short here, though, as Neville's next challenger, Cedric Alexander, would be the one who could actually take the belt off him.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. American Alpha with Shelton Benjamin

This would be one of the two babyface vs. babyface feuds of the night. Shelton Benjamin would have returned to help manage American Alpha and he'd be on the outside of this match, while the third member of The New Day who wasn't competing would also be.

In an ideal world, The New Day retains and we get Carlito to return to WWE somewhere down the line. Then, we get The New Day, American Alpha (with Shelton Benjamin), The Colons (with Carlito) and Jinder Mahal with The Singh Brothers in a Fatal 4-Way of trio stables at WrestleMania 34.

Intercontinental Championship Match: The Miz (c) vs. Finn Balor

The Miz is accompanied by Maryse and The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel), while Finn Balor is accompanied by The Balor Club (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) who have turned babyface by now.

This feud predominantly revolves around how Balor is boring as fuck and can't cut a promo. He has no flair. Meanwhile, Balor thinks The Miz is all talk and can't back it up in the ring.

Finn Balor wins the Intercontinental Championship here.


Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz

After winning the titles at WrestleMania, The Hardy Boyz would have feuded with Gallows and Anderson, NOT Cesaro and Sheamus. Cesaro and Sheamus would have feuded with The Revival in the meantime.

Then, The Revival would have taken the titles away from The Hardy Boyz, and this match would be a rematch wherein The Revival have the upperhand as they request that it's some kind of grounded style, preventing Matt and Jeff from doing any crazy stunts.

Eventually, The Revival would drop the belts to Gallows and Anderson.

United States Championship Flag Match: Jinder Mahal (c) vs. John Cena

Instead of Kevin Owens beating Chris Jericho to win back the United States Championship, Jericho would have lost it to Jinder Mahal. This would replace not only his WWE Championship win, but the idea of Kevin Owens as The New Face of America. Mahal would do that gimmick instead, effectively merging both storylines into one, cause there's too much overlap as it is, and I don't think Mahal deserves the WWE title.

The story for this feud is simple. John Cena is fighting for American pride...and he loses, because it's a flag match and The Singh Brothers get involved and screw him over.

Down the line, Mahal would drop the title to AJ Styles, who would defend it against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34.

SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Naomi (c) vs. Tamina

This feud would also include The Usos, who are torn between who they should support as it's causing problems within the family.

Naomi retains. Admittedly, this is a bit of a bathroom break, but it's still something that can deliver in terms of quality.


Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

There is no Money in the Bank pay-per-view. That gets replaced with Breaking Point. (Likewise, Great Balls of Fire would have been replaced by Great American Bash).

Leading up to SummerSlam, there would have been qualifying matches on Raw and SmackDown, as each brand would have 5 representatives fighting for the briefcase.

Many of the people you don't see on this card were left out because they lost their qualifying matches, including Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Mojo Rawley and Rusev.

Rusev would have been taken out of the running by Sami Zayn and during this match, Zayn would be just about to win before Rusev would interfere and cost him the match. Instead, Kevin Owens would come out victorious.

Raw Women's Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss

Bayley and Alexa Bliss never would have feuded as early as they did. Bayley would have had a feud with Emma instead while Alexa would have had her feud with Mickie James. Bayley and Bliss would finally clash here, but with Sasha Banks in Bayley's corner and Nia Jax in Alexa's corner.

Alexa Bliss would win the title here and hold the belt for a few months before dropping it to Sasha Banks. Eventually, Sasha Banks would turn heel, and she'd end up feuding with Bayley at WrestleMania.


WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (c) vs. AJ Styles

I think giving the title to Bray Wyatt just to give it to Randy Orton just so he can drop it to Jinder Mahal was a waste, so I'd make Orton retain the title long enough to really earn all that fuss from the start of the year. He'd be a bit of a tweener in this feud, not a full heel or babyface, but leaning more toward a face.

AJ Styles would come up short as Orton retains in just a straight-up solid wrestling contest.

Later in the year, closer to Survivor Series, Kevin Owens would cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Randy Orton and injure him in the process. Orton would take some time off for a few months and then find himself wanting to win the Royal Rumble, but he'd come up short. In a last ditch effort for a rematch for his title, he'd win the Elimination Chamber to earn a title shot for WrestleMania. Kevin Owens would then retain the title at WrestleMania.

Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns

I absolutely do not want to see this at WrestleMania 34, but I would have been okay with it happening at SummerSlam. Roman Reigns wins the title and starts a mostly heel run with the title.

At the Royal Rumble, John Cena wins and challenges Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship for the main event of WrestleMania 34, where Cena wins his 17th world title reign.