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.