The Road to SummerSlam Week 1: Get In the Damn Car
Hello all! Remember when the website first took off, and I was fortunate enough to be given a platform to supply some thoughts on the extravaganza that is WrestleMania? Well I’ve returned this time with more power of positivity and conquering than ever before! Over the next month, I will be providing you with a weekly guide for the road to the biggest show of the summer … SummerSlam! If you regularly watch WWE programs, then you already know how they treat SmackDown. With that said, this will include SmackDown spoilers if needed. So let’s begin, shall we?
LORD JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY??!?! (If not just make sure to click the links)
Let’s start off with the already announced main event:
Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker.
If for some reason you’re not tuning in but are still reading, thank you! For that you get a history lesson: For the last 5+ years The Undertaker has been the staple of WrestleMania, with his matches determining if his undefeated streak at the grand daddy of them all would stay in tact. Undertaker has been around for decades and with the E since 1991 (same year I was born!). His body has more wear and tear than everyone on the roster. His longevity gives him the honorable part time contract. He comes around for limited dates and still makes worthy money. It’s a very solid thank you from his employer if you ask me. The Undertaker usually doesn’t appear on our WWE screens until mid February, in preparation for WrestleMania.
From mid February till mania, which is about end of March / first week of April, it’s enough time for Taker to show up and confront whomever the challenger is. He builds up the match, then tops it off with a successful show at mania.
In 2014 the show was WrestleMania 30 and the opponent was Brock Lesnar. The cause for match was simple: Brock Lesnar wanted to be in the main event of WrestleMania, but the authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon,) didn’t feel he deserved the chance. He was offered a chance to qualify for a championship match but declined it because Paul Heyman felt Brock shouldn’t have to go through that. As a sort of consolation prize, Lesnar was given an open contract for a match at WrestleMania against any opponent of his choosing. It felt like a slap in the face to them, but at the end of the day business is business and someone needs to get hurt at the biggest stage of them all. So on an edition of Monday Night Raw Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar strolled down to the ring to address their WrestleMania situation. Heyman stated that the open contract felt like a slap in the face, that his client Brock Lesnar wanted to make history and the only way for that to happen was by winning the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event at WrestleMania. With that said Heyman publicly stated that if Brock couldn’t get that then he would not be apart of Mania, so they left the contract on the table and proceeded to leave the ring until…
The lights were out and before you know it, the dark blue lights and lighting screens filled the arena with the music of The Dead Man himself. His presence filled the arena with excitement as he came out to a vicious roar of cheers. His slow, methodical (and yes old,) stroll to the ring gave chills down everyone’s spine. It was the first time anyone had seen him in a year, and with that said we knew who would challenge the beast to match. After an intense staredown, Lesnar signed his portion of the contract. After slamming his pen onto Undertaker’s chest, The Dead Man returned the favor by stabbing the pen into Lesnar’s hand and choke-slamming him through the table, as his version of signing the contract on his behalf.
The match was built as the beast versus the streak. Coming into WrestleMania Undertaker was 21-0, which was the only undefeated streak the event had. It is wrestling’s version of if the Yankees had 27 world championships with only 27 appearances. The streak became an event on it’s own and of course no one actually thought the streak would end…
The reaction, the faces, the silence (OH THE SILENCE!) It was arguably the most shocking thing ever. We all thought Undertaker would win because we didn’t think they would end the streak. My biggest question was: how can Undertaker beat a guy like Brock Lesnar at this stage of his career?
Well I never had to answer that now did I?
After the shocking end to the streak, Undertaker was gone and never heard from again. Lesnar used the momentum to take over the WWE within the current year by sending John Cena to Suplex City, capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that he wanted months ago. He held onto the title until WrestleMania 31, when he lost it in a “triple threat” match without ever being pinned. The Undertaker was also there, but it wasn’t for revenge on Brock. He was there to take care of issues with Bray Wyatt, who felt The Dead Man’s time was up, and that it was time for a new face of fear.
Fast Forward to this past Sunday…
At WWE Battleground, Brock Lesnar returned to action for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins, ( the man who took it at WrestleMania 31.) Lesnar wanted his rematch the following night, but Seth refused. This resulted in Brock murdering people. He was suspended for his actions, but ultimately, brought back by the authority in order for Rollins to truly prove himself as the future of the company. Before the match in the preceding weeks, everyone on Rollin’s team was destroyed. From Kane (ironically Undertaker’s baby brother,) to J&J Security, TO EVEN A DAMN CADILLAC. Rollins was on his own at BattleGround, and it didn’t go well for him. He gave a valiant effort, but just like everyone else, he was taken to Suplex City and thrown around like a rag doll. After 13 suplexes, Lesnar hit Rollins with the F-5. Just when you thought he was getting his title back…
The lights went out and then back on again… which could only mean one thing: THE DEAD MAN WAS BACK. Staring deeply into the eyes of the man who ended his streak, Undertaker took out Lesnar and cost him his chance at the championship.
The next night on Raw, The Dead Man appeared once again. He stated his distaste with Lesnar continuously bragging about ending his streak. He was tired of being humble. and essentially told Lesnar: it’s time to die. Later in the night, Big Pauly showed up to address Undertakers’ words with a simple statement of displeasure. It just so happened to include bars of God: “You can sell your soul to the devil but your ass belongs to Brock Lesnar,” (SO MANY FLAME EMOJIS). As soon as the words left his mouth, the gong went off again and The Dead Man appeared. We all thought Lesnar wouldn’t show, and that Heyman was going to die.
THEN EVERYTHING GLORIOUS HAPPENED. AND IT CONTINUED, BECAUSE, WHY NOT?
A year and half later we have the rematch. Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker in 5 weeks at SummerSlam. It is the only official match thus far. As we get closer, the card will fill itself out and more than likely matches will be added every week. So tune in to Wegotleagues.com for the Road to SummerSlam because…
Well I don’t need to explain anymore, do I? Just get in the car and enjoy the ride!
