WWE Fantasy Universe S1 Ep.7: Unlikely Allies

Brock Lesnar has walked out of Summerslam as the Undisputed WWE champion. However, he does not get long to celebrate when he is confronted by a giant first challenger, the Big Show. The Rock still has his sights set on being the world champion, but in the meantime he plans on getting some revenge against those responsible for him losing the title in the first place. The Rock trash talks Eddie Guerrero, The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Triple H. However, he paints Booker T as the biggest reason for his loss. He calls Booker T the biggest piece of monkey crap he has ever seen, unworthy of being in the same zip code as The Rock. He warns Booker T that he has put a target on his back and the Rock is taking aim.

Road To Unforgiven

Team Regroup

After a rough Summerslam, it is time to regroup for Team Hollywood. They appear on both Raw and Smackdown and target their enemies for attacks. The Rock claims that they are still the dominant force in the WWE whether they hold the WWF title or not. Both Stephanie McMahon and Vince McMahon are not happy with Team Hollywood. Although they were both pretty willing to let them be for entertainment purposes, now they are launching weekly attacks and ruining their plans for the show. One of the many victims is Goldust, who gets pillmanized and taken off screen.

Vince and Stephanie set aside their differences and try to form a team to defeat them. Lucky for them, they have 3 guys who are more than willing to get their hands dirty. Steve Austin gets himself medically cleared and he demands an opportunity to whip some Hollywood ass. Booker T has been the biggest target of Team Hollywood attacks because he resisted their months-long attempt to recruit him. He also wants to avenge Goldust who is stuck at home recovering. Finally, Triple H who was also a victim of Team Hollywood’s recruitment. They messed with his personal relationships, and they will pay for it.

Team Hollywood protested that Booker T should be stripped of the tag championships because he doesn’t have a partner to defend them with. Booker T says that he can find himself a new partner and he challenges any two members of Team Hollywood to meet him. Backstage, Booker T is approached by Edge who is willing to step up and help him defend the titles. So Booker T and Edge face DDP and Kidman for the tag titles and they retain. Team Hollywood swarm the ring and prepare a beat down but Austin and HHH run them off. Triple H and Edge exchange harsh words, not forgetting their brief rivalry.

Booker T, Steve Austin and Triple H cannot get on the same page when orchestrating attacks on Team Hollywood, deciding who is the leader and creating a game plan. Their alliance is fragile, whilst Team Hollywood boasts their unity.

Show Time

Paul Heyman introduces the new WWE champion Brock Lesnar as the biggest, baddest and most dangerous man in wrestling history. Brock is confronted by Big Show, who won a contender Battle Royal at Summerslam. Big Show doesn’t doubt that Lesnar is bad and dangerous, but he is certainly not the biggest. That would be him. Big Show says that Brock Lesnar has been saved over on Smackdown away from real powerhouses on Raw. He criticises Lesnar for chalking wins up against smaller, weaker guys. Lesnar has not beaten anyone who is bigger or stronger than him. Heyman says that is because there is no one stronger than Lesnar.

Big Show does not agree and challenges Lesnar to a weightlifting competition. They go back and forth doing impressive bench presses. Big Show struggles to do a 500Ib lift and drops the weights. Brock Lesnar struggles with the weight, but looks to be able to lift it and win the competition. We will never know though because Big Show punches him. Show chokeslams Lesnar off the stage and mocks him. Big Show warns Paul Heyman that his meal ticket is not good enough to beat him and he should find a new horse to back, teasing a betrayal.

Best of Seven, Final Part

After feeling the effects of the TLC match at Summerslam, the Hardy Boys had a couple week break before their 6th match in the series, which is a first blood match. Jeff wins that to tie up the score at 3-3. Their final match takes place at Unforgiven, with a shot at the IC title on the line. The final match is chosen to be a Last Man Standing match. Matt and Jeff sit across a table and talk about how this personal rivalry has affected their family. They are both scolded for fighting but they don’t see another way around this. Jeff tells Matt that he still loves him, but he questions this guy that he has become and once again blames Lita for manipulating him.

Matt says that he thinks for himself and he is only doing what he can to make it in the business. He doesn’t want to just be known for being a Hardy boy or a tag wrestler. He has dreams still, the same dreams they had as kids to be a world champion. Jeff says he has those dreams too, but he wants to do it the right way. “There is no right or wrong way, there is only the successful way.” When asked if they will ever be able to reform a team again, Matt and Jeff both say that they do not see them being able to get past these differences. Both of them also have no desire to face each other ever again, so it is announced that not only will the winner get an IC title shot, but the loser will be moved over to Raw in a swap deal. Rhyno ends up being the man going from Raw to Smackdown.

All The Opps

Diamond Dallas Page has gathered a bunch of enemies during his reign as Intercontinental champion. The former champion Rob Van Dam is still clamouring after a 1v1 rematch with DDP since they are technically tied at 1 win each. Chris Benoit wants a fair shot at him after being attacked prior to their match at Summerslam. Although Eddie Guerrero lost at Summerslam, he still is after proper revenge against them for putting him on the injury list. DDP tries to avoid them all, but Stephanie McMahon is unhappy with Team Hollywood at the minute so she books them all into a 4-way match at Unforgiven.

DDP faces his 3 competitors in a series of singles matches on Smackdown. DDP tries to cheat in all of them but each time it backfires on him and he ends up losing. The champion is not looking good heading into Unforgiven and Team Hollywood demands that he does not let them down.

Rude vs Prude

Molly Holly and Ivory continue their feud with Trish Stratus, calling her demeaning names for her willingness to show skin and just being attractive. Trish finds herself a new ally in Torrie Wilson, who also isn’t shy about showing off parts of her body Molly & Ivory wouldn’t dare. Torrie backs up Trish and says that it is their choice what they want to do with their body. They are proud and confident in their sex appeal and they are happy to share that with the world. She accuses Molly and Ivory for projecting their own insecurities on to them.

Ivory and Molly come out one week and tell the world that Torrie is right, they are projecting their insecurities and they are sorry. In fact, they want Torrie’s help in maybe breaking down their fears and being comfortable in themselves. Torrie comes out, happy to help. She encourages them to just join in and go for it. As Torrie teases the crowd taking off layers, Ivory and Molly start undoing a couple of their buttons, but they stop and attack Torrie. It was a ruse. They double team Torrie, which brings out Trish to run them off and make the save. A tag match is booked for Unforgiven.

David vs Goliath

Spike Dudley is confronted by Mark Henry after the match at Summerslam. Henry believes that he was screwed out of the title and he wants a fair rematch. Spike disagrees but he is happy to fight him anytime, anywhere. Mark Henry wants them to fight in the ring, fairly. No hardcore nonsense. Just a 1v1 wrestling match with rules, DQs and count outs. Spike is confused and asks if Mark understands that it is the Hardcore title, not the Rules title. Mark Henry feels Spike is insulting his intelligence and he throws him around the locker room.

The next week, Spike is willing to meet Mark in a normal match but not with the title on the line. Spike fights hard but Mark is dominant and defeats him. Mark Henry picks up the Hardcore title and tries to leave with it, but Tazz locks him in a choke. Henry powers out of it but Spike launches a trash can at his head.

Mark Henry thinks the Hardcore title is stupid and he threatens to destroy it if he wins it from Spike. The champion sets up a match at Unforgiven and warns Henry to not underestimate him.

Disbanded

After his victory against Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels calls a town hall meeting for the nWo. As much as he dislikes him, Michaels has to agree with what Hogan said. Why are they part of an old group that isn’t really relevant anymore? He isn’t sure why the nWo is still a thing and he feels like his association with the group is holding him back from bigger goals. He returned to wrestling because he has a lot to give back, but he isn’t really giving much. He shows love and appreciation to Kevin Nash and X-Pac, but he thinks that the band needs to break up. Nash and X-Pac initially resist but they agree to bring an end to the nWo faction.

The following week, Nash and X-Pac approach Michaels with a new idea. Maybe they are not nWo anymore, but what if they were something else. What if, they reformed D-Generation X? HBK appreciates their sentiment but he just wants to ride solo for a while. Nash then suggests they could just bring the Kliq properly, “hey we can even rehire Scott if we have to!” Michaels again shoots this idea down. Later in the show, Michaels is in a match with Shawn Stasiak but he is attacked by both Nash and X-Pac. They brutally beat him down. Nash grabs a mic and calls Shawn selfish for trying to leave his friends behind. They provided him with a route back to wrestling as part of the nWo and now he has used up their help he wants to go it alone? They call HBK a terrible friend and warn him that he is not the same Heartbreak Kid he once was.

Shawn Michaels obviously wants some revenge, but Nash & X-Pac refuse to wrestle him unless they do it in a handicap match. Michaels is willing to take them both on at Unforgiven.

A New Champion

Kurt Angle has his newly won European championship, but this is a prize he has won before and he thinks that this old thing is a bit outdated. Angle officially retires the European championship and he introduces a new championship belt, representing something he has no problem representing. That’s right, the United States championship is introduced.

Kurt Angle hosts a couple of open challenges on Raw for the United States championship to earn a few title defences but he is eventually confronted by the Un-Americans. Chris Jericho has been gradually getting more and more heel, his association with the group is rubbing off on him negatively. Jericho, Christian and Lance Storm call it an absolute disgrace that there is a US title. They call it the ultimate egomaniacal move, totally accurate for an American. Angle challenges any of them to meet him at Unforgiven. Storm accepts, and promises to destroy the US title and save the world from America’s wrath.

Unforgiven

We are welcomed to Unforgiven and we will open with a United States Championship match between Kurt Angle and Lance Storm. Kurt Angle is fighting a numbers games with Christian and Chris Jericho on the outside. Chris Jericho doesn’t get involved initially, but Christian starts directing a plan to help Storm get the win. Jericho grabs the title and swings at Angle but Kurt ducks and Storm is taken out instead. Kurt applies the Ankle lock and wins the match.

Kurt Angle retains in 6:37.

Next is a handicap match between former friends and allies. Shawn Michaels takes on Kevin Nash and X-Pac. Michaels approaches this the only way he can, trying to out wrestle Nash and Pac. HBK spends a good portion of the match wearing down Nash, but once he gets a tag to X-Pac it is back to square one. HBK fights hard, being able to kick out of some big moves but she cannot keep up with the numbers game. Nash hits a gnarly Jackknife powerbomb to win the match.

Nash & X-Pac win in 4:12.

The cameras cut to backstage here Spike Dudley and Mark Henry are fighting over the Hardcore championship. Of course, Mark is able to overpower and through Spike around with ease, but the champion shows rabid fight that he has built a reputation on. He wears Mark down with weapons, but the former powerlifter is just too much to handle. Mark Henry press slams Spike and then splashes him to win.

Mark Henry wins the Hardcore title in 3:17.

Next is tag team action in the women’s division. Trish Stratus and Torrie Wilson team up against Molly Holly. These women wrestle a competitive match, Torrie Wilson shines here against 3 objectively better wrestlers, in heels no less! The blonde bombshells anger their opponents throughout by teasing them, but that may have backfired. At the end of the match, Ivory takes out Torrie hard on the outside, Molly hits Trish with a Molly-Go-Round and pins the champion to win.

Ivory & Molly Holly win in 13:11.

Next is a 4-way for the IC championship. DDP defends against Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and RVD. DDP tries to leave the ring and let his 3 opponents wear themselves out, but they all gang up on him to take him out. We get a high work rate triple threat between 3 of the best wrestlers in WWE and the fans are making loud noise for all 3 of them. DDP comes in with an equaliser, dropping all 3 men with a chair. Chris Benoit puts on a great performance in particular, he comes close to winning with a crossface on RVD, but whilst he does that DDP drops Guerrero with a Diamond Cutter on the chair and wins.

DDP retains in 5:13.

The final match between these two. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy in a last man standing match. An IC title shot is on the line, as is each man’s career on Smackdown. These two brothers leave it all out in the ring, beating the hell out of each other. The action spills out of the ring and both men use chairs, tables and ladders to try to keep each other down for a 10 count. Jeff seems to have won, but Lita comes out and helps Matt get back onto his feet. Jeff isn’t happy and he goes over and argues with her. She tries to low blow him, he grabs at her hair but Matt comes and low blows Jeff from behind. Matt wraps a chair around Jeff’s neck and hits a Twist of Fate. This keeps Jeff down for a 10 count.

Matt Hardy wins in 3:27.

Brock Lesnar defends the WWE championship against the Big Show. Lesnar shows off impressive strength being able to lift up the Big Show, but the challenger counters him and throws him to the floor. Big Show takes control, being able to dominate Lesnar but Brock is able to kick out of everything he throws at him. Paul Heyman is getting concerned that his client is not strong enough to overcome Big Show. Big Show is taunting the crowd, Heyman gets up on the apron with the world title but Big Show spots him. Show grabs him and shouts in his face, but this small distraction costs him. He turns around into a massive F-5 from Brock Lesnar who retains his belt.

Brock Lesnar retains in 3:20.

Our main event is a star studded 6-man tag match. Steve Austin, Triple H & Booker T unite to take on Team Hollywood. The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Billy Kidman. Both teams stand face to face and this match starts off with a brawl before the referee can finally get things under control. Booker T gets worked over by Team Hollywood, but he finally gets a tag to Triple H who runs wild. Hollywood use more cheap tactics to take back control and get heat on Triple H, until he manages a tag to Austin.

The roof comes off as Austin wrestles his first match in months. Austin opens up a can of whoop ass on Rock and Kidman before coming face to face with Hogan again. They trash talk each other a little before trading a few punches. Austin goes for a stunner but Hogan counters, then tags out, not wanting any of Austin. Triple H tags himself in to finish the match, which pisses Austin off. Austin and HHH, Booker gets involved trying to calm tensions but they keep pushing him away. Hollywood nearly takes advantage but Triple H counters a Rock Bottom into a pedigree.

The referee makes the count but he is dragged out of the ring…by Kevin Nash? The referee argues with Nash, X-Pac is now in the ring with a chair and he decks Triple H with it. The Rock is as shocked as we are. Rock hits the People’s Elbow, pinning Triple H.

Team Hollywood win in 12:20.

Team Hollywood stands face to face with Kevin Nash and X-Pac. We don’t hear what they say, but it is clear that Nash and X-Pac want in on Team Hollywood. No decision is made, both parties go their separate ways and the show ends.

Team Hollywood are back to their winning ways but it looks like they have a potential new members. Will Kevin Nash and X-Pac reunite with Hulk Hogan and join the Team? Tune in next week for episode 8.