Fatal 4-Way: 4 Alternatives For The Vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship

While saddened by Seth Rollins’ injury, 411Mania’s Greg DeMarco is here with alternatives to the standard 8-man tournament we’re likely to see at Survivor Series.

On Wednesday news broke of Seth Rollins’ potential injury suffered in a botched sunset flip powerbomb against Kane in a match during the UK tour. Thursday rolled in with the news many of us feared: Seth Rollins is out with an ACL injury that will sideline him for 6-9 months. Seth likely misses WrestleMania, and more importantly to us today, must vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Despite rumors and speculation about the WWE going into panic mode about ratings, the company has announced that Survivor Series will feature a tournament to crown a new champion. As a side note, think about this: If the company was SO concerned about ratings, why wouldn’t they tease a resolution for Monday’s Raw, making us tune in to see what they do in response? Because the internet reporters don’t know shit, that’s why. TV ratings are only a small piece of the puzzle for the WWE today, whose top priority has been the WWE Network for over a year.

But Thursday’s announcement leaves us all with the opportunity to do what we do best—postulate about the WWE’s course to a resolution. And man is that ever fun!

What lies before you is a mix of my usual B.O.L.D Prediction style mixed in with some ol’ fashioned Greg DeMarco opinion. None of us truly know what’s going to happen, and maybe…just maybe…the WWE will surprise us with this one.

The Would Be King

Before I get to my “Fatal 4-Way” of alternatives, I present to you the standard…as you can’t have an alternative without one. Headed into Survivor Series, I was 100% prepared to make Roman Reigns my leading BOLD Prediction to leave the November classic as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Now that we have a tournament, I wouldn’t expect any other result. In fact, one of my favorite graphics to surface today sums up how this tournament is likely to go:

But the WWE has surprised us before, and they have a great chance to do it now. Here is a “Fatal 4-Way” of alternatives to the expected status quo listed above:

The Corporate Champion

It’s no secret that I love Cesaro. He’s the most talented in-ring performer in the WWE, Daniel Bryan included. He fits Vince McMahon’s “Big Guy” mold, and he’s obviously overcome that “failure to connect” obstacle Vince threw in front of him during his podcast with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

The idea here is obvious. Pull a “Deadly Game”* (Survivor Series 1998) by building Roman Reigns up as the future face of the company, then screw him. And there’s no one better to play the corporate champion than Cesaro.

Seth Rollins is gone and Corporate Kane is no more. Thus, the Authority is without a champion. Alberto Del Rio came back two weeks too soon to fill their void, and no one is more qualified than Cesaro. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon can do his talking for him. He has the physical prowess that Triple H (the character AND the man) would respect. He looks sharp in a suit. He’s over as a face, meaning his turn would elicit the necessary reaction.

And it Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship truly was penciled in for WrestleMania 32 (and it makes perfect sense if it was), Cesaro can easily take Seth’s place—and while it changes the dynamic of the match by eliminating any element of a high flyer, it might actually make the match better.

Alternative #1 – Cesaro, The Authority’s new Corporate Champion.

*(I know that pulling a Deadly Game would actually mean putting Reigns in the “Rock” position and Cesaro in the “Mankind” position. Humor me here, people!)

Austin 3:16…Version 2

It’s very easy to argue that The Vince McMahon vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin feud was the most successful in the WWE’s history. Everyone wanted to see Austin kick McMahon’s ass, and they did…often.

Those two drew great money together, and it launched Steve Austin into the stratosphere. The company did 2K14 version of it with Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority. And despite amazing moments like an in-ring Yes Movement and the WrestleMania 30 conclusion, it didn’t reach Austin-McMahon levels.

The WWE is easily sitting on the modern day Austin vs. McMahon with Dean Ambrose and The Authority. Ambrose is seemingly slotted to face Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series; a match that could easily be moved into the first round of the championship tournament. That could be the first of many obstacles The Authority could throw in Ambrose’s way, leading to him overcoming the odds—not John Cena style but Steve Austin style—winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and becoming not the face of the company that the WWE wants (obviously), but the one it so desperately needs.

Ambrose vs. The Authority could draw, and draw big time. I know insulting Stephanie McMahon is so fifteen years ago, but I guarantee Ambrose could make it cool again. And I know no one really wants to see Triple H wrestling again, but he elevated The Shield the last time he was active and he could do the for Ambrose’s singles career.

The WWE loves Roman Reigns, and I believe he can be a huge star. But the right guy and the “right now” guy both have the same name, and that is Dean Ambrose.

Alternative #2 – Dean Ambrose is positioned as the new “Stone Cold.”

See Who Can Survive The Chamber

Two Mondays ago, the WWE used a “tournament” to determine a new #1 contender for Seth Rollins’ (then) WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Said tournament was really a set of four qualifying matches that led to a Fatal 4-Way main event, which was of course won by Roman Reigns.

Who’s to say the Survivor Series “tournament” couldn’t follow that same format? Instead of a one-night, 8-man single elimination tournament, have five qualifying matches with the winners joining current top contender Roman Reigns inside the Chamber!

I know the main reason WWE’s traditional February Elimination Chamber event was changed to FastLane was because the Chamber structure isn’t one every arena can hold. But Survivor Series is being held in Atlanta’s Phillips Arena, which did hold the 2012 Hell In A Cell pay-per-view (think CM Punk vs. Ryback). It’s very likely that same arena could be set-up to hoist the steel and chain structure in place for this year’s November event.

The Elimination Chamber also has a history with the Survivor Series pay-per-view, making it’s WWE debut at the 2002 edition in Madison Square Garden. Why not bring the structure back to the event that provided its birth?

So while it’s likely, let’s not assume the WWE will utilize the standard 8-man, one night tournament to crown the new champion. They have other means at their disposal.

Alternative #3 – Crown the champ in the Chamber.

Why Wait, Fella? Let’s Just Do it Monday!

Monday’s Raw will undoubtedly open with a promo by The Authority, as they address the latitude and longitude of the WWE Championship. And despite our desires to see the Intercontinental or United States Champions in position to be the top contenders, two wrestlers really hold the largest claim to the title: Sheamus and Roman Reigns.

Sheamus is the current holder of the Money In The Bank briefcase, a distinction that holds an 87.67% success rate when being cashed in for a world title opportunity. Outside of bad booking, what’s to stop him from walking out on Monday night, claim he’s cashing in and become WWE World Heavyweight Champion?

On the flip side you have Roman Reigns, current #1 contender, Vince McMahon big guy, The Rock’s cousin and owner of the coveted Samoan heritage. On the scale of potential success rates, the credentials I just listed for Roman Reigns likely falls somewhere in between holding the Money In The Bank briefcase and being John Cena. Reigns is a damn near lock to hold that title, and as I already stated probably had a great shot to be booked to win the thing at Survivor Series from Seth Rollins before the untimely injury.

So given that we have a WWE that has shown a serious lack of creativity for nearly a decade now, why wouldn’t they cart both men out, let them stake their claim to the title, and settle it in the main event Monday night? Sheamus calls his Money In The Bank shot, Reigns leverages his top contender standing, and we have a fight for the championship. Reigns (or corporate Sheamus?) leaves Monday’s Raw (which will be taped from Manchester, England) as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, and either defends the title at Survivor Series (possibly in a Raw rematch?) or joins The Undertaker’s team against The Wyatt Family.

The pieces are there, it’d be very easy for the WWE to use them.

Alternative #4 – Crown The Champion On Monday’s Raw.

As of Thursday, we’re left without a WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Gone is any possibility of Seth Rollins surpassing CM Punk’s 434 day title reign, and we’re all but guaranteed to have a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion by the end of the night on November 22.

While the WWE may likely opt for the status quo, they have a real opportunity to make something special out of this.

Greg DeMarco is a wrestling fan of over 30 years and has worked on the independent circuit as a promoter, announcer, character and booker. As a featured contributor at 411Mania.com, Greg has been applying his opinionated style to the world of pro wrestling for 411Mania since October 2010… and has been pissing readers off ever since!

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And as always…