With Seth Rollins injury the WWE has been left with a champion and have created a Tournament to determine who will take the vacant championship at Survivor Series. The idea here is, with the tournament in place and the first round already past us, how would you book both the tournament and the final in a storyline context. Who would you have win? Who would you have in the finals? How would the person win; clean, with help, or a heel turn?

We see a lot of people criticize the booking that WWE has had for years, but this gives you the opportunity to explain both how you think is should happen and how you would do it.

Well judging by the tournament bracket, we're almost guaranteed Ambrose vs Reigns for the finals unless Ziggler pulls an upset and beats Ambrose in the quarter finals.

The way I'd book it:

Quarter-Finals
Reigns defeats Cesaro thanks to a distraction by The Authority, possibly setting up Reigns joining them after all.

Kalisto goes over Del Rio in an upset because Kalisto's amazing and Del Rio needs a feud for the title.

Owens goes over Neville by cheating, setting up the IC Title match for Survivor Series.

Ambrose beats Ziggler after a long, clean match.

Semi-Finals

Reigns destroys in a brutal match Kalisto as The Authority looks on but Kalisto puts up a valiant effort.

Ambrose goes over Owens in another long match. Owens tries to feign a nutshot like he did the last time they faced but the referee doesn't buy it and Ambrose eventually goes over.

FINAL MATCH
Reigns and Ambrose go at it in the main event of Survivor Series in what'll surely be match of the night, The Authority looking on as they have for all of Roman's matches (and it's the final so of course they're out there). At one point we get a ref bump and it looks like Reigns is about to turn heel. He goes to attack Ambrose with the chair but drops it at the last second. Reigns turns his eyes to The Authority and says his usual schtick before turning around to a chair shot to the head from Ambrose. Ambrose goes crazy with the chair in a non-stop assault before finishing him off with a Dirty Deeds and pinning him, solidifying Ambrose turning heel. The idea behind it being that the champion being with The Authority is best for business and Reigns didn't want to be with The Authority... so they got Ambrose instead who'd grown tired of being left out of the spotlight and being stuck in Reigns' shadow.

John Cena wins

Matt Miles wrote:

Well judging by the tournament bracket, we're almost guaranteed Ambrose vs Reigns for the finals unless Ziggler pulls an upset and beats Ambrose in the quarter finals.

The way I'd book it:

Quarter-Finals
Reigns defeats Cesaro thanks to a distraction by The Authority, possibly setting up Reigns joining them after all.

Kalisto goes over Del Rio in an upset because Kalisto's amazing and Del Rio needs a feud for the title.

Owens goes over Neville by cheating, setting up the IC Title match for Survivor Series.

Ambrose beats Ziggler after a long, clean match.

Semi-Finals

Reigns destroys in a brutal match Kalisto as The Authority looks on but Kalisto puts up a valiant effort.

Ambrose goes over Owens in another long match. Owens tries to feign a nutshot like he did the last time they faced but the referee doesn't buy it and Ambrose eventually goes over.

FINAL MATCH
Reigns and Ambrose go at it in the main event of Survivor Series in what'll surely be match of the night, The Authority looking on as they have for all of Roman's matches (and it's the final so of course they're out there). At one point we get a ref bump and it looks like Reigns is about to turn heel. He goes to attack Ambrose with the chair but drops it at the last second. Reigns turns his eyes to The Authority and says his usual schtick before turning around to a chair shot to the head from Ambrose. Ambrose goes crazy with the chair in a non-stop assault before finishing him off with a Dirty Deeds and pinning him, solidifying Ambrose turning heel. The idea behind it being that the champion being with The Authority is best for business and Reigns didn't want to be with The Authority... so they got Ambrose instead who'd grown tired of being left out of the spotlight and being stuck in Reigns' shadow.

Ambrose in the authority would be.. idk

Lucian Black wrote:

Matt Miles wrote:

Well judging by the tournament bracket, we're almost guaranteed Ambrose vs Reigns for the finals unless Ziggler pulls an upset and beats Ambrose in the quarter finals.

The way I'd book it:

Quarter-Finals
Reigns defeats Cesaro thanks to a distraction by The Authority, possibly setting up Reigns joining them after all.

Kalisto goes over Del Rio in an upset because Kalisto's amazing and Del Rio needs a feud for the title.

Owens goes over Neville by cheating, setting up the IC Title match for Survivor Series.

Ambrose beats Ziggler after a long, clean match.

Semi-Finals

Reigns destroys in a brutal match Kalisto as The Authority looks on but Kalisto puts up a valiant effort.

Ambrose goes over Owens in another long match. Owens tries to feign a nutshot like he did the last time they faced but the referee doesn't buy it and Ambrose eventually goes over.

FINAL MATCH
Reigns and Ambrose go at it in the main event of Survivor Series in what'll surely be match of the night, The Authority looking on as they have for all of Roman's matches (and it's the final so of course they're out there). At one point we get a ref bump and it looks like Reigns is about to turn heel. He goes to attack Ambrose with the chair but drops it at the last second. Reigns turns his eyes to The Authority and says his usual schtick before turning around to a chair shot to the head from Ambrose. Ambrose goes crazy with the chair in a non-stop assault before finishing him off with a Dirty Deeds and pinning him, solidifying Ambrose turning heel. The idea behind it being that the champion being with The Authority is best for business and Reigns didn't want to be with The Authority... so they got Ambrose instead who'd grown tired of being left out of the spotlight and being stuck in Reigns' shadow.

Ambrose in the authority would be.. idk

You say that... but remember when Austin aligned with Vince? 

It's not so much a case of Ambrose being The Authority's new boy as it is doing anything he can to become WWE Champion like Triple H said on RAW. I think it would work if they make that clear.

I'd do it similar to Aaron except have Reigns turn heel instead of Ambrose. I feel that most fans would support Ambrose even if he turned heel, and he's one of the few decent faces WWE has. It would also make sense with his character, he comes across as the most aggressively loyal to the Shield and if both Rollins and Reigns sell out to get to the top it would make him extremely sympathetic imo.

Give it to Roman and pray.

If I was WWE Creative I would give it to Owens or Wyatt. I still don't see Roman being ready to become WWE Champion. At least as a face, I would give Roman a chance if they turn him heel and maybe finally they would get rid of The Shield completely with a new theme and gear

Keep your eyes peeled, theyre already planning on turning Ambrose heel.

Roman Reigns main evented a Wrestlemania and didn't look out of place with Lesnar but isn't ready to be a champion but Kevin Owens who didn't even debut in NXT this time last year is.

The easy answer is Roman goes over and they try pushing him on the fans again.  I don't like the easy answer.
What I'd do is move Del Rio and Kalisto through in their brackets, let them legitimize one another in a high paced lucha match with Del Rio going over.  I think Kalisto could be the next Rey, but he's nowhere near where he needs to be yet, and he wont be after one good singles match, or even after an upset against The Ryback.
I'd move Neville through to go against Owens, have Owens go over of course, but give the men time to wrestle.  It's clear that they're treating the opening brackets like a preliminary round with short matches, but I think Barrett v Neville could do a lot of good with one another.  Let them legitimize themselves and have Barrett go under on a fluke sunset rollup by Neville after a strong showing.
Dean goes over Dolph, giving everyone the match they want to see in Owens vs Ambrose. Let both men talk up the tournament, because that's what the tourney needs.  Right now it's a scramble to save face and put over Roman.  Again, we don't want that.  That's why in bracket A, Cesaro's going over Roman and going on to face Del Rio in a dark horse midcard classic encounter.  Cesaro goes over there, too, setting up the finals of Owens vs Cesaro.
This makes sense because these two have history.  It's shit history, blow off history even, but it's still there.  They're also two of the more compelling active in-ring workers in the WWE today.  Let them tear the house down at Survivor Series until LOLOwensWins.

I pick Owens for a lot of reasons.  1. He's one of the few heels whose effective in the WWE.  New Day's great and all, but their heat was derived from initial hatred.  They milked that and became a dark mockery of what the WWE wanted from them, and that's why people love them.  Owens can make people hate him through his Zybyzsko stalling, his big mouth, his ability to be both chicken shit and legitimately capable of popping the biggest and baddest up for a crazy powerbomb.  He's also got ties to the Authority.
When they initially started teasing Steph's malcontent nature toward Seth (I say Steph, because she's the only one of the twosome who sticks to her guns on hating Seth.  Trips is bipolar), they started christening Owens as 'the future' while calling Seth the 'now' or the 'present' or 'the man.' It felt like they were setting something up there along the lines of resentment towards Owens for being the Authority's shiny new boy toy fresh out of Triple H's personal crayon box, NXT.  I'd love to say there was some sort of plan or foresight for this going forward, but I doubt there was.
When Seth comes back to Owens being lauded as 'The Man', it'll be history they can call back on.  Seth and Owen's locked down stare offs backstage with one another as ma and pa McMahon-Helmsley looked on in giddy Loki levels of chaosgasms.  Seth can come back the sympathetic babyface in 6 to 9 months, at least FOR NOW.  It wouldn't hurt to get Roman involved or even Dean.  By then one of them will have surely turned on the other.  It leaves room for them to lash out against their former Shield brethren later on, directly or indirectly tied to the Authority while doing so, but either way, benefitting them.

My options:

Reigns vs. Ambrose in the finals, Reigns joins the Authority and wins the World Championship. If Ambrose turned on Reigns, HE would get cheered. Reigns is the better heel and placeholder until Seth Rollins returns as a face to win back his title and conquer Roman and Triple H.

Reigns vs. Owens in the finals, Owens wins when Ambrose screws Roman.

Reigns vs. Owens vs. Ambrose, Ambrose vs. Owen's semifinals match ends in no contest to set up a three way at Survivor Series. Would be a much better match than any other Reigns singles match and the no DQ would be a good opportunity for Ambrose to fuck up Roman.

FINAL OPTION: Roman wins the tournament clean like everyone expects, AND ENTER THE FINAL MAN IN THE TOURNAMENT, THE MAN REPLACING SETH ROLLINS IN THE AUTHORITY, BARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK LESNAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Reigns puts up a last ditch effort up superman punches and spears before being owned. Lesnar becomes champ, retains against Roman at the Royal Rumble, only for Roman's cousin to win the royal rumble later in the night!!!!

StarrStan wrote:

My options:

Reigns vs. Ambrose in the finals, Reigns joins the Authority and wins the World Championship. If Ambrose turned on Reigns, HE would get cheered. Reigns is the better heel and placeholder until Seth Rollins returns as a face to win back his title and conquer Roman and Triple H.

Reigns vs. Owens in the finals, Owens wins when Ambrose screws Roman.

Reigns vs. Owens vs. Ambrose, Ambrose vs. Owen's semifinals match ends in no contest to set up a three way at Survivor Series. Would be a much better match than any other Reigns singles match and the no DQ would be a good opportunity for Ambrose to fuck up Roman.

FINAL OPTION: Roman wins the tournament clean like everyone expects, AND ENTER THE FINAL MAN IN THE TOURNAMENT, THE MAN REPLACING SETH ROLLINS IN THE AUTHORITY, BARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK LESNAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Reigns puts up a last ditch effort up superman punches and spears before being owned. Lesnar becomes champ, retains against Roman at the Royal Rumble, only for Roman's cousin to win the royal rumble later in the night!!!!

Matt Miles wrote:

Well judging by the tournament bracket, we're almost guaranteed Ambrose vs Reigns for the finals unless Ziggler pulls an upset and beats Ambrose in the quarter finals.

The way I'd book it:

Quarter-Finals
Reigns defeats Cesaro thanks to a distraction by The Authority, possibly setting up Reigns joining them after all.

Kalisto goes over Del Rio in an upset because Kalisto's amazing and Del Rio needs a feud for the title.

Owens goes over Neville by cheating, setting up the IC Title match for Survivor Series.

Ambrose beats Ziggler after a long, clean match.

Semi-Finals

Reigns destroys in a brutal match Kalisto as The Authority looks on but Kalisto puts up a valiant effort.

Ambrose goes over Owens in another long match. Owens tries to feign a nutshot like he did the last time they faced but the referee doesn't buy it and Ambrose eventually goes over.

FINAL MATCH
Reigns and Ambrose go at it in the main event of Survivor Series in what'll surely be match of the night, The Authority looking on as they have for all of Roman's matches (and it's the final so of course they're out there). At one point we get a ref bump and it looks like Reigns is about to turn heel. He goes to attack Ambrose with the chair but drops it at the last second. Reigns turns his eyes to The Authority and says his usual schtick before turning around to a chair shot to the head from Ambrose. Ambrose goes crazy with the chair in a non-stop assault before finishing him off with a Dirty Deeds and pinning him, solidifying Ambrose turning heel. The idea behind it being that the champion being with The Authority is best for business and Reigns didn't want to be with The Authority... so they got Ambrose instead who'd grown tired of being left out of the spotlight and being stuck in Reigns' shadow.

you got me at heel ambrose 

The NEEWWWW WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION....

ROMAN REIGNS!!!

(it is WAYYYYY TOO EARLY to have Kevin Owens as the champion.)

Put that belt on Dean Ambrose, then have Roman turn heel.

Owens contending for the title should happen, but winning it shouldn't for at least another six months.

Build Bray Wyatt back into a serious contender and have him be the gatekeeper for it, but never win it. I wholeheartedly believe that Wyatt should never hold a title, and not because he doesn't deserve it, but it takes away from the character . (Sidebar: an Owens/Wyatt feud? Yes, please.) Bray always goes after the next contender, so a feud with Wyatt essentially means you're next to feud for the title.

I dunno, though. Those would probably all fail miserably.

StarrStan wrote:

My options:

Reigns vs. Ambrose in the finals, Reigns joins the Authority and wins the World Championship. If Ambrose turned on Reigns, HE would get cheered. Reigns is the better heel and placeholder until Seth Rollins returns as a face to win back his title and conquer Roman and Triple H.

Reigns vs. Owens in the finals, Owens wins when Ambrose screws Roman.

Reigns vs. Owens vs. Ambrose, Ambrose vs. Owen's semifinals match ends in no contest to set up a three way at Survivor Series. Would be a much better match than any other Reigns singles match and the no DQ would be a good opportunity for Ambrose to fuck up Roman.

FINAL OPTION: Roman wins the tournament clean like everyone expects, AND ENTER THE FINAL MAN IN THE TOURNAMENT, THE MAN REPLACING SETH ROLLINS IN THE AUTHORITY, BARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK LESNAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Reigns puts up a last ditch effort up superman punches and spears before being owned. Lesnar becomes champ, retains against Roman at the Royal Rumble, only for Roman's cousin to win the royal rumble later in the night!!!!

So, which Uso will that be?

I just wish Reigns would turn heel.

I don't think it will be booked this way, but this is how I would book it from this point forward:

Reigns vs. Cesaro in the semi-finals. Reigns wins after a lengthy match, enough to still make Cesaro look like a contender.

Neville gets an upset victory over Owens in the quarter-finals. Neville comes to do commentary for Ambrose/Ziggler quarter-final match. As the match progresses, Owens comes out to confront/attack Neville. This sets up a distraction for Ziggler to get a roll-up victory on Ambrose.

Fans will be upset until they see a back and forth altercation between Owens and Ambrose. This is done to set up Ambrose/Owens for IC Championship. Ziggler defeats Neville in semi-finals, making the Survivor Series match Reigns/Ziggler for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. IMO, knowing who will win the match isn't too bad as long as the story is told correctly.

Ambrose defeats Owens, Reigns defeats Ziggler. Ambrose comes out to legitimately celebrate. As everyone is preparing for Ambrose to attack Reigns, Reigns attacks Ambrose, joining The Authority. This is done to set up a feud between Stone Cold Dean Ambrose & Corporate Reigns.

ThePizzaBoy wrote:

The easy answer is Roman goes over and they try pushing him on the fans again.  I don't like the easy answer.
What I'd do is move Del Rio and Kalisto through in their brackets, let them legitimize one another in a high paced lucha match with Del Rio going over.  I think Kalisto could be the next Rey, but he's nowhere near where he needs to be yet, and he wont be after one good singles match, or even after an upset against The Ryback.
I'd move Neville through to go against Owens, have Owens go over of course, but give the men time to wrestle.  It's clear that they're treating the opening brackets like a preliminary round with short matches, but I think Barrett v Neville could do a lot of good with one another.  Let them legitimize themselves and have Barrett go under on a fluke sunset rollup by Neville after a strong showing.
Dean goes over Dolph, giving everyone the match they want to see in Owens vs Ambrose. Let both men talk up the tournament, because that's what the tourney needs.  Right now it's a scramble to save face and put over Roman.  Again, we don't want that.  That's why in bracket A, Cesaro's going over Roman and going on to face Del Rio in a dark horse midcard classic encounter.  Cesaro goes over there, too, setting up the finals of Owens vs Cesaro.
This makes sense because these two have history.  It's shit history, blow off history even, but it's still there.  They're also two of the more compelling active in-ring workers in the WWE today.  Let them tear the house down at Survivor Series until LOLOwensWins.

I pick Owens for a lot of reasons.  1. He's one of the few heels whose effective in the WWE.  New Day's great and all, but their heat was derived from initial hatred.  They milked that and became a dark mockery of what the WWE wanted from them, and that's why people love them.  Owens can make people hate him through his Zybyzsko stalling, his big mouth, his ability to be both chicken shit and legitimately capable of popping the biggest and baddest up for a crazy powerbomb.  He's also got ties to the Authority.
When they initially started teasing Steph's malcontent nature toward Seth (I say Steph, because she's the only one of the twosome who sticks to her guns on hating Seth.  Trips is bipolar), they started christening Owens as 'the future' while calling Seth the 'now' or the 'present' or 'the man.' It felt like they were setting something up there along the lines of resentment towards Owens for being the Authority's shiny new boy toy fresh out of Triple H's personal crayon box, NXT.  I'd love to say there was some sort of plan or foresight for this going forward, but I doubt there was.
When Seth comes back to Owens being lauded as 'The Man', it'll be history they can call back on.  Seth and Owen's locked down stare offs backstage with one another as ma and pa McMahon-Helmsley looked on in giddy Loki levels of chaosgasms.  Seth can come back the sympathetic babyface in 6 to 9 months, at least FOR NOW.  It wouldn't hurt to get Roman involved or even Dean.  By then one of them will have surely turned on the other.  It leaves room for them to lash out against their former Shield brethren later on, directly or indirectly tied to the Authority while doing so, but either way, benefitting them.

I agree with this completely.

Ultimately have Owens go over because WWE NEEDS a top heel that this point (aside from Triple H) and Kevin Owens is the right man to be that guy. I feel if Ambrose or Reigns turn heel it will have an opposite affect on the fact because how I see it they would actually cheer for either of them and Ambrose and Reigns are pretty much the top two Babyfaces that WWE has at this moment since Orton and Cena are out of action.

Kevin Owens' accent is hilarious. The way he talks always makes it sound like his name is 'Kavan Owans'

What's that all aboot?

JamesBLucky wrote:

I don't think it will be booked this way, but this is how I would book it from this point forward:

Reigns vs. Cesaro in the semi-finals. Reigns wins after a lengthy match, enough to still make Cesaro look like a contender.

Neville gets an upset victory over Owens in the quarter-finals. Neville comes to do commentary for Ambrose/Ziggler quarter-final match. As the match progresses, Owens comes out to confront/attack Neville. This sets up a distraction for Ziggler to get a roll-up victory on Ambrose.

Fans will be upset until they see a back and forth altercation between Owens and Ambrose. This is done to set up Ambrose/Owens for IC Championship. Ziggler defeats Neville in semi-finals, making the Survivor Series match Reigns/Ziggler for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. IMO, knowing who will win the match isn't too bad as long as the story is told correctly.

Ambrose defeats Owens, Reigns defeats Ziggler. Ambrose comes out to legitimately celebrate. As everyone is preparing for Ambrose to attack Reigns, Reigns attacks Ambrose, joining The Authority. This is done to set up a feud between Stone Cold Dean Ambrose & Corporate Reigns.

I actually dig this idea.

I'd go with Ambrose. Even if he's just a transitional champion. Everyone is expecting Reigns to win and even though he deserves it, it seems like he's basically getting handed the title on a silver platter and that'll hurt his credibility if it's that predictable. Ambrose is a great option as a transitional champion based on the fact that he's popular as hell, has a great gimmick that he can still recover from if he drops the title and it opens up different avenues within the creative realm of WWE. Have Ambrose hold onto it until The Rumble, drop it to Reigns then and then I guess what ever happens from there, happens.

 "I can smell the 16, can you?"