According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE did have a real plan in place for the top matches at WrestleMania 24. Ken Kennedy’s MITB countdown was due to last the whole year, ending with him winning one of the titles at Mania. Obviously, plans have now been altered.
WWE held a lengthy meeting on the 30th April at the Raw taping about how to resolve the World Heavyweight Title situation. Vince McMahon was adamant that Batista should remain a face chasing the belt for now, so Edge, Kennedy and Randy Orton became the only candidates to get the title from The Undertaker. Other names were briefly considered but dismissed, including MVP (not yet ready), Chris Benoit (not seen as a genuine contender by Michael Hayes, due mainly to weak promos), Finlay (not the right image, in part due to Hornswoggle’s face heat), Kane (working on an injured knee) and Mark Henry (poor track record of injuries). Orton’s disciplinary issues meant they didn’t want to send out the wrong message by rewarding him with a title, so they settled on Kennedy winning the belt prior to his injury, which was sustained at the 5th May show in Poughkeepsie, teaming with Finlay and MVP against Kane, Batista and Benoit.
Triple H nixed the idea of moving Edge to Smackdown as he was due to feud with both Edge and Orton upon his return. Edge was unhappy about that plan because he knew it would leave him as Triple H’s stepping stone back to the title. Reports say that he was “ear to ear smiling” when he found out plans had changed and he would get to become champion on Smackdown. This also means that the DX and Rated RKO feud that had been slated for SummerSlam is almost certainly not going to happen. Triple H wants to get back to working as a heel but will most likely return as a face. Ultimately, the goal for Raw seems to be having him as what Dave Meltzer dubbed ‘a wrestling heel,’ while Umaga, Khali and Snitsky play the monster heels on the undercard. Currently, the plan is for Kennedy to also be on Raw after he returns, as the number three face behind John Cena and Shawn Michaels.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 14th May 2007 (click here for subscription information)
