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Book It
3-4-02
Each week in Book It we help the struggling WWF creative team with a few ideas on how to get talent that has been stuck in a rut over with the WWF fans.
I've received a few requests for a Book It on Sean Waltman, better known as X-Pac. To be quite honest, I'm not a huge X-Pac fan. He's a very talented wrestler, but he's always come across as an arrogant, snot-nosed punk to me.
After thinking about it, I decided to go ahead and take a shot at developing a storyline to get X-Pac over but only because I had another fantasy booking story idea that I really wanted to flesh out. So this week I'll be breaking away from the usual format and actually plotting out the WWF's main storyline for the next few months, which happens to involve X-Pac.
Picture if you will the Monday Night Raw right after Wrestlemania. Triple H has defeated Chris Jericho for the WWF Unified Title and now stands in the middle of the ring prepared to give a promo. In the promo he talks about what a great title victory he had over Jericho and how this title means more to him now than his other title reigns because of all he went through to get here. He also says, "Now that this world title belt is back where it belongs I can focus on something more important. The NWO has been attacking Rock and Austin and it's time I joined in that fight. NWO...it's time to play the game."
The NWO come out and don't seem to take Triple H's treat seriously. They say that if Hunter isn't with them, then he's against them and that is a decision he will soon regret. Later, Triple H goes to Austin and Rock to offer his help. Both of them lost at Wrestlemania because of cheating or outside interference. The two also tell Hunter they don't want his help, feeling that Hunter was too selfish to join in the fight when it mattered. Instead, all Hunter could think about was getting back the world title belt. If Hunter wants to fight the NWO, he will have to get help from someone else.
Ric Flair books a tag match between Rock & Austin vs. Hogan & Hall so that Rock and Austin can get payback for their Wrestlemania losses. Before the match, Rock is attacked by a mystery wrestler with a bat. With Rock out of the main event, Triple H offers to be Austin's tag partner. Austin still refuses to work with Hunter and says he can take care of the NWO all by himself.
In the main event Austin fights Hogan and Hall and does okay, but ultimately the odds are just too stacked against him. After pinning Austin, the NWO hit him with a chair. Kevin Nash comes to ringside and they kick Austin around more. Nash gets on the microphone and says that none of this would have been possible without their newest member, X-Pac, who makes his way to the ring holding the bat that Rock was attacked with. They spray paint NWO on Austin. Austin will be out with "injuries" for a month.
On Smackdown, Triple H challenges Scott Hall to a match. He wins the match but is attacked by the NWO afterwards. However, Triple H is able to do a lot of damage to Scott Hall. Both have to be taken to the hospital. Hogan goes with Hall. Rock challenges X-Pac to a match that night for what he did on Monday, but instead Kevin Nash offers to fight Rock. Halfway into the match, X-Pac runs in and hits Rock with a chair. Nash pins Rock. Rock is off television for several weeks.
The following week, Triple H is not on Raw or Smackdown due to injuries. His return is promised for the next Monday.
That following Monday the NWO start off the show by saying that they have destroyed the WWF's top stars just like Vince McMahon asked them to do. Triple H's music plays and he comes out. He cuts a promo and basically says that the NWO are cowards because they will never fight you man to man. Instead they always use their numbers to win. He says that he realizes he can't fight them alone and since Austin and Rock won't help him, he got some friends of his own. He says the NWO will find out who later on that night.
In the main event, as the NWO beat down whoever in typical NWO style, Triple H appears at the top of the rampway. He says that the NWO made him do something he never thought he'd do again. The Degeneration X theme song plays and out come Shawn Michaels, Chyna and Billy Gunn. They charge the ring, the NWO runs off into the crowd, DX strike a bad ass pose and the crowd goes crazy.
On Smackdown, we see backstage skits where the NWO are talking about how to deal with DX. Hall mentions that X-Pac used to be a member of DX and then the rest of the NWO all wonder just whose side X-Pac is on. X-Pac promises to prove his loyalty later that night.
Ric Flair books a tag team match between Hall & Nash vs. Michaels & Triple H. Hall and Nash beat on Triple H for most of the match and they don't let him tag to Shawn Michaels (because there's no telling what kind of ring shape he's in, and I want to work him back in slowly.) When Triple H does finally make the tag, Michaels comes in, does a few super kicks and in general cleans house. This causes Hulk Hogan to make his way to the ring from backstage. However, before he can get to the ring, X-Pac attacks Hogan with a chair. Michaels is able to make the pin and win the match. X-Pac goes to the ring and joins DX.
At the next pay per view, a six-man match is made between team DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and X-Pac) vs. the NWO (Hall, Hogan and Nash). Just as Triple H is going for the pin over Hogan, X-Pac reveals that he is still NWO-4-life and attacks Triple H. NWO wins at the pay per view. Rock returns at the very end of the pay per view to attack X-Pac.
The next night on Raw we see DX talking about the loss. They agree that they need to outnumber NWO if they want to win. It's time for a new DX member. Billy Gunn suggests that they get Road Dogg but the others all say "nah." Instead they decide to hold auditions. We see backstage skits where different wrestlers audition to be a DX member. There is a lot of comedy to be had if we see guys like Crash Holly or Tajiri audition. Lance Storm, because of his dead pan character, would be another funny one.
Lance Storm: "In all seriousness, I can chop my crotch."
DX (laughs)
Lance Storm: "I'm not kidding. I am a degenerate. "
DX (laughs)
Lance Storm: "Suck it."
DX (laughs)They can't decide on a new DX member that night so the auditions continue on to Smackdown. This gives time for the Internet fans to all speculate about who the next DX member will be or should be. At the end of Smackdown a wrestler enters the DX dressing room and wants to audition. We can't see who it is, but all the DX members look impressed. Shawn Michaels asks Hunter what he knows about this mystery wrestler and Hunter says he's pretty good. "He's even beat me one time." That will make the fans drool with speculation. In the end, the newest member of DX turns out to be…Jeff Hardy.
Why Jeff Hardy? Who will the NWO recruit in retaliation? How does it all end? Well you'll have to come back next Monday because this Book It is so big, it's going to be a two parter. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. See you next Monday.
(Editor's note: Due to a combination of his ferret eating his homework and his day job unexpectedly sucking all life and creativity out of him, Michael Goodson has been unable to deliver part two of this Book It. So far. He promises that one day he will deliver upon its promise, and on that day, there will be much rejoicing.)
