A tournament for sure, but I'd like to see the bulk of the tourney matches at the PPV. That would make up for the elimination of the King of the Ring, at least a little bit.
As for the winner...I would have it come down to Rhyno/Benoit in the finals (still as friends). They could wrestle a face vs. face match with one of them going heel in the end to take the title. I'm comfortable with either of them holding the belt.
I don't know about a best of seven final... Not many wrestlers can pull off a best of seven series without it getting boring. I've only seen two cases where it worked well: Magnum TA vs. Nikita Koloff and Booker T vs. Chris Benoit.
The way WWE's been putting the screws to Benoit and The Book... Let's just say I don't think it'll happen. Or if it does, it'll be something too shitty for words, like Albert vs. Mr. Ass Best of Seven... [shudder]
Two hours later they decided to stop at a diner Because they loved the smell of eggs and coffee I just had to smoke a cigarette and wear a hat By the time that they set off again, the sun was starting to set It made the sky look red like a nuclear ray One of them said "what do you want more than anything in this whole wide world Do you want money, do you want sex, or do you want all that success?" I thought about that one myself (Then they came upon the thing)
From, "The Church of Logic, Sin and Love" by The Men
Hopefully it's a tournament. The battle royal for the IC Title was so lacklustre and didn't get the title off to good start. A good tournament would do a lot to establishing the US Title as a meaningful belt.
They need to do like WCW used to sometimes and have the US Champion be the #1 Contender for the World Title. It gives top stars an excuse to care and go after the US Title in an effort to get a shot at the World Champion and makes the US Title seem important, instead of a midcard belt.
Let's break this down. The Vengeance PPV has already been rumoured to feature Brock vs. Angle, and Hogan vs. McMahon. Also, (VAGUE SPOILER WARNING!) the Smackdown taping would seem to hint at a tag team title match at Vengeance as well.
Here are some likely entrants in any kind of a US title tournament or battle royale.....Benoit, Rhyno, Cena, A-Train, Big Show, Matt Hardy, Billy Gunn, Rikishi, Spanky, Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon (?), Nunzio, Stamboli, Palumbo and the Undertaker. If WWE wanted to expand this to open an invite to any former US champion, then that opens the doors for all sorts of fun possibly former champions.
Over 1350 posts and still never a Wiener of the Day!
In the issues of December 16th, 2000 to November 10th, 2001, we may have given the impression that George W. Bush had been legally and duly elected president of the United States. We now understand that this may have been incorrect, and that the election result is still too close to call. The Economist apologizes for any inconvenience. --- The Economist, 11/17/01
Yeah it looks like Piper and O'Haire will face Eddie and Tajiri ... I also think that we'll see an FBI vs. 'Taker and the APA six man tag match at the PPV ...
www.deargodwrestling.com ... putting the "DEAR GOD" back into wrestling ..
I'd rather see Benoit in the main event scene -- Smackdown needs ME heels badly, especially with Angle going face, and Lesnar has no one to really challenge him beyond the Big Show, unless Benoit turns.
As for US champion, Cena or Rhyno look like the most likely candidates. Other possibilities: Matt Hardy (probably not; the IC title is already with an undersized, pompous heel and I can see them not wanting to duplicate that), Billy Gunn (HOPEFULLY not), Sean O'Haire (maybe, but I'd rather see the title with someone who's built a bit more of a rep first), or Stamboli or Palumbo (unlikely, unless they move past being Undertaker Chow soon).
"next to of course god america i love you land of the pilgrims' and so forth oh say can you see by the dawn's early my country tis of centuries come and go and are no more what of it we should worry in every language even deafanddumb thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry by jingo by gee by gosh by gum why talk of beauty what could be more beaut- iful than these heroic happy dead who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter they did not stop to think they died instead then shall the voice of liberty be mute?"
I say Cena takes it, facing Rhyno in the finals. If that heppened then frankly, I'm god, since I reinstated the IC title in EWR and held a tourny, Rhyno and Cena the finalists. :P
I'd have a tournament with only the final match on PPV. Part of the reason they did away with KOR was because it's hard to sell a show on potential matches.
Cena and Rhyno seem like good enough choices. Benoit is definitely out so he can turn heel and go to the main event scene.
I'll go with Cena. Rhyno is still pretty well unestablished since his return. Cena could get the belt over with the fans. I don't think Rhyno could do that.
Originally posted by KawshenAngle did hold US Title actually. During the Invasion thing - he beat Rhyno for it and then he jobbed it to the last US Champ, Edge.
My bad! At that timeframe I wasnt getting SMACKDOWN here in St Louis, and I was only really paying attention to RAW. Thanks for correcting me!