Scott,
Obviously outside circumstances changed whatever plans were in place, but what was the plan for Vince McMahon's limo exploding/death angle? Was there some big picture plan for it, or was it another of those "Higher Power"/"Who hit Austin?" type angles?
The payoff was supposed to be Vince faking his own death so that he could discover who was truly loyal to him, ala King Lear. That was all they had planned out at the point when Benoit went and selfishly cost them their big summer angle.