The WWE Universe has been shaken to it’s core thanks to a huge championship match. It is signed and will take place at the second annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view, live from the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. The winds of change may be coming, if a certain someone emerges victorious. I’m referring, of course, to the Divas Championship match between Kelly Kelly and Brie Bella.
All kidding aside, this B-PPV could very well be the best of the year. Both WWE and World Heavyweight Championship contests have been built up perfectly and are generating a lot of buzz, though the WWE contest is what’s most likely selling the show. It’s been a long time since a PPV has been this unpredictable, which has led me to order the event. Despite the unpredictability, I’ll give my best efforts in picking the winners.
WWE Championship
John Cena vs. CM Punk
Nothing against any of the other matches scheduled, but this bout is easily the most anticipated in a long time. Wrestlemania main events haven’t had the same buzz about them that this match has generated. CM Punk has vowed to leave with the WWE Championship, but not before dropping a bombshell. He’s revealed his inner most thoughts on how the WWE operates and made shocking comments about the boss, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
Caught in the middle of all of this is the current WWE Champion John Cena. Unlike most champions, he didn’t praise Vince’s decision to fire CM Punk, but demanded he re-hire him and reinstate their match. In doing so, he’s putting his own career on the line (for the second time in less than a year). If Punk walks out of Chicago with the WWE Championship, John’s history.
The ball is in WWE’s court to do something legendary and revolutionary. If they have Punk win the WWE Championship, they could have him take it to ROH and NJPW and defend it there. This gives those companies more recognition, which would actually benefit WWE. If they hire wrestlers from those companies, they’ll be coming in with a fan base among their target demographic.
This is if WWE wants to take the ultimate risk. They could just as easily have Cena retain or have the Raw Money in the Bank winner cash in on Punk (which would save Cena’s job, as Punk didn’t walk out of Chicago with the title). No matter what happens, we’re at least guaranteed a phenomenal match, as Punk and Cena have tremendous chemistry together.
Though it’d be easy to say WWE will take the high road and have Cena retain, I’m placing my bet on CM Punk having his hand raised. After all, I’m only picking who wins this match. Punk can easily win, then have the title taken from him by the Raw MITB winner. That’s the way I see this story unfolding.
Winner: CM Punk
World Heavyweight Championship
Randy Orton vs. Christian
Up until CM Punk cut a scathing promo on Raw, denouncing the company and hoping it’d be better off once Vince dies, this feud has been the hottest in the company. Albeit not for everybody, but it’s the one that had my utmost attention. As a fan of both men (I’m a bigger peep, though), their work in the ring and on the mic is one of the many reasons I love wrestling. The storyline is engaging and, despite Christian being the heel, I feel there’s a grey area on who to cheer for.
I’m still siding with Christian, only because I hate the fact his first (and so far only) World title reign was cut short. I also feel I connect more with his character, as I too have felt that I’ve been screwed in the past (then again, who hasn’t?). Not helping matters is that at Capitol Punishment he was unjustly screwed, giving him good enough reason for another match.
I was expecting Sheamus to be added to this match, making it a triple threat, as he too has been screwed (he owns a few victories over Orton). This would have been perfect to continue Christian’s conspiracy against Teddy Long, as well as keeping the belt on Orton for a bit longer.
With this match remaining a one-on-one contest, there’s no way Christian can lose and remain in the main event picture. He has the cards stacked in his corner, as he can win the title if Orton gets disqualified or if there’s any bias officiating. If Orton walks out with the belt still intact, that means Christian has to lose fair and square, thus ending this feud (which I don’t see happening). Putting the title on Christian keeps it going for a bit longer.
The only problem with this is that, outside of Orton, there’s no top face for Christian to face. Sure, his program with Orton will still continue (most likely until Hell in a Cell). However, there’s nobody else for him to face. Kane is the only person that comes to mind and that feud sounds about as promising as Megan Fox’s career. Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan would be interesting, to say the least, but I don’t see them in that position just yet.
Even so, there’s no way Christian can’t win this Sunday. Orton retaining may open the door to more feuds (though most of them being rehashed ones from last year), but none of them would be as exciting as this one. Putting the title on Christian not only keeps this one going, but quells the anger of the Peep Coalition over his quick title reign.
Winner: Christian
Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The Miz vs. Alex Riley vs. R-Truth vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne vs. Kofi Kingston
Despite the unpredictability of Money in the Bank matches, I’d say this match is the easiest to predict. Coincidentally, last year’s Raw MITB was easy to predict to, as I thought it was a lock for Miz to win (which he did). I already have my pick in my mind, though I’ll be fair and give each participant a quick breakdown.
The Miz: Won last year’s Raw MITB, which gives him an edge. He’s solidified himself as a main eventer, defeating the purpose of winning the case. Therefore, his chance to win is very slim.
Alex Riley: Stands a pretty good chance of winning this, surprisingly. In two short months, Riley went from being a punch line to a potential star. His feud with The Miz has elevated him into a serious contender and he’s generated amazing fanfare. Winning this match and cashing in at a later date could do wonders for him.
R-Truth: Decent chance to win, though I wouldn’t put money on him. Came off of a serviceable feud with John Cena, which can easily be rekindled. In all honesty, I don’t see that happening. Instead, I see R-Truth sinking back into the midcard, this time as a heel.
Alberto Del Rio: Has the best chance out of all competitors, as he’s still viewed as the next big thing (sorry, Lesnar). I, like many others, thought his time to shine was coming at Wrestlemania, but he ended up losing to Edge. Now that he’s making a stride to once again achieve his destiny and win the WWE Championship, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Granted, he did win that #1 Contender’s Triple Threat match two weeks ago, which could easily give him a title match at Summerslam.
Rey Mysterio- Doesn’t need the win, though that doesn’t mean he won’t get it. I view him as a wild card, like Kane was last year. One of the last people you’d pick to win, considering his status, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Jack Swagger: The only way I see him winning is if they want to quickly push him back to the top again. Considering how that worked out last time, I’d advise against this. Making jokes out of his downfall the past few months don’t help matters. If he does win, they better make sure to take him seriously this time.
Evan Bourne: I hate to admit it, but Bourne has no chance in hell of winning this match. I’d say there’s a 5% chance of winning. The main reason he’s in this match is to be the spot monkey and to be featured in the highlight reel. Not that this is a negative, per se.
Kofi Kingston: I’d wedge him in with Evan Bourne, though he stands a bit better chance of winning. He’s got the fan support and did have a high profile feud with Randy Orton in 2009. He hasn’t done much since, though, lessening his chances here.
The only two men I see walking out with the briefcase are Alex Riley and Alberto Del Rio. I’d be more interested in a Riley victory, but see ADR taking the prize.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder
Sin Cara vs. Kane vs. Wade Barrett vs. Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
Unlike the Raw MITB, this one is much harder to predict. The man I thought would win it all the way back in March is in this match, making my choice relatively easy. However, there’s a load of potential winners here, especially if they hold onto the case for a few months. Let’s break them down individually.
Sin Cara: Has made quite the impact in his short tenure, becoming one of the hottest prospects currently going. He will easily steal the show and possibly the briefcase. Out of all of the faces, he stands the best chance of winning.
Kane: Just like Miz, won last year’s match and doesn’t need it this year. He didn’t really need it last year, either, though they gave it to him to build his billionth feud with the Undertaker. This year, he’s simply in the match in order to be on the card. I thought the same thing last year, so you never know.
Wade Barrett: Stands a great chance of winning and rebuilding himself as a top heel. Has history with Orton, so cashing in on him and building towards a match at Summerslam is a big possibility. He would benefit the most out of all the competitors, as his stock has dropped significantly in the past few months.
Heath Slater: The only chance he has of winning is to be the first person to cash in and lose. Sorry Heath, but it’s the truth.
Justin Gabriel: In the same ball field as Heath, though he stands a bit better of a chance. He could win and turn face down the road, since his popularity was good when he was on NXT. Still, it’s a fat chance.
Cody Rhodes- His star has risen since moving to Smackdown last year, with a victory over Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania XXVII only helping matters. Has been coasting by since, which leads me to believe they’ve had him pegged to win for awhile now. With a ready made feud with Orton being in the works, he’s got a strong chance of walking out with the briefcase.
Daniel Bryan: Smackdown’s wild card winner this year. He could easily win or lose. He’s got himself a fan base and would be one of the few people to set up a match by cashing in, just like RVD did in 2006. I don’t see him winning, but wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he did, either.
Sheamus- Like Alberto Del Rio, is a favorite to win, but doesn’t necessarily need it. He owns a few non-title victories over Orton, so he could easily be handed a title match. It would be interesting for him to win this match, still be handed a title match, lose said match and then cash in and win the World title. It could happen.
I pegged Cody Rhodes as Smackdown’s Money in the Bank winner in March. Since he’s in the match, I’m sticking with that pick, even if Barrett gives him stiff competition.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
You’re Bigger Than Me, Therefore I Don’t Like You
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
I’ll give credit where credit is due; I may not have any interest in the actual match, but the feud has been built up nicely. It started out simple enough, with Henry attacking Big Show because he doesn’t get the respect he deserves (which is a growing trend among heels right now). Big Show in return attacks Henry, resulting in broken cages and destroyed stages. Even a stagehand has gotten involved, as well as Drew McIntyre (who is surprisingly fine after his nasty spill last week on Raw). It may not be “Masterpiece Theater”, but it has been entertaining.
Not that I expect this match to be. Rarely do these two do well against men their size, Henry in particular. I see this following one of the MITB matches, as a way of calming the audience down. It should be a sluggish brawl, one that hopefully doesn’t take up too much time.
As for the winner, Big Show needs his revenge. However, just like his clash with Alberto Del Rio at Capitol Punishment last month, his opponent needs the victory more. Mark Henry is on a roll right now and, with this victory, could be headed for a World title match at Summerslam. Big Show is simply heading for another paycheck.
Winner: Mark Henry
Divas Championship
Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella
This is the only match on the card where the outcome doesn’t matter. No matter who wins, the state of the women’s division will remain the same. Talented wrestlers such as Melina, Beth Phoenix and Natalya will remain on Superstars, while Kelly Kelly and the Bella Twins reign supreme. I don’t even see their feud ending after Money in the Bank, even if Kelly Kelly retains.
I honestly could care less about this match. Since I’ve chosen heels to win every other match, I’m picking Kelly Kelly for simplicity’s sake.
Winner: Kelly Kelly