We’re going into Money In The Bank with Lightning ahead of me, Joe Thunder, in the prediction challenge by five points(76 to 71) for the year. Starting with this pay per view, we’re doing confidence points on matches. Wagering confidence points means the potential for massive gain and loss on our scores for the year. The confidence points scale goes from one to five. We’re also joined this month by KP!
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. Hunico & Camacho
Thunder – It’s a tag team match and the titles may or may not be on the line. This should’ve been the Prime Time Players challenging for the titles on the main card, but this is what we’re being treated to instead. I hope Hunico and Camacho are at least able to have a strong showing and not just lose a short and average tag team match(most will expect a quick win for the champs). Maybe the PTP will challenge Kofi and Truth to their second match of the night during the actual show(hey, a guy can dream right?).
Prediction: Kofi and Truth
Confidence Points: 5
Lightning – Let me get this straight, the Prime Time Playas won a 4-Corners Match, that didn’t even involve Hunico & Camacho, on a PPV for the Number One Contenders spot but don’t get a title shot at the PPV? That logic makes no sense. Kofi and Truth are back teaming after Truth’s injury and they seem to have picked up right where they left off….winning. If Hunico and Camacho did more than job every other week, I would almost believe them to be contenders.
Prediction: Kofi & Truth to retain the Tag Team Title
Confidence Points: 5
KP – Hunico and Camacho? Really? And this match is going on the pre-show? They’re not winning a damn thing, why not showcase them on the PPV or make it tag team turmoil and make it lengthy since there’s 4 matches on the actual card? That is just one guy’s opinion on that. As for a winner however, I say Kofi and R-Truth retain.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a World Championship Contract(Kidd, Ziggler, Rhodes, Christian, Santino, Tensai, Sandow, Sin Cara)
Thunder – There’s so many possibilities here! Tyson Kidd is in line for a push, but I don’t see him winning the match. I expect for him to be the standout star of this match and possibly even feud with the winner. Ziggler has been deserving of this opportunity for a long time, and it would be very fitting for his character to win the match. However, his booking direction has been up and down and made very little sense, and I don’t expect him to be booked to win this one. Christian would be a fantastic duel champion, but he’s in the IC Title scene to elevate heels from what I’m seeing, and Santino is just the running joke that will never be taken seriously. Sin Cara won’t be booked to win it, as he still needs to prove his match versatility and ability to changeup his in-ring routine. I would love nothing more than to see Damien Sandow win the match, but I don’t expect WWE to book it that way with others still waiting for their shot. Tensai is someone I think WWE would have loved to book to win this match, but I think WWE has lost enough faith in him that they won’t put him into the World Title scene. WWE has seemingly pushed Rhodes to this point MORE than anyone else in terms of his levels of progression, and so he’s the guy I’m picking to win it all.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Confidence Points: 1
Lightning – Tyson Kidd, Sin Cara, Tensai, and Damien Sandow are all fillers, in my opinion. Sin Cara and Kidd are in line for big pushes, and from everything I know, WWE Officials love Sandow’s character and are high on his in-ring attributes as well. Those four though would be total surprises if any of them won. Christian and Santino Marella currently hold titles, and unless my memory fails me, no current title holder as won a Money in the Bank Match. This leaves me with Ziggler and Rhodes. I’m still pissed of that Rhodes wasn’t Sheamus’ opponent for the World Title, but I guess my booking just made too much damned sense. WWE claims to have big things in store for Ziggler and Rhodes in the near future.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler
Confidence Points: 2
QuickNote: I still have a sneaking suspicion that Wade Barrett could find himself in this match(taking out Tensai or even Kidd). If Barrett enters, I suspect Barrett to win.
KP – Okay now onto something on the actual card, Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the World Championship Contract. Tyson Kidd isn’t winning; he’s going to be pushed but not that far. Dolph Ziggler I believe deserves to have a real World Heavyweight Championship reign. Cody Rhodes seems to have been knocking on the door of being pushed to the next level for over a year. Christian I believe will be here as the sympathy wrestler at the end who gets knocked off the ladder by the eventual winner. Santino I believe will likely be the second to last one to be close to the contract but will fall to a possible Killswitch or another finisher. Tensai has been a failure, more of the blame in my opinion going to WWE. Damien Sandow, love the character though it’d be premature for him to win Money in the Bank or even such a high marquee match so early on. Sin Cara, failed experiment and the damn lights, so many things wrong with his character in WWE but I think he still has a chance to rebound, somehow. My pick in this match will be Cody Rhodes. Why? Because he had to petition his way in, make sure that he’d be in the match no matter what, and that smells like desperation and that WORKS for a heel.
Note: I hope Wade Barrett returns and steals the match.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a WWE Championship Contract (Kane, Cena, Jericho, Big Show)
Thunder – I was hoping Miz or Rey Mysterio would be in the match. Last week’s rundown listed all the possible former WWE champions eligible for this match. Kane won’t win this one; he has zero drawing power and doesn’t need another push. Jericho, Show, and Cena are all possible booking situations to win the match. I’m not expecting this to be much of a ladder match, but I do expect it to be physical. I predict John Cena will win MITB.
Prediction: John Cena
Confidence Points: 3
Lightning – Kane and Big Show, realistically, have no place in this match. The big guys, outside of Kane’s World Title MitB win, generally don’t do well. Show’s “dominant” run has been railroaded by John Cena more than once already. Cena, in his first MITB Match, is looking to become WWE Champion again. Shocker. And Chris Jericho, the inventor of everything in this world, has never won the match he created. If there was ever a time for a surprise entrant into a Money in the Bank Match, it would be the, ridiculously restrictive, 4-person WWE Title Money in the Bank Match.
Prediction: John Cena
Confidence Points: 3
QuickNote: We could see up to TWO surprise entrants depending on the booking of the show. And Cena, though the clear cut favorite, isn’t a shoe-in to win. The WWE could possibly surprise us with a Jericho win even.
KP – Now the RAW Money in the Bank for the WWE Championship is probably less compelling although it has good possibilities. Chris Jericho winning it will add on to a tremendous career in the WWE. John Cena? This will just be a footnote in his career but he may just win considering the rumor about him and CM Punk main eventing Summerslam. Big Show I believe will not win but “come close.” Kane feels like he’s just there to give him something to do, not any real significance which makes him a wild card but doubt he will win. Of these four SCHEDULED for the match, in my bias I want Chris Jericho to win but like the Rumble and Wrestlemania he won’t win. My pick for this match will be John Cena but I really hope there’s a swerve in this.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio
Thunder – Vince McMahon is rumored to be a huge supporter of Alberto Del Rio. I believe this is probably true, and I believe WWE trying to categorize Del Rio as vicious and ruthless is Vince’s idea. Fortunately for Sheamus, I suspect Vince and Hunter are high on him even more. Sheamus’ run as champion will not end here. I expect Sheamus to drop the title down the road to the MITB World Title contract holder. Sheamus wins this one in a brawl like match.
Prediction: Sheamus to retain the World Title
Confidence Points: 3
Lightning – Del Rio has been a lot more ruthless since coming back from injury, the WWE wants him that way. And despite the very slight improvement in his character, Del Rio still doesn’t generate the heat or pop that he should. Making him a heel World Champion again could be a mistake. But the WWE loves this guy for some reason. Sheamus’ title run has become stale and his character has started to become boring, thank you SuperFace gimmicks. I just hope this match delivers in terms of in-ring ability and in-ring story-telling.
Prediction: Alberto Del Rio to become New World Champion
Confidence Points: 2
QuickNote: We could see the loser of this match make a surprise appearance in the WWE Title Money in the Bank Match.
KP – I’ve been dreading this match for 2 months. Why? Because I felt like it would be boring, right now I’m more interested but I have my doubts about this match. First of all I don’t believe Del Rio will win because even if the World Heavyweight Championship would fit his image/character, when the man talks half the time he gets on my nerves. Not in the “I love babyfaces and I hate heels” kind of way, just a “Shut the hell up” kind of way (Jericho pun). Winner I hope is Sheamus.
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan w/ AJ Lee as Special Referee
Thunder – There will be no rant from me about AJ’s involvement in this match. I’m choosing to remain optimistic and think that we will get a great WWE Title match from the two best wrestlers in WWE. I know AJ will directly effect the finish to this match, and I’m predicting that Daniel Bryan will become the new WWE Champion because of it.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Title
Confidence Points: 1
Lightning – Could be as simple as AJ costing CM Punk the WWE Title and becoming Daniel Bryan’s “Yes! Yes! Yes!” girlfriend(or lackey) all over again? Seriously? Are things ever that easy with the WWE? I’m more angered that this match has had the focus taken off of the WWE Title and onto AJ’s involvement. It seems out of place and stale now. Bryan and Punk can stand alone and main event EVERY WWE PPV and people would still buy. They are THAT good.
Prediction: CM Punk to retain the WWE Title
Confidence Points: 3
QuickNote: I’m reaching here, but I think AJ will try to help DBry and it will backfire, costing DBry the match. Also, we could Cena(if he wins) cash in his Money in the Bank and beat Punk for the title(retribution for Punk beating Cena last year at MITB) which will lead to their match(penciled in) at SummerSlam.
KP – CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan turned from who’s the best wrestler to who’s on AJ’s good side. I just hope this storyline ends sooner than later, and well to me it looks like Daniel Bryan will not one up CM Punk at all. Punk in my belief will retain the WWE Championship and move on to facing a new opponent for Summerslam, likely John Cena or whoever wins the RAW Money in the Bank will attempt a cash-in.
Closing Thoughts:
Thunder – Ryback will probably defeat Reks and Hawkins on this show. I also expect a possible Divas match somewhere in the mix. Overall, I’m not expecting anybody to cash in a briefcase during the show. If one WERE TO HAPPEN by some small chance, I would expect it to be John Cena cashing in on the new WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan. This would serve to set up for Summerslam’s WWE Title main event. The World Title MITB is up in the air with a few select individuals, but I’d like it more if I was wrong and it turned into a surprise win.
Lightning – Money in the Bank has become bigger than Survivor Series(in my opinion) in terms of hype, prestige(it actually means something to win a MITB Match unlike a classic SS Match) and buyrates. The WWE almost made the mistake of getting rid of the PPV this year. What I would like to see is for it to be moved to October or even December and have it be that much closer to Mania, so we wouldn’t have to wait as long if the winner does want to cash-in at Mania. If the WWE Title MitB Match has some surprise entrants, this PPV could blow us away again like last year. The biggest match this PPV is riding on is how exactly they handle the Punk/Bryan match with AJ’s involvement…thay match alone could make or break this PPV.
KP – All in all for this PPV, I expect a lot more segments a filler match or two and long Money in the Bank bouts and hopefully 30 minutes of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk magic then crazy lady drama save it for the end PLEASE I’m begging you WWE. I’m hoping that WWE Championship Money in the Bank has more contenders and maybe some surprise returns, I hope the PPV goes well. Compared to last year I don’t think the PPV will match up but they surely will try to top it, I don’t know why but they will definitely try, especially with Bryan and Punk on the card (Hoping it’s the freaking main event!).
Should be a fun show! Make sure to share your predictions below!
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