With Money In The Bank just under 1 week away, we now have a field of 8 superstars who could walk away the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. If you are to believe rumours, blogs and other internet sources, the winner of this match will not be champion for long, as the rumours state that WWE still has Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesner for its Summer Slam main event (pending Daniel Bryan is cleared to wrestle).If I was to believe these rumours then the WWE creative has a choice of either going ‘old school’ and many feel the safe option of a former champion in John Cena, Randy Orton, Kane, Sheamus or Alberto Del Rio, or the WWE could test the waters with one of the ‘new school’ in Bray Wyatt, Cesaro or Roman Reigns.
So here are my pros and Cons of each MITB competitor winning on Sunday (Monday in Australia).
JOHN CENA
Pros – A quick title reign will not hurt John Cena’s legacy, and he has already put over Daniel Bryan once, so another loss to Bryan can actually set up a bigger payday down the road. Since the merge of the titles John Cena has yet to win them, so it will be one of the few things left for Cena to tick off in his incredible career. This is the safest option for the WWE, and will get him one step closer to equally Ric Flair’s World Championship record…another payday down the road.
Cons – We have already seen John Cena win a MITB match, so would fans really be excited about him winning again. He has shown with his feud with Bray Wyatt he does not need the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to develop main event feuds, something The Undertaker was good at, and a role that John Cena can fill quite well.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gebvkWjoBY[/youtube]
RANDY ORTON
Pros – He was the last man to hold the titles and never really received his one on one rematch, so a win here would be some redemption for him. Another loss to Daniel Bryan down the road could lead more friction with The Authority, a face turn and matches against Triple H, Bray Wyatt etc. A proven WWE World Heavyweight Champion, an Orton win is the other safe option for the WWE.
Cons – Randy Orton’s last reign didn’t set the world on fire, so many people are not in a great hurry to see it again. Do we really want to see another Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan match after so many last year??? Randy Orton brings star power to the match, is a former winner (won last years MITB), but needs to rediscover how to connect as a face or heel with the fans again before receiving another championship win.
ALBERTO DL RIO
Pros – Was left behind after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to John Cena last year. But in that time was a company man, and did the job he was told to do, so while many feel the complete outsider for the match, a win and quick title run might be just what ADR character needs. Both he and Daniel Bryan can put on a classic match, and then while still main event relevant can become a great stepping stone for Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Cesaro or Bray Wyatt.
Cons – zzzzzzzzzzz huh what, Alberto Del Rio is champion again zzzzzzzzzz, The WWE have tried and tried and tried to make the fans care or hate ADR, but he just cannot make that connection. He is great in the ring, but really needs a refreshing character change, as currently he is one of the stalest characters in the WWE Roster.
KANE
Pros – The last of our previous winners, and possibly the only previous winner in this match that deserves to be included in this small group. This could be his last chance to headline the WWE Company, and if the MITB champion only has a short reign then Kane losing the title to the man he injured (and caused to relinquish the title) has a nice ending to it, allowing Daniel Bryan to then go on to Brock Lesnar. One final Championship run for Kane would be a nice ‘gold watch’ moment by the WWE.
Cons – Kane as had numerous main event and championship runs, many wrestlers do not get to do that in the WWE (Mr Perfect, Jake The Snake Roberts, Rick Rude), so maybe it is time for new blood at the top of the roster. Kane has become great at helping put people over without losing his dominate feel, and this is the role he will have until he finishes his in ring work.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHh128qTwIo[/youtube]
SHEAMUS
Pros – Of the old school represented in this match he is the only one yet to win a MITB match, and after taking a huge fall in last year’s match which put him on the sideline for a couple of months, a win here would be a nice compensation pay out. The US title then belongs to the current WWE World Heavyweight champion which lifts its profile immediately, and the match against Daniel Bryan would be a nice redemption match for Bryan after his 18 second lost to Sheamus at Wrestlemania.
Cons – Sheamus last World Championship run was affected by the never ending ADR feud, which eventually saw his main event stock fall. As current US champion he has a chance to rebuild himself and this championship. A quick WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign would counter all the good work Sheamus has done in the past couple of months.
BRAY WYATT
Pros – After losing to John Cena, Bray Wyatt now needs something big to regain his aura, which lost a little of its shine with that Cena loss. A WWE World Heavyweight Champion win (even brief) would see Bray Wyatt cement himself as the newest main event superstar in the WWE roster. Having Bray win this match, and Luke and Eric defeat the Usos, then the Wyatt Family become the strongest stable in the WWE, and there is a lot the WWE creative can do with that.
Cons – With the loss to Cena and a very short WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign may be the end of the Wyatt family’s run. Bray needs a winning feud, against high quality opponent, to solidify his dominate and mysterious persona. A winning feud against the likes of Sheamus, The Big Show or Randy Orton would do wonders for the Wyatt family and Bray Wyatt’s WWE standing
CESARO
Pros – After a high profile run during and just after Wrestlemania, Cesaro is falling into the land of ‘WWE creative don’t know what to do with’. A brief run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion would be the shot in the arm his stalled main event career needs. While it may be brief, this is a great opportunity to test the waters with Cesaro in relation to do the fans see him as a future World Champion.
Cons – The Jack Swagger syndrome, do the WWE fear that putting the title to soon on Cesaro will result in the fans turning off him just like they did with Swagger. Do the fans feel he is currently more Paul Heyman then Cesaro. This MITB match, I think a high impact ‘Holy Shit’ moment by Cesaro may do more for his career than a brief, transition championship run.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvkRuUwNrMk[/youtube]
ROMAN REIGNS
Pros – Out of the eight participants, Roman Reigns has the most momentum going into the MITB match, and a win here would surely convince even the most anti WWE blogger that the WWE is moving into the future. Even a short WWE World Heavyweight Championship run would give the WWE some idea if Roman Reigns is ready to become the next main event face of the company which many believe he is being groomed for. I do not believe it is too soon as the likes of Sheamus and Brock Lesnar had just as much momentum as Reigns does now going into their first wins, and that was after less than a year.
Cons – Triple H has rumoured to have chosen Reigns as his Summer Slam opponent, and the fact that he has been the focus of The Authority over the past couple of months. There seems to be a lot of unfinished business there with Triple H, and Seth Rollins for Roman Reigns to be allowed to win the title just yet. Just like Daniel Bryan had to jump through a lot of hoops before getting the WWE World Heavyweight title, I feel Roman Reigns will have to do the same.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpNvzpPlLNI[/youtube]
So every participant going into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship MITB match has a good case to walk out as champion, and a good case not to win the title. If it was up to me, then I would go for Kane, as this seems like the most logical way for Daniel Bryan to get the title back in time for Summer Slam.
Hooroo and see you next week.
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