'Mania Moment

We're three weeks away from WrestleMania XXIX and a man many thought would be featured in a key, or at least purposeful, match currently has nothing to do. I'm talking, of course, about Chris Jericho.

When he returned at the Royal Rumble Jericho got one of the loudest roars of the night. Fans went wild for the guy. The opening two minutes saw Jericho clash with Dolph Ziggler in one of hottest portions of the match and the show. Once a few more names were added it became clear that 'The Highlight of the Night' had in part been installed to hold the match together. He did so and did so well. He entered a charismatic, commanding performance. A meaningful programme for the following months seemed inevitable.

The following evening on RAW 'Y2J' briefly flirted with resuming his programme with Ziggler full time. It wasn't to be. By the time Elimination Chamber rolled around three weeks later Jericho had been entered into the titular cage bout while 'The Show Off' had been left off the announced card altogether (he ended up having a random match with Kofi Kingston). We're going to have to carry on waiting for the resumption of that rivalry.

Since the Chamber PPV Jericho has done nothing that gives a clear hint of what he'll be doing at WrestleMania, which makes me think nothing's been finalised for him yet (which seems to be the case for a lot of guys). A three-way feud between Jericho, Miz and Intercontinental champ Wade Barrett was teased but for reasons known only to WWE that match has been announced for this evening's edition of RAW.

It's possible the RAW match will end in a DQ or no contest in order to set up a rematch at WrestleMania. If so it's a strange way of booking things: having the match advertised for RAW and then transplanted to the pay-per-view makes it clear that it's a RAW level outing. It's also traditional for three-way feuds to feature various singles and tag team matches before a triple threat is booked.

Nobody needs to see this guy with the IC belt again

Personally is rather see Jericho do something else and have Barrett and 'The Awesome One' continue in a singles feud. The three-way alternative would feature an outnumbered heel (never a good thing) and potentially awkward styles clashes with each of the three trying to provide slick triple threat exchanges. Should Jericho have one of his famed calamitous off nights it could be a disaster.

A few weeks ago I went so far as to write an article listing all the things Jericho could be used for between January and April (read it here). It seems what was an obvious wealth of possibilities for me was a generic signing to WWE's writing team. I'm surprised by this. You'd think WWE would plan something worthwhile for a guy of Jericho's talent.

It's not that his televised matches since he returned haven't been worthwhile, it's that with no clear purpose 'Y2J' is just another guy treading water. I'm not advocating a world title match or Streak challenge for him, but I do think he should be doing something with some merit or a plan behind it. The rumours of a Jericho versus Fandango match are emphatically not what I have in mind.

Royal Rumble 2013 review

WWE are going to find it tough to top the Royal Rumble on pay-per-view this year. Every match on the show met expectations and two, in my opinion, surpassed them. The company’s going to need something special up its sleeve if WrestleMania XXIX is to achieve that.

The evening opened with the World Heavyweight championship match between Alberto Del Rio and Big Show. ADR had dethroned ‘The Giant’ in a Last Man standing bout at the January 8^th SmackDown taping, which made them clashing under Last man Standing rules again here a little puzzling. What was even odder was that WWE had neither emphasised the gimmick reuse nor tried to hide it. It was as though it was simply an oversight that the two were facing off in the same sort of match again so soon.

The match was an improvement on their SmackDown battle. As that was a good match bettering it was quite an achievement. The two started out with a heated, pacey exchange in the ring, notable for Del Rio doing more top rope manoeuvres than we’re used to from him (designed to solidify his babyface position), before Show grabbed a chair.

That started phase two of the match. The champ got the chair off the challenger following a swift kick and then battered him with numerous shots. Soon after the two were out at ringside for a spot of brawling. Show went all CZW and cracked ‘The Latin Hero’ with a light tube in the entrance area, proving it was a real light by smashing it to pieces after he’d belted Del Rio. Moments later the two were on top of a piece of entrance scaffolding for ADR to take a choke slam through a table.

Both were impressive spots which combined to create a convincing false finish, not something easily done in a Last Man Standing match. This was even more impressive when you consider how certain everyone was that Del Rio was going to win.

 

This match featured a lot of chair shots

 

Back at ringside Ricardo took an impressive bump into the barricade before ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ ploughed through one himself. ‘The Essence of Excellence’ went back to his trusty chair shots to wear Show out before rolling him back into the ring and applying the cross armbreaker. With that locked in Ricardo taped Show’s feet to the bottom rope with duct tape. The champ then released the hold and stood up to get the victory.

It was a slightly iffy finish that didn’t really do much to help get ADR over as a valiant babyface but the rest of the bout was great. Del Rio and Rodriguez have moved into their new roles far better than I thought they would while Big Show is proving that he’s not only a late bloomer but also a worthy addition to the main event under the right circumstances.

Backstage Matt Striker was scared off from interviewing Dolph Ziggler by Big E Langston. ‘The Show Off’ revealed he’d enter the Rumble at number one. He then announced his plan to win the Rumble, cash-in his Money in the Bank case, win the World title, and unify the two world titles at WrestleMania. The segment was also memorable for Big E doing a comedy reporter voice that showed why he’s so rarely given mic time.

Match two was the WWE tag team title match. Team Hell No defended their belts against the Rhodes Scholars. I’d said before the event that the best result for this one would be a title change. That would have provided a reason for the teams to keep their feud going and given the doubles scene a boost it’s needed for a month or two.

The match itself was enjoyable. It was slightly better than what you’d get from these teams on TV. I’m not entirely sure what’s next for them all now. Team Hell No have between the Scholars so many times that continuing the programme seems pointless. It’s possible the Scholars will be split, considering what happened to Cody in the Rumble (which will be discussed below). WWE seem intent on milking the Kane and Bryan comedy for all its worth even though their partnership became largely unamusing months ago.

Match three was the Royal Rumble match itself. Pleasingly, it was a far better effort than last year’s. It had a more predictable winner, yes, but the pacing was better and there were a larger number of meaningful names involved.

‘The Heel’ kicked things off with a brief promo about how he was going to win and didn’t want to wait a minute and a half for entrant number two. He demanded the second man be sent out straight away.

It was Chris Jericho.

‘Y2J’ received one of the biggest pops of the night and was incredibly over throughout his lengthy stay in the multi-man battle. Ziggler sold Jericho’s appearance perfectly. They were joined by Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston and Santino. ‘The Milan Miracle’ got the dubious honour of being the first man eliminated from the bout, with ‘The Dashing One’ picking up the accolade of first man to make an elimination.

Drew McIntyre and Titus O’Neil bulked up the numbers before the surprise return of Goldust at number eight. He and Rhodes, half-brothers, immediately targeted one another (Rhodes would eventually eliminate ‘The Golden One’). The crowd were far more into this than I would have thought. Both men lobbied to face off at WrestleMania XXVIII last year. After the reaction their battle in the Rumble received perhaps they’ll get their wish this year.

David Otunga and Heath Slater were in next, followed by Sheamus at number eleven. ‘Great White’ got a loud and positive reaction, which surely had to be at least in part because he was the first potential winner and genuine main eventer to appear since Ziggler and Jericho. He made quick work of O’Neil and Otunga, eliminating them via his ten punch in the ropes spot. That was as nauseating as it sounds.

Tensai and Brodus Clay followed ‘The Celtic Warrior’ in. The former IWGP and GHC tag team champion was eliminated fairly quickly by Kofi Kingston, proving that he will never again be a featured performer in WWE. ‘The Funkasaurus’ was eliminated via team effort. Why he was given even that much protection is beyond me. WWE gave up on him months ago.

As “Fat Albert” lollygagged at ringside Kofi was booted off of the apron by Ziggler. He avoided exiting the match by landing on Tensai’s back. From there he got onto the Spanish announce table. It looked as though he was going to try leaping from there to the apron. In the end that didn’t happen. He shuffled back to the ring on JBL’s chair.

The sequence was decidedly less spectacular than the handstand one Kofi was a part of last year.

Rey Mysterio and Darren Young were numbers fourteen and fifteen. The masked man may as well not have bothered. He did nothing memorable and clearly wasn’t in the shape as he usually is. The spot would have been better used on someone who could have gotten a return pop (such as Christian, Mark Henry or Jack Swagger) or benefited from the exposure (such as R-Truth or Yoshi Tatsu).

Bo Dallas was next. Never heard of him? Most people haven’t. He’s an NXT guy who won a tournament to earn a spot in the Rumble. He ended up eliminating Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett, which probably indicates he’ll be sticking around on the main roster to feud with the man from Preston. That could be good. It could certainly help establish Dallas as a meaningful member of the roster.

Speaking of Barrett he entered at eighteen, one after The Godfather. Yes, The Godfather. Being a surprise entrant he was always going to get a huge response but I wouldn’t have guessed it’d be this big. He lasted around three seconds once he finally got into the ring. His music didn’t even cut off, meaning he got to exit to it as well. Yeah, Godfather went a little New Jack on us.

John Cena went in at nineteen and predictably blasted through everyone. He quickly eliminated Cody Rhodes, who had been having a decent night until this point, and Heath Slater. It could have been worse. While Cena flattened everyone at least his number of immediate eliminations were kept mercifully low.

‘The Franchise’ was followed by Damien Sandow, Daniel Bryan, Antonio Cesaro, The Great Khali, Kane, and Zack Ryder. It was a quiet patch as far as big names were concerned, broken by the entrance of Randy Orton at twenty six. The match was rounded out by Jinder Mahal, The Miz, Sin Cara and Ryback.

‘Big Hungry’ aside it was a fairly anti-climactic final few.

The clean-up process started. Ryback made quick work of Sin Cara, Damien Sandow and ‘The Awesome One’ and would eventually eliminate ‘The Viper’ during the Final Four Sequence™. Ziggler superkicked ‘The Highlight of the Night’ out of the bout. ‘The Apex Predator’ went out to a meathook clothesline after a failed RKO attempt on Ryback. The last four men in were Ziggler, Cena, Ryback and Sheamus. The ironically nicknamed ‘Sole Survivor’ was tossed out by Sheamus, who was thrown out a few minutes later by Ryback.

That left ‘The Human Wrecking Ball’ alone with Cena.

It had been fairly obvious going in that Cena would win the Rumble to begin the setup for his rematch with The Rock. With that in mind it made sense to have him throw Ryback out last. As one of the most heavily pushed men of the past several months it just seemed possible that WWE could swerve its audience and have Ryback win. The possibility of him challenging for the WHC helped there: it would have allowed someone other than Cena to win without Rock v Cena II being affected.

 

As usual ring psychology deserted Mr Cena

 

That’s not what happened though. WWE went with the predictable Cena victory. On the surface that’s not something to be thrilled about. Cena won yet another match that could have been used to elevate someone else on the roster. Yes, it’s an annoyance, but it’s not that bad a move. Everyone suspected WWE would start building towards the Rock and Cena rematch. Doing so has allowed them to keep the direction of the World title feud a secret for a while longer. Had anybody but Cena won we would have kknown months ahead of the event who would be in both world title matches, rather than just one.

Considering how little attention was paid to the Rumble match itself in the build-up to the event I think WWE turned out an astonishingly good instalment. There weren’t as many surprise entrants as I’d expected but the ones that did participate all made sense and weren’t just frivolous inclusions. They all contributed something, whether it was the simple pop of The Godfather or the lengthy spell of Chris Jericho (done in part to ensure there was a veteran present to lead proceedings).

The Rock cut a pre-match promo in the style of a televangelist which saw him declare he’d become the new WWE champion. He also mentioned his doomed football career and that his mother was present and suffering from cancer. So that was something.

CM Punk was given another reason to complain about being disrespected when he was sent out to the ring first. Traditionally the champion goes out last. I can only assume tradition goes out of the window when a Hollywood movie star is the challenger.

 

This guy brings it. Whatever "it" is...

 

The match was far better than ‘The Great One’s’ outing against John Cena at ‘Mania last year. It started off with the two dashing into the centre of the ring and peppering one another with shots. The crowd were split but it was immediately clear that more spectators favoured The Rock over Punk.

A good portion of Attitude Era shortcuts were employed. There was a healthy amount of ringside brawling, outside interference from Paul Heyman, and a very relaxed approach to count outs from Mike Chioda. All that was missing was a ref bump.

The way in which The Rock sold Punk’s kicks was noteworthy. He made it look like they, y’know, actually hurt. It was a far cry from John Cena’s reaction to them. For that matter it was a far cry from ‘The Brahma Bull’s’ lacklustre selling of Miz and R-Truth’s offence at Survivor Series 2011.

Predictably the fast pace couldn’t be held indefinitely. Rock went down to a rest hold within the first five minutes. ‘The Second City Saint’ remained in control for the next several minutes by concentrating on Rock’s mid-section. A storyline tweak of Punk’s “surgically repaired” knee created an opening for the challenger. Rock went after the knee with stomps. Punk retaliated with a suicide dive to the outside, handily obliterating the illusion of the knee being injured.

Punk went for a GTS. Rock countered with a Sharpshooter attempt. That was rolled into the Anaconda Vice, giving us one of the match’s slickest wrestling moments. Rock went for another Rock Bottom, only to have Punk reverse into a crucifix. Rock rolled through that pin attempt and finally locked in the Sharpshooter. Punk escaped sold for a bit before escaping.

They made their way outside and onto the Spanish announce table. Punk signalled for a GTS but ‘The Great One’ snatched him in for a Rock Bottom. That didn’t end up happening: the table collapsed. Kofi Kingston was probably to blame. They did the move again on the mats to set up a Rock near fall back in the ring.

Moments later Rock nailed the spinebuster and went for a People’s Elbow. The crowd naturally roared their approval. Seconds before he connected the lights went out. Was it the Undertaker? Sabu? Brad Maddox?

No, it was The Shield. Or so we were told by Michael Cole. We couldn’t be sure ourselves because the lights didn’t come back on. Cole, now a babyface (and, apparently, a man with the ability to see in the dark), had no reason to lie though, and whoever the three men were they power bombed The Rock through the remaining announce table. Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose certainly seemed likely suspects.

The lights came back up and we saw Punk lying in the ring laughing. Cole continued screeching at ringside as Punk retrieved his challenger and pinned him in the ring to retain the WWE championship.

Punk and Heyman celebrated in the ring until Vinnie Mac power walked his way out and reminded everyone that he had ruled Punk would be stripped of the title should The Shield interfere. He begun making the announcement but was interrupted by The Rock. ‘The Great One’ demanded the match be restarted so that he, not Vince, could take the belt from Punk. If there’s one thing Vince loves it’s a celebrity so he restarted the match.

Punk launched himself at the ring, stomping and choking him before hitting his corner knee and the Macho Elbow. Rock, naturally, kicked out. Punk signalled for a Go to Sleep but Rock slipped out and hit a spinebuster followed by a People’s Elbow for the three. Punk’s 434 day title reign ended in a fittingly big fight atmosphere and a fittingly big event.

As much as I would have liked to see CM Punk retain the WWE championship I can’t deny this was the right finish. The crowd went wild for The Rock’s win, and having the number one title in the company on a legitimate movie star during WWE’s peak period is going to help the WrestleMania buy rate. Punk had to drop the belt sooner or later, at least this way it was in a big match to a big name opponent that should have earned WWE a large amount of money.

Although the post-Rumble RAW hasn’t aired yet it seems reasonable to assume that the Rock v Cena rematch is going to be setup for WrestleMania. That leaves Punk free to head into a clash with the Undertaker, after failing to regain the title at Elimination Chamber of course.

These two matches are predictable, yes, but that doesn’t make them bad. Cena and Rock could improve on their match from last year by modelling their rematch on the Rumble main event. Setting a quick pace for the first several minutes before going to rest holds and ringside brawling is a model that allows for shortcuts. Rock’s a very charismatic man, but he’s not the wrestler he once was. Shortcuts are of great benefit to him. Meanwhile Cena is Cena. He always needs shortcuts.

The rematch isn’t my idea of a great match, but then I’m not WWE’s only customer. The chances are that if you’re reading this blog you probably don’t want to see Rock v Cena II either. But we’re in the minority. Most of WWE’s fanbase are kids and casual viewers, most of whom want to see Cena get his win back on The Rock, or at least interested in the potential of a return outing, and will pay to see him do it.

Punk and Undertaker should be a great match if it happens. The now former champion has been elevated so much over the past year that I think with the right build a decent number of people could be convinced that he’ll end ‘The Dead Man’s’ Streak.

As I noted above the rest of the card is a blissful blank. Yes we have two long rumoured bouts looking more certain than ever, but that’s not a bad thing when the rest of the card’s a complete mystery. WWE have all but confirmed the two matches that are most going to sell WrestleMania XXIX and left themselves free to reveal the rest of the show at their own pace. It’s a smart move that should make television shows interesting for the next month or so.

Royal Rumble was a success in the ring and out. It was a good first step on the Road to WrestleMania. That’s everything we could have hoped for.

Royal Rumble 2013 preview

Finally... The Rock will wrestle a WWE championship match. See what I did there? I could be wrong but I'm fairly sure the last time 'The Great One' was involved in a match for the WWE title was at SummerSlam 2002 when he lost it to Brock Lesnar. Coincidentally Paul Heyman was at ringside for that bout as he will be when Rock challenges CM Punk at the Royal Rumble on Sunday.
 
Rock versus Punk is very clearly the biggest match of Sunday's card, overshadowing even the Royal Rumble itself. Personally I think it should go on last because there's no way the Rumble, no matter how many high spots are included, unexpected surprise entrants there are, or who ends up winning, will top this clash.
  
Punk's title reign has famously lasted well over a year but there have been very few occasions when it's felt like he could lose the belt. Being booked strongly has meant that more often than not he’s been the favourite going into defences. There has been a very real lack of credible opposition. Only two men have come close to looking like they could take the gold from him: John Cena and Ryback.
 
Cena could have beaten 'The Second City Saint' to setup his rematch with The Rock earlier than expected. Ryback could have beaten Punk to continue his ascension through the ranks. Both men seemed plausible replacements as champion, unlike previous challengers such as Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Chris Jericho.
 
Rock is only the third man in over a year to pose a credible challenge to the WWE championship. On the surface he would appear to be the favourite. Putting the championship on the company's number one draw during the build-up to the biggest wrestling show of the year would be perfectly sensible. It would encourage plenty of mainstream news coverage, something that WWE (and any other wrestling promotion worth its salt) is always keen to have.
 
On top of that The Rock has guaranteed victory. That's not something to be taken lightly.

WWE has a habit of scripting their top babyfaces to only promise a win when they're actually going to pull it off (a positive for working in a predetermined industry). It's something I first noticed over a decade ago when 'The Brahma Bull' was still a regular on the roster. He would only "guaran-damn-tee" a win if he was going over at the next PPV. If he wasn't set to win he'd run through the regular babyface spiel but omit a guarantee.
 
Perhaps I'm reading too far into things. But it is a fact that The Rock only ever used that word when he was set to win. It's also a fact that he used it on the January 14^th RAW.
 
That said a win for The Rock is not a foregone conclusion. The WWE writing team have done a very good job of setting up various strands that could become factors in this match.
 
First of all there's Paul Heyman at ringside. He could be used as a distraction throughout the bout. It's not impossible to imagine him sacrificing himself into a Rock Bottom to allow Punk to sneak in a match winning GTS. There's The Shield. Vince McMahon may have ruled that if they interfere Punk will be stripped of the belt but that doesn’t mean we definitely won’t see them. They could attack Rock before the bell rings, for example. There's Brad Maddox. He could either be used as a rogue referee or just as general bump fodder, running in to save Punk from getting pinned.
 
There's even Vickie Guerrero. The writing team went out of their way to establish friction between her and The Rock on the January 14^th RAW and continue the theme on the January 21^st show. That could certainly indicate Vickie will play a factor at the Rumble. She could add a no DQ stipulation, which would favour Punk, or appoint Maddox as the referee.
 
Plenty of options for wackily booked outside interference doesn't indicate a win for one guy or the other. Punk's shenanigans could gain him a(nother) tainted victory or Rock could be the valiant babyface and overcome everything to capture the gold. Based on the current booking alone it could go either way.

The man who would be champ

  
Realistically there's only one way to predict a winner here. It's to ask who's more likely to head into WrestleMania as WWE champion. Punk is rumoured to be the Undertaker's opponent this year. If that's the case then he's going to lose the title before WrestleMania. 'The Dead Man', being a part timer, won't win the title again. That means Punk can't enter that match as champion. If that’s the case then he will need to drop the strap before WrestleMania. That could happen at Elimination Chamber, but having him survive The Rock only to lose the belt three weeks later would seem anti-climactic.

‘The Brahma Bull’ is rumoured to be facing John Cena or Brock Lesnar in New Jersey. The likelihood is we’re going to see Rock v Cena II. Making the rematch a bigger deal than the first encounter would obviously be desirable. The best way of doing that is to include the WWE championship.

All of which means The Rock has to be considered the favourite at the Rumble. If he wins he’ll essentially be a transitional champion to get the belt back onto Cena. Not that that matters. It will be good for business. That’s what matters.
 
This prediction doesn’t reflect my personal wishes. I would love to see Punk's second WWE title run continue. I enjoy lengthy reigns and I think Punk has been consistently good enough in the role to warrant his time at the top continuing. Sadly WWE don’t consult me on booking decisions.
 
Moving onto the rest of the card there are four other matches announced: a tag match, two other singles matches, and the Royal Rumble match. All bar the Rumble are for titles. The Rumble match is, of course, for a shot at either of WWE's two world belts at WrestleMania XXIX.
 
The other world championship will be defended by your favourite Latin Hero and mine, Alberto Del Rio. His opponent will be the former World Heavyweight champion, Big Show. Yes, for the second year in a row 'The Giant' will wrestle for the WHC at the Royal Rumble. If that doesn't illustrate the lack of depth of the WWE headline roster I don't know what does.
 
As was the case with their encounter on the January 11^th SmackDown this will be fought under Last Man Standing rules. That SmackDown match was surprisingly enjoyable and I've been amazed at how well Del Rio has transferred to the good guy role so there's every chance this will be a heated encounter.
 
The smart thing to do would be to open the show with this match and not have them out there for too long. 'The World's Largest Athlete' is not served well by long bouts. Opening with this would kick off the evening with something big and keeping the bout short would not only ensure Show doesn't blow up but would also mean the two don't have to worry about holding any big spots off for the latter portion. It would serve as an action packed opener.
 
I'll be surprised if Big Show regains the championship here. Why would Del Rio win it only to drop it back to the same guy three weeks later?
 
The rivalry between Team Hell No and The Rhodes Scholars could have been excellent. All four can produce great matches when given the time and all have firm enough handles on their characters to contribute amusing segments to TV. It's surprising then just how little the two units have interacted since their programme started three months ago. They've spent most of their time teaming up with random singles wrestlers for six mans. Considering how popular Kane and Bryan were when they were first put together this has to be considered a missed opportunity.
 
The time seems right for the doubles belts to change hands. Not only would it give the teams a reason to continue clashing (does anyone remember what started their dispute?) and possibly liven up their feud but it would also freshen up the tag scene. Both would be nice to see.

The US title match, being on the pre-show, probably won’t feature a title change. It should be an entertaining affair served well by the first match pop. If The Miz is going to beat Cesaro for the belt it’ll probably happen at Elimination Chamber.
 
Finally there's the Royal Rumble match. As I noted in my preview of last year's event (read it here) it's practically impossible to pick a winner for the Rumble. Not only is WWE's long term planning fairly lacklustre but the group has displayed a willingness to alter what plans it does have if too many fans correctly guess an outcome. Yes, that is a stupid reason for changing plans. Welcome to the mind of Vince McMahon.
 
There are three realistic candidates in my eyes. Top of the list is John Cena. If he doesn't get a rematch with The Rock at this year's WrestleMania what's he going to do instead? There's time for something else to be set up for both him and Rock but everything we've seen and heard over the last several months indicates a Cena v Rock rematch. The only event that befits that bout is WrestleMania. The simplest way of setting it up is to have 'The Franchise' win the annual battle royal and have Rock beat Punk.
 
The second likeliest guy to win, and he's a distant second, is Randy Orton. A Rumble victory could put 'The Viper' on course to tackle Alberto Del Rio for the World title at WrestleMania. An Orton versus Rock clash is possible too, but not particularly likely. If WWE were planning that they'd have hinted at it by now.
 
What goes against the idea of 'The Apex Predator' winning is his rumoured heel turn. Having him lose this match would add to the list of reasons the character has for going bad. It adds to his frustrations with the WWE system. The best thing for the Orton character is to come close to winning before getting eliminated by whoever he's facing at 'Mania (probably Sheamus).
 
The third and final man I think should be considered is Ryback. As the man WWE are most keen to elevate the possibility of 'The Human Wrecking Ball' winning here can't be ignored. Granted it's tough to imagine him facing any of the company's biggest names at 'Mania but that doesn't mean it won't happen. The Royal Rumble is traditionally used as a starting point for title feuds at WrestleMania after all. What seems unlikely now could seem obvious with hindsight next Monday morning.
 
As we don’t know everyone who’ll be entering the match it would be easier to say who won't win. But that would take too long.
 
Speaking of who’ll be in the match it’s probably best not to take any lists of entrants you may come across to heart. The likes of Cena, Orton, Sheamus, Ziggler and the rest of the main event crew are going to appear. Beyond that nothing can be certain. Even comedy favourites 3MB, who were among the earliest to declare their entry into the bout, won't necessarily compete. WWE has a nasty track record of breaking their promises with this sort of thing, particularly with regards to the Rumble.
 
We can be hopeful of some surprises though. I wrote a completely separate entry on that subject last month so for extended thoughts give that a read here. The short version is that Chris Jericho and-or Batista could both make one off appearances and that this would be an ideal time to reintroduce John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin and MVP, all of whom are rumoured to be on the rehire list, to the roster.
 
The man I'm going to pick to win is John Cena. We've had a couple of years of relatively surprising winners. WWE can afford to go with something thoroughly predictable this year. We should be more concerned with how well the match is booked than who's going to win anyway. After a humdrum match last year and only a so-so effort the year before something special needs to be done here in order to maintain the perception that Royal Rumble is a special event.
 
At the moment this looks like a show with lots of potential for excitement. Obviously the matches everyone cares about are the multi-man tussle and the WWE championship match. The other two bouts could be decent but ultimately their quality is irrelevant. This show's status as a hit or a miss depends on the success, or lack thereof, of the two big matches.
 
Everyone involved knows what's at stake. With this being the launching pad for WrestleMania XXIX's line-up I'm confident WWE won’t disappoint.
 
Predictions summary:
The Rock to beat CM Punk
John Cena to win the Royal Rumble
Alberto Del Rio to beat Big Show
The Rhodes Scholars to beat Team Hell No

Antonio Cesaro to beat The Miz

Third Time's a Charm

At the 2011 Royal Rumble Dolph Ziggler challenged Edge for the World Heavyweight championship. He didn't win. At the next year's Rumble Ziggler challenged CM Punk for the WWE championship. Once again he didn't win.
 
This year's show is still a few weeks away. It's been announced that The Rock will challenge CM Punk for the WWE championship on the show. No WHC bout has been announced as yet. Nothing about the current storylines revolving around SmackDown's premier prize indicates that 'The Show Off' will be involved in the match though. It's currently looking as though Alberto Del Rio (or perhaps Ricardo Rodriguez) will get the nod.
 
Which is a great shame. Had Ziggler been prepped for another crack at a world title the angle of his two previous attempts on the show ending in failure could have been played up. WWE doesn't make the most of these situations anywhere near often enough. It's arguable that the only statistic they've ever truly capitalised on to its maximum potential is the Undertaker's Streak.
 
Not that I'm saying giving Ziggler a world title shot at the Rumble for a third straight year could have been as lucrative as 'The Dead Man's' 'Mania record but it could have been intriguing. Wrestling is, to all intents and purposes, a sport. Yes it's predetermined but that doesn't prevent those in charge from capitalising on situations and circumstances when they crop up. In fact wrestling's predetermined nature should mean we see stories like this more often.
 
Staying with the theme of The Streak for a moment, cast your mind back to Shawn Michaels' back-to-back failures against 'Taker. Yes The Streak was the reason that story could be presented in the first place, but the rematch wasn't just about 'Taker's statistics or HBK's career, it played into stories that had been kept bubbling across the year as well as ‘The Showstopper’s’ failure to get the job done once before. Michaels had to goad Undertaker into facing him by costing him a championship, agreeing to put his career on the line to get what he wanted. It was as much about Michaels and Undertaker’s rematch as it was The Streak as a whole.

Undertaker still has his real hair here

 
Ziggler getting a title match at the Rumble for the third year in a row may seem a world removed from this but that's only because it's so unlike the current WWE booking approach. It's easy to imagine 'The Heel' interrupting a promo between Show and ADR in order to make himself eligible for a championship match. It's not so easy to imagine him referring to his past defeats at the event and the announcers playing it up.
 
The situation could still be capitalised on though. Should Ziggler cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the victor of the World strap match and leave as the new champion then it could be mentioned that he failed in 2011 and 2012 but succeeded in 2013 despite not having a match scheduled. It would be making use of the past in a different way but still making use of it.
 
Sadly that's not something WWE are interested in. That's a shame on two levels. Firstly because it’s an approach that could improve WWE's storylines by providing a different area to place emphasis in storylines without amending the sports entertainment approach. Secondly because WWE has a rich history, both short and long term, that would offer a wealth of plots.
 
The same old approach makes money though. And ultimately that's all that matters.

Who Can Win the Rumble?

A few weeks ago I posted a list of possibilities for "surprise" entrants in next year's Royal Rumble (you can read it here). Since then I've been thinking about potential winners of the match. Successfully predicting a Rumble winner is something that's very difficult to do, particularly with the modern WWE product. Examples of long term planning, which Rumble winners generally require to succeed (see the failure of this year's winner Sheamus) are scarce and the promotion's willingness to have victors take their title shots at pay-per-views other than WrestleMania means a heavily pushed mid-carder has a chance (see Sheamus again).
 
It's far too early to pick one guy and say he's my choice to outlast everyone else. However it feels about the right time to list the men I currently think are favourites and a few longshot contenders.
 
Top of the list has to be John Cena. The reasons should be obvious. He is WWE's most heavily pushed and relied upon act and has been for years. He is the top drawing regular performer and so placing him in a prominent position on the biggest card of the year is a perfectly sensible business move. Cena versus any of the part time attractions mentioned in connection with 'Mania XXIX would be big business for WWE.
 
A Cena victory could set up a lucrative rematch with The Rock. Going against WrestleMania XXVIII's "once in a lifetime" marketing is not enough to stop that being a strong possibility. It could also lead Cena to a bout with current WWE champion CM Punk. We've seen that match far too often for it to be considered special any longer but the match would be a way of portraying 'The Second City Saint' as Cena's equal, especially if he were up beat him.
 
There's even the potential for Cena to win the Rumble and challenge for the World Heavyweight championship. There's plenty of time for Sheamus or Randy Orton, and maybe turn heel, to win the belt before 'Mania to give Cena a main event opponent.
 
Speaking of Sheamus and Orton both seem like possible Rumble winners. A WHC match between the two has been rumoured for WrestleMania XXIX. Sheamus could regain the big gold belt from Big Show and 'The Viper' could win the 30 man battle royal before turning heel. Orton v Sheamus would be a fresh programme and match that would allow WWE to continue presenting 'Great White' as a genuine headliner, something which remains inexplicably high on their priority list.
 
It could just as easily be 'The Apex Predator' dethroning 'The World's Largest Athlete' and Sheamus winning the Rumble. Although saying that it would mean Sheamus winning two years in a row, which doesn't seem terribly likely. The current writing system seems to be against repeat performances such as that.
 
Another guy who seems like he has a good chance is Ryback. He's received a substantial push all year and his profile has been raised considerably by his recent rivalry with CM Punk. While the WWE champion is probably going to be moved away from 'Big Hungry' over the next few weeks, to allow adequate time to hype his clash with 'The Brahma Bull', the chances of Ryback dominating the Rumble seem high. I'll be surprised if he's not in the final four.

Royal Rumble winner?

 
Should Ryback win I'd expect him to challenge for the World Heavyweight title. The WWE title scene will be dominated by established headliners throughout 'Mania Season. Besides, Ryback challenging for the WWE championship is well worn now. Should 'Big Hungry' win wrestling's most prestigious battle royal I could see him going against Big Show or a heel Orton. If it were the latter the match would naturally culminate with Show being muscled up for a Shellshock, proving to every man, woman and child watching that Ryback is the strongest in the land.
 
A Brock Lesnar win isn't beyond the realms of possibility. It could set up a battle between he and The Rock for the pay-per-view extravaganza, if 'The Great One' were to topple Punk of course. That would a fantastic match for WWE to promote: a Hollywood movie star against a former UFC champion for the promotion's top prize. It would be a great way to entice extra media coverage. It's one of the best matches WWE could go with.
 
Dolph Ziggler is another wrestler with a narrow chance at winning. While he's failed to capture a world title in 2012 (although there are still two weeks left) 'The Show Off' has worked his way up the card to a spot where it's not impossible to imagine him winning the Rumble. Pay-per-view outings against headline talent like Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Sheamus (he sort of counts), Punk, and John Cena have helped his standing a great deal. It's possible WWE will speed up his slow elevation with a Rumble victory. If it happens I imagine Ziggler will be challenging for the WHC at Elimination Chamber or 'Mania.
 
What could harm Ziggler's chance is that he still has the Money in the Bank briefcase to use. An argument could be made that that already presents a clear route to the world title for 'The Heel', making a Rumble win unnecessary. Ziggler winning the Rumble and still having the briefcase could be made to work but it would involve WWE passing up a chance to elevate someone else. I don't think this is the former Spirit Squad member's year. Ryback seems more likely.
 
Finally there's the Undertaker. If he were to win the Rumble he would make a natural opponent for CM Punk. 'The Voice of the Voiceless' retaining all the way until WrestleMania would allow for a Streak versus long title emphasis to be placed on the match.

Alternatively The Rock could defeat Punk for the belt and challenge The Streak at 'Mania. Both Rock and Punk have the status to be credible and believable challengers to Undertaker's undefeated status. The longest reigning WWE champion of the modern era challenging The Streak would be a great main event for next year's extravaganza. That's the match I want to see.

Rumble Surprise

This time last year I didn't realise how close the Royal Rumble was. It snuck up on me. As WWE's second biggest event of the year and the show that kicks off the build to their biggest (WrestleMania, you may have heard of it) that's a pretty impressive feat. This year I'm prepared and thought I'd post some early thoughts on who could turn up as a "surprise" entrant in the 2013 entry into wrestling’s longest running annual battle royal.
 
One of the top possibilities for a surprise appearance has to be the Undertaker. 'The Phenom' is already under contract to WWE, which makes it easier to negotiate his inclusion. He's also without an obvious opponent for WrestleMania XXIX and a return at the Rumble would be an ideal way to set something up.
 
The last two years have seen 'The Dead Man' tangle with Triple H as part of an ongoing storyline that started with 'Taker facing Shawn Michaels at 'Mania XXV in 2009. He has not needed to participate in the Rumble while feuding with 'The Game'. If he's facing Punk, The Rock, John Cena, Ryback or another member of the regular roster there's no better way to get something started.
 
Another very likely candidate is Brock Lesnar. WWE have reportedly been very careful to retain a number of appearances from the limited dates deal 'The Pain' signed earlier in the year. It's a smart move, allowing them to use Lesnar as a semi-regular on TV in the weeks prior to WrestleMania, helping to keep TV ratings stable and keep interest buzzing regarding the big show.
 
It also means WWE can book him in the Rumble match. Matches against the Undertaker and The Rock have both been rumoured for the former UFC champion. While he could interfere in the WWE title match on behalf of CM Punk to set up a match with 'The Great One' a more traditional Rumble origin seems more likely for a programme with the Undertaker.
 
Of course a Lesnar v Undertaker feud would be big enough in its own right to not require a start at the Rumble. It could be an interesting beginning point though.
 
More of a long shot is Batista. Since leaving WWE in 2010 he's had only a handful of film roles and one shoot fight. A return to the wrestling business seems likely as it's his best chance of making some serious money again. If he does return to wrestling it's almost guaranteed to be for WWE.
 
Batista is a big name who could liven the product up with some star power and fresh matches. That's why WWE would want him back. 'The Animal’ could be well served making a one off appearance. In recent years we’ve seen plenty of established stars return for one night only, and it would help Batista's negotiating position for the future should he get a good reaction from the crowd (which he would).

This guy needs WWE as much as WWE needs him

 
The Hardy brother that everyone wants to see back in WWE, Jeff, will be under contract to TNA until the spring of next year. He's been wary of committing to furthering his relationship with TNA in recent interviews which could indicate he's considering one final big money run in McMahon Land. It won't be a run that starts on January 27^th though.
 
'The Charismatic Enigma's' brother is a more tangible possibility. He's currently working for Ring of Honor but the nature of his deal is unknown. He's confirmed for a TV title match with champion Adam Cole at Final Battle but nothing beyond that is confirmed. There's a chance the former 'Sensei of Mattitude' may be a free agent and eligible to return to WWE for the Rumble.

That's not something I want to see. Matt Hardy has not been worth following since the middle of the last decade. He's beginning to show his age and is only a draw for companies that operate on a smaller scale than WWE. Besides, Jeff was always the good one.

How about John Morrison? He left WWE late last year and has been enjoying the freedom of the indies ever since. He’s expected back in the mainstream at some point and the Rumble would be a nice platform for his return, especially if it were followed up with a meaningful and sustained push.

The same goes for MVP. Since leaving WWE in December 2010 he has mostly worked for New Japan. At first he was granted a premier spot on the card and was the recipient of the newly created IWGP Intercontinental championship. Since losing the belt he has found himself slipping further down the card. It’s possible his thirst for working in Japan will has been quenched and he’s ready to head back to WWE (the only place in North America he is legally allowed to compete as MVP).
 
Finally there's Chris Jericho. At this point I should probably ask if he would even count as a surprise should he show up at the RR. His schedule over the last couple of years has seen him coming and going from the wrestling world as he pursues his dream of becoming a rock star. He was banished from storylines in August after a loss to Dolph Ziggler but nobody expects that to end up his final appearance. He'll be back, and the Rumble seems a likely destination.

In addition to those seven guys there are numerous veterans (or, if you prefer, Legends™) under contract that could be used to get a nostalgia-based pop. Dusty Rhodes, Kevin Nash, DDP, Ron Simmons and Mick Foley would all fit the bill nicely. There’s even the option of bringing back Ric Flair, although that has to be considered pretty unlikely bearing in mind the ongoing legal saga between WWE and TNA centred on the alleged poaching of talent.

If I had to choose one man from this list to appear in the 2013 Royal Rumble it would be Batista. He’s got the best mixture of name value, potential storylines and reason for wanting to return. But it could just as easily be Norman Smiley.

When Worlds Collide

As I was watching SmackDown earlier I begun thinking about WWE having two world championships. I’ve written before that having two world titles on a combined roster dilutes the importance of both and makes it more difficult for guys to rise up the card (and has also created a company where many members of the roster have a ridiculous number of world title reigns to their name). As the show unfolded I came up with an idea that would lead to a title unification match sometime in the latter half of next year, ideally at SummerSlam.

The first step would be to have Dolph Ziggler cash-in his Money in the Bank contract relatively soon and win the World Heavyweight championship. He wouldn’t necessarily have to defeat the Big Show. ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ could lose the strap to Sheamus at Survivor Series and ‘The Show Off’ could cash-in on the new champ.

With the title on Dolph Ziggler that would place John Cena back into a world title programme. No, I’m not the biggest Cena fan either, but in fairness he hasn’t really been involved with world titles that much over the last year and he’s not challenged for the WHC for years.

Cena and Ziggler’s feud could probably be spanned out until Royal Rumble thanks to the addition of AJ and Vickie Guerrero. A match at TLC could see Ziggler retain the championship, likely by losing via disqualification or due to some form of Vickie-related shenanigans, setting up the Rumble rematch.

At the Rumble Cena would defeat Ziggler clean to become the new World Heavyweight champion. In the evening’s main event CM Punk would face The Rock. ‘The Great One’ is the heavy favourite to win the WWE championship at the show even now and I can’t imagine that state of affairs will change. This plot would see him lose. Punk would continue his epic title reign.

 

Who doesn't want to see this sight again?

 

From there there would be two options. The first would be to have ‘The Brahma Bull’ earn or be granted a rematch with Punk at WrestleMania XXIX (which would be easier to accept if Punk had cheated at the Rumble). The second is to have The Rock challenge John Cena for the World Heavyweight championship at ‘Mania.

With option one The Rock would defeat Punk in their rematch and leave WrestleMania as WWE champion. With option two he would defeat Cena for the WHC. Whichever scenario goes ahead Rock would leave Met Life Stadium with a belt. The company’s other world title would be held by either Punk or Cena.

From there Rock could appear intermittently and snipe back and forth with the other world champion about whose title is the most meaningful. Around June a champion versus champion title unification match could be agreed upon for SummerSlam. That would pit The Rock against either John Cena or CM Punk.

Admittedly the Cena v Rock match would probably be best for SummerSlam as it would put that much more distance between their “once in a lifetime” clash at WrestleMania XXVIII and the rematch. Cena has more history with The Rock than does Punk and they would feel like the natural choice for a unification bout. Personally I think Punk would be a fine choice too, and placing him in the situation would cement his position as Cena’s equal, which should be a priority for WWE.

This scenario would create a long-running storyline, have the potential to attract a large pay-per-view number, and tidy up the promotion’s cluttered championship scene. I can’t see any reason not to do it. That means it won’t happen.

Surefire Loser?

When I previewed Hell in a Cell on Wednesday I predicted that CM Punk would beat Ryback in the show's main event.My reasons for feeling this way can be covered in a handful points. Firstly I think putting the championship on Ryback so soon could see fans turn on him. He's been in the WWE system for years but has only been on television for around six months (under his current persona at any rate). Such a hurried rise could cause resentment.
 
The second reason I've given is that it would set up a Rock v Ryback match at the 2013 Royal Rumble, or necessitate having the title back on Punk by January. A clash between 'back and 'The Great One' doesn't seem like a match WWE are interested in, and taking the belt off of Punk just to put it back on him within three months seems short-sighted.
 
But what if I'm wrong? It's not as though promoting Ryback to the top of the card is without merit.
 
As I've noted before Ryback would be a welcome addition to a barren main event scene. A victory over Punk would undoubtedly be the best way of establishing him as a headliner. Plenty of fresh bouts would be created by the move. Alberto Del Rio, a heel Randy Orton, Big Show, and Dolph Ziggler could all solidify Ryback's standing as the new top man. A face versus face encounter with Sheamus could be interesting, and rematches with Punk would help too.

Look how excitable Ryback is. Imagine if he became champ!

 
A promotion of Ryback would really pay off come WrestleMania season. All of the big players whose 'Mania outings are currently being discussed would be fresh opponents for Ryback. If 'The Human Wrecking Ball' were still undefeated, and champion to boot, then he could realistically be paired up with any of them for a money-drawing first time encounter.
 
The Rock, Undertaker, Triple H, Brock Lesnar and John Cena are the men in question. They, along with CM Punk, are expected to form the basis of WrestleMania XXIX's top matches. While the exact matches haven't been revealed knowing the men who will be in them makes the event a little predictable. Adding Ryback's name to the list would create some uncertainty along with some buzz for the new boy.
 
If 'The Human Wrecking Ball' were to head into the Rumble as champion he would be facing The Rock. Having him beat 'The Brahma Bull' would further enhance his standing and be an unexpected result, because most people are expecting Rock v Cena II for the championship at WrestleMania.
 
An argument against that happening is that a match between current champion CM Punk and The Rock has already been hinted at. Said hints cannot be taken back but that's not a bad thing. It would just make a Ryback v Rock match that more surprising when announced.
 
Were 'Big Hungry' to beat Hollywood's finest at the Rumble it would open up plenty of options for WrestleMania. He could take on the boss and be written into a feud with (a heel) Triple H. He could give 'The Great One' a rematch. He could battle with a Rumble-winning CM Punk. He could face WWE's prize box office acquisition Brock Lesnar. He could challenge the Undertaker's Streak, allowing for marketing to focus on an "undefeated" star challenging 'The Dead Man'.
 
Ryback could even be booked against the company's current top guy, John Cena. A face versus face clash between the two wouldn't be pretty and would see 'The CeNation Leader' get heavily booed (which will happen no matter who he faces on the snow) but it would also present Ryback as heir apparent to the top babyface spot.
 
Do I think any of the above will happen? No. I'm sticking to my prediction that Punk will leave HIAC still WWE champion and be the man to lose the title to The Rock at Royal Rumble. There are ways of protecting Ryback without putting the belt on him. Matches between The Rock and both CM Punk and John Cena have already been hinted at. I don't think WWE is going to change course now.

Feed Him More

At the conclusion of the September 24^th RAW Ryback appeared backstage to stop CM Punk battering Mick Foley. A week later WWE's hungriest superstar stormed the ring after the WWE champion had ordered commentator Jim Ross backstage. Both of these encounters saw 'The Second City Saint' retreat from 'The Human Wrecking Ball'.
 
The prospect of a Ryback versus CM Punk feud or match seems to have a lot of people excited. I think it could prove enjoyable if handled right but I don't think we're going to see it happen anytime soon.
 
The former Skip Sheffield has proven to be a surprise hit since returning to WWE with a new name and (slightly new) appearance. The slow push and demolition of everyone placed in front of him has created a star that fans can believe in. His "Feed me more!" chant, shouts of "Stoopid!", stiff ring style and proven ability to win have all encouraged fans to back him. Similar acts have been seen in wrestling before but as Ryback is the only guy in WWE doing it right now it allows him to appear different.

Fans cheered Ryback over CM Punk. That's popularity that is

 
WWE aren't going to rush him into a programme with a guy of Punk's level. I believe they're just testing the waters and gauging interest. Punk will clash with John Cena at Hell in a Cell and very possibly Survivor Series. With a battle against Mick Foley rumoured for TLC in December and a showdown with 'The Great One' at the Royal Rumble in January CM Punk has a busy schedule and has no time for a proper feud with Ryback.
 
It's possible that WWE would use the rivalry to fill time on TV but that would be a massive waste. A programme of that magnitude would need to cover at least one pay-per-view. Should the Foley bout not happen at TLC then perhaps we'll see Punk clash with his fellow Nexus alumnus then. If not then the earliest I can imagine them clashing is Elimination Chamber.
 
The thing is that building a bout for six months would be uncharacteristic of the global entertainment company. WWE is much more inclined to book short term, unless big names like Cena, Triple H, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are involved. Punk could, at a push, be considered on the cusp of that status. But Ryback? Defs not.

More likely for Ryback is a resumption of the rivalry with The Miz that was first hinted at on the September 17^th RAW. ‘The Awesome One’ should ensure Ryback doesn’t hear any unwanted jeers and a feud for the Intercontinental championship would allow him to be presented as a rising star without making fans resent his push.
 
The slow build WWE have been doing with Ryback has worked. They will not risk fouling that up by moving him up the card too soon. Teasing a showdown with the cowardly WWE champion is fine, but they won’t go through with it as that would either mean switching the belt or promoting a Ryback v Rock match at the Rumble. Neither of those is an option.
 
For now Ryback will have to remain content with his diet of random jabronis and low-card talent and the potential feud with Miz. His ascension to the top of the card is still a little way off but it is coming. Vince McMahon is said to see him as a potential number two babyface. With his physique and range of popular catchphrases it’s hard to disagree.

Night of Champions preview

Last December CM Punk successfully defended the WWE championship against The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a triple threat Tables, Ladders and Chairs match in the main event of WWE's TLC pay-per-view. Despite that being nine months ago he has not headlined a supercard since.
 
That's likely to change this Sunday. At Night of Champions Punk will defend the WWE title against John Cena in Cena's hometown. That scenario should be enough to ensure Punk gets to go on last for the first time in 2012.
 
While I don't think we're going to see the title change hands I do think 'The CeNation Leader' is Punk's biggest challenge for a while. I don't think I've felt there's a chance someone could topple 'The Voice of the Voiceless' for the gold since he was feuding with Chris Jericho in the spring.
 
It's easy to imagine WWE wanting the title on Cena so that he can face The Rock at the Royal Rumble. It would be a huge match and free 'The Great One' up for a bout with Brock Lesnar or Undertaker at WrestleMania XXIX. That said I think a match between Punk and The Rock is more likely, saving the Cena v Rock rematch for 'Mania.

Could they have made him look any more angelic?

 
I expect Punk to retain via shady tactics. Some sort of cheat finish would make it clear that Punk will do anything to retain the belt, further establishing as WWE's new lead villain.
 
I think Randy Orton v Dolph Ziggler will grab the match of the night accolade. They're two of WWE's best wrestlers and rarely enter duff performances.
 
I'm going to predict a win for 'The Show Off'. He's been credited with sending Chris Jericho packing from WWE but that win occurred on RAW: Ziggler lost at SummerSlam. The man with the briefcase needs a victory on a pay-per-view and I think Night of Champions will see him get it.
 
If 'The Viper' happens to get the win then I suspect it could signal a cash-in from Dolph later in the evening. Orton having a PPV win over the newly crowned champion would setup a series of title matches between the two. That would get the new champ's reign off to a good start.
 
I'm not too sure we'll be seeing a MITB cash-in though. I think WWE may keep the case around for a bit longer and continue preparing Ziggler for his big win. That would be a wise move. The longer they spend readying 'The Heel' for the top the better his chances of succeeding.
 
On the subject of the World Heavyweight championship, the current champion Sheamus (whose surname was revealed to be Lipschitz on RAW) will defend the title against Alberto Del Rio at Night of Champions. Yep, those two are wrestling on a pay-per-view again.
 
That they've been feuding since April and have yet to have anything better than a satisfactory bout apparently doesn't bother anybody involved in the writing process. Apparently we're meant to view ADR as a threat to the title even though he has proven he can't win it. I wrote this for my SummerSlam preview but I'll say it again here: I really hope this marks the end of the ADR v Sheamus rivalry. Both men are in desperate need of fresh opponents.
 
One match that could prove interesting is Antonio Cesaro's US title defence. A battle royal has been announced as the match for the YouTube preview show, with the winner advancing to the main card to challenge 'The Swiss Superman'.
 
I expect the battle royal will be made up of people who are not already scheduled for the pay-per-view. Possible names that spring to mind are Tyson Kidd and Alex Riley. Kidd was given a tremendously brief mini push around Money in the Bank which fans responded to very positively. Giving him more to do would be a good decision and having him earn his way onto a show with a battle royal win would be a good way to kick off another low key shove. Meanwhile A-Ry always gets a surprisingly good reaction and could be plucked from obscurity for a random PPV appearance.
 
Whoever he faces I expect Cesaro to retain. Switching the US belt won't help any other act but keeping it on Cesaro should help him to continue his slow rise through the ranks.
 
Another mid-card outing will be Layla v Kaitlyn, notable for being the latter's first shot at the butterfly belt. If they're given long enough I think the two could produce something enjoyable, but then I write that about most Divas matches on PPV and they never receive ample time. This match will be booked between more important, high profile outings to ensure the audience doesn't become burnt out.
 
The recent booking of Eve may indicate she'll be involved in some way, though I have no idea on specifics. Perhaps Kaitlyn will win and Eve will have the decision reversed (she's assistant to a GM so she can probably do that). Whatever Eve ends up doing on the show I expect her to appear during this bout. I don't think Kaitlyn will leave as champion, which is a shame because I think she's got more potential to be a star than Layla.
 
Daniel Bryan and Kane were opponents at SummerSlam. A month later they're getting the tried and tested "odd couple tag team" treatment. While this may seem a bit of a waste at first the match has the potential to be one of the highlights of the event.
 
Daniel Bryan clashing with Kofi Kingston should keep fans of good wrestling happy. The prospect of Little Jimmy being used to antagonise 'Goatface' with "Yes!" chants could prove a laugh. Kane's interactions with Bryan have been a highlight of RAW over the last month and it will be interesting to see how much he and Bryan bicker during the match. Surely we'll at least get a shoving contest mid-match?
 
Perhaps the most important thing about Kofi and Truth defending against Bryan and Kane is that it spared us another challenge from the Prime Time Players. Giving that unit a rest is the right move.
 
Night of Champions feels like the right time to crown new tag champs. Kofi and Truth still have fresh challengers to face but WWE seems uninterested in making use of units like the Usos, Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd, and the Ascension. I had assumed it would be the PTPs' night but that clearly won't happen. I predict a win for Daniel Bryan and Kane (or is that Kane and Daniel Bryan?) instead. Perhaps the Players will interfere to keep them towards the top of the doubles ranks.
 
Finally there's a rumoured four-way clash for the Intercontinental championship. The Miz will apparently defend against Cody Rhodes, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio. The main factors for the bout will be the recent partnership between the masked grapplers and the burgeoning rivalry between the heels.

With Mysterio, Rhodes and Miz all in the same match it’s safe to assume that the quality will be high. Sin Cara’s fondness for botching should be kept in check and it could actually turn out to be the most memorable outing of his WWE run so far. I think Cara or Mysterio winning the IC title is likely. Their upcoming partnership and-or feud would be spiced up with the Intercontinental title involved.

I’ll pick Mysterio to win. Havign Sin Cara gradually turn heel because he’s jealous of Mysterio’s success would be a simple and effective storyline.
 
Night of Champions does not feel like a must see show. Its top two bouts have been seen many times before and there's nothing new, such as a guest referee or gimmick stipulation, being presented in relation to either here (aside from the Brogue Kick ban but that's boring and won't change the match much). That the mid-card titles were both last minute additions and the tag title bout is being used to further a comedy rivalry tells you all you need to know about how shallow the mid-card scene in WWE is.
 
Lack of freshness aside I'm hopeful that NOC will prove memorable. There are plenty of opportunities for good performances and highlights. It's just an uninspiring card in the grand scheme of things.
 
Predictions summary:
CM Punk to defeat John Cena
Sheamus to defeat Alberto Del Rio
Dolph Ziggler to defeat Randy Orton
Daniel Bryan and Kane to defeat Kofi Kingston and R-Truth
Rey Mysterio to defeat The Miz, Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara
Antonio Cesaro to retain the United States championship
Layla to defeat Kaitlyn

434 Days of Solitude

CM Punk is currently enjoying one of the longest WWE title reigns in years. Not since Triple H's 210 day run at the top stretching from April 27^th to November 23^rd 2008 has a WWE champion enjoyed a reign in excess of 100 days.
 
While Punk is still a couple of months off of holding the strap for a year he's the first contender for that particular honour for quite some time. The last man to have a reign lasting longer than 365 days was John Cena (you may have heard of him), capturing the gold on September 17^th 2006 and holding it for 380 days until vacating it on October 2^nd 2007.
 
There's a reason WWE has recently started directing Michael Cole to mention these sort of facts regarding Punk's championship run. They realise that long reigns make the belt more prestigious, elevating the wearer and the company by association.

There's also a reason I'm channelling Cole here. I've realised that if Punk can hold onto the WWE championship until January 1^st 2013 he will become the first man to hold the title throughout a calendar year in over two decades. The last man to start and end a year as the WWE champ was Hulk Hogan during his original title run from January 23^rd 1984 to February 5^th 1988.

 

How long can Punk keep hold of the WWE championship?

 

The likelihood of Punk repeating Hogan’s feat seems pretty good at this point. Several things that have been said and done since RAW 1000 indicate that ‘The Second City Saint’ will clash with The Rock at the Royal Rumble. It’s possible that Punk could lose and regain the belt between now and the Rumble but it’s not very likely.

Punk v Rock seems like the way WWE will go at the Rumble. Keeping the belt on the man from Chicago until then will build the belt’s prestige and solidify his spot as one of the company’s top all-time performers. Having Punk overcome every challenger and finally lose the gold to a man of ‘The Brahma Bull’s’ calibre would help to portray him as a bigger name too.

I would love to see CM Punk keep hold of the title into 2013. So few people get to have credible, long reigns these days, especially in WWE, and it can really help a performer’s legacy. Punk deserves the accolade of being the first man since Hogan to hold the title for an entire year.

It’s probably a bit soon to be thinking about Punk breaking Bruno Sammartino’s 2,803 day (eight year) reign though. Probably best to assume that’ll never happen.

The Heel Turn That Wasn't

RAW 1000 ended with CM Punk giving The Rock a GTS. It was viewed as the WWE champion turning heel. It’s true that Punk’s demeanour and promos have been decidedly more villainous since he attacked ‘The Great One’ on July 23^rd but does that make him a heel?

No. Not yet at least.

The GTS to The Rock was designed as a starting point, not a definitive signal that Punk is now a completely different character who must be booed by fans. Getting to that point will take time. The man has been pushed as the promotion’s number two babyface for over a year. Fans will not just turn on him for that one act.

Some people will support ‘The Straight Edge Superstar’ more because of his assault on ‘The People’s Champion’. The sentiment behind the assault doesn’t contradict Punk’s character. Nor does it contradict the fact that he speaks his mind, which is what helped him gain support in the first place. What will encourage the majority of fans to jeer instead of cheer is his new habit of demanding respect and using shady tactics in his matches.

It’s impossible to say when Punk’s turn will be finalised and he will be considered a bad guy. Whenever it occurs he will undoubtedly be the new lead heel. There’s not really much competition for that spot anyway (Brock Lesnar’s part time, Daniel Bryan hears as many cheers as boos, and everyone else is either a mid-carder or a glorified mid-carder) but Punk’s push, status and lengthy title reign would help him to supplant even the most dominant of heels.

 

This man is on a collision course with The Rock

 

I expect the champion’s clash with John Cena at Night of Champions will see him go farther down the path to the dark side. Cheating to beat the hometown hero would get a lot of heat and portray Punk as a poor sport, especially if the announce team were bright enough to remind us that Cena played fair in Punk’s hometown at Money in the Bank 2011.

If I had to guess I would say that Punk will be a full on heel champion by the time of Survivor Series. By that point he will be two months away from a clash with The Rock and will need to start being built up as an unstoppable villain in order to convince people that he can beat ‘The Great One’ at the Royal Rumble.

It’s an interesting character development and one that benefits the Chicago native. It allows him to stay fresh and relevant and opens him up to new feuds and situations. It’s also something new for the wrestling business and its fans. We’re used to things taking place in a very short period of time. It’s nice to see a turn booked with some clear forethought applied to it.

RAW 1000 was a signal. Get ready for the heel turn. It’s coming.