After buzzing from the high of Money in the Bank (a natural buzz of course), I was eagerly awaiting the start of Raw Monday night. I had hoped that the writers wouldn't bungle up the single most interesting angle in the WWE in the last couple of years, heck maybe even more. They kind of delivered, but didn't totally drop the ball. At least not yet.
I liked the idea of having a tournament on Raw to crown a new champion. To me, it put some emphasis on the importance of the WWE championship. For years, it seems like the titles are treated like a prop with little value. I agreed with most of the participants involved, but was a little confused why Evan Bourne wasn't in there. He was the only Money in the Bank participant to not be in the tournament. Or a better question, why wasn't Dolph in the MITB match Sunday? I guess we'll never know.
John Laurinaitis back in the day
One other note before I get into more of the action, it still blows my mind that Johnny Ace is Vince McMahon's right hand man. I can remember he and Shane Douglas sporting their mullets and riding skateboards to the ring back in the NWA. It's been an amazing journey from him I suppose.
The biggest surprise to me for the tournament was Kofi Kingston beating Alberto Del Rio. I think a lot of people thought ADR would go all the way. It would have been an interesting plan for the guy with the briefcase to also be the reigning champion.
The announce team doing the John Cena Twitter updates were more annoying than the actual Tweets. I'm all about the social media aspect, but when the King and Michael Cole talked out it, it just didn't see realistic.
Sorry "Silent Rage" needs to be muted. I'm not impressed one bit. But I will give him time. So far, he's not captured my attention.
By the way, I love Vince McMahon's jacket. Reminds me of something Jesse Ventura would have worn back in the day. I was disappointed they decided to "postpone" the finals. But as Chad mentioned on Facebook, why not strip CM Punk of the title in 30 days for not defending the belt? That whole 30 day rule has been a gimmick around for years.
The interaction between Cena and Vince made sense to me. I liked how he told Vince he'd walk onto another show, brother. Triple H coming in and explaining to Vince the concerns the board has was also logical and acceptable to me. While some have speculated that this may be the end of the Vince McMahon as the head of the company, I'm not buying it yet. I think everything we see on WWE program is done with the approval of Vince himself. I don't think he's planning to retire. He's said too many times in the past that he'll never quit the company. However the tears were a good touch. But the "I love you, pop." almost made it seem too hokey.
photo from WWE.com
My only real problem with this angle now is that the McMahon family is once again in the middle of the spotlight. It reminds me of the invasion angle when Stephanie and Shane McMahon were all a part of it too. It should have been about creating the greatest dream matches, but instead it got watered down.
So the questions now, will Triple H continue to wrestle and be the chairman of the company? Will Vince hold any position with the WWE? Will he show up on Impact Wrestling? (That's a joke) Where does all this leave CM Punk? Will Trips try to sign him back to a contract? And what would motivate Punk to return? Will the title tournament really finish next week, or are all of Vince's decisions now null and void?
The next few weeks (or longer) SHOULD be interesting ones. I feel like the WWE has finally spurned some interest in the product again. There are plenty of unanswered questions that I can't wait to learn the answers to.
I must admit with all the buzz surrounding the WWE Money in the Bank match featuring CM Punk and John Cena, I lost site of just about everything else wrestling related. I knew the anniversary of Bruiser Brody's death was nearing, and ended up missing it. It was Sunday (July 17th).
Brody was one of the best big men in the business. Another great one, Terry Gordy died July 16, 2001. Both men captured my attention back in the 1980's and World Class Championship Wrestling. You can see in the pic to the left, the two were extreme long before ECW came around.
Let's start with Bruiser Brody. As a kid, I remember watching his wild antics on World Class Championship Wrestling. He was tough as nails and kicked as every time he was in the ring. Although he jumped back and forth from being babyface and heel, my best memories of him are when he was helping the Von Erichs battle the Freebirds. Brody also waged war on Skandor Akbar and his Devastation Incorporated. Gary Hart also had his men, including Abdullah the Butch battle Brody. Those two took each other to the limits, carving up one another's foreheads with whatever weapons they could find.
I only got the chance to watch Brody live in action. It was in 1985, and he was battling the NWA World champion Ric Flair. They were the main event of an NWA house show in St. Louis. Much to my disappointment Brody beat Flair, but only by disqualification, so the title didn't change hands.
I remember one of the wrestling magazines from my youth named Brody the best wrestler. I think this was in 1986. He scored just above Ric Flair for the top spot. Brody was great. He could brawl and go toe to toe with just about anyone. In fact, he wrestled Andre the Giant to a double DQ at a house show in St. Louis in the early 80's.
Brody was a heel in his days in the AWA. Gen. Adnan al Kaissie was his manager. At that time he feuded with Greg and Verne Gagne and Crusher Blackwell. It was a surprise to me that the big man never won the world title in either the NWA or AWA. There were also rumors that Verne Gagne offered him a large sum of money to attack Mr. T on his way to the ring at the original Wrestlemania. Can you imagine if that would have happened? I often wonder what would have happened had Brody signed a contract and wrestled in the WWF. Would he have been fed to Hulk Hogan like other big men of that day, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, and Nikolai Volkoff all come to mind.
Of course Brody was in a class all his own. I would have loved to seen him come in and destroy Hulkamania. I say that now, but as a kid I would have likely protested that idea.
On July 16, 1988 was stabbed in the locker room of an arena in Puerto Rico. He died the next day. Wrestler Jose Gonzalez stood accused of the crime after other wrestlers saw him holding a knife after Brody went down. But because no one would testify against him, and because Gonzelez claimed it was self defense, he was acquitted of any wrong doing.
I remember reading of Brody's death in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and later in an issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Back then there was no internet to alert fans of such tragic events. Brody's life was taken way too soon. And although he accomplished a lot during his career, I can't help but to think there was much more in store for this legendary big man. I hope Vince McMahon one day inducts Brody into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The Fabulous Freebirds
The 10 year anniversary of Terry Gordy's death was over the weekend too. Another great big man who I first saw wrestle on WCCW. He was teaming up with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts against the Von Erichs. At first though, it seemed they were all friends. Then Gordy slammed a steel cage door in Kerry Von Erich's face as Kerry was challenging Ric Flair for the NWA title. This was Christmas 1983 and set up on of wrestling's greatest rivalries of all time.
Gordy played the brawn of the Freebirds while Hayes was the brains of the operation. The trio ventured briefly to the WWF in the mid 80's before coming back home to WCCW. They also wrestle in Bill Watts' UWF where Gordy was the company's champion. He feuded with the likes of Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ted DiBiase, and Steve Williams.
Williams and Gordy would eventually team up overseas to much success. They also had a semi successful run together in WCW in the early 90's, having a classic feud with the Steiner Brothers. After bouncing between the U.S. and Japan, Gordy signed with the WWF in the late 90's and played the Executioner. He and Mankind were managed by Paul Bearer. But Gordy's time in the company was brief.
In 2001, Gordy died of a heart attack, caused by a blood clot. He was only 40 years old. Gordy's son, Ray wrestled in the WWE as Jessie and than Slam Master J. The company never acknowledge the legacy. That's a real shame, because I think they could have played that up more. Here's to hoping that Gordy and his Freebird brothers also find their way into the WWE Hall of Fame one day.
Wow! Really, what more do you need to say about Money in the Bank? Top to bottom this pay per view was probably the best show since the first One Night Stand. The only “bad” match was the Diva’s match and it wasn’t really bad, it was simply a WWE Diva’s match. I went four for six in my predictions, which normally I’d say meant the show was too predictable. But with this show, even if an outcome felt predictable, it actually helped the match instead of hindering it.
I watched the show at a local sports bar. This was the first time going to the bar and I have a feeling I’ll be going back for future shows as the crowd was electric. Granted, it could have been because of the anticipation for the John Cena vs. CM Punk match but still the crowd helped make the show. As soon as the show started there was a large “We want ice cream” chant. The crowd was into the show the entire time, even busted out a “We want Ryder” chant three times during the show. One of my friends remarked, “they know the people in the arena can’t hear them, right?” at one point. Even if they couldn’t be heard by the live crowd the fans in attendance were treating the show as if they were there live making the experience even more enjoyable. I do have one sarcastic comment to make that hopefully doesn’t apply to anyone reading this blog. It’s one thing to wear a replica belt to a live event, but when you wear one to a bar just to watch a show, you look like an idiot. And if you’re wearing more than one, well, you’re just foolish. Anyway, let’s take a look at the show.
Money in the Bank opened with the Smackdown MITB match. Perfect match to start the show as it got an already rabid crowd into the show. The crowd I was with was solidly behind Cody Rhodes and as the match progressed, I could see WWE giving him the briefcase and letting him hold it for several months while he was groomed for the main event. I found it interesting they had Sin Cara do a stretcher job during the match. After reading today that Cara has been suspended for 30 days for a wellness violation, I found it amusing that every time Sin Cara would set up for a move, the crowd I was watching with started chanting, “botch, botch, botch.” Looks like Sin Cara hasn’t made the best impression with the audience yet. It makes sense to write him out with an injury. I didn’t expect Daniel Bryan to win. I doubt many people expected that outcome.I can only hope this leads to a lengthy title run with a defense at the Royal Rumble.
The Divas championship match was just kind of there. I don’t really remember much about the match other than a really ugly spinning head scissors. Kelly Kelly retained and I was surprised this wasn’t used as the buffer match between the two other title matches.
In my preview blog, I said Mark Henry vs. Big Show could be the sleeper match of the night. They lived up to my expectations. Nothing really scientific about the match, just two big guys going out and laying the smack down on each other. I’m really enjoying this renewed energy Henry has been showing lately and would like to see him pushed to some title matches. With Henry “Pilmanizing” Show’s ankle after the match, it’ll be interesting to see how much time Show is out for. I mean, he got hit by a car and was only out for two weeks. Will a broken ankle keep him out longer?
The Raw MITB match was a nice contrast to the Smackdown match. I enjoyed everyone grabbing ladders to start the match with but question why there were so many stepladders around the ring. There were lots of crazy and cringe worthy spots during the match. While I appreciate the physical abuse wrestlers put their bodies through for my entertainment, I don’t want to see anyone injured.Alberto Del Rio winning didn’t really excite me, as I still haven’t climbed about the Del Rio bandwagon. Now that he’s won MITB and won a title shot on Raw a few weeks ago, it will be interesting to see what the next step to fulfilling his destiny will be in the coming weeks.
In my opinion, the Randy Orton vs. Christian match was the most lackluster on the show. I couldn’t hear the commentary so I don’t know how much they hyped up the DQ stipulation. While the match was decent, the ending felt flat to me. I don’t get why Randy snapped so quickly just because Christian spat in his face. Then after Orton destroyed Christian post-match why didn’t Daniel Bryan cash in his MITB briefcase? Glad to see Christian with the title again, but as of this writing Christian doesn’t look like a champion. Hopefully he doesn’t lose the title on Smackdown.
Now, the match everyone was looking forward too, John Cena vs. CM Punk. I need to re-watch the show so I can hear the live crowd’s reactions.If I wanted to be negative, I could say Cena basically went through his same move repertoire while not really looking like a guy who’s job was on the line. But I don’t want to be critical. This match delivered everything everyone hoped for and then some. I was disappointed Colt Cabana didn’t get to punch Cena at some point. When Vince McMahon and Johnny Ace came down and went to recreate the Montreal Screw job, I was shaking my head because I want everyone associated with wrestling to forget that ever happened. I did like Cena stopping Ace to make sure the match ended clean. CM Punk winning was the right call. Punk leaving with the title after Alberto Del Rio didn’t get a chance to officially cash in his MITB briefcase was a surprise. Perfect ending to a near perfect show.
It’s been years since I’ve anticipated an episode of Monday Night Raw.Tonight I can’t wait to see what happens. I don’t know what the status of CM Punk and WWE is at this moment, nor do I care. I want to sit back and enjoy the ride. Though I will say no matter what his status is, CM Punk should not show up on Raw for at least the next 2-3 weeks.
I don’t know if WWE can sustain this momentum, but right now they have me more interested in their programming than I have been in years. It’s times like this that remind me why and how I became a wrestling fan.
*Sorry for the lame title. I know that phrase is played out.
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Since Sunday is the second annual Money in the Bank pay per view, I decided now is as good a time as any to share my thoughts on past MITB matches. The idea originated at Wrestlemania 21, and featured six guys: Christian, Edge, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit.
That first match was the best of the series in my opinion. I could have seen any six of those guys winning and cashing in to face the champion. At the time of the match in 2005, there were three former world champs in it (Kane, Jericho, and Benoit). All three of those guys had short runs as champion, so it wouldn't have been a bad thing for any of them to win.
Jim Ross described the match as a human demolition derby. There were a lot of exciting spots in it and all six guys did a great job telling a story in the ring. Highlights include (I just watched it again last night), Shelton Benjamin doing the T Bone to Edge off the top of the ladder, and Chris Benoit climbing the top of a ladder and doing a diving headbutt from the top and hitting Kane. Like I said anyone could have won that match and I would have been fine with it. Clearly, this was the event that put Edge's main event status career into motion. I liked how the match played out with all the spots and the drama involved. Then of course, Edge finally snatching that briefcase and clutching it for dear life afterward. I also loved the way Edge kept it for almost a year before cashing it in. The whole angle played out well and elevated Edge to the next level. That's what MITB is supposed to do.
Flair goes for it...
Unfortunately, I think that's the ONLY time MITB did that for the winner. I was at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago for the second version of the match. This one featured Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair, Finlay, Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Matt Hardy. This one was obviously no where near as good as the first. I knew there was little chance that Hardy, Finlay, or Flair would win. However, in my (and maybe Chad's too, I don't remember) dream scenario, I had Flair winning that match. Triple H winning the title from Cena in the main event, and Flair immediately cashing in to have one more run as the champ. It would have been the "Wrestlemania moment"that Flair never got.
Wishful thinking, I know. Of course RVD did win the match and eventually the title. But if you recall, he was busted for marijuana use and his time as champ was brief. He kinda bounced around the midcard after that before finally leaving the company.
The WWE added more superstars to the third MITB match at Wrestlemania 23. And in a surprise win, Mr. Kennedy beat out the others, including Randy Orton, Edge, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, and Booker T among others. My memory of that match it was pretty good too. Better than the previous year, but still not as good as the first year.
From WWE
The one big spot that sticks out to me was Jeff Hardy doing the Swanton Bomb onto Edge as he was laid across another ladder. I think that move took them both out of the match. Ouch!
Kennedy won the match as I mentioned, and is the only superstar to date to not win the title as a result. In fact, he lost the case in a match against Edge. Story has it that Kennedy was hurt and facing a long time on the sidelines, so the company decided to have him drop the case and go with Edge again. Turns out, Kennedy's injury wasn't as bad as they thought it was. Unfortunately for him (and the fans) this was the beginning of the end for him. I don't feel like he ever rebounded from that and ended up being released a few years later.
In the following years, the competitors and it became more of a match to see how many superstars they could get on the Wrestlemania card. Who really thought Mark Henry would win? Or Matt Hardy? Or even Evan Bourne at Wrestlemania 26?
From WWE
In 2010 the WWE started the MITB ppv. Two ladder matches were featured, one for SmackDown! and one for Raw. I was surprised by the results of both matches. I didn't figure Kane would get another run as champion. But the Miz's win was an even bigger surprise for me. A good surprise though. I was glad to see him win and eventually become champion, despite the fact that he's back to the midcard.
Now we're preparing for another MITB and it's anything goes again. It's hard to pick a winner. My hope is that it's a couple of guys who haven't been champion yet. And will they eventually have someone win the match and not the title? It's happened with the Royal Rumble-Wrestlemania main event scenario. One idea I've seen bounced around is the Raw winner cashes in tomorrow night, only to lose to CM Punk and before he gets out of the ring with the WWE title forever, the SmackDown! winner rushes the ring and cashes in for the win. An interesting option indeed.
My original point for this post is that I'm not a huge fan of the speciality pay per view. I think they should have kept Money in the Bank on the Wrestlemania card and not created a separate event for it. The same can be said for the Hell in the Cell and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs PPV with more than one of these kinds of matches, it takes away from the uniqueness of the match. I remember when the first HITC match happened in 1997 and how they were used very sparingly for the next several years.
I may be wrong here, but I think the original idea of MITB was to create new main event level superstars. It worked in 2005 with Edge. It could have worked with RVD the next year, but his personal life got in the way. Kennedy was sure to be a champion, but he was injury prone and that took him out. The idea was successful for CM Punk who won the MITB twice and became champion two times. But after losing the belt, he seemed to falter in the midcard. It wasn't until earlier this year that the company pushed him again and put him in the spotlight. I just hope this momentum continues for him.
Swagger wins MITB at Wrestlemania 26
Now look at Jack Swagger and the Miz. Swagger was not ready to be the champion. I don't know why they hot shotted that angle. They could have let him develop more and cash in later in the year. Instead, his run as world champion was barely memorable. The Miz was ready I thought. But I think the company went to their backup plan and put the title back on Cena like they always do. Now Miz is Alex Riley's whipping boy.
No matter who wins the MITB matches on July 17th, I hope they are guys who the company puts some faith in and support not just while they're pursuing the champion, but into their title reign as well. This event could elevate the game again. I just hope the WWE is ready.
By Chad Smart
@ChadSmart on Twitter
(all photos are from WWE.com)
Since Kevin is off on assignment, I guess I should take care of the Money in the Bank preview and predictions. This is probably the most anticipated pay per view in quite some time. Honestly, I can’t recall the last pay per view I was this excited about seeing. Will it live up to the hype? Will WWE go the safe and predictable route? We’ll find out Sunday night. But for now lets concentrate on the matches and how I see the show playing out.
Divas Title: Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella
I guess I should be happy for Kelly Kelly winning her first Diva’s title, but honestly, ever since the storyline of Kelly Kelly and Balls Mahoney ended on ECW 4 years ago I haven’t seen any character or personality to the Kelly Kelly character. Then you have Brie Bella who is part of the anti-bullying “Be A STAR” campaign yet her character is the new diva bully now that Lay Cool are no longer around. This is a WWE Divas match when means it’ll get about 5 minutes and won’t be remembered 30 seconds after the match is over. MY PREDICTION: K2 retains setting up a match on Raw with Nikki Bella, which will lead into a K2-Bella Twins 3-way at SummerSlam.
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Mark Henry has been on a tear for the past few months. Big Show, when motivated, can still put on an entertaining match. I think this could be the sleeper match of the night. Since both guys are relatively mobile for their size this should be much more entertaining than watching a typical lumbering big man match. I’m not sure what show Big Show is a part of, I think it’s Raw so that’s what I’m using as a basis for my prediction. MY PREDICTION: Mark Henry lays out Big Show showing dominance which carries him over to be the next in line for a title shot at SummerSlam.
World Heavyweight Title: Randy Orton vs. Christian
This match is the epitome of what I dislike about the current wrestling product. This is the fourth or fifth match between the two in the last three months. Yes there has been some shady officiating, but how many consecutive title shots should one person get before bringing in another challenger steps up to the plate? MY PREDICTION: Either Christian wins the title or he accepts his position of eternal mid-carder. The way this story has played out if Christian doesn’t win, he’s going to look like the biggest choke artist of the last decade. Of course, Randy Orton is the one popular wrestler who if I never saw wrestle again I wouldn’t be disappointed so him being champion does nothing to make me want to watch any show.
SMACKDOWN MONEY IN THE BANK
Participants in this match are, Kane, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Sheamus, Heath Slater and Cody Rhodes.
Kane won last year and hasn’t done much over the past few months so I don’t see a repeat victory for him. Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater made the NWO B Team look like the most dominating stable by comparison and I’m not sure where they stand as far as in-fighting goes, but I see them hindering each other from winning. Daniel Bryan’s stock has fallen faster than a two-ton weight dropped off the Empire State Building. Unless WWE wants to throw a bone to the Internet Wrestling Community, Daniel Bryan’s chances of winning are slim to none and slim just left town. Sin Cara . . . um, they guy doesn’t speak English. Unless he suddenly gets a manager in the next 48 hours, there’s no way WWE will put the title on him. Cody Rhodes and Sheamus are the only two I feel have a legitimate chance of winning. Sheamus is a former champion while Cody has the character that is perfectly suited for a MITB winner. MY PREDICTION: Sheamus has been interacting with Randy Orton and Christian over the past few weeks. Look for Sheamus to win and hold the briefcase until the most opportune time to cash it in.
RAW MONEY IN THE BANK
Participants in this match are, Alberto Del Rio, R-Truth, Jack Swagger, The Miz, Evan Bourne, Rey Mysterio, Alex Riley, and Kofi Kingston.
Where to start with this one? Evan Bourne lost his first match after having a hype video. That doesn’t bode well for a sustained push. R-Truth, while being more entertaining in the last two months than in the last 8 years, got his token title match and will now be shifted back down to the mid-card. Jack Swagger got punked by Michael Cole. Alex Riley is too new to the scene. Unless WWE has major plans for him and wants to have him hold the briefcase for a good 9-10 months, I can’t see him winning. Plus, with The Miz in the match, there should be no way Miz would allow A-RY to win. By the same reasoning, A-RY should try and prevent The Miz from winning. Kofi Kingston is “that guy.” He’s a multi-time champion but he’s missing something that makes you see him as the focus of either brand. That leaves us with Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio. MY PREDICTION: While it is Alberto Del Rio’s destiny to become champion, he won the Royal Rumble this year. I can’t see him also winning MITB. While I don’t really think Rey Mysterio is the one who should win, his winning plays into my plan for the main event.
WWE Title Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk
The match everyone is talking about. CM Punk is on his way out of the company and has vowed to take the WWE Title with him. Vince McMahon has declared if Punk leaves with the title then John Cena will be fired. Stupid stipulation aside, the build for this match has been the most interesting and compelling in recent wrestling history. As Kevin and I have written about before, after the past few weeks of Raw, there is no way John Cena should win. CM Punk has to win for there to be a satisfying pay off. Then as Punk is celebrating, Rey Mysterio (who lost his title after winning a title match at last year’s MITB) comes out to cash in the briefcase and keep the title in possession of a WWE employee. Given the history between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio this would also be a good last match for CM Punk. For further insight you can read my post, “Take the Title and Run” to see how I’d end this scenario.
The best thing about this upcoming pay per view, one word: unpredictable. WWE has the wheels in motion to get people captivated again. Will they succeed or will they sabotage themselves and take the easy, safe way out. Only one way to find out. Tune in on Sunday, buy the DVD, or just watch Raw on Monday to find out what happened.
If you Liked us on Facebook, followed us on Twitter and watched our YouTube channel, you’d have known Kevin was Zack Ryder’s Broski of the Week. What will be our big announcement next week?
For nearly 3 months I have been trying to get the attention of WWE Internet Wrestling Champion Zack Ryder. Several months ago, Zack created a YouTube Channel called Z! True Long Island Story.
It's something I'd never seen an active WWE Superstar do before. The channel is Zack's effort to get himself over. And it's working. His videos have more than 3 million views to date. Each week, Zack invites his fans to audition for "Broski of the Week." Honestly, I'm not 100% sure what a Broski is, I just know I wanted to be one. And after four different attempts Zack picked me to be Broski of the Week in Episode 22.
I'm totally stoked about it. He picked my favorite of the four submissions I entered. I wonder how many people try out for this. Last week, I had actually given up hope and decided not to submit anything new. I had been resending the links to all of the videos each week. So I don't know if Zack actually liked my video or if he was just tired of getting my tweets. Either way, I'm a happy camper.
Thanks to all of you who have commented so far. Don't forget to subscribe to My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube. Woo-woo-woo! You know it, bro!
Okay, I feel like being original and talking about something few others are talking about this week, CM Punk.In case you haven’t watched RAW or read online news sites for the last month, CM Punk’s contract expires on July 17, the same night he challenges for the WWE Title at Money In the Bank pay per view. Punk has claimed he is going to win the title and leave the company with it in his possession.
After the last few weeks of listening to CM Punk talk and John Cena try and come up with an eloquent rebuttal, one thing is clear. CM Punk HAS to win the title on Sunday.There is no other satisfactory pay off to this match. If John Cena wins the match, the last month was for naught.
In my last posting about this, I made mention of Punk winning only to be ambushed by the MITB winner who would win the title from Punk before Punk could leave the arena. I still see this as the most likely outcome as it pleases the crowd to see CM Punk win the title but still keeps the title in the hands of a contracted WWE Superstar. Also, John Cena can fight the stipulation of being fired by claiming Punk didn’t leave with the strap therefore the terms for his firing weren’t met.
While I’m expecting the above outcome, the dream scenario is a bit different. CM Punk wins the title after a hard fought match. As Punk is celebrating and gloating, the MITB winner (in this case Rey Mysterio) comes to ring and cashes in the briefcase starting a match for the title. After about 30 seconds, Rey has Punk in position for the 619. Punk manages to slide out of the ring, avoiding being kicked in the face, grabs the title and runs out of the building leaving the fans in shock as Raw now doesn’t have a world championship.
From ChikaraPro (CP Munk)
Over the next four months CM Punk would show up on the independent circuit, making title defenses all across the country. One match I’d seriously consider flying across country for is CM Punk vs. CP Munk (the straightedge chipmunk) in Chikara. With Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Absolute Intense Wrestling, Ring of Honor and some smaller shows, Punk could easily have 7-10 title defenses between Money in the Bank and Survivor Series. For a few of the shows, John Cena could show up and interfere in the match making sure CM Punk didn’t lose the title.The one downside of this scenario is most of the independent companies have their loyal fan base who may not appreciate a WWE title match, or WWE Superstars in their promotion.On the other hand, an appearance by CM Punk may help draw in new fans that may not be familiar with the smaller promotions.
From WWE.com
Around Survivor Series, Vince McMahon announces his lawyers have filed suit against CM Punk who must show up at Survivor Series and defend the title otherwise Punk will face criminal charges. Okay, I don’t really like that idea, but I haven’t thought out all the details for this scenario. I’m booking like Vince Russo. Anyway, CM Punk returns at Survivor Series to face John Cena. Punk retains the title due to interference from The Rock, who has dropped hints he’ll see Cena “where he (Rocky) debuted.”
The fallout is that as long as Punk is champion, he has to remain on the WWE roster. Punk goes on to stay champion until Royal Rumble when he loses the title to whoever WWE wants to be in the title match at Wrestlemania, as long as it isn’t John Cena. In another “I don’t know all the details yet” scenario, Punk would lose the title due to Steve Austin’s interference which would lead to a Punk vs. Austin match at Wrestlemania.
Of course this whole scenario is contingent on CM Punk signing a new deal with WWE before Sunday, and WWE having the patience and testicular fortitude to have their champion gone for four months.
What do you think of this half thought out proposal?I think there may be too much outside interference, but think the basics are strong enough to build an interesting story arc.
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