DirtSheets.com Presents:
WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS 2012 ROUND TABLE
United States Championship Match
Antonio Cesaro w/Aksana vs. ???
(Opponent determined by the winner of the Pre-Show Battle Royal)
David Martell: If I had to pick someone to win the pre-show battle royal, I would pick Tyson Kidd. I really do believe that WWE wants to showcase Kidd more often on their shows so I can see him getting some type of underdog win in the battle royal. On the other hand, I don’t see Tyson Kidd winning against Antonio Cesaro. WWE is high on Cesaro right now and it would be way too early for him to drop the title. I definitely see Cesaro retaining but Tyson Kidd will get in some great offense.
Winner and STILL U.S. Champion: Antonio Cesaro
Jacob San Antonio: Going with a dark horse and saying Ryback, with a Ryback victory by DQ. Hooligans run in, ruin the match, and everyone yawns after getting their hopes up for a good US Title match.
Winner by DQ: Ryback
Chris Lemchi: This one is a little tough pick as of this writing I’m not too sure who’s in the 20 man battle royal. I’m going to pick Christian, as a surprise entrant, to win the battle royal. Yes I know it’d be a repeat of what happened at Over the Limit, but rumors has Cesaro/Christian feuding later on in the year. Plus they can do the whole “will lightning strike twice” angle. The other person I see winning the battle royal is Ryback if he’s in it, but if that were to happen I’m sure Ryback would win the belt. Not that’s a bad thing but I think it’s still too soon to take the belt off Cesaro. So Christian’s my pick to win the battle royal, but I’m going for Cesaro to hold on to the belt to kick off a nice long feud.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Paul Leazar: I'm a bit hard pressed to think of somebody off the top of my head but I'd like to think Smackdown gave up the hint that maybe some bigger things might finally be in store for Tyson Kidd. Not only that, but if the match gets 10 to 15 minutes, it could be solid gold and a push in the right direction for both men. At any rate, I think Cesaro has some big things ahead of him and I just don't see him losing this one.
Winner and STILL US Champion: Antonio Cesaro
Gary Vaughan: To find a winner in this Championship bout, we must answer who will win the Pre-Show Battle Royal? I would say off the cuff that Santino will get another chance at Cesaro to regain his former title, but intelligent thought leads me to Zach Ryder. I know Ryder and intelligence maybe an ironic combination, but I just feel that he has been waiting it out for his next chance for a title shot. My expectations for this match are not very high, but I think it will be half-way entertaining. I look for Cesaro to hold on and retain his title in a short lived title match.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Sean Garmer: I am going to predict a final four of Zack Ryder, Tyson Kidd, Brodus Clay, and Heath Slater. I know they have that storyline going with Santino´s Cobra being in love with Aksana but why not take the time to end it without paying it off and giving us a new challenger.
Winner: Zack Ryder (He has been on a win streak, Woo Woo Woo You Know It!)
I may wind up being totally wrong on Zack Ryder, but maybe aside from Brodus Clay getting this spot, I don´t think anyone is going to stand a chance against Antonio Cesaro. Cesaro has been on a roll looking good and even though his gimmick is a bit silly but at least he has made the best of it. There is no reason for Cesaro to lose right now.
Winner and STILL US CHAMPION: Antonio Cesaro (Looking Dominant)
Zachary Brown: This is completely unpredictable. I like this in a sense, because Cesaro could get an all-new entertaining feud out of this entire setup. I’m going to go ahead and predict Zach Ryder to win the Battle Royal. He is popular with fans, has had nearly nothing to do, wants to get back on track with the US Title, and makes a good face to counter Antonio Cesaro. However, I don’t predict Cesaro to drop the belt here. A random new challenger makes things interesting, but Cesaro is still such a new champion, has only made a handful of appearances on Raw, and still deserves time to get his gimmick over and become a solid champion
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
DirtSheets Staff Picks: Antonio Cesaro 6-1
Intercontinental Championship Fatal Four Way Match
The Miz (Champion) vs. Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara
David Martell: I actually like the WWE’s booking here for the Intercontinental Title Match. This is a great way to showcase all your top midcard talent and a good way to make the Intercontinental Title look more important. This should be a very fast paced match that probably won’t last all too long. I imagine that this will be the hot opener to the show to get everyone jacked up. I really don’t see Miz retaining here because I feel like they are going to need him to be a bigger part of RAW in the near future. If I had to guess, I would say that Cody Rhodes wins back his IC Title. Rhodes has been backtracked for the last few months and it’s time for him to reclaim his title.
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Cody Rhodes
Jacob San Antonio: Sin Cara still botches way too much to be rewarded with gold, Rhodes just got done with a decently length reign, Miz needs the gold to build some momentum, and Mysterio is a top star in the company who doesn't really need the IC Title. With all that in mind, Rey Mysterio wins it just because I'm feeling pessimistic.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Chris Lemchi: Miz is kind of the odd one out here. I know Miz and Rey faced at SummerSlam, but Cody has been involved in a feud with Rey and Sin Cara over their masks, so there’s no real connection with Miz. There are plans to eventually put Sin Cara and Rey in a tag title feud later on, so I can’t see either one winning the belt. Cody just had a run with the belt, so I can’t see them putting the belt back on him. I’m going with Miz to win this as his reign has barely just started and would be foolish to take it off him this early. This match should be a real treat though as it will be the first time Sin Cara and Rey will go at it in the ring.
Winner: Miz
Paul Leazar: Lots of good possibilities here. I've been enjoying The Miz a lot recently and I think Cody is a bit of long shot to win this one. I don't think Sin Cara is quite ready yet and I don't think Rey Rey needs the belt. That leaves me with The Miz retaining.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Gary Vaughan: This match will be very up and down at times. I see Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara making a good team together; while Rhodes and Miz will be working together only when it benefits them. The one cool part of this match might be our preview to a future Sin Cara/Mysterio match. In the end when the dust settles I think Miz will lose control of his short lived IC title reign. Cody Rhodes will make sure he makes life hard for everyone in the match and will once again wear gold.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Sean Garmer: It seems Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara are going to be headed full time into the emerging tag division. So, this leaves us with the two true stars Cody Rhodes and Miz. Miz has been booked a lot like Rey Mysterio during his World Title reign, which means he loses all the time on TV and then wins on PPV. However, this time I think Miz´s luck is gonna run out in this multi-man match and Rhodes is gonna win back his title.
Winner AND NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: Cody Rhodes
Zachary Brown: I think this could be sleeper hit of the night if it gets time. It probably won't though. At first, this will likely be a chaotic fun fest, but will slowly turn into the heels teaming up on the luchadores, and hopefully Cody backstabbing Miz for the pin. I could also see Sin Cara taking a pin here, and Miz losing the title by never being pinned. The Miz is a decent champion, but right now, it could be better used on the waist of Cody Rhodes. Raw teased Rhodes getting the upper hand, and I think it is the most likely possibility. It's Night of Champions, and at least one belt needs to change hands in my opinion. This is the most likely scenario in my eyes.
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Cody Rhodes
DirtSheets Staff Picks: Cody Rhodes 4-3
Diva’s Championship Match
Layla (Champion) vs. Kaitlyn
David Martell: As much as I like Layla, she has been an awful Diva’s Champion. Well, the past several Diva’s champions have been awful. I think this would be a great opportunity to turn Layla heel by having her lose to a fluke roll up by Kaitlyn. This also creates a new face for the Diva’s division which is always a good thing. I imagine Eve will have something to do with and this will all lead up to a triple threat match the next time around.
Winner and NEW Diva’s Champion: Kaitlyn
Jacob San Antonio: Layla's wasted what could have been a great comeback reign, but I don't think Kaitlyn is going to win regardless. Layla retains, Divas division remains worthless.
Winner: Layla
Chris Lemchi: It’s interesting that the build to this match has been all Eve. They haven’t really played up the Layla/Kaitlyn aspect at all. Rumor has it that the diva battle royal was botched and Eve was the original winner. If that’s true then, it makes sense why this feud is so Eve heavy. As for this match, I honestly see Eve using his position as assistant to place herself in the match to make it a triple threat. So my pick to win is going to be Eve. I like Layla, but this reign has been very dull as has her character. Kaitlyn, I think, is still not ready to be champion. She’s getting better, but is still a little green. Eve, however, has been a great character all year and a good wrestler, so I’d be down for a title run.
Winner: Eve Torres
Paul Leazar: It's pretty funny to think that Kaitlyn being here is all a giant mistake from the #1 Contender's Battle Royal. However, she has really capitalized on her time and I find myself really, really wanting her to win. I think Eve might have something to do with this before the end of it but I'm going to take my chances anyway and go with Kaitlyn.
Winner and NEW Diva's Champion: Kaitlyn
Gary Vaughan: The only thing that might be interesting in this match maybe where, when, and what Eve will do. I know she isn't in the match, but I'm almost sure she will have a hand in who wins the Women's Championship. Otherwise, I think this match will be a bathroom break or maybe even a sandwich run. Just like the match, I expect there to be no pay off at the end and Layla will retain her title. Now, if Eve does have an impact on this match, look for it to be more entertaining.
Winner: Layla
Sean Garmer: So, apparently this match happened because of an accident. I don´t expect this to last more than five minutes and Eve´s “miss nice girl” persona is going to end here whether it is by accident or on purpose and will cost Kaitlyn the match.
Winner and STILL CHAMPION: Layla (Thanks to Eve)
Zachary Brown: I like that Kaitlyn is getting a well-deserved shot at the title. She isn't the most technically sound diva they have, but she is a good personality and someone fresh in the title scene. Plus, she has been on the main roster for a large amount of time and is only now getting some TV matches. However, this isn't likely to be her time with the title. It wasn't long ago that Eve and Layla had an intense staredown at the commentary table, leaving Kaitlyn as the third wheel. It was stupid to happen before Night of Champions, but it broadcast that WWE didn’t have long term faith in Kaitlyn as champion right now. I think Layla vs. Eve is the direction WWE will head in post-NOC, and that just doesn't leave any room for Kaitlyn winning here. And I don't expect the match to be anything that great either.
Winner: Layla
DirtSheets Staff Picks: Layla 4-3
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
R-Truth and Kofi Kingston (Champions) vs. Daniel Bryan and Kane
David Martell: You would have to be insane to think that Kofi and Truth will come out of this one with the tag straps still around their waist. Kofi and Truth have been a total let down when it comes to tag team champs and there are plenty of other teams I would rather see with the belts. Kane and Bryan are hot right now and it’s only right to let these guys win the titles and have a little fun with it. This is one of those instances where the WWE is going to give the people what they want, and what they want is more Daniel Bryan and Kane. I think Kofi and Truth are better off doing singles runs and a Truth heel turn on Kofi would be gold right now. This one was a definitely a no brainer.
Winner and NEW Tag Team Champions: Daniel Bryan and Kane
Jacob San Antonio: If you don't see D-Bry and Kane walking away with the titles here, I don't know what to tell you. The writing's on the wall, and it's about time Kofi and Truth get back to singles wrestling.
Winner: Daniel Bryan and Kane
Chris Lemchi: I said this last month and I’ll say it again, Kofi and R-Truth has no chemistry as a tag team. The Wrestling God, JBL, even said it before in an interview. They’re good wrestlers, but the team makes no sense at all. Daniel Bryan and Kane, however, have been having great chemistry in the past couple of weeks. I know they’re a make-shift tag team as well, but unlike Kofi and Truth, it somehow works. They’re gold together! Like David Martell said on the dirtsheets podcast, Kane has a history of making these random tag teams work. That all being said, my pick to win is going to be Daniel Bryan and Kane. I think they can really light a fire in the tag division, and plus Daniel Bryan as a champion again, YES!!!
Winner: Daniel Bryan and Kane
Paul Leazar: I have had an endless amount of enjoyment watching Kane and D-Bry getting pushed together. It sucks that it had to come at the price of pushing The Primetime Players out of the way, but I think the WWE is bit, bound, and determined to have Kane & Daniel Bryan together for a while and I think giving them the Tag Team Titles would be a nice boost to their angle. Also, it's time for Truth & Kingston to go their separate ways and try and to reinvigorate their singles career.
Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions: Kane & Daniel Bryan
Gary Vaughan: It's been fun having R-Truth and Kofi as our Tag Champs, but I hear the winds of change coming. For pure comical reasons, I see Kane and Bryan winning the Tag belts through chances and circumstances. Kofi and Truth will fight hard, but be assured something weird will cause them to fall in this matchup. There will be some funny crazy moments in this match; so don't take your eyes off the TV in this one.
Winner: Kane and Daniel Bryan
Sean Garmer: I am still a bit miffed that the Primetime Players got taken out of this match. I don´t understand why they could not have just had a Triple Threat match but I guess the next logical step in the Daniel Bryan & Kane storyline was for them to become a “couple” of sorts. I´ve enjoyed the storyline laughing at Daniel Bryan and Kane´s comedic gold and I don´t see this ending so quickly. That means the only logical step here is to have…
Winners and NEW WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Daniel Bryan & Kane
Zachary Brown: It's kind of tragic that Prime Time Players are so unceremoniously out of the title picture. They are two guys with charisma and talent who make a bigger and better cohesive team than anyone else in WWE in my honest opinion. But on the bright side, Kane and Daniel Bryan are money right now. They have become one of the biggest overnight hits as a tag team, and it is well deserved. Their comedic timing has been impeccable, and they really have some awesome and hilarious chemistry as a team. This match will solidify their spot as a team in the hearts and minds of fans, and will FINALLY get the belts off of the stalest staleness that was ever stale, Kofi and Truth. Don’t get me wrong, I like both men. But their run with the tag team titles has been uneventful, undeserved, and completely uninteresting. It is the definition of a team just being thrown together and not used because WWE was in a mode where they didn’t care about their tag teams. But anyway, the match should be solid, provide some laughs, and give us a new era of the tag team division. I’m looking forward to it.
Winner and NEW Tag Team Champions: Kane and Daniel Bryan
DirtSheets Staff Picks: Daniel Bryan and Kane 7-0
Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler
David Martell: This is just another stepping stone for Dolph Ziggler on his journey to the main event. There are rumors that Orton is going to take more time off soon and with Ziggler holding the briefcase, it only seems right to make him looking stronger before he cashes it in. Ziggler winning clean doesn’t seem likely so I imagine Vicky will have something to do with it. All in all, Ziggler is walking out the victor.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Jacob San Antonio: This one is a complete toss up for me. I'm not really sure what the WWE wants to do with Orton at the moment, so I think Ziggler wins due to heel tactics. This feud shouldn't be over quite yet, so I get the feeling it'll be a close match.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Chris Lemchi: I know neither of them are champions, but a non-champion match at NOC isn’t rare. At least it’s better than that throwaway CM Punk vs. Big Show match at NOC 2010. However if the World Title match happens before this and Dolph does cash in, this could very well be a championship match. Either way, this match should be very good. It was originally supposed to happen at No Way Out, before Orton got suspended. Orton and Ziggler have had a lot of TV matches in the past two years, so I’m glad they’re finally getting a PPV matches. Their matches have always been good, so with more time on PPV, this match could be the sleeper hit of the night. Orton’s supposed to be off to go film 12 Rounds: Reloaded soon, so what better way to write him off with Ziggler taking him out. With taking out both Jericho and Orton, Ziggler’s character can have much more heat to it. Plus it can set up a future World Title match (if this doesn’t turn out to be one) later on in the year.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Paul Leazar: Dolph has been on a tear recently and I really hope that throwing him up against Super Randy doesn't slow him down any. I'm going to go against my better booking judgement and say Dolph wins this one.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Gary Vaughan: This match will be all about wrestling. If you’re looking for gimmicks or count outs, you'll be out of luck. Orton always keeps the action coming; while he devours his opponents by breaking them apart. Ziggler on the other hand will bring out every bit of energy and feistiness to win. I think this match will be one of the highlights of the entire night. Ziggler will win through some sort of antic or Vicki will make sure of it in some fashion. We may even see a referee decision reversed.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Sean Garmer: I want to think WWE has some logic here in understanding that Dolph Ziggler getting a big win on a PPV needs to happen sooner rather than later. Orton does not need a win here because whenever Ziggler does win the title and Sheamus has exhausted his rematch clause, the next logical guy for Ziggler to face will be Randy Orton. Then they can bring up the previous feud if they so desire. However, we all know how WWE loves to make Dolph Ziggler look like the biggest idiot to ever exist. Although, there is always that wildcard of Vickie Guerrero in this match too.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (thanks to some trickery by Vickie Guerrero)
Zachary Brown: This is one of those matches that I could watch any day of the week. But the match is short on story, and leads me to believe that Ziggler could cash in on this night. It should be a very solid contest; I am a big fan of both men right now. The match could go either way in my opinion, and it kind of depends on whether or not Dolph cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase later in the night. If he is to cash in, he should lose this match. You tend to think less about losers at the end of the night, and losing could help get Dolph out of the minds of most fans during the World Title match. But if Dolph doesn’t cash in, he should win this match. Dolph needs to look stronger right now, and he needs it much more than Randy Orton right now. But in the end, I have to go with what is more likely. Dolph could cash in, which means he should lose this. And even if that isn’t the case, Orton is a bigger star, and its more predictable for Orton to win. Ziggler winning is a leap of faith that I can’t really take right now, unfortunately.
Winner: Randy Orton
DirtSheets Staff Picks: 6-1
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sheamus (Champion) vs. Alberto Del Rio
David Martell: When will this feud end?! I firmly believe that there isn’t one fan out there that actually likes the Sheamus vs. Del Rio feud although the WWE continues to push it down our throats. Because of this feud, many people believe that Sheamus has had a failed title reign but come on, is it really his fault? Sheamus needs to get rid of Del Rio and move on to bigger and better things like Wade Barrett or maybe even Christian. Del Rio is as boring and stale as one can become and he just needs to step aside. Sheamus should win here win the cloverleaf and this feud shall die.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus
Jacob San Antonio: Sheamus wins. Again. Del Rio loses. Again. Take this feud out to pasture and put it down, please. I think there will be a cash in tease by Ziggler, but I don't expect to see him go through with it completely.
Winner: Sheamus
Chris Lemchi: Can this feud please end!!!! It’s been going on since the night after Wrestlemania, and it hasn’t been interesting since. This banned finisher angle does nothing for me at all. It’s not like when Orton had HBK’s superkick banned. Sheamus has a plethora of finishers. He even debuted a new one before the brogue kick was banned, so Sheamus shouldn’t even be that concerned. I know the Cell is the next PPV, but I don’t want this feud going all the way to Hell in a Cell. They killed any real interest in months ago, so end it here please. Sheamus needs a new challenger in the worst way. I nominate Wade Barrett.
Winner: Sheamus
Paul Leazar: I am so done with this feud. Sheamus needs a new feud and fast but their last match was pretty good so hopefully this will live up to that at least. I think the reason this feud has kept going for so long is that they don't have any ideas on what to do with Alberto Del Rio. Either way, Sheamus retains and hopefully we can finally move away from this feud.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus
Gary Vaughan: Del Rio has everything in his favor in this match. Sheamus has to keep a lid on the Brogue Kick and Del Rio has the advantage of Ricardo or Otunga to aid him. This will be a street fight in the squared circle by all means. Look for submissions to be heavy in this matchup. I think somehow Sheamus will pull out of all the chaos and be victorious in this matchup. Del Rio will once again lose a match that had everything in his favor.
Winner: Sheamus
Sean Garmer: How many times have we seen this match? How many times has Sheamus won in this match-up? Yeah, I don´t expect anything different.
Winner and STILL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Sheamus (by Tap Out to the Texas Cloverleaf)
Zachary Brown: Yawn. Who ordered the bland with extra bland sauce? Don’t get me wrong, I like Sheamus. The man is very entertaining and is an all-powerhouse in the ring. But Del Rio bores me. And how long has this feud been going on? Please, WWE…take this feud out back behind the shed, and shoot it in the head. It needs to die. If I see Sheamus vs. Del Rio one more time, I’m going to die! So I’m predicting ‘ol lobster heads to win this one. And then there’s the possibility of Dolph Ziggler cashing in. I think it’s possible. But it’s so difficult to predict WHEN someone will cash in, so I refuse to ever predict that. Let’s see what happens, but I don’t know if it will even be teased.
Winner: Sheamus
DirtSheets Staff Picks: Sheamus 7-0
WWE Championship Match
CM Punk (Champion) vs. John Cena
David Martell: With the addition of Paul Heyman by CM Punk’s side, it gave me hope that Punk can pull this off. Right now Cena is being booked strong and really this match could go either way but it would just seem stupid to end CM Punk’s reign right now. If they are really trying to build Punk as the top heel in the WWE, then his long reign needs to continue. It did wonders for Triple H back in the day so I think the same thing will work for Punk. Think of all the great storyline material with Punk possibly having a longer reign than John Cena ever had. It would be heel gold. Yeah, I admit I am a Punk mark but the WWE needs to stay on his bandwagon to continue solidifying him as a top guy in the WWE for years to come. Punk should win here by nefarious means which will lead to an even more important bout at Hell in a Cell.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: CM Punk
Jacob San Antonio: The million dollar question. Will the WWE once again give the belt to the man who doesn't need it? Will Punk finally earn the respect he demands by putting Cena away? Again, feeling pretty pessimistic so I'm going with a Punk loss. Smarks see this angle going in a different direction; the WWE sees this as another opportunity to turn a credible heel into a weak, worthless coward. Enjoy Cena/Rock II.
Winner: John Cena
Chris Lemchi: First of all, 9 months! 9 months since it’s a championship match was the main event of a PPV. That is just ridiculous. Especially when some of those main events were Cena/Kane, Cena/Show, and ugh Cena/Ace. So I’m glad, we’re finally getting the title match back in the main event. My pick to win here is Punk. Punk is on this incredible roll with this heel turn, it’d be pointless to take the belt from him this early. I know some people aren’t fans of his heel turn, but look at it this way: Would you rather be the number 2 babyface or the number 1 heel? Cena’s always going to be the guy the number one guy, whether we like it or not. Plus if Punk is really holding the belt till the Rumble, then he needed a turn. A long title reign with the same character will just make you stale, just ask John Cena or to a lesser extent Sheamus.
This match should be, without a question, match of the night. These two always deliver in the ring. They’re like the Superman and Batman of WWE, they’re equals! Anytime you have Punk and Cena in the ring, it’s a must buy. Like I said before, there’s no reason Cena should win this match. Cena’s at that point where he doesn’t need the championship and there’s no money in another Cena reign. Punk is still that change the WWE desperately needs and if they put the belt back on Cena, they’re just throwing money down the drain. Plus there’s still the Heyman factor looming over, so I just can’t see Punk losing. #PaulHeymanGuy
Winner: CM Punk
Paul Leazar: If you had asked me who was going to win this match when it was first made, I would have said Cena. However, with the addition of Heyman to the mix, I really think it gives Punk that extra edge to where he might lose the match but not the title because I think they are determined to have this one go to Hell in a Cell.
Winner: John Cena, STILL WWE Champion: CM Punk
Gary Vaughan: This battle of two top notch warriors could go either way. Inside the ring we will see two guys putting everything on the line, but only one will come out victorious. I would say that Cena should finally win another WWE title notch to his championship statistics, but Paul Heyman has changed my mind. I see a hard fought match going down to the bitter end, but with CM Punk doing the unthinkable to walk out as champion once again.
Winner: CM Punk
Sean Garmer: This one will be a battle and I expect Cena to still get a mixed reaction in his hometown. There have been so many ideas on who should face The Rock on which PPV this is hard to figure out where WWE is going. However, as sentimental as it would be for Cena to get a win in his hometown, it makes a ton of more sense for CM Punk to keep his title run going. A win against Cena in his hometown really would cement Punk´s place in the upper echelon of WWE´s main event scene.
Winner and STILL WWE CHAMPION: CM Punk
Zachary Brown: This match suddenly got interesting didn’t it? Their promo on Monday was white-hot, and a real show-stealer. Punk is the best in the biz right now, and I know that he will deliver here and pull out all the stops. Cena will fill his role as well, and I’m sure he will be entertaining. But I yet again do not think that CM Punk will lose. Cena wouldn’t need to win at this PPV in a million years. He is very rarely entertaining lately, and I just really think that their wrestling product would take a huge dive if Punk were to lose to Cena. Punk needs to win and his reign needs to continue strong until it is the right time. And Cena does not need to be the guy to do it either. Why can’t we create a new star or have someone fresher than Cena beating Punk for the belt? I just hope it doesn’t happen. Cena just makes me super nervous every time. But in the end, I predict the Second City Saint. He is the best at everything, and WWE would just be making a gross miscalculation if they went with anyone else right now.
Winner: CM Punk
DirtSheets Staff Picks: CM Punk 6-1
Guessing percentages this year:
Chris: 7/8, 87.5%
Paul: 7/8, 87.5%
Sean: 6/8, 75%
Gary: 6/8, 75%
David: 5/8, 62.5%
Zach: 4/8, 50%
Jacob: 4/8, 50%
