Update: CM Punk Hits Fan at End of Raw

A big incident is catching the attention of the WWE Universe based on the conclusion to last night's Raw.  It wasn't the fact that Vince McMahon dropped a bombshell on CM Punk that he will face either Ryback or John Cena at Hell in a Cell.  Instead it was the fact that Punk hit a fan several times while he was up in the audience towards the end of the show.

Many fans watching from home believed it might have been a work, with the fan strategically planted and Punk striking him as part of the show.  However, there are now reports that the fan is taking legal action.  The Spotlight, a pro wrestling fan page on Facebook, has posted multiple updates on the incident including:

"CM Punk UPDATE"

From Twitter another shot of the "CM PUNK Victim"

This fan says his face is a little warm after he says CMPunk hit him. He also says Punk broke his glasses."

The fan page also stated previously:

CM Punk Fan Incident Update. The fan who was struck by CM Punk on tonight’s WWE Raw is to take legal action according to Arda Ocal of The Score. Ocal tweeted: "Local CBS reporter @colereporting, who was at RAW, spoke to man claiming to be t he fan hit by CM Punk. He filed a report with Police." The fan in question suffered a minor bruise on his face next to his eye, and a broken pair of sunglasses. Here is a photo the reporter took of the man that will be used as evidence.

As of right now, WWE itself is not saying anything about the incident, but it will be interesting to see if any internal repercussions happen as a result of this. They want Punk to be their top heel right now, and on a very important and lengthy title reign, there are plenty of fans calling for him to lose the title over this. However, WWE seems to have big plans with regards to who he will face and when, as many believe CM Punk vs. The Rock, was the big match coming at Royal Rumble, with the WWE championship up for grabs.

Ryback vs. CM Punk Teased on WWE Raw

An interesting conclusion came to Monday's episode of Raw after CM Punk tried to attack a one-armed John Cena in the ring.  Punk got hit by a lead pipe that Cena had been concealing, causing the champ to flee the ring and leave to the backstage area.  Punk was then shown disgraced and humiliated backstage, and passed by Mick Foley.  He stopped after walking by him, then went back over and kicked Foley down.  As Punk started to walk away, he stopped again, then turned to say something, only to be shocked.  After several moments, Ryback was shown there staring him down.

So what's to come of this latest incident?  Is WWE contemplating a Punk vs. Ryback feud possibly?  It would be a strange one to start up all of a sudden, but with Cena possibly unable to wrestle at Hell in a Cell, some think it could happen.  Most believe that Cena will end up taking on Punk at HIAC, only to lose yet again, further solidifying Punk's lengthy title reign.  The consensus right now seems to be that Punk is going to hold onto the WWE title through 2012 and then lose to Rock at the Royal Rumble.  However, what if WWE throws a major swerve, giving Ryback the title at the Rumble, with Rock defeating Ryback instead?  Ok, maybe not.

So what will happen with Ryback?  He's clearly the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title, but seems more interested in CM Punk right now.  It's always possible these two will meet in a match, where CM Punk leaves the ring, or gets disqualified, keeping Ryback's "streak" in tact.  The WWE has wisely kept Ryback out of matches where fans would expect him to win, such as the Battle Royal for the US Championship match at the last PPV.  However, now he's getting thrust into the scene more and more.  Is Ryback the WWE's next big thing?

WWE clearly needs to do something big with Ryback, but the question is what?  He's rolled through all sorts of mediocre opponents, but recently squashed The Miz.  Maybe he'll decide he doesn't want the title shot from Miz but instead wants the top prize from CM Punk.  This all could make next week's episode of Raw rather interesting.  Ryback isn't known for his mic skills, but does his talking and yelling in the ring.  Will he get "fed" CM Punk, or was that just a simple tease by the WWE?

John Cena to Miss 2 to 3 Weeks Due to Surgery

WWE's top star, John Cena, will miss 2 to 3 weeks of action due to recent elbow surgery.  The WWE website reported Cena underwent the surgery just today with Dr. James Andrews.  They noted that it was a success and helped remove pieces of bone chip cartilege from Cena's elbow which had been limiting his arm's motion.

Dr. Andrews said of the surgery:

"He had begun to lose motion in his arm, and it had been locking up.  I performed an orthoscopic procedure on his elbow and took out a bunch of spurs. Everything went really well. 

Cena’s rehab will start on Monday with trying to improve his range of motion and getting the swelling down."

The timetable that WWE.com gives for Cena's return is 2-3 weeks right now, following his rehab.  The WWE Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View is scheduled for October 28th at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA.  Based on last night's episode of Raw it appeared that Cena would continue his feud with CM Punk over the WWE Championship heading into the PPV.  Cena has plenty of time to appear live via satellite and still make his return.  To keep things going, he's also been tweeting to call out CM Punk for the rematch.

"Oh.. And @CMPunk u TIED a guy with a blown up ankle, and a shattered arm ... what say when i get healthy ...

We show the @wwe who #thechamp really is? And why would u even try and borrow @therock stuff, stick with #hitman n #macho #dontangerdwayne"

Wishing John Cena a speedy recovery back to the ring for his next round with Punk.

When Will Dolph Ziggler Cash in MITB?

Dolph Ziggler still holds that coveted blue Money in the Bank briefcase, which many believe will be cashed in for the World Heavyweight Championship, at some point.  There's also a belief by a number of fans, that Sheamus has become a boring and stale champion, as well as face.  While both of these are up for debate, the fact of the matter is Ziggler will very likely cash in at some point, if WWE doesn't have him lose the briefcase to some other star.

One prediction will be that Sheamus finds his Brogue Kick banned at the upcoming Night of Champions PPV.  The move was banned by Smackdown GM Booker T on Friday night in a match against David Otunga.  However, Sheamus still won the match, despite that.  He's got that submission hold, the Clover Leaf, and could very well pull that move out against Alberto Del Rio at NOC.  However, being in that position also leaves Sheamus vulnerble for a sneak attack from behind by Ziggler, Ricardo Rodriguez, or someone else. Wade Barrett could always get involved, attack Sheamus to start a new feud between the two brawlers, and ultimately give Ziggler the MITB cash in.

So far, Randy Orton has played the role of spoiler and intercepted or intervened before Ziggler had a chance to cash in.  However, Orton will reportedly have to take some time away for filming a sequel to John Cena's "12 Rounds" movie.  That film will be called "12 Rounds: Reloaded" and will go straight to DVD and Blu-Ray rather than theaters.  It was reported by Headline Planet days ago that Orton will be making a hiatus from his on TV appearances in order to film, so it's quite possible he'll have the role of helping strengthen Ziggler en route to the MITB cash in.

Could Ziggler be champion for a long stretch of time, say 5-6 months straight?  One of the potential scenarios could have Ziggler as the World Heavyweight Champion when Wrestlemania 29 rolls around in 2013.  He's got the annoying Vickie Guerrero as his representative to really get him over with the fans.  He held the championship very briefly once before, but never quite got that big push as champion.  As for his WM29 opponent, it could be someone like Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, or Sheamus, unless WWE decides to pull a surprise move and make Undertaker in line for another short title reign via a win at Mania.

WWE fans, when do you think Dolph Ziggler is going to cash in Money in the Bank?  At Night of Champions, during SmackDown, RAW, or another PPV?  Will it happen in the next several months, or early in 2013?

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H or The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29?

The last that WWE fans saw of Brock Lesnar was his appearance weeks ago on the Raw following SummerSlam, where his rep Paul Heyman declared him ruler of the WWE Universe.  During that same night, Lesnar made a Tout video to say he was done with WWE.  However, it appears he is still in the "pipeline" so to speak, for upcoming plans, or is he?

A report at WrestlingInc.com says that Brock may very well resurface in the early part of 2013 leading up to WrestleMania 29.  What's not clear is who his opponent will be.  There's been talk of it being Triple H, but also talk of The Undertaker having the match.  Both make sense right now, although Taker may be the bigger draw for a Mania match.

Many fans may remember that Taker showed up at an MMA event and had that infamous crossing of paths with Lesnar when he was a part of the UFC.  That sent the world wide web into a frenzy with rumors the two would be meeting up in a match at WrestleMania.  However that never happened, and now with Lesnar back, yet gone again, Undertaker is nowhere to be found.

The two were both featured on Raw 1000, but in different segments.  The build-up for a Lesnar vs. Taker match is certainly there, as Lesnar can boast that he's defeated the best of the best in WWE and is the supreme ruler of all competition.  However, one man has an unprecedented undefeated streak at Mania; The Deadman.  Putting that accolade on the line against a guy of Lesnar's magnitude seems like a major challenge.

Will WWE go for this though?  There seems to be rumors that Triple H vs. Lesnar will go down at Mania, but the other match makes much more sense.  The other interesting thing will be to see if Paul Heyman continues to work with CM Punk and Lesnar leading up to Wrestlemania 29, if both have huge matches.

Which would you rather see at WM29: Brock vs. HHH or Brock vs Taker?

Possible WrestleMania 29 Matches List

It might seem premature, seeing as the WWE Universe just witnessed the 2012 edition of SummerSlam, but it might be fun to toss out a few match predictions for WrestleMania 29.  These are based on the recent happenings from the SummerSlam PPV and other events, as well as what could just make for an interesting lineup.

There's plenty of big names who could (and should) be associated with the next edition of WrestleMania.  They include the obvious with John Cena, CM Punk and Randy Orton, as well as the guys who are sort of a mystery in terms of how they fit into the  big picture: The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and The Undertaker.

Potential WrestleMania 29 Matches:
John Cena vs. The Rock II (for WWE Championship)
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (streak vs. career match)
Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
CM Punk vs. Triple H?

First and foremost, The Rock and John Cena II may be the match fans get at Mania.  If Rock wins the WWE championship at the Royal Rumble (off CM Punk, or Cena), he could hold onto it as a way to build up towards the bigger PPV (and promote his GI Joe movie).  That would give Cena revenge for the loss at Mania in Miami, and his big win over The Rock.  Not everyone's going to love this idea, because if it goes down this way it also makes these guys 1-1 against each other, meaning they'd need a third match at some point to break that tie.

For Brock Lesnar, if he sticks around until Mania, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes against The Undertaker.  Those two had that infamous crossing of paths during a UFC event, leading to rumors of an eventual match, and Mania is the biggest stage of them all.  It would require months of buildup to get there, but if Brock "leaves" right now, Taker could always return and then Lesnar does because he wants a piece of him.

Of course, this could also go several other ways.  They could also bring Taker back to fight Brock at the Royal Rumble.  Some have even suggested Survivor Series, which is several months away.  The other way it could go is to have Triple H get a rematch against Brock at Mania, and get the victory.  However, I really feel when it comes to the whole undefeated streak, Undertaker needs a big name in there, and if it isn't The Rock, Triple H or Cena, it's got to be Brock Lesnar facing Taker at Mania.

Of course, something interesting also presents itself with Triple H, and that is the way things went down with Shawn Michaels.  He had his arm broken by Brock and didn't appear in Hunter's corner at the PPV.  Triple H didn't make the "save" in the ring when Lesnar broke his friend's arm.  On Raw just this past Monday, HBK basically told everyone he thought Triple H was done and he should have admitted to him he thought he couldn't defeat Brock.  So that sets the stage for something here.  Michaels clearly retired and all, but is this all setting him up for a future bout with Triple H?  Very interesting situation there.  I still expect Triple H to return for some sort of match at Wrestlemania, because that's when WWE needs its top guys there most.  Maybe he'll have a feud with CM Punk around then?  It's tough to predict this one.

There's also the question of the World Heavyweight Championship match for the big event, and that seems to revolve around guys like Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, Randy Orton, and yes, Chris Jericho.  My top picks for potential matches here are either Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler, or Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler with the World Championship on the line.

With all this in mind, we also have the Royal Rumble coming up in January 2013, which is about 5 months away.  However, some of the top picks to win could be Jericho (who lost last year), Orton, CM Punk, or John Cena.  Basically it will depend on whether Cena or Punk has the WWE title heading into that event.

It's still early, and it's going to be interesting to see how some things play out.  Will Punk remain WWE champ the rest of the year?  Who will have the belt at Royal Rumble, and who will win it?  It just would seem strange for The Rock to get attacked by CM Punk, and for Rock not to get some payback.  So if Punk can continue his reign through 2012, we're going to see a first-ever Rock vs. Punk match in the ring come Wrestlemania.

SummerSlam 2012 World Heavyweight Title Match

For those uninterested in spoilers ahead of Friday's Smackdown episode, it's best to stop reading now.  Otherwise, continue on as this post will give a reveal as to the World Heavyweight Title match for Summerslam 2012.  It was in limbo as of Friday, with big news to be announced on Smackdown.

The match was initially set up as Alberto Del Rio challenging Sheamus again for the title.  Del Rio won the #1 contender status after winning a Fatal Fourway on Smackdown against Daniel Bryan, Kane and Rey Mysterio.  However, Del Rio seemed to have cost himself the match after his vicious attack on Sheamus during last week's show.  It included Del Rio hiring fake cops to hold back the champ, so ADR could get in cheap shots and ultimately lock on his cross armbar breaker move.

A furious Booker T announced that the match would be called off.  However, as of Friday's episode of Smackdown, Del Rio is scheduled to speak to the GM about things.  Booker has officially reinstated the title match as of the taping on Tuesday.  It's likely that Sheamus asked Booker to keep the match in tact, as he probably wants to get his hands on Del Rio after what he did.

An article at Bleacher Report looks at five better options for the match.  Those options are Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Jinder Mahal.  Ok, the last option seems far fetched by Pay-Per-View standards, and would be a better non-title squash match for Smackdown, or even Superstars.  Not a good idea for a big event like SummerSlam.

However, Wade Barrett and Ryback seem like smart choices, as does Orton.  All 3 have main event potential, with Ryback seemingly untapped right now.  It's uncertain what exactly WWE is building this guy up for in the future, but if it's just to lose to Undertaker, that would be unfortunate.  Why not give him a title shot and have Del Rio inerfere to ruin it?  Then Ryback can go after Del Rio.

One thing to also keep in mind is that Dolph Ziggler is hanging around with that briefcase, so he can basically cash in whenever.  Let's just hope it's during a cool moment, rather than after Sheamus gets knocked out by someone on Smackdown or Raw.

Raw 1001 Generates Major Heat?

WWE fans probably didn't have high expectations heading into episode #1001 of WWE Raw on Monday.  The show, set for the new 3-hour format, had to follow-up a major extravaganza complete with reunions of DX as well as major returns by Lita, The Rock, and The Undertaker.  However, Raw 1001 still managed to generate some "heat," and probably not in the way fans anticipated.

The first moment was the fire that started up pre-Raw.  It was actually made into a big deal on the air, and TMZ covered the news.  That's just what WWE wants, even if it was a minor problem, as there's no bad publicity really.

However, another moment during the show has to make fans wonder.  That was when Abraham Washington made his remark about Titus O'Neil or his team being "unstoppable like Kobe Bryant in Colorado."  The remark was in reference to Kobe's previous rape trial, where Bryant had been accused of sexual assault with a Colorado hotel employee.  The charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify.  It ended up being settled out of court in a civil suit.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler appeared to be doing damage control as they offered apologies for Abraham Washington's remarks during the show.  However, it makes you wonder: was this a planned line to generate more attention, or was AW simply allowed to do his improv schtick?

It's a curious situation, and it wouldn't be beneath writers to have stuck a line like that in there to see which major gossip sites picked up on it (or hoping Kobe, or the Lakers would).  Remember, SummerSlam is in Los Angeles in August.  They've already got Charlie Sheen lined up for it in some capacity, so why not go for another big star or two?

Other big moments from Raw included the return of Randy Orton to defeat Heath Slater in the ring.  Damien Sandow started up a new feud against Brodus Clay, while Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho continued theirs.  Also, later in the night it was revealed that there will be a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam with John Cena vs. Big Show vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title.

In all, it wasn't a bad show, but the 3-hour format makes for a tough sales pitch for WWE right now.  It appears what they want to do is start dominating social media and the world wide web, and the longer they're on air, the better the chances for trending, or getting their apps to hit #1.  So it may seem like a smart move, but will the 3 hours end up hurting WWE in the long run?

It's quite possible, especially if moments like the fire and Abraham Washington's line sneak their way into these 3-hour live events on TV.

What did you think of the latest 3-hour episode of Raw?  Should Raw stick with 2 hour shows?

Raw 1000th Episode Results Review

It's been a few days since Raw's 1000th episode has aired on USA.  The 3-hour event was full of some great moments, including bigtime returns from the likes of D-Generation X, The Undertaker, The Rock, and WWE Divas Lita and Trish Stratus.  It also featured a shocking end in the main event match for the WWE Championship.

Heading into this MITB it seemed to be too predictable that Cena would simply cash in his briefcase and leave as the new champion.  And why not, since after all it was the big, history-making episode of Raw.  However, his plans were thwarted when the Big Show got involved multiple times, costing him the clean win.

The bigger story came when Show kept attacking Cena, and The Rock rushed to the ring to try to make a save.  He was able to fight off Show, but then got attacked by CM Punk, who now appears to have gone back to heel.  Earlier in the night, Rock was in the ring with Punk and Bryan, both of whom were arguing over who is best in the world.  Rock said it was up to the people, but that was in response to Daniel Bryan.  Punk was sort of left out of the equation.  Rock also made the blockbuster announcement, that he'll be facing whoever is WWE champion at the Royal Rumble in 2013.

Based on a fan voting poll, it appears that Rock and Punk could be meeting at the Royal Rumble.  Could that lead to a huge rematch between Cena and Rock at Wrestlemania?  If Rock defeats Punk, and Cena wins the Royal Rumble, seems like you can bank on a rematch, this time with Cena walking away as champion.  Rock vs. Brock would make a great Mania match too though.

Speaking of matches, they finally made Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar official, with a bit of bumping and fighting to build things up some.  Stephanie McMahon got involved, as did Paul Heyman, and then Brock.  However, Triple H had the last laugh as he tossed Brock out of the ring.  Will it be an easy win for The Game at SummerSlam?

As for Undertaker, he was back once again, but will he be back in any capacity for the near future?  Probably not.  It seems he is at that stage of his career where he makes a big appearance here or there, and then it's all about hyping up his next Wrestlemania match.  Could that be Brock Lesnar perhaps?  Since WWE has Lesnar under contract for only so much time or events, it could be a strong possibility.

As for the big returns on Raw, it was great to see the segment with Lita and the "legends" all ganging up on Heath Slater.  The unfortunate part for Slater is he's become a glorified jobber, with no real other purpose in the WWE.  Almost like a "one man rock band" version of Brooklyn Brawler?

It's going to be interesting to see where WWE goes with having AJ as the General Manager, as well as what goes down between Charlie Sheen and Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam.  Otherwise, when will The Rock next appear?  Will he show up for another episode of Raw, maybe via satellite next week, or will WWE make him stay away and return closer to his GI Joe movie?

In all, the Raw 1000th episode was definitely fun to watch, but it's going to be hard to imagine that WWE can keep up the 3-hour funfest week in and week out after this top notch show.

What was your favorite part of the 1000th episode of Raw?

Raw 1000 to Feature Cena vs. Punk for WWE Title

So much for surprises, as John Cena has announced his intention to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, just one night after the Pay-Per-View win.  Basically, Cena is going to do the "respectable" thing and he gave CM Punk a week to prepare for the championship bout.  Unfortunately, doesn't this all seem too obvious for the fans?

It's the biggest episode of Raw by far, commemorating 1,000 shows, and featuring big appearances by D-Generation X, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock.  However, WWE wants to solidify the superstar status of John Cena by giving him a historic championship win.  This will likely set up a big rematch for SummerSlam 2012 of Punk vs. Cena, which was a feud a while before.

Quite possibly this is the new Orton vs. Cena feud of the recent times.  The unfortunate part is just how obvious WWE is making the championship match.  Will Cena fail in his quest to cash in?  Will someone interfere and cost him the win?  If that's the case, then high five to the creative writers.  If it's just a big history-making victory for John Cena to try to outdo Hulk Hogan or someone else's resume, then why the need to even win Money in the Bank?  Someone could have easily booked the match, or they could have set up a tournament leading to the match.

Thankfully, Dolph Ziggler is a wildcard, as it's unknown when he's going to cash in.  The best guess is that Sheamus will be layed out when he does, but at least it will provide an exciting moment in WWE history.  For now, Ziggler seems to have the potential to steal the show, although from the way it's looking Chris Jericho isn't going to let that happen anytime soon.

Do you expect John Cena to win when he faces CM Punk for the WWE title, or will something else happen?  When do you think Dolph Ziggler will cash in, on Raw, on Smackdown, on a PPV this year?

Raw 1000th Episode to Feature The Rock and Brock Lesnar

It looks like the Raw 1000th episode should pack plenty of punches in terms of powerful superstar appearances.  Both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Brock Lesnar are among the currently scheduled guests for the blockbuster historic episode.

Lesnar's appearance will be part of his ongoing feud with WWE COO Triple H, with Brock finally answering The Game's challenge for a match at SummerSlam 2012.  It was previously announced by Paul Heyman that Lesnar would show up on the big episode to make his decision.

Meanwhile, The Rock made an announcement just a day ago that he'll be part of the historic episode as well.  He tweeted out to the millions, and millions, of The Rock's followers:

"RAW's 1000th episode," Rock wrote. "The People's Champ returns.. As promised, my goal: THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP. ?#RELENTLESS"

With The Rock, his promise to once again become WWE champion is an interesting one.  However, he's got the G.I. Joe film to promote and it seems like that may be the reason behind this.  Keeping him in the headlines as a wrestler will possibly get wrestling fans interested in seeing him on the big screen battling the forces of Cobra.  Whether or not he's going to issue some sort of a challenge during Raw #1000 is what seems to be the lingering question right now.

This show will of course be three hours long, the first one to kickstart that new length for the Raw television show.  While it shouldn't be too tough to get fans to watch this first episode featuring these two former champions, and possible Wrestlemania contenders, one has to wonder if WWE will be able to keep fans coming back for more without them present.  Another interesting aspect of these two guys appearing on this one show: will they cross paths during the show as a prelude to a possible Wrestlemania matchup?

It should be interesting to see what else WWE has in store for this 1000th episode of Raw, as they've been bringing back all sorts of "blasts from the past" such as DDP, Doink The Clown, Vader, Psycho Sid, and just recently, Bob Backlund.

Follow @WWEDivaSource on Twitter for more pro wrestling updates!

Brock Lesnar at 1000th Raw Episode

The latest on Brock Lesnar is that he will appear on the special 1000th episode of WWE Raw, which is scheduled for July 23rd.  According to WrestlingInc.com, there is a local promo running in the St. Louis area for Lesnar.

The commercial says that Lesnar will be at the particular Raw and asks, "what part will he play?"  Obviously, that's long after the expected response to Triple H's challenge.  So WrestlingInc and others are speculating that Lesnar's response for next week's Raw in Texas will be via satellite or through his mouthpiece, Paul Heyman.

Lesnar's Raw appearance makes sense for that particular episode, since he is a part of the WWE's history and the Raw show.  Also, it comes after the Money in the Bank PPV which Lesnar isn't part of.  It'll kick off the build towards a Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar Summerslam match, with that PPV arriving on August 19th in Los Angeles.

What part do you think Lesnar will play at the 1,000th episode of Raw in July?  Will he and Triple H have another confrontation in the ring?

Early 2012 MITB Match Predictions

As of Monday's Raw episode, one of the 2012 Money in the Bank ladder matches was revealed to the WWE Universe.  John Cena put his name into the match for the first time ever.  He was joined by three other former WWE champions who will compete in what used to be Raw's version of the match.

There is now an MITB match for the WWE championship contract, and one for the World Heavyweight championship contract.  As many fans know, the distinction between Raw and Smackdown is nothing more than two different TV shows and time slots.  The rosters have pretty much merged.

That said, this is a rather strange field of competitors for the WWE Title MITB match: Cena, Jericho, Show, Kane.  None of these guys are particularly aerial wrestlers, which has made for exciting highlights in the past.  Guys like Evan Bourne, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and CM Punk have really made this match famous.  Cena, Big Show, Jericho, and Kane don't exactly conjur up images of high flyers or daredevils with a ladder.

Also, one guy who has really been buried is obviously, The Miz, who is a former WWE champion.  Shouldn't he be among the competitors?  It seems he's been pushed way down the competitive ladder, so to speak.  Maybe he'll start lobbying for a spot in the coming weeks.

With the WWE title MITB match, eveyone's logical conclusion seems to be John Cena will win.  However, strong "cases" can be made for both Chris Jericho and Big Show.  Both are heels who seem like the types who would cash in with a briefcase.  In the past, it's been all about heels, and Cena obviously isn't one.  With all that said, it seems as if maybe Cena and Show will cancel each other out, and Kane will get distracted by AJ.  That leaves Jericho to win MITB for this match.

Jericho's a good choice too, as he will brag and boast with that briefcase in hand, for as long as WWE wants him to.  He doesn't really need to wrestle, and can keep teasing when he will ultimately cash it in.  Jericho's done classic promos in the past, and it makes sense to have him continue on and on about winning the match and the contract.

As for the other MITB match, it seems that at least two competitors for that could be Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler.  That's if they aren't put into a match with Sheamus at the Pay-Per-View.  It's going to be interesting to see who is put into that match, as Randy Orton may still be suspended and not available for it.  Rey Mysterio would be a logical choice if they're going for former champions, as would Daniel Bryan, but he's going to be having a match with CM Punk.  Of course, that doesn't mean Bryan couldn't be a surprise entrant and winner, who cashes in later on.

WWE fans sound off below, who do you predict to win the WWE title version of the MITB match?

Who do you think will be in the other MITB match?  Who will win?

No Money in the Bank 2012 Match for Cena?

Recent reports indicate that John Cena might not be a part of the next WWE Pay-Per-View, 2012 Money in the Bank in July.  Instead, the focus will be on Cena for a match at Summerslam 2012 against current WWE champion CM Punk.  That match would co-headline the event with Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H.

Of course, first they need Brock Lesnar, or his mouthpiece Paul Heyman, to accept Triple H's challenge.  That was layed down recently with Heyman trying to back out of it and call HHH out on his manipulation.  It ended up bad for Heyman, who got layed out on the mat, which probably sent a loud and clear message to Brock, wherever he was watching.  Once the match is official, which it pretty much appears to be, that gives one major matchup for the event.

The other would have John Cena going against CM Punk for the WWE title.  To get to that stage, it seems they're going to have to build Cena back into a #1 contender somehow.  Right now, Wrestling Inc. is saying there's no plans for Cena be in the RAW Money in the Bank ladder match.  It would be odd to see Cena carrying around a briefcase anyways.  However, he can probably lay claim to defeating guys like Show and Lesnar en route to a title shot.  Or they'll hold one of those "Beat the Clock" or other tournaments to set up Cena as the contender.

Other reports indicate that Cena probably won't win the title at Summerslam, however it's possible he'll be challenging for the title once again in his hometown in Boston, come September for Night of Champions.

The question is will Cena become champion again before the end of 2012?  Should he be?  CM Punk currently has a reign that's lasted for 216 days, extending since November 20, 2011 when he won the belt at Survivor Series.  Previous lengthy reigns went to John cena back in 2006 when he held the title for 380 days, Cena again in 2005 when he had a 280 day reign, and JBL's 280 day reign starting in 2004.  The Miz had a 160-day reign back in 2010.

How far will this current reign extend for CM Punk?  The longer, the better, as it shows plenty of respect for Punk's body of work.  However, you'd have to imagine that WWE enjoys the promotional and merchandise sales juggernaut that is John Cena.

Triple H to Appear at No Way Out 2012

It has been announced by WWE website that COO Triple H will appear at the upcoming No Way Out Pay-Per-View on June 17th.  The reason for The Game's visit is to discuss the current situation involving Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and the various legal issues going on.

WWE reported on its website:

"For the first time since learning of Brock Lesnar’s lawsuit against WWE, COO Triple H will break his silence and publicly address a multitude of items – including his own future and the Lesnar litigation – at No Way Out on Sunday, June 17, WWE’s Breaking News mobile alert service reported Wednesday."

Of course, notice in the fine print above that Brock Lesnar is mentioned.  That always brings up the idea that Brock will also show up one again, maybe accompanying Paul Heyman to the ring, or trying to sneak attack HHH from behind.  There's been some question recently over whether Lesnar is in fact really done with WWE, or will be back to fight again.  Others believe we'll see a HHH vs. Lesnar Summerslam match, which certainly couldn't hurt WWE right now.

For now, the WWE Universe will have to wait until June 17th to find out what The Game has to say, and whether or not Brock makes an appearance again.

What do you think will happen when Triple H shows up at the No Way Out PPV on June 17th?  Leave your comments below!

WWE Superstars 05/31/12

WWE Superstars Results 05/31/12:

The latest episode of Superstars opened up with Beth Phoenix's theme music starting up as Scott Stanford announced the No Way Out PPV is about two weeks away.  Stanford was shown on camera with Josh Matthews as Beth posed in the ring.

Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox by pinfall.  Alicia had a late advantage but missed on a splash move.  Phoenix kicked her in the gut, then signaled for the Glam Slam and connected with it to get the win.

Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley by pinfall.  Late in the match, Tensai charged at Riley in the corner but got hit by a big boot.  Riley went for a late high risk move, but as he jumped, Tensai grabbed him and hit a big Spinebuster/Powerbomb.  Tensai followed with a senton splash to get the win. Post-match, Sakimoto got into the ring, and Tensai told him to get on his knees before him, then pulled him up by his hair.

Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu by submission.  Yoshi mounted a late comeback, including a flying move off the corner and a flurry of kicks and chops.  He missed on his spinning buzzsaw kick after hitting the ropes.  Jinder followed with a big knee to the back of Yoshi's head, and then put Yoshi into the camel clutch to make him quickly tap out.

Raw Rebound was all about Big Show discussing his heel turn and his new ironclad contract.  He made an example by beating up Brodus Clay, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth instead of competing in the main event.  Big Show takes on John Cena at the No Way Out PPV on June 17th.

Christian defeated Drew McIntyre by pinfall.  McIntyre had a late near fall, but as he went to grab Christian near the ropes, Christian held onto the bottom rope.  Then, Christian countered a Future Shock DDT attempt, and then threw McIntyre shoulder-first into the ringpost.  From there, Christian pointed up to the corner, climbed it, and hit his Frogsplash finisher for the win.

Randy Orton Suspended 60 Days by WWE

Major news hit the pro wrestling world today as superstar Randy Orton has been suspended by WWE for 60 days.  This is due to Orton's second violation of the Wellness Policy.  That means one more violation and he's out.

In breaking news on Wednesday, WWE announced on its website:

"In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE has suspended Randy Orton for 60 days effective today (May 30) for his second violation of the company's policy."

According to PWTorch.com, the suspension puts Orton out of action until late July/early August.  Raw moves to three hours around that time, and will also be building the hype to Summerslam 2012 PPV.

Ironically, Orton looked like he was involved in a feud with Chris Jericho, but Jericho got suspended 30 days for a flag incident at a Brazil House show.  On the most recent episode of Raw, Orton looked like he may be getting into a feud with The Miz, but now that clearly won't be happening either.

This leaves WWE in a bit of a conundrum, as they have to figure out what to do without some of their top talent for Raw and Smackdown.  Which superstars do you think should fill the role in the interim?

Big Show Squashes Brodus Clay on Raw

Last night's Raw finally revealed why Brodus Clay has been built up as the dominant wrestler he's become - to give Big Show someone to fling around.  Show said earlier in the evening he planned to make a statement to the locker room, and that's just what he did.

Backstage, Show grabbed Santino by the face threatening him for joking around after he got fired on that Raw episode weeks ago.  Enter Brodus Clay, who finally wasn't playing around and was ready to go toe-to-toe with the World's Largest Athlete.  He said he'd give Show something to cry about, and Show said Clay wouldn't be dancing after tonight.  Show was the one who was right.

There was never a main event match, it was more of a promo for how Big Show is looking to punish John Cena at No Way Out.  He simply demolished Brodus Clay, as well as the tag team champions, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston.  Show flung them all around the ringside area like ragdolls, smashing through crowd barriers, commentary tables, and the steel steps in the process.

The good thing here is that Brodus Clay never officially lost a match, although technically he is defeated.  He got attacked by a behemoth in Big Show.  It would be great to see this feud continue on, maybe once Show and Cena's rivalry is done.  As said before, fans have seen Cena vs. Big Show many times before and need something new.  Brodus Clay vs. Big Show could become the next Mark Henry vs. Big Show, causing the ring to implode, and steel cages to break.  Still, it would be an interesting new rivarly, and possibly a way for Big Show to put over an up-and-coming star.

What do you think of a Big Show vs. Brodus Clay rivalry?  Do you think it has a chance, or should Clay feud with someone else?

What are Lord Tensai, Brodus Clay & Ryback Doing?

It seems the WWE is in a state of regurgitation right now, as it continues to replay the same storylines to the fans.  Right now there are three superstars who have been squashing opponents,  yet none of them are anywhere near anything important in terms of stories or matches.  Meanwhile, John Cena is in a feud with Big Show, again.  Big Show has turned from good guy to bad guy, again.

Those three guys who are squashing the competition are Lord Tensai, Brodus Clay, and Ryback.  Yes, they're all repackaged now as "different superstars," but they're not losing either.  All three have been shoved down the fans' throats as behemoths who can't be defeated easily in the ring.  They've all faced semi-decent opponents, and in some cases defeated them.  In the case of Tensai he has wins over both John Cena and CM Punk.  So why is he nowhere near a WWE Championship match?

Same goes for Brodus Clay who has defeated Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler.  Those are two former United States and World Heavyweight champions.  Clay also defeated The Miz, a former US and WWE Champion.  Again, why is Clay doing dance segments in the ring with the Funkettes and Funketeers, instead of fighting for titles?  Shouldn't he be first in line for Santino's United States title right now?

With Ryback, the chants of Goldberg are heard whenever this guy's in the ring, or arriving to it. The WWE clearly wants to make him look like a new age version of Bill Goldberg, yet he's only wrestling amateurs, or Heath Slater.  He seems worthy of a lot more right now - or maybe WWE is afraid he'll really hurt a legit superstar?  If nobody can defeat him, and he wants more, why hasn't he challenged Sheamus?

Both Ryback and Brodus have shown up at the past several Pay-Per-Views, but for what reason?  It's just baffling how WWE continues to use Big Show and Kane as faces, then heels, and vice versa, while they have fresh new talent who should be involved.  Give Cena a feud with Ryback, or Clay, or Tensai.  In fact, why is Cena not feuding with Tensai after the beatdown and cheap win weeks ago?

That's the rant for now, but it seems that WWE has plenty of talent just floating under the surface right now.  Let's hope for the best and that they will bring these guys into some fresh new feuds and storylines to get things going.

What do you think of Lord Tensai, Brodus Clay, and Ryback?  Will any of them win a title in the next six months to a year?

WWE Raw TV Show Expands to 3 Hours

In big news from the pro wrestling world today, it was announced that WWE Raw will go to a three hour show instead of two hours.  The new format is set to begin on June 23rd which is billed as the big "1,000th" episode for the longtime program.

Reaction to this WWE news so far has been mostly negative, because for the most part the three hour programs Raw has run in the past have not been good.  Other comments have been made regarding the lack of creativity from the writing team as it is with Raw, so how much more can be done with an extra hour?  It could be that the extra hour will serve as more time for recaps of previous incidents, or to help hype up Pay-Per-Views.  That also brings up the idea that Pay-Per-Views are 3 hours long themselves, so should Raw be that length too?

However, what it appears that WWE is shifting towards is a more "fan friendly" and interactive TV show.  They apparently plan to involve social media more and let the fans get involved in making decisions in the shows.  At least that's how it appears to be shaping up.  If that's true, then it's clear WWE wants to milk social media as much as it can.  Due to the fact so many different WWE phrases or wrestler names trend on Twitter, it's possible they see 3 hours as an extended way to capture social media attention.

Is it a good move or a bad move for the WWE?  Two hours seemed good to this writer, as the show really needs some better storylines and popular new stars to keep things fresh, not an extra hour of Twitter coverage.

Let me know in the comments area below what you think of this new format for the WWE Raw TV show!