September 14, 2012
Arda: I thoroughly enjoy the "odd-couple" pairing of Daniel Bryan and Kane. I think it's interesting, and I'd love to see them as tag team champions. I hope they win this match, in fact. But the "explanation" of how the Prime Time Players lost their No. 1 contender spot was ridiculousness and not believeable. According to the storyline, AJ told the PTP that, yes, they won a No. 1 contendership match and are the No. 1 contenders, but since they didn't beat every team in the WWE, they now have to face another team to become No. 1 contenders again. See any logic there? Neither do I.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan and Kane
Adam: It does seem this was a last-minute decision to put Daniel Bryan and Kane in this match instead of Titus O'Neil and Darren Young, but I think it was absolutely the right call. I'm usually a member of the logic police, but in this case, WWE made the choice to strike while the iron is hot. I don't think anyone in the company expected the Team Friendship angle to take off the way it has, and now they're reacting to that. Kingston and R-Truth have done a good job providing stability to the tag division, but the real money here is on Kane and Bryan.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan and Kane (or is it Kane and Daniel Bryan)
World Heavyweight Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
Arda: Sheamus is an interesting character lately. We see him crack jokes, kick "arse," crack some more jokes, kick some more "arse." Most storylines surrounding him lately have revolved the Brogue Kick, placing importance on how devastating it is. The reason I'm not so excited for this match is that it just seems like it's Del Rio complaining a lot and Sheamus joking a lot, which hasn't captivated me for this match. Sheamus retains and both move on.
Prediction: Sheamus
Adam: I have to question why this match is happening again on pay-per-view. The story between these two has been long and drawn out, and it has lost a lot of what it originally offered. Now the feud is based around the Brogue Kick and whether or not it should be legal. My prediction here may be more of fantasy booking, I admit, but I think Del Rio's conquest will finally pay off. After winning the title, Del Rio will be on the receiving end of a Brogue Kick - what does Sheamus have to lose by using it if he's already lost the championship - and will then be pinned by Dolph Ziggler, cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. This probably won't happen, but I'd love to see it.
Prediction: Alberto Del Rio
WWE Championship
CM Punk (c) vs. John Cena
Arda: This has been a terrific war of words, with both sides creating compelling television. The partnership of Punk and Heyman leads me to believe that Punk gets out of this one with title in tact. John Cena has been tremendously interesting throughout this rivalry, so if it continues, I'm all for it. I look for a great back-and-forth contest with Punk somehow pulling out the win.
Prediction: CM Punk
Adam: I wasn't really all that interested in seeing a rematch between these two until the ending of Raw on Monday night. I had no doubt these two could put on another great performance, but it just didn't seem like the right time or place to be doing it. The promo they did on Raw changed that and made me really interested in seeing what they can pull out. The dynamic is a little different than their other encounters, so hopefully this match will feel fresh and exciting. This will also be a match that should headline a pay-per-view, so that will be an unfamiliar feeling for the champ.