My WWE Battleground Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match - Randy Orton versus Daniel Bryan:

Much like their previous PPV clash I'm not expecting anything but a solid outing, although I feel the build up has been fairly weak compared. Bryan winning the vacant strap seems like the more interesting choice, but I just can't help but see 'The Viper' win via suspicious circumstances, although I admittedly thought the same thing last month so I could be way off.   

Winner: Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship Battleground Hardcore Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Rob Van Dam:

I'm relieved that they added the Hardcore stipulation here, this match needed that extra intriguing factor for me. I enjoy both men in the ring and they shouldn't have any excuses not to deliver an exciting bout here, not the least with my predictive victor RVD obtaining the title. But if he does then I wouldn't be shocked to see Mr. Sandow cashing in his MITB contract, it'd be the perfect way to gain him some heat.   

Winner: Rob Van Dam

CM Punk versus Ryback:

Unfortunately even against a superior talent I don't envisage this outing topping the great ones Ryback had with Cena over the WWE Title. This could be fun and should be enjoyable but nothing outstanding, hopefully I'm proven wrong. Will this be the end of Punk's feud with Heyman? I'm starting to hope things wind down now between them so they can move on to fresh foes. Punk to win and finally get some retribution on Heyman but not enough to end the rivalry just yet. 

Winner: CM Punk

WWE Divas Title Match - AJ Lee (c) versus Brie Bella:

Like any Bella-involved bout I don't hold high expectations, and certainly don't expect anything close to AJ's matches with Kaitlyn over the belt. That being said sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised (with Taryn Terrell's entertaining contests with Gail Kim being a prime example), but I doubt it tonight with this one. And I reckon AJ to retain, I don't see any reason for her to drop the strap just yet, recently bringing in Tamina as her new body guard would make it a strange choice too.

Winner: AJ Lee

Cody Rhodes and Goldust versus The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns):

For me this bout has had the best build up out of any on the card tonight, and I'm very interested in the outcome so job well done there. Should be a dramatic one. I'm going with The Shield to somehow come out with a dubious win here, adding another twist to the Rhodes storyline.

Winners: The Shield

Intercontinental Title Match - Curtis Axel (c) versus R-Truth:

Could be a decent match up, and both men should make the most from being on the main card of a PPV tonight. Can't see beyond Axel winning here after Truth's definitive loss to Ryback on SmackDown.

Winner: Curtis Axel

Bray Wyatt versus Kofi Kingston:

Bit of a strange one I thought when this was put together, considering the more interesting possibilities for Wyatt to face off with. Nothing against Kofi but after all his failed pushes I just struggle to invest in them anymore. Should be a fair match up. Wyatt to win considering his current momentum.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Santino Marella versus The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger):

How this found it's way onto a PPV card ahead of Ziggler and the Money in the Bank holder I'm still trying to understand, oh well. I'm just hoping for Cesaro to swing around Khali to deliver something memorable, it's up to the stellar Antonio to make this match worth watching at all I reckon. The Real Americans in the long run seem like the more sensible choice to put over here, but I can see Santino and Khali walking away the winners.

Winners: Santino Marella and The Great Khali.

Battleground Kickoff Match - Dolph Ziggler versus Damien Sandow:

At first I wasn't too sure about this thrown together bout, but Ziggler is such a consistent performer that I'm expecting an enjoyable contest against the MITB Contract holder. But despite Sandow holding the briefcase I see Dolph gaining the one-two-three.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

My WWE SummerSlam 2013 Recap

Rob Van Dam won via disqualification versus Dean Ambrose (c), thereby Ambrose retained the United States Title. It was a stellar pre-show contest, with both talents delivering more than worthy displays. The quality found here was hardly a surprise, but the added factor of Big Show and Mark Henry coming out and supporting RVD with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns also at ringside added some more interest. The DQ occurred after Van Dam hit the most likely match-winning Five Star Frog Splash and Reigns struck with a spear as the challenger was about to cover Ambrose. Show and Henry were too late into the ring and The Shield made their getaway.   

Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire Match. It was an entertaining outing for myself, the spectacle of it alone engaged me, I can't imagine how great that must've been for the fans in attendance. Technically it wasn't anything much to look at, but I still had fun watching it and both men did their jobs well. For the finish the 'Wyatt Family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan managed to cover part of the fire with a protective blanket and make their way into the ring to help Bray after receiving a few ChokeSlams to eventually apply a Sister Abigail on Kane for the one-two-three. Afterwards the victor had his 'brothers' drag the 'Big Red Monster' onto some steel steps and crack some more steps on his head.

Before their following match up, Damien Sandow compared Team Rhodes Scholars to some of the all-time famous duos, claiming that much like in all of them there was the inferior "lackey" in the pairing, that being Cody Rhodes. He also stated that he would send Cody back to his 'carnie' family.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow and had the last laugh in a decent affair. I'll admit I was expecting something fair here but nothing much, and it certainly exceeded that. Cody especially did well, and I'm relieved to see him back on the right track with his recent wins and elevated status. 

Alberto Del Rio (c) forced Christian to submit in order to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a gripping back and fourth bout. In their greatest match yet both wrestlers were technically tremendous, crafting some superb sequences with effective near falls. Del Rio managed to latch on his trademark arm breaker for the victory after Christian hit a spear using the shoulder he'd injured earlier in the title clash, it was a logical end and it was refreshing to see an injury being sold so well. 

Natalya beat Brie Bella in a largely uninspiring match. To be fair Brie looked better than normal, although that still isn't saying much. Cameron and Naomi  began inevitably tangling with Eva Marie and Nikki Bella at ringside to spur on more of the fake feud started in the Total Divas 'reality' show. Fans soon lost interest and began chanting such things as the commentators names and "We want tables!" to entertain themselves. Natalya caught Brie with a Sharpshooter for the win. 

Brock Lesnar bested CM Punk in a No Disqualification Match. I believe awesome is probably the most suitable word to describe this special outing. Much like any Lesnar bout since his return you were hooked from the start (at least for me anyway) with both men battling (and I mean battling) with edge of your seat submission attempts and near falls, the drama truly never let up as both wrestlers travelled in and around the ring. Of course Paul Heyman played his part brilliantly too, halting Punk's oh so close efforts to win and finally leading his former associate and best friend into the winning F5 from 'The Beast'. 

Punk has once again been involved in one of the match of the year contenders (the other one was against a certain 'Dead Man') and I cannot urge you enough to watch this enthralling fight, although if you're reading this I doubt I even have to right?

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn defeated Big E Langston and AJ Lee in an enjoyable mixed tag bout. The match wasn't too long but I felt that only benefited it really, Kaitlyn and AJ did well with their time and Big E is probably better suited to short and powerful bursts in the ring. Plus if it'd been allocated more time it might've gotten fairly tiresome. In the end Kaitlyn took out AJ with a spear on the outside and Ziggler managed to escape a Big Ending and strike with a Zig Zag for the win.

Backstage the SummerSlam host The Miz was interrupted by Fandango and his dancing partner Summer Rae, as he had been all night. So a frustrated Miz simply clocked Fandango with a swift punch to finally stop him.

Daniel Bryan pinned John Cena (c) to obtain the WWE Championship with Triple H as special guest referee in an exciting and highly memorable main event. The fans were electric, there were plenty of suspenseful moments and you will remember this and the events afterwards for a long time, all that adds up to a great main event. Granted it wasn't perfect or the match of the night, there were a few slight mistakes here and there but that's probably just me being a bit picky. Both men were battered and exhausted as the final few minutes rolled in, with Bryan attacking with a vicious knee to Cena's head for the most important three count of his career so far. But the night wasn't over yet.

Randy Orton then made his way casually down the ramp, with Bryan daring him to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but 'The Viper' instead walked away. That was until Triple H suddenly Pedigreed Bryan and Orton cashed in, winning the WWE Title. It was a shocking way to end a successful event, and one that will have plenty of fans wanting answers the next night on Raw. So a smart finale then.

Overall it was a strong show, with the push of up and coming talent and most matches being decent and three being exceptional. And for me any event with at least three strong bouts is a triumphant one. My highlights were Christian versus Del Rio, CM Punk versus Lesnar, the cash in and the main event. I was very much looking forward to SummerSlam and it didn't disappoint. 

My WWE SmackDown, 15th August 2013 Recap

Bray Wyatt, accompanied by his 'brothers' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, gave another intriguing promo where he spoke about the apparent life of a young Kane who was bullied at school for being different. He then turned his attention to their Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam, stating that he looked forward to it. 

Kane himself then snuck up on the trio after tricking them with his trademark entrance fire and began to tangle with Wyatt after chucking his associates out of the ring. But the numbers soon caught up to 'The Big Red Machine' who was eventually taken out by the Wyatt family, with Bray finally hitting him with the Sister Abigail (love the mysterious name of that finisher). It was a decent segment to kick things off, with Wyatt still as entertaining as ever. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Unfortunately they weren't given enough time to really leave their mark, but it was enjoyable enough. Afterwards Christian thwarted an attack from an upset Sandow with a spear, and then did the same to Alberto Del Rio as he reversed an arm breaker attempt into a Killswitch. 

AJ Lee and Layla bested Kaitlyn and Natalya in a passable tag bout. To be fair it was certainly above average for most Diva contests you receive nowadays, with good efforts especially from Natalya and Kaitlyn. For the finish Layla kicked Kaitlyn's leg before leaving the ring, allowing AJ to apply a Shining Wizard for the victory.

Rob Van Dam, Big Show and Mark Henry defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a solid six-man tag encounter. It was one of the better six-man matches The Shield have had since around WrestleMania time, with every wrestler putting in a good display.  

The Miz beat Jack Swagger in a pretty unremarkable affair. Both men did fine, the match was just lacking in any real excitement or interest. Miz rolled up a distracted Swagger for the winning pinfall after the referee had told Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro to leave ringside.

Curtis Axel pinned Zack Ryder in a fine contest. There was nothing outstanding to be found here but it was a fun watch still, worth a look. Afterwards Axel's manager Paul Heyman grabbed a mic and admitted that CM Punk outsmarted himself and Brock Lesnar on this past Monday's Raw, but he'd have his revenge in the form of Lesnar beating him this Sunday.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in a No Disqualification Match. And what a lively main event this was. As Bryan had Barrett on the ropes (not literally) Vince McMahon strolled on down and distracted Bryan, allowing Barrett to get back into the match.

McMahon also decided to drag the referee out of the ring when Bryan latched on the Yes Lock on his foe, and then called down Brad Maddox to officiate the bout instead. But Maddox's time was fairly short lived as he was accidentally struck by Barrett later on. Towards the end Triple H marched down and counted Bryan's winning pin after striking with a diving headbutt before McMahon was about to enter the ring with a ref's top himself. It was a stellar end to the show I felt, with a memorable finale and an exciting match up. Good way to enter SummerSlam.

Overall it was a fun show for the most part, with a couple of strong match ups and the rest being decent enough, but nothing bad to speak of. My highlights were Wyatt's promo, the six-man tag bout and the main event. Now onto SummerSlam! Which has a pretty strong card, should be good.

My WWE SmackDown, 9th August 2013 Recap

Randy Orton pinned Rob Van Dam in a great opener to the show. It's hardly a shock considering they're two of the most consistent performers in the company but both men delivered solid displays here as they went back and fourth. The match had gripping sequences and terrific action, with a nice finish too as Orton RKO'd RVD after a Frog Splash attempt for the one-two-three.

The Miz brought out his latest guests for 'Miz TV' AJ Lee and Big E Langston, and quizzed them on their relationship status to which AJ explained Big E was her "best friend." When then asked about her previous relationships in WWE, AJ claimed that all the men involved used and abandoned her, and that her Divas Title was the only thing left that wouldn't leave her.

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn then joined the show and stated that they were over them and didn't understand AJ's obsession still. To settle things (for a moment at least) Miz then booked all four in a mixed tag match for SummerSlam, apparently being host gives you that power? Inevitably all four then began scrapping with each other, with Ziggler and Kaitlyn finally sending their rivals packing by each hitting their respective finishers. 

Fandango beat Kofi Kingston in a passable encounter. It was pretty unremarkable for the most part, with fair wrestling. For the finish Summer Rae feigned an ankle injury after having to dodge out of the way of an aerial attack from Kofi, so Fandango managed to throw a concerned Kingston into a ring post and apply his signature flying leg drop for the win.

Daniel Bryan forced Wade Barrett to submit in a fine contest. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time but it was entertaining enough while it lasted, with worthy efforts from both wrestlers.

Kane beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a Handicap Match. This squash match didn't last too long, with Kane dominating bar one kick from McIntyre. Afterwards Bray Wyatt appeared on the big screen and gave one of his cryptic speeches regarding their Inferno Match at SummerSlam (although they've failed to refer to it as an Inferno Match for some reason) claiming that the fire couldn't stop his brothers and that he was "already dead." This guy is always worth watching.

We were shown a VT of an interview with Brock Lesnar, who explained that he had a dislike for CM Punk long before he dropped Paul Heyman as his manager, due to his undeserved arrogant attitude. He also added that at SummerSlam Punk will know what it's like to "truly be victimised by Brock Lesnar."

Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in an engaging main event. As usual these two terrific in-ring talents provided stellar showings in this enjoyable bout. It's a rare occasion that either of these men don't deliver to be honest. Christian once again caught the World Champion in a quick roll up pin for the victory. A sour Del Rio attempted to take out his frustration on Christian but 'Captain Charisma' managed to strike with a Killswitch first.

This prompted Damien Sandow to race down and almost cash in his Money in the Bank contract (in a fancy new briefcase) until Cody Rhodes intervened and attacked Sandow, finally hitting the Cross Rhodes to end the show.

Overall it was a decent show, with most matches above the average standard (two of which were very good) and some significant advancements for SummerSlam. Unfortunately most of the interviews and promos weren't must see and quite forgettable, bar Wyatt's and Lesnar's which I enjoyed. My highlights were Orton versus RVD, Lesnar's interview VT, Bryan versus Barrett and the main event.

My WWE SmackDown, 26th July 2013 Recap

Apparently he can't swim. Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Both Money in the Bank holders gave worthy enough efforts, but I failed to engage in the match and find any excitement. Orton applied the RKO for the one-two-three after Cody Rhodes walked down and walked off with Sandow's MITB briefcase, distracting the 'Intellectual Saviour'. 

CM Punk came out and confirmed for us again that he will indeed face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in a few weeks. He went on to also claim that Lesnar's biggest weakness was once his own, his trust in Paul Heyman, and Heyman's was and always has been his ego.

He also added that he will take everything away from Heyman when he stands up from Lesnar's attack and continuously kicks him in the head until he's unrecognisable. I'm a big Punk fan but I just struggle to believe it when he states he'll do this kind of thing to someone much larger and muscular in Lesnar. Amusingly Fandango then interrupted Punk and came out for some unknown reason, which prompted him to crack the dancer with his microphone and some punches before hitting him with the GTS. The segment was entertaining and Punk is always a welcome return on the blue brand for me. 

Mark Henry and The Usos bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a passable six-man tag bout. It had decent moments, but was pretty forgettable to be honest. The winning teams upcoming match with The Shield should be far better.

Alberto Del Rio beat Rob Van Dam in a match that was far, far too brief. The World Champion managed to quickly pin RVD after a swift superkick after distracting the referee in the corner. I can only imagine (and sincerely hope) that they're planning to have these two face off for the strap at SummerSlam. That could be a terrific title match.

AJ Lee, accompanied by Big E Langston, explained that despite being dumped by Ziggler and loosing her best friend Kaitlyn she would be fine due to still being the Divas Champion and "saviour" of the division. She then revealed Dolph's keys to his house that he'd given her and claimed that she was ready to move on and get rid of them.

Dolph Ziggler then joined them and told his ex that he'd passed around plenty of sets of keys to girls and changed the locks just to be safe anyway, and also told Lee and Langston that they were both replaceable too, much like all his belongings in his suitcase which AJ began to destroy in the ring. As a furious Divas Champion left the ring Kailyn hit her with a spear, and Dolph took out Langston with a fameasser. Looks like we'll be having a mixed tag match with this lot at SummerSlam. It was an enjoyable segment, mainly due to Ziggler's great work on the mic which was possibly his strongest to date. His face turn has been very successful so far.

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan defeated Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) in a short squash tag contest. After watching the 'Wyatt family' for a while now on NXT their performance was pretty standard for them, they're never the most exciting but they do their job well enough. Afterwards Bray Wyatt said that he was welcoming Kane's return next Monday, seemingly having no fear over the possible ramifications of their beat down on him a few weeks ago.

Christian pinned Jack Swagger in a solid encounter and best one of the night. In one of Swagger's finest match ups since his return earlier in the year we received good displays from both men, with Christian especially on stellar form as usually expected from him. 

Damien Sandow stormed out after the main event and demanded that Rhodes return his MITB briefcase and that Vickie Guerrero fire him immediately. Cody then appeared on the big screen and revealed that he was right by the Gulf of Mexico with the briefcase in hand, telling Damien that all he had to do was come and get it.

So a frantic Sandow raced across the street, begging Cody not to chuck it into the river and complimenting him in almost every department. But that wasn't enough for Rhodes who tossed it in anyway. Sandow attempted to retrieve it but failed as he admitted that he couldn't actually swim. It was a fun end to the show. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a SmackDown, with most of it being pretty unmemorable but a few entertaining offerings still to be had. My highlights were Punk's promo, the Ziggler and AJ segment, Christian versus Swagger and Sandow and Rhodes visit to the Gulf of Mexico. Outside of those parts it was unremarkable or fairly drab for myself.  

My WWE Raw, 15th July 2013 Recap

Bryan a little happy at Cena's decision. Photo credit: WWE.com

Raw GM Brad Maddox kicked off the show by boasting that the Brooklyn fans will one day be able to tell their grandkids that they were there to witness the start of the "Brad Maddox era." WWE Champion John Cena soon interrupted him and admitted that he deserved a chance to prove himself as GM before he judged him. Maddox then informed Cena that he will get to pick his own opponent to defend the title against at SummerSlam.

Money in the Bank winner Randy Orton decided to join them both and warned Cena that when he cashes in he won't squander the opportunity like the champ did last year. If I hadn't watched the product in a while I would've sworn that Orton was a heel the way he put down Cena. Fandango then made his way out to a terrific reaction and claimed that the challenger the fans would like to see Cena face was himself. It was a hilariously delivered promo. Things soon turned physical however when Orton and Fandango began brawling in the ring, so Maddox booked them both in a match there and then. It was an entertaining start to the show.

Randy Orton pinned Fandango in a decent outing. There were worthy efforts provided by both men here, with this probably being Fandango's finest singles match to date. It may have started fairly slow but things soon picked up. Like many fans I'll admit that Orton's persona has grown a bit stale, but he's still one of the most consistent performers in the company for me and it's rare he doesn't deliver in the ring. 

Backstage Dolph Ziggler told AJ Lee that he was ending things between them. AJ was understandably distraught, but we'll get to more of that later...

Mark Henry came to the ring and admitted that Cena was the better man the previous night in their title clash, and asked that he gave him one more chance at SummerSlam for the strap. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) then walked out and after being repelled by the beastly Henry, managed to wear down the 'World's Strongest Man' and triple powerbomb him. So it looks like Henry's turning face, which could work.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in an intense back and fourth affair. Once again these two delivered a terrific match up, with engaging action throughout and top displays from each of them. The finish came after the upset AJ Lee rang the ringside bell, causing Ziggler to become distracted and Del Rio to hit a swift kick to the head and gain the one-two-three.

As the former couple argued in the ring, Big E Langston snuck in and ran Ziggler over with a mean clothesline and applied a Big Ending. Guess we know who 'The Show Off' is facing at SummerSlam. 

Before their match could begin, Bray Wyatt's 'family' took out a surprised R-Truth. Wyatt then gave a cryptic promo on how heroes no longer existed and that people can no longer trust even their own flesh and blood, but he was still trustworthy. Truth then entered the ring again with a steel chair in hand, but was soon caught out and beaten up by Bray and his associates. Well Wyatt is certainly one of the freshest and most interesting acts in the company right now.

The Usos bested The Real Americans in a fair tag bout. The match was fun while it lasted, it's just a shame they weren't allocated a bit more time to really excel, especially after The Usos's solid Tag Team Title match the night before. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in an enjoyable enough encounter. Much like the previous match they weren't given too much time, but they made the most of it. Christian catching MITB victor Sandow with a pinfall win seemed like odd booking though, but this failed to phase him as he still announced himself as the "Intellectual Saviour of Money in the Bank" afterwards.

An enraged Cody Rhodes then began clobbering his former tag partner who stabbed him in the bank the night before, with Sandow managing a quick escape after some security held Rhodes back.  

Naomi beat Brie Bella in an unremarkable affair. To be fair it was okay compared to the usual standard of match they deliver, but it still wasn't anything to shout about. Naomi gained the winning pin after applying a cross body from the top rope.

A stern CM Punk demanded that Heyman and Lesnar, who he was aware were in the building, enter the ring with him. So Paul Heyman made his way out, claiming that he now fails to exist in his eyes and was no longer the best in the World since dumping him as his associate, which was also the reason that he double crossed him by manipulating him and at Money in the Bank when he slammed a ladder into him multiple times. He also added that his children made it all clear when they asked why Punk didn't follow his orders like Lesnar did, who he also stated Punk could not beat.

Punk retorted by warning Heyman that he will gain retribution on everyone associated with the double cross, leaving him for last so he can witness it all. A confident Heyman then brought out his client Brock Lesnar who began brawling with Punk. While Punk managed brief comeback strikes, he was overpowered by Brock at every turn and eventually F5'd onto the announce desk. It was an enthralling segment from start to finish, with tremendous mic work from Heyman and an entertaining scrap.

Rob Van Dam defeated Chris Jericho in an engaging contest. They've certainly had superior match ups in the past, but that's not to take away from this one which had a few slightly sloppy moments but was enjoyable on the whole and well received by the fans in Brooklyn. 

After asking for the crowds opinion on who he should face at SummerSlam for the championship, John Cena finally announced the hottest wrestler in the company today as his challenger, Daniel Bryan. The fans gave a very healthy response to that pick, and it should be an interesting match next month.

Overall it was a solid show, with some good storyline developments and most match ups and promos worth checking out. My highlights were RVD versus Jericho, Del Rio versus Ziggler and the Punk, Heyman and Lesnar segment. Good start to the road to SummerSlam, let's hope they keep up the momentum.  

My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match - John Cena (c) versus Mark Henry:

While this feud started off strongly, with Henry delivering the promo of his career, I've started to loose interest fairly quickly since. I feel like we've received the same old template speeches from both men in the two weeks leading up to this. But putting that all aside I'm expecting a passable title contest, nothing that spectacular but fun enough. I also see Cena retaining, I just can't imagine Henry taking the belt from him tonight.

Winner: John Cena

WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match - CM Punk versus Rob Van Dam versus Daniel Bryan versus Sheamus versus Randy Orton versus Christian versus ?:

My prediction for match of the night, and looking at the solid line up potentially one of the finest MITB match ups we've ever seen (although it'll take some to outdo my personal favourite at WrestleMania XXIV). As for the man to unhook the coveted briefcase, I have to go with the wrestler with the most momentum and that's Bryan. With his significant wins as of late and terrific reactions from the fans, it all seems to be building to him obtaining the contract and cashing in on Cena in the near future, well that's what I reckon anyway. And plus we also have that mystery guest spot. Some have mentioned Bray Wyatt taking it, but I'm not so sure, it's intriguing though...

Winner: Daniel Bryan

World Heavyweight Championship Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Dolph Ziggler:

While the action should be stellar here, I'm just really tired of this feud now and hope it nears its end tonight, mainly due to my lack of interest in Del Rio and his rather drab persona. I'm still torn between who I see coming away with the strap, so I'm just going with Ziggler for now as he's the wrestler I feel has a much more potentially interesting reign ahead.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Wade Barrett versus Damien Sandow versus Antonio Cesaro versus Cody Rhodes versus Jack Swagger versus Dean Ambrose versus Fandango:

While the line up here is a bit of a mixed bag, this should still be an exciting match with the younger wrestlers itching to leave an impression in this environment. This is also a tricky one to call. While you can almost rule out Rhodes and Sandow winning here, you never know if WWE fancy surprising the fans with a shock victory. Who can forget Bryan grabbing the briefcase a couple of years back at this event? Now who honestly expected that? But I'm going with who seems the most likely and logical, and that's Ambrose. He's been on very good form and clearly impressing the right people in the back, plus it would be the next step up for The Shield. I mean where do they go from their current position? But as I said there could well be a shock win so I could be way off.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Chris Jericho versus Ryback:

This could potentially be a very enjoyable outing, although with Ryback it can be tricky to tell. Jericho's been on solid form since returning at the Royal Rumble and I'm sure we'll get a fine performance from him, but while Ryback's been involved in some very entertaining encounters (his series with Cena, the tremendous TLC match versus Shield with Team Hell No) he's not consistent. Considering Y2J will be leaving on tour fairly soon it would seem foolish to have him victorious here, and Ryback really needs a significant PPV win.

Winner: Ryback 

Intercontinental Championship Match - Curtis Axel (c) versus The Miz:

I'm not anticipating anything extraordinary with this contest, but it should be decent enough and Axel has looked very good in-between the ropes lately, plus Miz almost always gives a worthy effort. Although Axel lost to Y2J on SmackDown this week (loosing his temper afterwards) I imagine he'll retain the belt here, I wouldn't see the point of him dropping it just yet to Miz.

Winner: Curtis Axel

Divas Championship Match - AJ Lee (c) versus Kaitlyn:

The contract signing segment on SmackDown got me interested in this feud again a bit, but I'm going to be realistic and admit that this will most likely be another fair and unremarkable bout between the two. It's a relief to see WWE investing time and actually building a relevant feud in the Divas division, but they really still need to invest in some female talent with experience and that are much more capable and exciting in the ring. Oh, and AJ to retain, seems most likely.

Winner: AJ Lee

Pre-Show WWE Tag Team Championships Match - The Shield (c) (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) versus Jimmy and Jey Uso:

Good choice to have in the pre-show slot, should be a lively affair to get the Philly crowd going, plus with the titles on the line it adds that bit more significance. While Usos have been on a fair push as of late, I struggle to see them outdoing Shield tonight.

Winners: The Shield

My WWE Raw, 8th July 2013 Recap

The Wyatt family have arrived on Raw. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero, accompanied by assistant Brad Maddox, climbed up a ladder placed in the ring with a Money in the Bank briefcase above it, talking about how it represented her proverbial climb up the ladder each year she's been in the company. 

Jerry Lawler then interrupted the Managing Supervisor and revealed that there would be an online poll for the fans to determine whether she's passed or failed in her role, with the McMahons job evaluation of Vickie later on that night. After then sucking up to the fans, Vickie announced the matches that night involving all the participants in the All-Star MITB match this Sunday. It was a pretty drab start to the show. 

Daniel Bryan pinned Sheamus in an enjoyable back and fourth contest. Both men gave worthy efforts, with effective near falls, submission attempts and exciting action for the most part. Bryan grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up on the Irishman.

The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) in a largely average and unmemorable tag bout. The match was given too much time and began to drag for me, with uninspiring wrestling for the most part. But fortunately there was a strong finish as Rollins applied a nice enzuigiri to Tensai, then tagged in Reigns before performing a diving flip to the outside onto Clay, allowing his tag partner to spear Tensai for the win.

WWE Champion John Cena came out and was soon joined by his MITB opponent Mark Henry, who explained just how desperate he was to take the strap from him, even willing to sell out his own family as he did a few weeks back when he feigned his retirement. Cena retorted be claiming that if Henry looses on Sunday then he'll loose the respect of the fans and it would've been "seventeen years for nothing" for him. Does Henry's World Title reign not count for anything then?

After a few more exchanged words Cena challenged Henry to cross the line, but he refused, that was until Cena went to grab his belt and he clobbered him with a clothesline. Cena made a brief comeback as he attempted an AA, but Henry's weight was too much and he fell on top of him and then applied a World's Strongest Slam to the champ. It was a pretty poor segment to be honest, neither man was great on the mic and the action was quite awkward (which doesn't bode well for their title clash). It's a shame really considering how strong the feud started.  

Chris Jericho defeated Curtis Axel in a solid outing. Each wrestler looked good here as they provided fine displays. It may not have been as exciting as the earlier Bryan versus Sheamus encounter but it's worth checking out. Jericho grabbed the victory with a Codebreaker after Miz (who'd provided guest commentary) had distracted Axel at ringside.

Alberto Del Rio versus Sin Cara ended in a no contest after Dolph Ziggler (who'd come down to mock the World Champion during the match up) and him began brawling until Sin Cara applied a flying cross body from the top rope onto Del Rio. The bout itself had been fair, nothing that special about it. 

Vickie Guerrero pleaded her case to Triple H, Stephanie and Vince McMahon as to why she deserves to keep her spot on Raw. Unfortunately for her while Vince supported her work, Triple H did not, with 'The Game' stating that the fans deserved better. So the final decision fell to Stephanie, who decided to make things fair by deciding Vickie's fate with the online fans poll, who voted seventy five percent in favour of Vickie failing as the Managing Supervisor, so Stephanie fired her.

A furious Vickie threw a temper tantrum in the ring, while Vince consoled her and announced Brad Maddox as the new GM of Raw. As Maddox thanked Vince backstage, an upset Vickie began attacking him. I'm definitely in favour of this, Maddox has shown plenty of charisma and personality on commentary and in various segments, more than most regulars in WWE today.

Kane pinned Christian in a decent effort. As usual the two professionals gave stellar showings, although the match was lacking a little excitement. But the big story from the match came afterwards when Bray Wyatt and his 'family' finally made their Raw debut and beat down Kane. The eery entrance was particularly nice as Bray slowly walked down the ramp in darkness as his two associates followed behind him in goat masks with only Wyatt's lantern lighting the way. 

Kaitlyn and Layla versus Alicia Fox and AJ Lee ended in a no contest after Kaitlyn as the illegal participant refused to stop attacking AJ, with Fox and Layla having to separate them. But Kaitlyn wasn't done as she then speared AJ on the outside. The bout itself had been a uninspiring one, with average action. The Bella twins boated on commentary how dull the match was and how the ratings had gone up since they returned. Yes, the same Bellas who have been dire for the most part since returning and added nothing to the struggling Divas division. 

CM Punk defeated Randy Orton in an entertaining main event. The wrestling was well executed throughout, with nice sequences and a good pace. Punk gained the winning pinfall after applying a GTS to Orton. Afterwards Bryan then ran down and took out both men, charging into 'The Viper' with a ladder from under the ring and then climbing up it to unhook the Money in the Bank briefcase. Could we be seeing that same scene on Sunday? I wouldn't be surprised with his current form.

Overall it was a fair show, with more than a few unremarkable segments and matches. My highlights were Bryan versus Sheamus, Jericho versus Axel, Vickie's job evaluation (mainly due to Maddox stepping into the GM position), the Wyatt family's debut and the main event. For myself it was a disappointing way to head into the PPV, but despite that most of the card looks promising and it should be a fun show.