The Beard is Now: Review of WWE Summerslam 2013

With all the factors leading into Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena, there was no doubt something big would happen during the main event of Summerslam.  Cena and Bryan had one excellent match which saw each wrestler trade their biggest shots and a few unique maneuvers in a clean match-up.  After twenty minutes of great wrestling, Bryan finally put Cena down with a devastating knee to the head.  The resulting explosion of cheers at the Staples Center and in the theatre yours truly was watching from was incredible.  To finally see Daniel Bryan hold the WWE Championship, even for a moment, was an unbelievable experience.  Bryan's celebration lasted a couple minutes before Randy Orton and Triple H spoiled everything.  With a pedigree to Bryan, Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to steal the WWE Title from the grasp of the American Dragon.  In one fell swoop, Randy Orton and Triple H turned from beloved superheroes to corporate goons.  While Bryan's moment may have been spoiled for the return of the Corporation, this new storyline looks to set-up Bryan as a main eventer in the WWE.  With John Cena out of action and CM Punk busy with Paul Heyman, it is time for WWE to push Daniel Bryan as the ultimate underdog who can stand toe-to-toe with the insurmountable forces of the McMahon's Corporation and their hand-picked champion.

To sum up Summerslam in one word, this writer would have to say exhausting.  Yours truly walked out of the theatre after watching Summerslam exhausted both physically and mentally.  The top three matches on the card (Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena) were extremely tense and incredibly immersing.  Hands down, these three matches are well worth spending your hard earned cash on watching Summerslam.  Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio is a spectacular World Title match.  CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar is a definite Match of the Year contender.  Last but not least, Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena along with the post match theatrics is an extraordinary main event.  The rest of the card is hit or miss.  None of these matches are below average although they are quite underwhelming when compared to the top three matches.

Bray Wyatt def. Kane in a Ring of Fire Match
Rating:  5.5/10

Cody Rhodes def. Damien Sandow
Rating:  7/10

Alberto Del Rio def. Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Rating:  9/10

Natalya def. Brie Bella
Rating:  5/10

Brock Lesnar def. CM Punk
Rating:  10/10

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn def. Big E Langston & AJ Lee
Rating:  6.5/10

Daniel Bryan def. John Cena to win the WWE Championship
Randy Orton def. Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Championship
Rating:  9.5/10

Top to bottom, Summerslam 2013 has varying degrees of quality.  While there was nothing absolutely horrendous on the card, it is still a three match show.  Funny thing being that those three matches are among the best matches of 2013.  The varying quality really makes this year's Summerslam hard to put a rating on.  Summerslam delivered with every big match on the card, but fell short with the undercard.  Overall, Summerslam 2013 is a very enjoyable PPV which is definitely worth watching and even owning.  WWE Summerslam 2013 just irks out an 8 out of 10.

The Best vs. The Beast: Preview of WWE Summerslam 2013

The Best vs. The Beast, The Champ vs. The Beard.  These are two tag lines that easily describe this year's Summerslam in a nutshell.  While Summerslam is being built as a two match show, it is understandable when WWE picks the two of the largest matches of the year to headline the second biggest PPV of the year after WrestleMania.  These two matches could single-handedly sell an entire PPV so having both on the same show is unbelievable.  So unbelievable in fact that WWE has sold Summerslam to yours truly on these two matches alone.  Personally, it is the most excited I have been for a PPV since Money in the Bank 2011 and we all know how that PPV turned out.  Looking at the card top-to-bottom, Summerslam does not seem that impressive outside of the two main events.  Hopefully the buzz surrounding both CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar and John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan will inspire WWE creative and the wrestlers to produce a Summerslam worthy of being called the second biggest PPV of the year.  We will have to tune in this Sunday to find out if WWE can pull it off.

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the U.S. Championship

Most times the pre-show match can be easily dismissed as a throwaway match, but not as of late.  Last month, the WWE Tag Team Championship match placed on the pre-show was said to be a great match-up.  The pre-show match for Summerslam looks to be another exciting affair.  While this writer does have reservations about placing a big draw like RVD on the pre-show, he is a great veteran wrestler to test Ambrose on such a big stage.  Given enough time, these two stars should be able to put on a very entertaining show to lend into the main attraction- Summerslam.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose retains

Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow

The logic behind this match might be a little wonky considering Damien Sandow never really betrayed Cody Rhodes.  All Sandow did was knock Rhodes off the ladder in  the Money in the Bank Ladder match, which has a free-for-all format, to win said match.  If you take a closer look at it it was not a betrayal, more like the spirit of this competition.  While the storyline might not be the best, this match should be the start of great things for both Rhodes and Sandow.  Having a singles match booked for the second biggest PPV of the year is an excellent opportunity to put the spotlight on both men and their many talents.  We will have to wait and see how things go for both superstars' singles career in the months and years to come, but this writer expects to see their A games come Sunday.

Prediction:  Damien Sandow wins

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn vs. Big E Langston & AJ Lee

As a huge fan of Dolph Ziggler seeing such a phenomenal talent wasted in a mixed tag match is just disheartening.  Dolph's World Title run was criminally short and he barely got a chance to chase after the title before WWE decided to start this feud with Langston and AJ.  If WWE wants to get Dolph Ziggler over as a face, it is better to have him chasing Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship rather than fooling around with his ex-girlfriend, former bodyguard and the girl he made out with on NXT Season 3.  No offence to the other talent in this match; Ziggler should be in the main event, not the lower mid-card.  The expectations for this match are very low, but this writer is hoping to be surprised by the effort these four superstars give us.

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn win

Kane vs. Bray Wyatt in a Ring of Fire Match

I never understood the excitement brought from the Wyatt Family vignettes.  I heard a lot of good things about the Bray Wyatt character from NXT online reports, but the vignettes were more odd than exciting.  Then Bray Wyatt and his family made their debut and my opinions on them did a full 180.  The Bray Wyatt character is just so fascinating because his character is so different from most of the cookie cutter faces and heels that permeate the WWE.  Even though the wrestling fan in me was praying for the Brothers of Destruction vs. the Shield for Summerslam, Wyatt's brief feud with Kane has served as a very enjoyable alternative.  Considering this match will be the in-ring debut of Bray Wyatt, there is a little bit of anticipation building inside as we see if Bray Wyatt can live up to the hype.

Prediction:  Bray Wyatt wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship

After reading the paragraph about the mixed tag team match, I think you know who I wanted in this match instead of Christian.  Actually this writer along with many others thought Christian would be the one challenging for the U.S. Title so to see WWE put him in the World Heavyweight Championship match came as a surprise.  It was a very nice surprise because I am a bigger peep than a Dolph Ziggler fan.  Alberto Del Rio and Christian have had many matches before this meeting and all of them have nothing short of great in my opinion.  These two have the chemistry and the history to put on a highly entertaining and exciting World Heavyweight Championship belt.  While I am a big peep, I do not see Christian walking out with the World Title around his waist at this point in time.  There is much more WWE Creative can do with Alberto Del Rio as World Heavyweight Champion at the moment than Christian can.  Although Christian would make a perfect champion for Damien Sandow to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase on.  Now that is some food for thought.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

John Cena (c) vs. Daniel Bryan with Triple H as Special Guest Referee for the WWE Championship

The Beard is here!  It has been a long time coming, but finally Daniel Bryan is where he belongs- the main event of the WWE.  Bryan has had some stints in the main event holding the World Heavyweight Championship or feuding with CM Punk.  Aside from those brief runs, Bryan has stayed in the mid-card for the majority of his WWE career.  Well times are changing for the American Dragon.  He has gone on a such an incredible roll these last few months, his popularity has skyrocket and he is coming into his own on the microphone.  With everything coming together for Daniel Bryan and John Cena rumoured to be taking time off for surgery, it seems like the best time to put the WWE Championship on him.  While everything would be sunshine and rainbows, there are a couple of complications to this situation.  First is the McMahon situation that seems to now engulfed the WWE Championship feud.  Triple H is now the special guest referee for the match, Vince is trying everything in his power to make sure Bryan does not leave with the title and Stephanie is trying to appease both.  It is a crazy family affair.  Next is Randy Orton and his Money in the Bank briefcase.  Orton has been teased cashing in his briefcase for weeks now.  To see Orton cash in against the winner at Summerslam will not be a surprise.  All-in-all, there are so many moving parts in this WWE Championship match that there is no doubt in this writer's mind that something big will happen.

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship

Natalya vs. Brie Bella

WWE's newest reality show Total Divas may be a success for the company.  That success does not mean that they need to unnecessarily force matches involving the cast on their shows.  It is easy to tolerate the atrocities that the current divas division creates on Raw or Smackdown because you do not have to watch them.  It stings a bit when you are paying hard earned cash to watch these messes.  Please WWE, pull this match from Summerslam and give us Mark Henry and the Big Show vs. the Shield instead.  I promise you it will make a lot of people happy.

Prediction:  Natalya wins

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar

If you told me a few months ago that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesner would be main eventing Summerslam, I would have laughed.  Undertaker vs. CM Punk II all the way!  In all seriousness, I never thought WWE would turn CM Punk face less than a year after turning him heel.  The jury is still out on Punk's current turn, but so far so good.  This feud between Punk and Lesnar has been one of the most exciting feuds of 2013.  Honestly, I have been ready to pay money to watch this match since the Raw after Money in the Bank.  This feud has only gotten better as the weeks have gone on.  The verbal duels between Punk and Heyman and the physical brawls between Punk and Lesnar have both been sights to behold.  The main reason Punk vs. Lesnar is so captivating is due to how unpredictable the match will be.  Aside from a slight advantage to Brock Lesnar due to WWE possibly wanting to preserve his monster persona, this match can go either way.  You can legitimately believe that either wrestler can come up on top.  A match this even does not come around too often in professional wrestling, but it is a special event when it happens.  There is no doubt in this writer's mind that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar, The Best vs. The Beast, will be something special.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins

Plans with the Silverdome

Well it has been a busy couple of weeks between my jobs and getting things sorted out for school in September.  My busy weeks do not excuse me from not posting anything for the last two weekends and I am very sorry.  After dealing with all the craziness along with how little wrestling I now watch in a week (most weeks I only watch Raw), I never had the motivation to do a new edition of the Silver Report.  It is really sad, but my focus has changed.  It is easier for me to think up an article about video games for Silver Bit, my video game blog, than a wrestling one for Silverdome.  Due to all these factors, I have decided to cut back on the number of posts I will do for Silverdome.  Posts will now come once a month in the form of pay-per view previews.  These previews will not be the short and sweet quick previews I have done lately; these will be full-fledged previews of the entire event like I use to do.  Once and a while, I might also be able to put up a review of a PPV that I have recently watched as  I would love put up reviews on the Silverdome again.  My first review should be up in the next few weeks as my brother and I are deciding between going to watch Summerslam live in theatres or going to a live Monday Night Raw in Toronto.  Going to see Raw live would be the obvious choice for many, but Raw takes place on the first day of school for yours truly and it may be crazy trying to get down to Toronto from Waterloo at 4 o'clock in the afternoon when I get off school.  I left the decision in my brother's hands so whatever he decides will be what we do.  Now back to the topic of reviews.  Whatever event my brother and I choose to go to will be the first review you see here on the Silverdome in about two years.  I hope these changes to the Silverdome do not put a damper in your day and I hope to see you guys next week for my preview of this year's Summerslam.

The Silver Report: Money in the Bank Fallout

Last week due to some unfortunate circumstances yours truly was not able to put up the Money in the Bank preview that he wanted.  This week I am back in full force to breakdown the incredible fallout for last week's pay-per view event.  From what I gathered from reports and reviews online, Money in the Bank was a good PPV.  It was not a knock out like Payback, but it had enough good matches and major developments to keep wrestling fans entertained for three hours.  Randy Orton and Damien Sandow walked away with the WWE and World Heavyweight briefcases respectively, Rob Van Dam made his triumphant return, John Cena lasted the World's Strongest Man, Alberto Del Rio scrapped a disqualification win over Dolph Ziggler and all hell broke loose in the WWE Money in the Bank Ladder match.  It was one big night for the WWE that got lots of momentum rolling towards Summerslam.  While Money in the Bank had a great number of major developments, it was last Monday's Raw that hammered home the fact that this coming Summerslam should be one to watch.  Personally, I only got the chance to watch the final hour and a half of the broadcast as I worked last Monday night, but what I watched was nothing short of phenomenal.  That hour and half went a long way in single-handedly selling Summerslam to the majority of wrestling fans, yours truly included.  If you missed last week's Raw, it is definitely worth looking for a replay of the broadcast just to experience it for yourself.

Punk vs. Lesnar, Give It To Me Now!!
Ever since Brock Lesnar hit an F5 on CM Punk, it was obvious Paul Heyman would turn on the Best in the World.  Money in the Bank was the implosion of Punk and Heyman's relationship as Heyman repeatedly smashed a ladder over Punk's head, which ended up costing the Straight-Edge Superstar his chance to win the briefcase.  With thirteen stitches in his head and hole in his heart, CM Punk marched his way down to the ring Monday night and demanded Paul Heyman to explain his actions.  What started out as a regular promo between Paul Heyman and CM Punk quickly escalated to downright personal levels.  Heyman made reference to their long standing relationship and how Punk's failures from earlier this year and his actions upon his return hurt the dastardly Heyman's feelings.  To teach CM Punk a lesson, Paul called upon Brock Lesnar to rough Punk up.  Those comments did not sit well with CM Punk as he warned Heyman that no matter who stands between them, Punk will destroy them all one by one starting with Brock Lesnar.  The verbal exchange between Punk and Heyman was bone chilling.  It has been a long time since this writer has seen this much animosity portrayed in the squared-circle and CM Punk and Paul Heyman played their parts masterfully.  This exchange could have easily sold a lot people on Summerslam, but that was not all.  With the call of "It's Clobberin' Time!", Heyman set forth the beast known as Brock Lesnar on Punk.  The ensuing brawl was incredible.  Punk and Lesnar beat the tar out of one another.  Lesnar definitely had the strength advantage as he was tossing Punk around like a rag doll, but the Straight-Edge Superstar was a tenacious fellow as he kept coming back with fists flying at Lesnar.  In the end, Lesnar would get the better of Punk thanks to a F5 onto the announce table, but this feud is not over by a long shot.  We still have four weeks until this two collide at Summerslam, but it is going to be hard to wait.  Already this feud is at a level that it could single-handedly sell Summerslam.  People want to see these two fight as it is next to impossible to tell who WWE will have go over as there is a strong case for both men.  Personally, I cannot wait to see more between Lesnar and Punk in the coming weeks.

Bryan's Chance to Capture WWE Championship Gold Is Here!!
Daniel Bryan may not of won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank briefcase last Sunday night, but he did manage to earn his way into the WWE Championship picture for Summerslam.  After weeks of dominating Raw's heavyweight division and the hearts of the WWE Universe, Daniel Bryan was given the chance to challenge for the WWE Title from the champion himself.  This past week on Raw, John Cena was given the opportunity to choose the next challenger for his WWE Championship by new Raw General Manager Brad Maddox.  Throughout the night, all the wrestlers in the locker room were making their case to be the next one in line for a shot at the WWE Championship.  Out of the entire locker room, Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam made one of the most convincing cases with the wrestling clinic they put on right before Cena came out to do his promo.  As a side note, make time to watch Chris Jericho vs. RVD from last week's Raw as it was absolutely incredible.  After a long winded speech of John Cena teasing the audience with possible challengers, he made the announcement that he wants to fight Daniel Bryan at Summerslam.  It was an announcement that had everyone in the crowd and at home screaming "Yes" at the top of their lungs.  Daniel Bryan has been on one incredible roll this Summer and it would be amazing to see him end it out with the WWE Championship around his waist.  That moment could easily make the crowd in the Staples Center and those watching around the world completely explode in a way very reminiscent of when Punk won the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2011.  Hopefully WWE can make these dreams a reality once again.

WWE Money in the Bank 2013 Predictions

Saturdays do not seem to be my day.  For the last few weeks, something bad always seems to happen on Saturday for yours truly.  When I sat down to work on the preview for Money in the Bank tomorrow evening, the USB drive that I save all my blogs on started malfunctioning.  For the past few hours, I have tried anything and everything to get my USB working to no avail.  Just my luck, I have not backed up this USB in over a year.  So I am in a predicament and not in the greatest of moods.  On top of all my amazing USB problems, I just found out I cut my open earlier in the day.  Only took ten hours to notice it.  Sorry, I am not the most peachy at the moment.  What I am trying to explain is that due to my situation there will be no preview of WWE's Money in the Bank PPV.  It should be a good show so I will at least provide my predictions on the event.  Hopefully I can get all my problems sorted out by next weekend so the Silverdome can get back to normal.

Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Fandango vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dean Ambrose in the World Heavyweight Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Prediction:  Wade Barrett wins

Curtis Axel (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship 
Prediction:  Curtis Axel retains

Chris Jericho vs. Ryback
Prediction:  Ryback wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Championship
Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler wins the World Heavyweight Championship

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Christian vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Rob Van Dam in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins

AJ Lee (c) vs. Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship
Prediction:  AJ Lee retains

John Cena vs. Mark Henry for the WWE Championship
Prediction:  John Cena retains

Top 5 Turns of the Past Decade

In the world of professionally wrestling, a wrestling is either face or heel.  While these classifications seem very basic and restrictive, they are not the only things that determine a wrestler’s character.  There are plenty of other factors that this writer can go into length about, but that is a topic for another day.  Being face or heel does not mean a wrestler is stuck in that classification for the rest of their career.  Movement between the classifications is a huge part of the wrestling industry.  A face or heel turn keeps the product fresh, builds excitement and brings in viewers new and old.  When one thinks about face/heel turns, the images of Bret Hart not letting go of the Sharpshooter on an unconscious Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan embracing Kevin Nash and Scott Hall and Stone Cold shaking hands with Mr. McMahon comes to mind.  Having only been a wrestling fan for a decade now, this writer did not experience these legendary turns firsthand, but has experienced some amazing turns nonetheless.  Here are this writer’s favourite turns of the past decade.

5. A Belfast Sized Slap

Sheamus has been criticized for his face character on many occasions.  While this writer agrees with all of those criticisms, it did start out with a whole lot of promise.  After a long run as a heel, WWE Creative gave the Great White a chance at being a fan favourite.  Rather than build it for weeks and months on end, this face turn came out of absolutely nowhere.  One Smackdown during the Summer of 2011, Mark Henry made a challenge to anybody in the locker room to fight him.  Sheamus answered Henry’s challenge with a huge slap that literally knocked the sweat off of the World’s Strongest Man.  With one slap, Sheamus turned from one of the most hated heels in the WWE to the most popular.  No matter the now infuriating result, it was one amazing turn.

4. End of the Legacy

Animosity between Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, the group known as Legacy, had been growing for months leading up to their eventual implosion.  Rhodes and DiBiase were playing some games with Orton by giving the Viper mixed messages and costing him numerous title shots.  Eventually enough was enough for the WWE’s Apex Predator and Randy Orton cut his ties with the two younger stars by way of a Rope-hung DDT and RKO.  Due to all the build, seeing Randy Orton take out all his aggression on his former protégés and in turn change from a dastardly villain to a no-nonsense anti-hero was a sight to behold.

3. The Return of the Old Michaels

In Shawn Michaels’ later years in the WWE, he played the role of tweener, never being labeled as either face or heel because it would change depending on the storyline.  Before taking on this role, Michaels made one final heel turn that shocked the world with how sudden it was.  During the spring of 2005, Shawn called upon the iconic Hulk Hogan to team with on a few occasions.  From what was shown on camera, there was no visible animosity between these two.  Deep down in the darkest corners of the Heartbreak Kid, he grew jealous of Hulk Hogan.  Michaels’ jealously came to a head with a thunderous Superkick to Hogan’s jaw.  This one kick started a feud that saw the return of a side of HBK that has not been seen since the early days of the Attitude Era and it was glorious.

2. “You were supposed to be my friend!”

Sometimes a fresh start is all a wrestler needs to get fans interested in their character once again.  Back in 2009, Batista was stuck in that situation.  The development of Batista’s face persona had reached a standstill.  There was nowhere the Animal could take his character as a fan-favourite and people were starting to get bored.  Well at the Bragging Rights PPV, the Animal’s fortunes changed.  After losing a Fatal 4 Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Batista and Rey Mysterio, Batista’s best friend, were left in the ring.  Filled with rage over Mysterio breaking a possible three count, Batista beat the living hell out of Mysterio.  Batista’s ferocious beat down on Mysterio came to climactic end after screaming the now iconic quote that serves as the title of this paragraph.

1. Y2J No More

Chris Jericho has never been a wrestler to rest on his laurels.  His Y2J persona was easily one of the most popular characters in the late 90s and early to mid 2000s.  When Jericho returned in 2007, the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla knew it was time for a change.  That change meant the death of Y2J and everything associated with said character.  The death of the beloved Y2J character happened on one of the final episodes of the Highlight Reel where Jericho turned on Shawn Michaels and the WWE Universe.  By plunging Michaels’ face right into the Jeritron 5000, Jericho changed more than his character.  Jericho changed the perception of what it means to be a heel in this modern era and set a benchmark for all wrestlers to strive for in creating a character and setting up a feud. 

The Silver Report: June 23-30

Last Monday’s Raw was an odd one to say the least.  It started out with all cylinders rolling with a great angle this writer will get to later and an exciting tag team match.  Then Raw seemed to go up and down like a rollercoaster.  It was not consistently good or bad, just bouncing between the two extremes at a furious pace.  It did a fine job in setting up some matches for Money in the Bank, but it still was not a home run like the week before.  Just have to say that WWE has some great storylines building this early in the summer that this writer sees some great developments coming in the weeks ahead.  Some of these possible developments will be discussed in this edition of the Silver Report.  Hope you enjoy.

The Rise of the American Dragon

After the phenomenal year that Daniel Bryan had in 2012, there is no doubt that he is a bona-fide main eventer.  He might not have the unrealistic build that the WWE loves, but Daniel Bryan has something even more important- the unanimous support of the WWE Universe.  Ever since Daniel Bryan turned face as a part of Team Hell No, the fans have flocked to this guy.  Just listen to the huge pop Bryan gets when he explodes into his signature offensive flurry of kicks and a running clothesline.  It seems that some people higher up in the WWE are listening because Bryan is being seriously considered to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in the near future.  This Monday saw Daniel Bryan make a huge step towards eventually challenging for the WWE Title.  For the past week, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton have been facing off in a number of matches with both men picking up the victory.  The rubber match was set to start Raw, but it did not turn out as expected as the match ended in double disqualification.  Not satisfied with a no decision, these two superstars faced off in a No Disqualification Match in order to settle the score once and for all.  Bryan and Orton put on a one incredible back-and-forth match.  Personally, this writer would have loved to see this match go just a little longer, but it still was absolutely amazing.  In the end, Daniel Bryan hooked in the No Lock with some extra leverage from a kendo stick for the win.  A well deserved win for the American Dragon as it builds tons of momentum for Money in the Bank where he will compete in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match along with CM Punk, Kane, Randy Orton, Christian, Sheamus and Rob Van Dam.  Right now, Daniel Bryan is this writer’s favourite to win Money in the Bank.  Winning the Money in the Bank briefcase would be a great way for WWE to set up Bryan challenging for the WWE Championship.  Either through having Bryan cash the briefcase on Cena at Money in the Bank or cash it in for a match at Summerslam, all roads lead to another Money in the Bank win for the American Dragon and hopefully a run with the WWE Championship.

Punk Still a Heyman Guy… For Now

One of the biggest questions following Brock Lesnar’s attack on CM Punk last week was about Paul Heyman’s involvement in the whole ordeal.  When CM Punk entered the ring last Monday, he got right to business by calling out his best friend and manager, Paul Heyman.  After a little history lesson about these two’s relationship with one another, Paul Heyman gave his answer to the Best in the World.  That answer was he had no idea that Brock Lesnar would attack CM Punk and would never do anything to jeopardize his relationship with Punk.  From those watching both in the audience and at home, it was easy to see that Mr. Heyman was lying through his teeth and CM Punk should just knock out the walrus there and then.  For sake of the angle, Punk made the perfect move by accepting Heyman’s answer at this point in time.  People want to see Punk get his hands on Heyman, but to give that gratification so soon would just be disappointing.  The moment needs to be built for a couple more weeks before WWE decides to execute on it in order to set all gears for Punk vs. Lesnar.  The more they keep holding off Punk’s beat down on Heyman, the more anticipation will build towards that moment, which will make an even bigger pop when Punk hits the GTS on Heyman.  Be patient, the implosion of CM Punk and Paul Heyman’s relationship will come.  It will just take some time.