BraggiNg Rights PPV

Raw vs SmackDown. Red vs Blue. Carrot Top vs the Smurfs? This is the one pay per view a year when the brands face each other for superior bragging rights. There is a goofy Sir Stanley Cup trophy knockoff involved as well. Last year the Blue brand won the most matches to earn the trophy and the ego boost. Here are my predictions for the Bragging Rights ppv of 2010.

Brand vs Brand Match
Intercontinetal Champion Dolph Ziggler vs US Champion Daniel Bryan
This could be the one match that stands out to make this show worth watching. I give Bryan more credit than anyone on the roster as of late and it is so well deserving. Other than that bullshit squash match against Sheamus a couple of weeks ago, he has looked good in either his matches or promo work since returning at SummerSlam. Ziggler is another person high on my list of must see wrestlers in the business. He holds gold on SmackDown, dating an authoritative figure on that brand, and is destined to be around for a while as long as his ring work continues to grow. These 2 will mesh well together and we should get some dramatic close call finishes. I'd like to see Daniel win here but I have a feeling there will be some interference that swings in Dolph's favor.
Winner- Dolph Ziggler

Divas Championship Match
Layla (c) vs Natalya
Nattie gets another shot at team LayCool after that bullshit finish last ppv. Too bad they wont be given more than 5 min to wrestle because I think they could surprise some people with their move sets. I think this might be the perfect time for LayCool to drop the title. Layla loses the match and Michelle  puts her down so much that Layla turns on her. Either that or maybe a return by Beth Phoenix to help Nattie win to set up some good diva tag matches between the four. Either way I think Neidhart gets her first title reign on Sunday.
Winner- Natalya


7 on 7 Brand vs Brand Elimination Match
Team SD- Big Show (captain), Edge, Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Tyler Reks, & Kofi Kingston vs Team Raw- The Miz (captain), R-Truth, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk, & Ezekiel Jackson
There are a lot of new faces in this year's match compared to the last. Some big surprises on both as well. Reks and Santino will be the first eliminated as neither really deserve to be there. This leaves some good match-ups. Raw's team overall doesn't look as strong as their competition but SmackDown has a lot of feuds going on within themselves that I think will ruin there chances. Hatred between  Del Rio & Mysterio and Edge & Swagger will jeopardize them winning the trophy this year. Raw has the one key player on their team that will out shine everyone and his name is The Miz. Not only is he cunning when it comes to winning big matches (ala MITB) but he has that Alex Riley guy in his back pocket who can distract a SD wrestler long enough to help Miz pull out the victory. Plus it helps put Miz over even more into the Awesomeness category (not like he needs it).
Winner- Team Raw

Random pic of hottness...

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs Wade Barrett (w/ John Cena)
One of the best champions over the past few years vs the possible future of the company duking it out for the prestigious gold. Orton has looked strong since defeating Sheamus for the belt but Barrett has had some major wins in his column as of late. Wade defeated the great John Cena last ppv in which forced Cena to be his little slave boy. With the C-Nation now part of Nexus, this could be the one chance Barrett has at defeating the Viper. I never thought Sheamus would win the title at such a short period in the company so I can't rule out the chance for the leader of Nexus this Sunday. Now put Cena in his corner and he now holds the bigger stack of chips against the current champ. Hopefully it ends up Cena either costing Barrett the title or Orton RKO'ing Wade and Cena one after another to get the pin fall.
Winner- Randall Orton


World HeavyWeight Championship (Buried Alive Match)
Kane (c) vs The Undertaker
A little surprised at this type of match in the PG era but it is a good way to end this current feud. One person will be buried and result in (most likely) some time off. If Kane loses, I think he takes a mini vacation and returns at Rumble or if Taker loses then have him only be gone for a few weeks and return to cost Kane his title at the next ppv. I love Kane's title reign as it has been well deserving for such a long career and this could be the perfect way to lose the title. To his brother in a match that suits both characters. Undertaker looks to be making his last run in the business so maybe a title reign for the next couple of months would be fitting. Also, Taker is one of the best to put over young stars and losing the title at a ppv to an up-and-comer could work.
Winner- The Undertaker

Until Next Time... I'm Just Sayin!

SmackDown Take Over

Welcome one and all to another edition of The Daily Slam! The Bragging Rights pay per view is this Sunday and it looks like SmackDown has the momentum. Teddy Long takes out the mystery GM, huge roster battle royal, Daniel Bryan challenges Dolph Ziggler, and Goldust continues his dominance. Let's get to it...

Teddy Long took over this past Raw. Not only did he unplug the annoynomus Raw General Manager but he called the shots and I must say I was overall pleased. No more Micahel Cole saying "and I quote..." for one night is soothing to my ear drums. Teddy announced a captain vs captain match (Miz vs Big Show) to main event the show but ended up changing it to a Raw vs SD battle royal. The finish was kind of surprising. Edge and Big Show stood tall to give the blue brand the extra momentum heading into the Bragging Rights show.

John Cena tagged with Randy Orton to take on Husky Harris & Michael Mcguilicutty. Even though Orton/Cena got the win, the champion was on the wrong end of the track after the bout. Nexus took out Orton which helps Barrett going into his title match on Sunday. Cena is looking more and more of a follower to the Nexus leader which could result in us seeing a new champion. Cena must listen to Barrett's every order or else in which leads us to one question.... what does Cena do for Barrett when the cameras are not on? Just kidding, this is a PG show. But seriously, Orton is at quite a disadvantage in his title defense since Cena and Nexus will be looking for the opportunity to give Wade a helping hand.

Dolph Ziggler could be facing his toughest opponent to date this Sunday and good thing it isn't a title match. Daniel Bryan issued the challenge and Ziggler gladly accepted followed by trying to take out Bryan. Unfortunately for him, Daniel locked in the LeBelle Lock in what could be a preview for their match. Will we have one more member of the "You Tapperd Out" club? Can Mr Ziggles and his cougar Vickie take out the American Dragon? That's the one match on the card that I am most excited about seeing. Also, Bryan has some sick dance skills.

There was a squash match that involved the one and only Zack Ryder. That's not suprising. What is suprising though is that he got his ass handed to him by the golden one... GOLDUST! This man has been steam rolling through the company as of late. First he steals DiBiase's million dollar belt. Then he proposes to his rookie diva. Next he is dominating a mid carder in 30 seconds. Also, Ted tried to pull a fast one over Goldie but was hit with the Final Cut and left the million dollar son laying on his back motionless. Goldust looks to be in the best shape he's been in for the past few years and is getting a little storyline to keep the fans interested. Glad Vince is showing his appreciation for one of the hardest workers in the company.

This week's Slam is a little shorter than most but be sure to check out my ppv prediction for this weekend. I would also like to throw out a good luck to Brock Lesnar for his fight this Saturday against Cain Velasquez. Lesnar is one of the only reasons I watch UFC and I hope he silences all these doubters once again via first round submission. Team DeathClutch all the way!

Until Next Time...

... I'm Just Sayin!

Bragging Rights

Brand vs Brand Match:
Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs US Champion Daniel Bryan
Two of the WWE's most promising young stars face off to to prove the supremacy of their respective titles. These are both guys who the wwe seems to like but are hesitant to really get behind. Both of these guys have momentum and need to win but I would say Ziggler needs the win a little bit more. Still, it seems they have more plans for Daniel then they do for Ziggler.
Winner: Ziggler

Divas Championship Match:
Layla El (c) vs Natalya
It's good to see Natalya's push continue and the Diva's championship get contested with an actual feud. Between them pushing Natalya and NXT season 3 being all divas I wonder if this is the start of the WWE caring about woman wrestling again. Natalya may win by dq but lay-cool will keep the belts and next month there will be a three way match with both members of Lay-cool and Natalya
Winner:Natalya by dq
7 on 7 Brand vs Brand Elimination Match:
Team SD- Big Show (captain), Edge, Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Tyler Reks, & Kofi Kingston vs Team Raw- The Miz (captain), R-Truth, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk, & Ezekiel Jackson
Why have this match so close to survivor series? Smackdown's team looks much more impressive on the surface but Raw's team has potential. I kinda wish the WWE played a little more with the history of the guys in the match. Like how Big Show and Edge both used to date Vickie or Edge and Rey Mysterios former run with the tag titles or Showmiz or the dirt sheet. The real question in this match is which team will disintegrate first and if Nexus will make an appearance.
Winner: Raw(big Zeke)

WWE Championship Match:
Randy Orton (c) vs Wade Barrett (w/ John Cena)
Wade Barrett finally get's his title shot and I think he might win it. The question is dose the WWE want to give another wrestler their first world championship in a year. Unlike Swagger and Sheamus, Wade Barrett is going into his potential title run looking like a legit maineventer. Having a solid group behind you that includes John Cena doesn't hurt either. He looks like he could win. Then again, he's going up against Randy Orton who seems to be the most over face in years and has more than enough experience with gang warfare. It could go either way.
Winner:Wade Barrett

World HeavyWeight Championship (Buried Alive Match):
Kane (c) vs The Undertaker
I feel this feud should of ended last month and Kane should be facing Orton here, but whatever. To put it short I think Undertaker wins here even though I think there's more mileage left in Kane's title run then with Taker as champion.
Winner: The deadman.

Hell In A Cell '10

This Sunday is the WWE's pay per view Hell in a Cell. With only 2 weeks in between pay per views, we are about to embark on a another concept/gimmick Sunday night which has a few titles up for grabs. Here are my predictions for the card as it stands right now since there is always the possibility of change last second.

Unified Divas Championship
Michelle McCool (c) vs Natalya
Not sure why McCool gets the title match two pay per views in a row. I think LayCool will pull out the win but in my heart I must cheer for Natalya in her first championship match.
Winner- Michelle McCool

US Championship Submissions Count Anywhere Match:
Daniel Bryan (c) vs The Miz vs John Morrison
This is a great triple threat match but I feels it's way too rushed. The Miz deserves his title rematch and Morrison is taking some of the personal hatred out of it. Does Miz or Morrison even have a good finisher to pull off a win? This is a match that needed at least 4 weeks to build towards to showcase Miz and Morrison being able to go toe to toe via submission with Daniel Bryan. It will start out with Morrison and Bryan brutally attacking Miz for the first 5 min leading to Morrison turning on Daniel when he puts Miz in the LeBelle Lock. There should be some "Holy Shit!" moments outside of the ring but in the end, Daniel Bryan should walk out still the US Champ.
Winner- Daniel Bryan

World HeavyWeight Championship Hell in a Cell Match:
Kane (c) vs The Undertaker
These are two of the biggest superstars of the last decade. The brothers of destruction face off once again the the beloved gold that Kane has held for a few months and hasn't looked more dominate since his mask was on. Kane had the upper hand at NOC ppv but the Undertaker has been rejuivinated by the return of Paul Bearer. The man who carries the urn can give the Deadman his evil powers back but is it enough to defeat the current champion. This is the only match that should be a hell in a cell match. It's referred to Taker's playground and I'm sure this will be one brutal fight. Undertaker could win the title and carry it for a few months to allow Kane to be more involved in the Bragging Rights and Survivor Series pay per views. Or does Kane win and help set-up a future WrestleMania match? We are looking at a win-win situation here. I love Kane's title reign since it's more than well deserving but I think Taker is looking at calling it quits within the next 6 months. If Kane loses here, I'm also afraid he gets shuffled back to jobbing out to younger guys by Rumble. Bearer give Taker the upper hand and it's almost too obvious.
Winner- Undertaker


Random pic of hottness... 

WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs Sheamus
Now this is a perfect example of a match to end a feud. This will go back and fourth with some close finishes but in the end the Viper will prevail. I just can't see taking the belt off of him after just 2 weeks and the fact that he's the golden ticket on Raw right now. Unless Jericho would be fooling us all and somehow gets involved, I see Orton giving Sheamus a few RKOs in a dominating fashion. Hell maybe even a punt which leads to Sheamus going to SmackDown in a few weeks to freshen up that show.
Winner- Randy Orton

John Cena vs Wade Barrett
This match has some serious stipulations attached to it. First off, Nexus is banned from ringside via orders from the mysterious Raw GM. The outcome of this bout is where things will be shaken up. If Cena wins then Nexus must disband which could lead to some of the members going into single paths or tag teams on Raw or SmackDown. But what if Mr. Barrett pulls out a surprising victory? John Cena will be forced to join the group in which he vowed to take out one by one. Honestly, this is the way I am leaning towards. The rules state that members of Nexus can't interfere in the match but what about a mystery assailant or say a NXT season 2 rookie that is looking for an opportunity to join the group? Say, Mr Perfect Jr? If this would occur, Cena could go the path of destroying the faction from within. Another way to go is the anti-hero heel Cena that we have all heard the rumors about for the past 3 years. I know Cena is a huge marketing tool for the WWE but look at what Hogan did for WCW when he stepped over that invisible line between good and buy guy. With Randy Orton becoming the top face on Raw these days (even though its a bad ass face like Stone Cold was) it could be the perfect time for the chain gang leader to switch up his look a little bit. Heel turns can be a big boost in one's fan base. The last person to go full heel that took his character to all new highs was Batista. He may have been hated by the under 12 year old's, but his promo and in ring work went to levels of amazing. Anyways, back to this match-up. Barrett can hold his own against Cena and it should be a good back and fourth bout. I have a bad feeling about Cena winning but I'm praying for a heel turn.
Winner- Wade Barrett

Hell in a Cell

Divas championship: Michelle McCool © vs Natalya
Ms. Neidhart is finally wrestling and what a way to start off by winning a battle royal and getting the first PPV crack at the newly unified Diva's championship. Michelle McCool is just coming off unifying the woman's and diva's championships so it's hard to see her losing the belt in her first title defense, they have the WWE is in a youth movement and Natalya would be a perfect new face for the new woman's division. While, the WWE has never cared about woman's wrestling and I doubt they will now I do hope time to do get the time to have a good match they're both capable off.
Winner: The Queen of Hearts via DQ

U.S. Championship Submissions Count Anywhere Match: Daniel Bryan © vs The Miz vs John Morrison
This looks like a fun match, but the build is lacking. While, it's only natural to continue The Miz and Daniel Bryan feud after months of going back and forth before their first match two weeks ago and The Miz has been fending off his former tag partner John Morrison for about a year now this seems to be just thrown together. Still, I love the submissions fall anywhere stipulation playing into John Morrison and Daniel Bryan specialties and overall am excited for this match. All three men are on a roll as of late and none of them can afford a loss at this point. Not only is this how you make mid card titles matter but this is how you build stars.
Winner: Daniel Bryan via some batshit insane submission using the backstage environment.

High Stakes Match: John Cena vs Wade Barrett
If Cena looses he must join Nexus. If Barrett looses Nexus must disband. I cant think of another match that had bigger stakes then this one in recent history. It's unthinkable for Cena to be forced into Nexus
but are the WWE really ready for life after Nexus. While, I can see Nexus disbanding and some of its members going to Smackdown. I cant see Cena joining them, which is exactly why I think he'll loose.
Winner: The Bare Knuckle Brawler.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Hell In A Cell Match: Randy Orton© vs. Sheamus
Stuck in a cage with a viper can the Irish man reclaim his gold or will he find there is no escaping the master of the RKO. This feud lacks the intensity to justify taking place in Hell in a Cell that doesn't mean it cant be a great match. This match will show what the WWE really thinks of Sheamus, if they see him as a long term investment or a short term experiment ala Jack Swagger.
Winner: Orton

The World's Heavyweight Championship Hell In A Cell: Kane© vs the Undertaker
Has there ever been a more perfect setup for a match then this match? Hell in a Cell is the match to end the most personal feuds and this is one of the great rivalries of all time. For 12 years WWE's Cain and Able story has defined the careers of two of it's longest lasting and most legendary stars. Undertaker more than Kane, but Kane sees this as the opportunity to finally supplant his brother position as the phenom in the Undertakers back yard. Undertaker was in the first two Hell in a Cell matches, the two matches that made Hell in a Cell and many others. Can Kane retain the championship and establish himself not as the Undertakers shadow but his Superior. With the return of Paul Bearer can Undertaker vanquish his brother once again? This is Kane's night. He will retain his title and finally defeat his big brother and his reign continue.
Winner: Kane

SmackDown's New Home

Welcome to another edition of The Daily Slam! Tonight is the premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on the SyFy channel, the Hell in a Cell pay per view is this Sunday, Christian has surgery, and LayCool better prepare for the new #1 contender. Let's get started...

The biggest news of the week is tonight's live show of SmackDown. The blue brand has found a new home for itself and hopefully opens up more opportunities for the WWE's talent. SD has been the brand that focuses a little bit  more on the wrestling side rather the entertainment which most of us prefer. The show was robbed of high level talent in this year's draft but have managed to keep things very fresh and has had the upper hand in matches for the better part of 2010. With this move, I see Vince putting a little more focus on the show and maybe bringing some of the Raw main-eventers over to SD to draw in bigger ratings right off the bat. For instance, John Cena and the Nexus faction will be on the show tonight which should draw in much attention since Barret and Cena have a match this Sunday. Anything can happen on a live show so maybe we'll even see a title transfer tonight. Some say Dolph Ziggler might be the next heel-to-face superstar and with turmoil with him and Vickie, tonight could be the launching point for Dolph,.

On a sad note for SmackDown, the show has lost one of it's favorite superstars for at least 4 months. Christian had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle and will most likely be off air for quiet some time. This comes at the worst possible time for the blue brand as Christian has been a solid anchor in the ring on Friday nights and someone will need to step up their game to fill those shoes. The show will need Rey Mysterio to come back or as I already mentioned, maybe a Dolph Ziggler face turn. But speaking of Captain Charisma, this leaves him out of action almost til Royal Rumble. Could an epic return happen like they did with Cena and Edge? Or what about this feud between Edge and the mystery GM? Christian could reveal it was him the whole time and set up a WrestleMania match for those two. Then Jericho returns to help Christian win. Okay, way ahead of myself but it would be epic on many levels.

Over on Raw this week we saw Natalya win the Divas Battle Royal for her shot at the newly crowned Unified Divas Champion, LayCool. This is long overdue by Raw writers to put Natalya in the Divas title contention. She is one of the better in-ring workers that the company has and yet she's been a valet for a majority of the year. If any diva is to take the belt from the Flawless duo, I hope it's Natalya as it would be her first reign. If not, then at least keep a feud alive long enough for Beth Phoenix to return for those two to team up against LayCool. That could be a fun divas tag match which is the opposite of whats on WWE tv in the divas division as of late.

Diva Break...

Also on Raw, we witnessed the possible end to one's long career. Chris Jericho had his skull punted in from Randy Orton. In the past this means that character will be taking some time off due to the seriousness of the "laced up boots to the side of the cranium" kick. Chris has been leaning towards taking some much needed time off so he can tour with Fozzy and rest his body. The man of 1004 holds is the best in-ring wrestler on the roster and it is a huge blow to the WWE  with his vacancy. After buying and watching his new biography, I don't believe he is finished with wrestling in one bit. The new Chris Jericho/anti-Y2J gimmick is still somewhat fresh and I can't imagine he wants to go out like that. On the dvd he does say that when he leaves the business, it's going to be by physically being removed ala kicking and screaming. Chris wants no hero's goodbye like Flair or HBK did. He is a man who is true to his character and deserves the up most respect for his talent in and out of the ring. I wish him well with all of his future plans and hopefully he returns sooner than later.

Other than all the buzz being around SmackDown tonight, it's on what will be the outcome of one particular match this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Wade Barrett versus John Cena is a major match depending the outcome. We have 3 possible scenarios; Cena wins and Nexus disbands, Barrett wins and Cena joins Nexus and disbands them internally, or Barrett wins and Cena turns heel to lead Nexus. Unless there is some kind of bullshit twist that Vince throws in there, we will be witnessing a new direction for either one man or 5 men. I like the Cena turns full blown heel and leads Nexus. It's almost Hogan/nWo type deal yet its somewhat new as well. If the group disbands, I can only see Barrett and Gabriel sticking around for the next few years. But if Cena is a part of the group and helps pull all the members over, it could mean all new possibilities for Slater, Otunga, and Tarver. Also, Cena could pull in some new members. I kind of miss Husky Harris being around. So much athleticism for such a big guy.

Until Next Time...

 ... I'm Just Sayin!