Money in the Bank
On the net you can stumble upon the "My Money is on ..." pictures, and the speculations about the potential winners cashing in their contract/briefcase successfully and when and how are already spreading like wild fire. Of course I don't want to miss out on that trend, so...
Here are my picks and opinions about the MITB matches for 2013:
WWE Championship contract
CM Punk | Randy Orton | Daniel Bryan | Kane | Christian | Sheamus | RVD
Who I would want to win this match would either be Daniel Bryan or CM Punk. In my eyes the most likely winners are Christian and Randy Orton though.
CM Punk won a MITB contract twice already, getting shots at the big titles even without it. He doesn't need the briefcase for his career anymore. Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, won as one of the "odd ones out", now being a way more established superstar who wouldn't exactly need the briefcase either to get a decent feud, some main event spots, and eventually a title shot.
Sheamus and Kane, on the other hand, are kind of out of the picture for me. The Great White got somewhat of a downstep lately with his feud against Sandow, and Kane is simply one of the oldest still active stars in today's WWE. He had his moments, his time, and now it is time to step aside for younger talents.
One possible candidate I wouldn't be happy with is Randy Orton. As he had stated himself, it has been some time since he held a title, and since he is one of the most popular stars, I guess the WWE won't leave him without any gold for that much longer. And probably the best chances, in my eyes, are for Christian to win. He is not only the experienced of them all when it comes to ladder matches in the WWE, but also never held the title before, clearly deserving it after being in the company for so long and constantly bringing us good matches and entertaining segments.
And now, some words to the big elephant in the room: RVD. He is gloriously returning to the WWE, and in the past I loved to see his matches. But does that qualify him for a title shot already? WWE might think so, giving him the same thing they gave The Rock as he won the title from CM Punk. I honestly hope they won't do such a mistake again, choosing a champion that most probably will hardly be seen in ring during the normal shows.
Résumé: My heart wants Bryan, but my head says Christian.
World Heavyweight Championship Contract
Damien Sandow | Cody Rhodes | Jack Swagger | Antonio Cesaro | Fandango | Wade Barrett | Dean Ambrose
Here, my heart's pick is easy. As a big Cesaro fan I of course want him to win the match. The most likely winner, on the other hand, is Barrett.
Who's pretty much out of the picture for me are Rhodes, Swagger, and Ambrose. The latter already holds a title, and somehow I get the feeling that he was just inserted in the match because they couldn't give him another one at the PPV (with Christian being in a MITB match as well). Rhodes is someone who gets a lot losses as of late, always kind of standing behind Sandow, not getting a prominent feud while the other battles against Sheamus. Swagger, another "odd one out" candidate, had one MITB in the past, and nobody thought this would be possible back then. Another victory like this is highly unlikely, especially while looking at his opponents.
The rest could actually all be potential candidates. The question is, whether the WWE deems them to be ready. Winning the contract and successfully cashing in would mean the very first titles for both Fandango and Sandow. Of course it would mean a big push for both of them if their first title would be the World Heavyweight Championship, but on the other hand, exactly this makes a win more unlikely. Unless they are the ones, after Cena, that would cash in and fail to get the title.
Cesaro and Barrett both held titles in the past, even though Barrett has the advantage of being a part of the WWE for a longer time than the Swiss Sensation. This and the fact that he is part of a quite young stable speak for Barrett being the better choice. After having won the Intercontinental Championship three times, a bigger title would be a logical step for him.
Résumé: My heart wants Cesaro, but my head says Barrett
What are your picks? And why?
Leave a comment or hook me up on twitter to let me know! :D
