THE RIGHTS OF PASSAGE

    On Sunday October 24th 2010, the stars of Raw and Smackdown will do battle at WWE Bragging Rights. While this years PPV promises to be better than last years, there're still a lot of unanswered questions. So let's take our monthly look at the predictions of your saviour. So far I got them all right but one last time. Let's go for the full set.

Divas Championship Match
LayCool (c) vs Natayla

    Forgetting their effort at Hell in a Cell, Natayla will do battle with both Michelle McCool and Layla at Bragging rights, seeking the unified Divas Championship. Don't expect anything special or brilliant from this match, because you're looking in the wrong place. After unifying the Divas Championships weeks ago, look for a LayCool win here, coupled with the facts that McCool is the wife of the Undertaker and that Natayla's father the legendary Jim Neidhart is facing a life sentance in jail, there can only be one outcome.

United States Championship vs Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan (U.S Champion) vs Dolph Ziggler (I.C Champion)

    One of the lesser bouts on the card, could be the one that blows the whole thing away. Both Ziggler and Bryan are both two of the most polished performers in WWE today. Ziggler, who brings to memory a young Mr. Perfect and Bryan who is unlike anything else in WWE should give us a clasic encounter.
    As there are no titles on the line then for my money Daniel Bryan will walk away with the win. This isn't based on anything but Vince McMahon thinks of Raw as it's dominant brand and as Ziggler has done nothing of note for ages, then the Englishman who holds the United States Championship should come away with a hard fought win.
    It is worth noting though that WWE are preparing Bryan for some sort of singles feud with the Miz when Miz becomes WWE Champion, and a loss to Ziggler may make him look weak. Though this is WWE and plans change quickly, so while Ziggler could walk away with a win, I can't see how it'd benefit anyone but Ziggler.

Raw vs Smackdown: Bragging Rights Elimination Match
Team Raw: The Miz (Captain), C.M. Punk, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, Ezekiel Jackson, R-Truth vs Team Smackdown: Big Show (Captain), Kofi Kingston, Tyler Reks, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Jack Swagger.

    This one is interesting. Usually it goes on as the main event. But looking at the lack of star quality in the match then it's hard to see how a match like this is going to draw PPV buys. The only star quality you have here are The Miz, C.M Punk, Sheamus, Big Show, Rey Mysterio and Edge. The rest are cannon fodder and you can expect them all to be eliminated.
    On Team Raw, R-Truth and John Morrision only exist in the team to be eliminated. I have no idea what Santino Marella is even doing there except for the booking team have nothing else for him to do and threw him in because there is no one else and Ezekial Jackson is just wasting his time if he thinks he's ever going to make main event potential. The guy is a lumbering mess. The Miz, Punk and Sheamus can be the only shining stars on team Raw because the others either don't possess the quality or have been buried so deep in the past that there's no chnace of them becoming star potential any time soon.
    On Team Smackdown, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio have a bitter feud going so look for them to implode within the ranks. Tyler Reks is the John Morrison of Smackdown and is just there to give a justifiable elimination to Raw, unless WWE is going to replace him with Triple H at the last moment to reignite the Triple H / Sheamus feud, and Jack Swagger's reign as World Heavyweight Champion went down so badly thanks to the booking team that he has no hope of surviving this either. The Big Show, Kofi and Edge will be the only credible survivors.
    So that leaves us with a three on three match once the dead wood has been rooted out. The Miz, Sheamus and C.M Punk against The Big Show, Edge and Kofi Kingston. Now for a macth this should be exciting. Most of them have previous so while you're thinking anything could happen, then think again. This match has been solely set up for the Miz to lead team Raw to a win, hence his big build to the WWE Championship. Weather or not he'll be the sole survivor is anyone's guess, just look for him to pin the Big Show in the dying seconds to secure the win.
    I might be wrong, but let's face it, what are the chances? And I'm not gripeing either. The Miz should go over at Bragging Rights, it'd give him a hell of push fowards into the unknown.

Buried Alive Match
World Heavyweight Championship
Kane (c) w/Paul Bearer vs The Undertaker

    Again, another tricky one to predict. Kane is showing at least some potential as champion, yet it's hard to envisage where WWE can go with him after this. The Undertaker is in pole position to be the next World Heavyweight Champion but with no end in sight for this feud then Kane should walk away with the gold again.
    However if the Undertaker was to come across as the loser on the night, it might start to look like he's a weak old man with no hope of beating Kane in the future. There can only be one way to end this match and that's bury your opponent! No Disqualification, so they can't use that finisher. I'm going for Kane to defeat the Undertaker and then Undertaker to take the gold back at Survivor Series - either that or sometimes before Wrestlemania.

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs Wade Barrett w/John Cena

    To watch John Cena obey everything NExus tell him to do has been brilliantly amusing, something which I never thought I'd say about a Cena storyline. I won't spend long deliberating over this, I have work to get done and you have a life to live. If WWE are comitted to turning Cena Heel then Bragging Rights would be the perfect place to do it. Orton has been once again a valiant and brilliant champion, and with his new baby face status with the audience, replacing Cena as the main man on Raw and the main good guy, then turning on Orton and costing him the title would bring Cena full circle as heel.
    Of course you could argue that Barrett isn't ready to be champion yet, and you'd be right. But this is WWE and when has that ever stopped them? I think Orton will prevail at Bragging Rights, because I really don't want to see another Orton vs Cena feud - which would be the only outcome if Cena cost Orton the gold. If Cena tried to help Barrett and then mistakenly cost him the gold then that would be a acceptable finish as well as breath new life into the feud.
    On a Cena note: look for him to rally a team at Survivor Series to face the Nexus - again. This time to get himself out of the group. If he doesn't turn heel here then Survivor Series is a must to turn him. If he was to do a Stone Cold and turn on his team then that would surely give him enough heat to go foward as a bad guy - just look at what it did for Batista's career.
    So Orton or Barrett? Orton of course I did say! Only Cena could be the star of the show if WWE play their cards right.

    It's a short card, but whether WWE know it or not it's a card that's vital to the future of this company and this sport. If they are comitted to this Cena turn they must follow it through with thinking about it. When WWE think about something then it never get's done. To reveal Cena as the leader of NExus at this point would be earth shattering for WWE and for Cena's mindless fans. It could also do big business. When Triple H was heel, he was arrogant and self loving, something Cena is as a good guy. People would pay to watch Cena get his arse kicked.
    Let's just hope WWE can follow it through.

    "It's not Bragging if you can back it up!"

                                                               - Muhamed Ali

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