2010 WWE Bragging Rights Preview

For the second year, the WWE releases a Pay Per View to sell a video game as Bragging Rights 2010 hits tonight.

In actuality, tonight’s card has potential. It’s too bad it’s the night after UFC 121.

We’ve got The Undertaker fresh from challenging Brock Lesnar to challenging his brother Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship match… in which you need to be buried alive to lose… more on that later.

The main event match between RAW and Smackdown superstars have the two teams fighting over a miniature Stanley Cup… and nothing else.

And then WWE Champion Randy Orton defends against Wade Barrett, who has John Cena in his corner. And if Cena doesn’t do what Barrett tells him to do, he’s out of NXT. Oh, and fired as well. Don’t ask me, ask the mystery RAW GM.

Let’s run down the show, which consists entirely of Smackdown vs. RAW matches so we can determine whom the better pre-booked brand is!

1. Goldust (with Aksana) (representing RAW) vs. Ted DiBiase (with Maryse) (representing RAW) — Okay, so I lied. The first match, is between two Raw superstars, with Goldust… wait a minute. Goldust? Facing off against Ted DiBiase? Million Dollar Belt in the picture? Is it 1991 all over again?

WHO SHOULD WIN: Ted DiBiase. No matter how good Goldust has been looking lately, especially with his fiancee Aksana at his side, didn’t that happen 11 years ago with Marlena and a cigar? Sure, it was nifty that Goldust stole the Million Dollar Belt as he enjoys his gold, but if they’re looking to do something with DiBiase, he needs to move on. I can see the WWE losing interest in Goldust in about two weeks.

WHO WILL WIN: I’m a big Goldust fan. I’m glad that Dustin Rhodes is looking great, moving fast, and has a charismatic blonde at his side. And the crowd is reacting well to him. But… doesn’t it feel like a skipping record? Ergo, DiBiase should and will win.

2. US Champion Daniel Bryan (representing RAW) vs. Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler (representing Smackdown) — Okay, here’s an idea. Instead of promoting this match a week before the Pay Per View, how about we build it up for a few months, and then have this match to UNITE the two titles? I know, dumb idea. But still, when typing in the names above, I accidentally wrote “Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan).

WHO SHOULD WIN: Daniel Bryan. The guy has a much brighter future as Dolph Ziggler, even though Ziggler is tall and blonde. He still needs big wins.

WHO WILL WIN: Dolph Ziggler. Why? He’s got a storyline behind him. Not only will Vickie Guerrero try to get him to lose, having NXT rookie Kaitlyn save him and giving him the win. Also, last time we saw Dolph he was tapping madly to the LeBell Lock before running away. Ergo, he needs to get whatever heat he may have back.

3. WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett (with John Cena) — We all know that Barrett has told Cena to help him win the title. Yay. If he doesn’t, he’s fired. See Randy Orton? You should have joined NXT when you were given the chance. Now you have to deal with Barrett, who’s getting better every week in the ring, AND John Cena, who’s probably going to do something backhanded to screw Barrett.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Randy Orton. During the match Barrett is going to have to remind Cena to help him, distracting Barrett, and Orton is going to pounce and win.

WHO WILL WIN: I hate to say it, but let it be Orton. The WWE Champions this year have been Sheamus, John Cena, Batista, John Cena, Sheamus and Randy Orton. Yeah. The title REEALLY doesn’t mean anything right now.

4. Divas Champion Layla (representing Smackdown) vs. Natalya (representing RAW… right?) — In a match that should actually be interesting, Natalya (still hard to spell) is going to have to find a way to not get screwed over again by LayCool.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Natalya. After getting a few chances to win the title, especially after the last title she got at Night of Champions (she defeated Michelle McCool by DQ) she’s due. She’s a capable wrestler who could have a long run with the title. But then again, this IS the WWE.

WHO WILL WIN: Natalya. Along with being due, we could also get the culmination of the LayCool split… or the Hart Legacy (in the midst of a split right now) will finalize their split and one of them will join up with LayCool, helping Layla win. But then again, this IS the WWE.

5. World Heavyweight Champion Kane (with Paul Bearer) vs. The Undertaker — Buried Alive Match — Wait… didn’t Kane defeat Undertaker in the feud ending Hell in a Cell match last month, or did I dream that? As many people would say, it’s Kane vs. Undertaker in a Buried Alive match… in late 2010. And Undertaker really deserves another shot at the title… right?

WHO SHOULD WIN: I’m torn. If Undertaker wins, then Kane will want a rematch. If Kane wins, then the feud has to continue until Undertaker actually wins. Is there a way to move on from this feud? How about Undertaker wins, buries Kane, and gives the big guy a break for awhile until they can fight again at the Royal Rumble.

WHO WILL WIN: If there has ever been a Pay Per View match in which I don’t care about who wins, it would be this one. Ergo, Kane WILL win again, and bury Undertaker. Paul Bearer will “run” away, and raise the zombie of Undertaker sometime down the road for another shot. Yep… two previews in a row and once again I can’t believe I just wrote that.

6. Team SmackDown (Big Show (captain), Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston (with Hornswoggle (mascot))) vs. Team RAW (The Miz (captain), R-Truth, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk and Ezekiel Jackson) 14-man Interpromotional Elimination tag team match — This could be one of those fun matches reminiscent of a classic Survivor Series match, which begs the question of why couldn’t they have done something like this at Survivor Series? Last year Big Show turned on his Team RAW brethren to join Team Smackdown to help them win. This year he’s facing his former tag team partner (remember ShowMiz? I know the WWE doesn’t) in The Miz, who is the breakout star on RAW.

WHO SHOULD WIN: This may end up being like the Major League Baseball all-star game, with Smackdown (aka the National League) winning year after year. Smackdown is the #2 show, so who wants to kick a dog when it’s down? Then again, look at Team Smackdown. We’ve got Rey Misterio and Alberto Del Rio. Those two cross each other out. Same with Edge and Jack Swagger. So who’s left? Big Show, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston. Let’s say Reks and Kingston cross each other out. Boom, Big Show is left. On Team RAW we have Miz and Morrison. They cross each other out. Then it’s CM Punk and R-Truth. Bam, two more gone. All that’s left is Ezekiel Jackson, Sheamus and Santino Marella. Santino will be eliminated out of stupidity, and then it’s Sheamus and Jackson vs. Big Show. My kinda odds. Therefore, Team RAW should win.

WHO WILL WIN: It’s a toss-up. This match could be as fun as the Royal Rumble when it could actually mean something. If you win, you get a trophy. Woo. If you lose, what do you actually lose? Nothing. The winning team should be able to draft anybody they want from the winning team. Not the brand, but the team itself. How about if the last fellow pinned is the one who has to join the other brand?

FINAL THOUGHTS

As mentioned earlier, Bragging Rights COULD be a fun show. However, it will not be, as nothing much is on the line. But Don, how about the World Heavyweight and the WWE Championship titles? Needless to say, I am surprised the champions aren’t representing their brands. Shouldn’t Randy Orton be the captain of Team RAW and Kane be the captain of Team Smackdown? Who picked Big Show and Miz?

As for the titles, they mean nothing. I care more about the NXT/John Cena storyline than I do for anybody winning the WWE Championship. Having Kane vs. Undertaker again shows they’re low on ideas. Undertaker got his shot at the World Title… why is he getting another one? At least Wade Barrett EARNED his title shot.

With Team RAW vs. Team Smackdown, it’s hard to care. Sure we’ll get to see Santino being funny, and we might even see both rosters run out to join the fight. Or NXT could show up at the end and destroy the winners. Then they can spraypaint nXt on their backs. They can do that, it’s been close to 15 years, right?