Intercontinental Championship
Christian (c) vs Cody Rhodes
So Christian had a life-changing moment at the Hall of Fame, and is now once again a face! I wonder how long this turn will last… The better question is: why is a guy who was chasing (or holding) the World Heavyweight Championship at this time last year now defending the IC title? Chasing, maybe I could see. Lord knows that Cody Rhodes could use any kind of rub he can get right now. But defending? How does that really help anyone in the grand scheme of things?
Prediction: Cody Rhodes will continue to be under-used in a time where over half of WWE’s main event level talents are suspended, injured, part-time or filming movies.
World Heavyweight Championship
Sheamus (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
On one hand, I don’t want Dolph Ziggler to win this match. He’s one of my favorites, and a guy that I believe could really peak my interest in WWE’s product again. But I was also hoping for a bigger deal to be made about his rise to the top; potentially a face turn or huge program that would catapult him onto the same platform as guys like Sheamus or Randy Orton. On the other hand, a win is a win, and I won’t complain if WWE decides to pull the trigger on a last-minute decision to throw Ziggler into the Championship mix. Sheamus’ star isn’t exactly what a lot of people had hoped for as a face — myself included — and I think Ziggler could give Smackdown another shot in the arm.
Prediction: Sheamus really can’t win here. People want to see Ziggler win, meaning no matter what happens, the Champion is going to “lose” in the fans’ eyes. It’s like Daniel Bryan all over again; if that’s the case, Ziggler should “win” no matter what! Maybe an 18-second loss is the best thing for Ziggler’s career right now!
