Randy Orton vs. Alberto del Rio
I feel like I’m of the minority that really likes both Randy Orton and Alberto del Rio. I will concede that Orton needs to do something – anything – to “shake things up” on the mic and in the ring. He’s consistent and carries main event presence with him, and that’s why I like him. But his matches are all starting to blend together, and I don’t know how many times we’ve heard the same, tired “I’m going to give you the worst beating of your life” promo. And I know del Rio has lost a lot of heat and fan support in the last year-plus, but I enjoyed his program with Sheamus over the summer. I think, and this actually surprised me to realize, he’s carried the feud with Randy Orton.
Randy Orton: 82.8%
Alberto del Rio: 17.2%
While I do like both of them, there’s virtually no heat going into this Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. I’m really hoping for an ADR victory, because while Orton is off-and-on with his movie filming, del Rio is still a top star that needs to be relevant on Raw and Smackdown. Orton always wins, even when he doesn’t need to; part of me just wants to see him take a fall for another deserving guy…
Prediction: Alberto del Rio
World Heavyweight Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. Big Show
I hated this feud when it was all about Sheamus not taking Big Show seriously. I know Show hasn’t been terribly relevant in the WWE for a very long time, and he’s not the greatest in-ring talent or anything, but he’s still a 7-foot giant that weights in around 500 pounds. Do you think anybody took Andre the Giant lightly? Do you think Sheamus would be standing in the ring, laughing at Yokozuna before a title match? But then they changed gears, on on this week’s episode of Smackdown, the champion started taking his mammoth challenger a bit more seriously. I loved having the ring lined with security, only for the two to pick them off like womp rats in a T-16. Yeah…I went there.
WHO LEAVES HELL IN A CELL WITH THE WORLD TITLE?
Sheamus: 30%
Big Show: 6%
Dolph Ziggler: 64%
Sheamus and Big Show took their feud to a whole new level Friday night, and now I’m actually excited about their encounter at Hell in a Cell. Part of me wishes the match itself would take place in the demonized structure, but I suppose I’m alright with more importance being placed on Punk/Ryback. I find myself in the awkward position of hoping that Big Show wins the belt. There are a couple of reasons, before you crucify me: 1) If Big Show wins, it will almost positively result in Dolph Ziggler cashing in Money in the Bank; do you really think Vince can resist the temptation of running this angle on Big Show twice in the same year? 2) If Big Show wins, and Bryan doesn’t cash in, there’s a small chance that Show could go on to re-invent himself, doinng exactly what Mark Henry did in 2011. Henry was awesome; Show is just as good at being a heel, if not better. Don’t knock it just yet…
Prediction: Big Show Wins, New Champion
