2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

Literally every dirt sheet has picked up a story that Bryan's doctors won't clear him in time for Money in the Bank and that The E will strip him of the title tonight on Raw.

It's the right decision. Bryan's health needs to be top priority, and The E can't go without a world champion—especially because there's only one right now and the secondary titles aren't strongly booked enough right now—from Extreme Rules in May to Battleground in July or even SummerSlam in August. Missing two PPVs is a bit much. And had The E not turned Rollins, the Evolution/Shield feud would have run out of gas last week with two consecutive PPV victories for the Shield.

The questions I have: does The E book The Authority to declare a champion and just hand it to Kane or Orton or whomever? With Bischoff awarding Triple H the World Heavyweight Championship back in 2002, there's a precedent. Does The E book two ladder matches for MitB? One for the vacated title and one for the briefcase? Does The E name two contenders to start the show and crown a champion tonight in the main event?

Should be an interesting night.

 

They've said there will only be one match -- for the strap -- if Bryan is unable to return at MITB. If he does, it'll be him vs. Kane for the title and a MITB match for the briefcase.

 

And just as I posted that, I come across this: Bryan found out this afternoon that he won't be cleared for MITB.

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/482463-daniel-bryans-status-for-money-in-the-bank

 

According to The Observer last week, DB's recovery was going slow, and as a result, he was supposed to be going in for a check-up at some point. It sounds like the results of that weren't so positive and they're going to have to switch things up as a result, if those dirt sheets are right.

 

So if he can't go, then the Money in the Bank PPV won't feature an actual MITB match, just a ladder match for the title?

 

Really wish they'd do two MITB matches. They could even put a spin on it by having the guys who qualify decide which match they want to enter. Do you go for the guaranteed title shot? Or do you go for the briefcase, which if you win it almost always guarantees a championship?
The briefcase is also such a good plot device that it'd be a shame to see it dismissed so easily.

 

B+

 

They could also just have two "winners" for the MitB match, by hanging the title and the briefcase up there. The first guy would get the title, while the second would get the briefcase. Or, you could swerve, by having the first guy get the briefcase. Depending on how tricky they wanted to get, they could even have the briefcase guy cash it in that night.

 

Why would you ever not go for the title straight-up?

 

If this scenario plays out, and it looks like it's going to, they want to have two matches -- one for the belt, the other for the briefcase -- at MITB.

 

Odds of seeing separate champions again after this PPV? High.

 

Yeah, maybe not the most well-thought out idea I've ever had.

In theory, you could have a dominant, cocky heel pick the briefcase match, figuring he'd crush the JV roster and then pick his spot.
Or, and this was my original thought, Rollins wins a qualifier and opts for the briefcase match. He wins the briefcase and Orton wins the title, and Rollins protects Orton by keeping the briefcase within Evolution and out of the hands of any other rivals. Then, next spring (maybe in time for Mania if Rollins' star continues to rise), we get the Evolution breakup as Rollins cashes in the briefcase and turns face -- or uberheel, as Triple H pulls a reverse Summerslam 2013. Trips wipes out the champ Orton, Rollins cashes in, and we get the new "Face of the WWE," your champion, Seth Rollins.