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I gotta agree with Alberto Del Rio being a good candidate for the RAW MITB winner. Del Rio's main event star has faded, and while the WWE are high on him, and he can be rebuilt so easily, the WWE could just go easy-street and have Del Rio win the contract. But I dunno -- I can't see Show and Del Rio's issues ending at Capitol Punishment -- so they could cost each other their MITB qualifiers, and then Del Rio beats Big Show in a separate match at MITB -- using that to springboard to the WWE Title scene.
I think CM Punk will be John Cena's next contender (he just pinned Cena), so take Punk out of the running. That means the top guys left on RAW are R-Truth, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre and Alex Riley. I probably wouldn't include Riley in MITB just yet. It seems too early, as over as he has gotten. So yeah, my RAW MITB prediction is something like: Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz. Out of those guys, I think R-Truth and The Miz are ruled out due to their programs with John Morrison and Alex Riley -- both of which I can see heading towards SummerSlam. I actually think McIntyre will be the US Champion soon, so he won't win. Bourne and Kofi would just be in there to bump. That leaves Swagger, Mysterio or Ziggler. Swagger's won before, and while Mysterio winning would pop the crowd, I don't think the WWE needs him to win it to get him back in the title scene. Therefore, Noid's prediction for RAW MITB winner, carrying it around for months with his valet getting him extra heat, is Dolph Ziggler.
On SmackDown!, I think things are harder to call. My guess is that Orton and Christian face each other again at Money in the Bank -- leaving your top stars on SmackDown! remaining as Sheamus, Kane, Mark Henry, Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson. Not the most attractive Money in the Bank on paper, is it?
Sheamus winning would make logical sense, because Orton would likely regain the title from Christian down the line, and Sheamus can cash it in immediately against Orton -- as payback for the punt. He doesn't need it, though. Ideally, a babyface would win it to elevate them. That means Kane, Bryan, Jackson or Cara. Kane's been there before, and I don't think he goes there again. While Cara is Triple H's pet project, it just doesn't seem right at this time. Sin Cara's still gotta get the WWE style down-pat. It'd be either Jackson or Bryan, in my opinion, and while I think Bryan would be the better overall choice, I just can't see it happening. Jackson wins the blue briefcase, and gets a sudden mega-push into the main event.
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