My WWE:Cyber Sunday 2007 predictions (and votes)

WWE calls Cyber Sunday (formerly Taboo Tuesday) "the most interactive Pay-Per-View of the year". Because, unlike the others, they have a mock voting setup on their site, inviting fans to "vote" on various aspects of the matches. In some, fans can vote for a champ's opponent. In some, fans can vote on the match type. And there are some where fans can vote on a special guest referee. Of course, the voting is fake, just a way for WWE to pander to the few marks who still believe it's real. Not that this is a bad thing, by any means, if it makes the fans feel they're a part of something, that's good. But just like any PPV WWE puts out, all the matches are scripted weeks or months in advance and well practiced. So the outcomes were determined before the "voting" began.

So not only will I post my predictions, but my "votes" as well. I didn't just vote, though, I actually played along. My wife and I, for the most part, discussed each one and voted what we thought would be the best. Not always what we'd want to see, but would be the best business-wise, since we are certainly not your average marks.

Now, here's the card as posted on WWE.com:

WWE Championship Match (Fans' Choice)
World Heavyweight Championship Match (Fans choose the guest referee)
ECW Championship Match (Fans' choice)
Triple H vs. Umaga (Fans pick the stipulation)
MVP vs. Matt Hardy (Fans choose the stipulation)

The WWE Championship match is between newly-crowned champ Randy Orton (who was "awarded" the belt after Cena's injury, lost it to Triple H, and won it back from Triple H, all at No Mercy, the last PPV), and the fans choose the opponent, between Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, and Shawn Michaels.

We voted for Mr. Kennedy, because he's a rising star after being drafted to RAW from SmackDown, and he was the one who put Cena out. However, I predict Shawn Michaels will be in the match. Randy Orton put HIM out a month or two ago, and his return the day after No Mercy pretty much guaranteed a feud. Triple H is after the WWE's top honor as well, so I predict, as do others, a feud between Triple H and his old tag-team partner (Michaels) if Shawn Michaels wins. However, Orton just won it, and they like to build credibility for the title by not moving it much. So I predict Randy Orton will defeat Shawn Michaels.

For the World Heavyweight match, which is the top title on SmackDown, we have Batista vs. Undertaker, fans choose the referee, between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

This was a tough one, but we voted for Mick Foley, just because he's our favorite. No other reason here. Stone Cold is our prediction, though. Foley is underutilized, but Stone Cold draws crowds, and everyone likes seeing him (including us). JBL would be a real surprise. He's one of the announcers on SmackDown, used to perform a few years back, nothing too special or appealing about him. As for the match, if it were Wrestlemania, Batista wouldn't have a shot at breaking Taker's 15-0 record, but it's not, so I think Batista will hold onto his title.

In the ECW Championship match, the fans choose champion CM Punk's opponent. Will it be John Morrison (formerly Johnny Nitro of MNM), the WWE's knockoff of the 60s rockstar; the 500lb. Big Daddy V (formerly Viscera); or The Miz?

We voted for Big Daddy V, and that's my prediction for who WWE has lined up to go against CM Punk. Nobody stands in the way of this guy - how could they? And he's been being pushed lately. John Morrison is a former champion, and the pattern ECW has established in its year-plus history (not counting pre-WWE ECW) is one of passing the belt around, each person holding it for a few months, and dropping it to someone credible. I don't see The Miz as being credible, and I don't see it going back to Johnny Nitro. Big Daddy V, like Big Show before him, is more than credible and it would be hard to take it from him. But I don't think the WWE would be writing themselves into a corner giving V the belt, not at all.

For Triple H versus Umaga, the fans pick the stipulation. Will it be a street fight (anything goes, win by pinfall or submission inside the ring)? Or a First Blood match (first one to bleed, loses)? Or a steel cage match (cage lowered around ring, win by pinfall, submission, by climbing over cage and landing on the ground, or by walking out of the cage via door)?

A street fight would be nice. Triple H could get his trusty sledgehammer out and work Umaga over with that. First Blood would be a bad choice, because both of these guys can and will fight well after first blood. So we voted for steel cage. As my wife put it, Umaga would have nowhere to run. I asked what if Umaga gets to the door. My wife: Triple H won't let him get that far. What we're talking about is the 2 or 3 times Umaga has run from Triple H, despite being the monster the WWE uses to squash "new talent".

Then we have MVP vs. Matt Hardy, which has been one of the best feuds in the WWE in recent years. MVP is this real snobbish SOB who basically believes he's better than everyone, including other performers, including the fans, including his tag-team partner Matt Hardy, who pretty much wins their matches and defends their belts while MVP watches. When they're not in matches, they commonly have these little games. Chess, pushups, beer drinking, pizza eating, whatever. Either Matt Hardy wins and MVP comes up with an excuse, or MVP cheats. So it's just real funny. In their Cyber Sunday match, they can either have a boxing match, a wrestling match, or a mixed martial arts match.

We voted for boxing, just because it would be different. A wrestling match? That's what they do anyway. Mixed martial arts? I don't think either of them know any. This was just a stupid match anyway, but that's all MVP vs. Matt Hardy is, just good dumb fun. Nothing wrong with that.

Also, beyond the matches, there's a little surprise WWE has been gearing up for. The trouble is, some of the smarter fans had it figured out weeks ago. I kept my mind open, but now that it has been confirmed, I dare speak and ruin the surprise. Former superstar Chris Jericho, aka Y2J, is returning, either Sunday or Monday. It hasn't been specified which.

Around Summerslam or Unforgiven (before No Mercy), the WWE started running a promo on its shows which featured Matrix-like code, with references to SAVE_US.222, SAVE_US.X29, 2ND_COMING, REV_25:15, stuff like that. Just a little 15 second clip that's been confusing people. My wife was one of the first ones to call it. "Oh, that sounds like what Chris Jericho does" and then she dismissed it. But people denied it. Wikipedia pretty much gave it away, actually; once it was finalized, I believe, Wikipedia began silencing people, preventing any discussion of it. (I think Vince McMahon donated some money, suggested they do so. Usually Wikipedia isn't like that.) I then read on ChrisJericho.com that he was returning to the WWE, after several promotional telecasts, it said. Then I read an unofficial report that the WWE was planning on doing it at Cyber Sunday, but USA wanted better ratings and were encouraging them to wait for Monday Night RAW on the 29th. Since X is 10 in Roman numerals, it could be suggested that the SAVE_US.X29 is pointing to Monday (the 29th). 222? I guess that just coincides with the second career segment of this guy.

Some fans consider it a done deal. Then again, the WWE has staged surprises before, so there's really no telling. But all the signs point to Jericho.