It is a word rarely associated with professional wrestling fans.
Regardless of how popular a superstar, an angle, or a match may be with the general, casual wrestling fan, die-hard fans are often quick to denounce it. And that is okay.
It is not like the two major companies in the world of sports entertainment have not ever let fans down when it comes to storylines or matches with potential.
With that said, and despite the lack of build-up to the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view Sunday night, WWE has crafted a card that has the potential to be among the best shows of the year.
The main event is a fresh one, with one of the current bright spots on the WWE roster, R-Truth, challenging WWE Champion John Cena for the prestigious prize.
The elephant in the room should be addressed immediately: Cena will likely defeat Truth and retain the WWE Championship.
Instead of criticizing the company for Cena's likely victory, WWE should be applauded for pushing Truth into the position he currently occupies, especially when the former NWA Champion was little more than a mid-card act as little as four months ago.
Fans have yet to see Cena and Truth work together in a singles environment. Whether the two can deliver a quality main event remains to be seen. The work put in by Truth has been extremely entertaining as of late and one can only wonder whether or not the in-ring results will be as impressive as his microphone skills have been.
Underneath Cena-Truth we have three matches that each have the opportunity to steal the show.
The first is a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship between Randy Orton and Christian. On the May 6 edition of Smackdown, the two talented superstars had one of the best matches of the year, which saw Orton catch Christian with an RKO from out of nowhere to pick up the win and the championship.
Over the Limit saw an even better match, the Dark Knight of their series. One can only imagine what kind of match these two will craft at Capitol Punishment, especially since the matches are no longer about respect, as they were in the first and second bout.
Instead, the third match in the Orton-Christian series will feature a "Captain Charisma" hell-bent on revenge and winning back his championship. He feels as though he was screwed out of the World Championship just five days after winning it.
With a new dynamic added to the match, and a growing familiarity between the two, expect Orton and Christian to add to their resume of spectacular, show-stealing matches with one another.
Also on the undercard of Capitol Punishment is the United States Championship match between Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. Kofi and Dolph have spent the last year and a half battling one another for one of the two mid-card championships and, in the process, have developed a chemistry with one another that all-but guarantees a high-quality contest.
While neither is seriously pushed as a main event star, their matches are favorites of the fans and often one of, if not the, most exciting on the card.
Rey Mysterio and CM Punk also have a history of providing spectacular contests and gripping storylines. While the story may not be there this year, Mysterio and Punk rarely fail to satisfy in their pay-per-view bouts and, taking into account their history together, expect another solid match out of them at Capitol Punishment.
Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson absolutely must leave a good impression on the fans and, more importantly, the creative team Sunday night. Their program has been horrid and Barrett has been one of the biggest disappointments this year.
While I do not expect a good match, I do expect to see Barrett work the hardest he has in recent memory. Perhaps out of sheer will-power, he will be able to craft a match the fans can at least get into.
Alberto Del Rio and Big Show should be interesting.
Big Show has performed at a high level in the past when paired with a talented in-ring performer. Del Rio has proven to be just that. With the foundation of the match revolving around injuries suffered by Big Show when he was struck by a car on Raw just a month ago, the in-ring psychology should be at a high.
The question—as usual with Big Show—will be whether or not he can perform to the level of someone like Del Rio and if he will be motivated to do so. A lot will be said about Show's stay on Raw based on how he is treated and how he performs in his match Sunday.
Alex Riley vs. The Miz is the mystery heading into Capitol Punishment. Riley will be motivated, and Miz will have to prove—now that he is a trusted main event performer—that he is capable of making new stars and crafting high quality contests.
Word from house shows is that the matches between the two have been average at best. Average matches at pay-per-view events end up with someone being de-pushed. Miz is a highly-entertaining character but has show, in recent months, that his in-ring work still is not at the level one would hope for from a main event, former-WWE champion.
He can prove his doubters wrong and Riley can prove his worth at the top of the card with a solid outing.
Randy Orton defending against Christian, Dolph Ziggler challenging Kofi Kingston, and CM Punk meeting Rey Mysterio should be three matches capable of elevating this Sunday's pay-per-view event into the upper tier of pay-per-view offerings by the company this year.
Add to it a WWE Championship match between John Cena and a motivated R-Truth and a dark horse of a match between Alberto Del Rio and the Big Show and there is no reason Capitol Punishment cannot outperform the more disappointing events from earlier this year, such as Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble, and the terrible Over the Limit.
Regardless of how popular a superstar, an angle, or a match may be with the general, casual wrestling fan, die-hard fans are often quick to denounce it. And that is okay.
It is not like the two major companies in the world of sports entertainment have not ever let fans down when it comes to storylines or matches with potential.
With that said, and despite the lack of build-up to the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view Sunday night, WWE has crafted a card that has the potential to be among the best shows of the year.
The main event is a fresh one, with one of the current bright spots on the WWE roster, R-Truth, challenging WWE Champion John Cena for the prestigious prize.
The elephant in the room should be addressed immediately: Cena will likely defeat Truth and retain the WWE Championship.
Instead of criticizing the company for Cena's likely victory, WWE should be applauded for pushing Truth into the position he currently occupies, especially when the former NWA Champion was little more than a mid-card act as little as four months ago.
Fans have yet to see Cena and Truth work together in a singles environment. Whether the two can deliver a quality main event remains to be seen. The work put in by Truth has been extremely entertaining as of late and one can only wonder whether or not the in-ring results will be as impressive as his microphone skills have been.
Underneath Cena-Truth we have three matches that each have the opportunity to steal the show.
The first is a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship between Randy Orton and Christian. On the May 6 edition of Smackdown, the two talented superstars had one of the best matches of the year, which saw Orton catch Christian with an RKO from out of nowhere to pick up the win and the championship.
Over the Limit saw an even better match, the Dark Knight of their series. One can only imagine what kind of match these two will craft at Capitol Punishment, especially since the matches are no longer about respect, as they were in the first and second bout.
Instead, the third match in the Orton-Christian series will feature a "Captain Charisma" hell-bent on revenge and winning back his championship. He feels as though he was screwed out of the World Championship just five days after winning it.
With a new dynamic added to the match, and a growing familiarity between the two, expect Orton and Christian to add to their resume of spectacular, show-stealing matches with one another.
Also on the undercard of Capitol Punishment is the United States Championship match between Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. Kofi and Dolph have spent the last year and a half battling one another for one of the two mid-card championships and, in the process, have developed a chemistry with one another that all-but guarantees a high-quality contest.
While neither is seriously pushed as a main event star, their matches are favorites of the fans and often one of, if not the, most exciting on the card.
Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson absolutely must leave a good impression on the fans and, more importantly, the creative team Sunday night. Their program has been horrid and Barrett has been one of the biggest disappointments this year.
While I do not expect a good match, I do expect to see Barrett work the hardest he has in recent memory. Perhaps out of sheer will-power, he will be able to craft a match the fans can at least get into.
Alberto Del Rio and Big Show should be interesting.
Big Show has performed at a high level in the past when paired with a talented in-ring performer. Del Rio has proven to be just that. With the foundation of the match revolving around injuries suffered by Big Show when he was struck by a car on Raw just a month ago, the in-ring psychology should be at a high.
The question—as usual with Big Show—will be whether or not he can perform to the level of someone like Del Rio and if he will be motivated to do so. A lot will be said about Show's stay on Raw based on how he is treated and how he performs in his match Sunday.
Alex Riley vs. The Miz is the mystery heading into Capitol Punishment. Riley will be motivated, and Miz will have to prove—now that he is a trusted main event performer—that he is capable of making new stars and crafting high quality contests.
Word from house shows is that the matches between the two have been average at best. Average matches at pay-per-view events end up with someone being de-pushed. Miz is a highly-entertaining character but has show, in recent months, that his in-ring work still is not at the level one would hope for from a main event, former-WWE champion.
He can prove his doubters wrong and Riley can prove his worth at the top of the card with a solid outing.
Randy Orton defending against Christian, Dolph Ziggler challenging Kofi Kingston, and CM Punk meeting Rey Mysterio should be three matches capable of elevating this Sunday's pay-per-view event into the upper tier of pay-per-view offerings by the company this year.
Add to it a WWE Championship match between John Cena and a motivated R-Truth and a dark horse of a match between Alberto Del Rio and the Big Show and there is no reason Capitol Punishment cannot outperform the more disappointing events from earlier this year, such as Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble, and the terrible Over the Limit.
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