WWE Hell in a Cell 2012: CM Punk (c) VS Ryback [WWE Championship]

[Dagger Dias]

Here we go. This is by far the most interesting match on the card and it is my pick to close the show. CM Punk has been WWE Champion for almost an entire year, something no one has done for about 6 years. Ryback is getting a WWE Championship shot early. I would have preferred to have him rise up through the midcard first, but hey, if the fans like why then give him a chance. I do enjoy the character even if I don't think he's ready to be a world champion already. Then we have the ending of the match. Does Punk come up short right before hitting the one year mark? Does Ryback lose his undefeated streak? I see neither happening. I predict a rather complicated finish to this match. There has to be a way for them to keep Ryback as technically undefeated and for CM Punk to also walk out still the WWE Champion. I find it hard to come up with an official prediction for that reason.

Now, if they do not decide to go that route and we do have to either have Punk lose the title or make Ryback suffer his first loss.... I'd give Ryback the belt. He has been undefeated for a good while now and there's no point in ending the streak with someone who does not need the momentum given by doing so. Punk's the WWE Champion and has been for almost a year, not to mention that this is not his first reign. Ryback may not quite be ready to be a world title holder yet but I'd rather see that than making him lose too soon to someone who doesn't need to defeat him. If Punk ends the streak then it was for nothing.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Ryback will win the WWE Championship.

 

[mattific]

I was watching this show too, however I do not know. Last month, they were advertising Sheamus and Del Rio and now it is Sheamus and Show so they could change it at the last minute. When Cena was out with an arm injury, they were doing Punk vs Ryback and that hadn't been on the promo. I think they are just showing the same ad from a couple of weeks ago to advertise the event.

 

[Diet Soda]

And if you buy a ticket to that live event it will state clearly 'card subject to change', or words to that effect.

They will advertise these big matches months in advance (a) to generate sales, and (b) WWE writers change their mind more often than a schizophrenic in a supermarket.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I still ultimately see CM Punk retaining the WWE Championship. I highly doubt that it'll be a 100% clean victory, but I do see him retaining.

The more I've thought about this, Ryback losing doesn't really have to be a catastrophic happening that will derail Ryback. Like others, I'm sometimes guilty of over-thinking things and exaggerating a bit. Even though Ryback is extremely similar to Goldberg, there's a pretty big distinction between them that I don't think we've really mentioned: Goldberg was all about the streak, Ryback isn't. Goldberg's undefeated streak was a hugely important aspect of his character, so much that WCW kept a running count going. The WWE hasn't gone that route with Ryback. While it's true he's been built as an unstoppable beast, they haven't based his success around staying undefeated. Sure, they've mentioned that he's undefeated but they haven't made it a real focal point like WCW did with Goldberg. If anything, it's the IWC that's tried to make Ryback's success around his undefeated streak rather than WWE.

Punk is someone that's proven himself in the long haul. I see Punk vs. The Rock at Royal Rumble being a big money match for WWE. I don't see Ryback really being able to hold his own in a verbal feud against Rock, at least not without WWE trying to turn Rock heel and that's just not going to happen. While it's true that Punk could drop the title to Ryback only to regain it maybe next month, it'll just really diminish Punk's momentum. At one time, the plan was for Punk to drop the title to Rock at the Rumble. If that's still the ultimate plan, then Punk dropping the title to the overall untested Ryback would diminish Rock winning the title. Besides, giving Ryback a brief transitional run with the title might ultimately do more harm to him than good. I think as long as WWE continues to push Ryback strongly and portray him as a brute, it'll be just fine. If it isn't and the fans are no longer behind him, then maybe it just shows that Ryback is just a brief fad and not the long term star WWE is hoping for.

I think it'll be a very fun match, probably much better than I'm thinking most of us are expecting. This match is easily the focal point for the show and I'm betting it'll deliver a good buy for the HIAC ppv.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Logic suggests Punk will retain. It seems the only reason Ryback is a part of this match at all is Cena's injury; the continuing Cena-Punk storyline was interrupted by that injury and management had to find a suitable replacement in a hurry.

Problem is.....there is no suitable replacement. All other top-carders were already involved in their own storylines and the company doesn't want to dismantle everything they've been building toward because of one PPV match.

So, they brought Ryback to the top of the card faster than originally scheduled. Better this than bringing in Trent Barretta or Justin Gabriel to face Punk, no? I believe management would rather have spent more time having Ryback climb the mid-card, but if anyone can present a threat to Punk's reign, they picked the right up-and-comer to do it.

Although I think Punk will take the duke, it won't be a clean ending. This isn't so unusual, given that none of Punk's important matches have had clean endings since he fully went heel. I think Ryback will look dangerous and intimidating and Punk's title will appear to be in severe jeopardy before someone interferes and allows Punk to sneak away with the win. Perhaps Cena himself will be the source of the interference, inadvertently costing Ryback the win.

Then again, if WWE really wants to shake things up, they let Ryback take the title, only to lose it back to Punk at the next PPV. If they can occasionally throw an unexpected title win by Jack Swagger or The Miz at us, there's no reason not to extend the same consideration to a monster like Ryback.

Still, I pick Punk.....by foul means.....to win.

 

[MOExecution]

People keep saying that Ryback winning would create a main event star for the next ten years. No, more like you will destroy a star. Yes, it would be a shock to see Ryback win, but you have to think about the long term and here it is.

Ryback wins tonight. His reign lasts through Survivor Series and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. He then has to drop the title to John Cena or CM Punk. Who will go on to face The Rock at The Royal Rumble. So you have a near two month reign for a BEAST who is undefeated, but not only loses the title, but loses his winning streak on the same night.

So which one do you think would be easier to come back from? A loss to CM Punk tonight? Or a short lived championship run and winning streak ended? It will end up that way. WWE WILL NOT go through with Ryback/Rock at Rumble because he does not sell like a Cena or Punk YET and for him to you would need to shove him down our throats and from history fans hate that.

 

[crazymike0907]

Everyone is worried about Ryback being champion and his undefeated streak ending. Well what if Lesnar comes out and Cena distracts Lesnar long enough for Ryback to win. Eventually, Lesnar takes out Cena, then Lesnar and Punk put a beat down on Cena and Ryback, leaving the new champ unconscious. Then Ziggler runs in and cashes MITB on Ryback. Dolph can still cash in on any champion, right? Ryback stays undefeated, and he doesn't leave with the title.

Another interesting scenario somebody mentioned is that they do a Hart/Austin type angle where Ryback passes out while in the anaconda vice, so he doesn't quit or tap out.

(By the way, sorry if these ideas were already mentioned. I didn't look through the whole thread to see if it was or not)

 

[I am Mr. Excitement]

My final thoughts on this match before the PPV starts in a few hours. I think WWE is obviously going to go with Punk winning this match. Ryback will still be the unstoppable beast in WWE even if he loses tonight. That's why Paul Heyman will have someway to get into the Cell and call the signal for Brock Lesnar to come in and destroy Ryback. I mean if you think about it theres no one in the WWE who could really man handle Ryback meaning whoop his ass except for Brock Lesnar. It makes since because Brock is Heyman's boy we know that and so is CM Punk and that's the only way I see this match ending with Punk winning. Plus it's kinda what WWE put themselves into here. Punk cutting his pipe bomb last year saying he was a Heyman guy and talked about how Brock was a Heyman guy too. And the IWC jizzed there pants when Paul Heyman was driving the car that CM Punk was in in Chicago about a month and a half ago. Now Lesanr will be aligned with Punk and Heyman so Punk's promo is comming to life. So lets hope all of the IWC Punk suckers will stop complaining after they align because that's exactly what's going to happen. Or needs to happen.

 

[afromania]

Really looking forward to this match and I think it's a match that will surprise people by how good it is. It's obviously not gonna be a mat classic but it damn sure will be entertaining. I'm expecting Punk to be absolutely decimated in this one. My bet is on Paul Heyman getting his ass wooped by Ryback to get a good pop from the crowd.

I've come up with a way for this match to end that will keep the title on Punk and Ryback's streak intact. It's by way of a no contest. But how can this be possible in Hell in a Cell. Well I think after a good 20 minutes of ass kicking by Ryback, CM Punk will have had enough and somehow escape the cell. Maybe the door is opened by Heyman with bolt cutters or maybe Ryback just chucks him through the cell. Point is he gets out and he runs away from Ryback by climbing the cell. Of course Ryback follows but first he destroys Heyman a bit. However once Ryback has reached the top of the cell, CM punk starts to climb down the other side. When Punk has reached the ground Ryback is left alone on top. But before he can follow Punk down the cell mysteriously starts to rise. Oh my god Ryback is stuck on top! The cell keeps rising all the way to the top of the arena and Ryback has nowhere to go. Meanwhile Punk lies on the floor exhausted but with a shocked look on his face. He has escaped with the title since the match has been ruled a no contest.

This leads into a new storyline where Ryback seeks to destroy whoever the mystery person that raised the cell was. Punk stays the champ, Ryback stays unbeaten, and Ryback moves on to something else.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Everyone pretty much was predicting that if Punk won it would be through some kind of interference, but the route they took was actually much better and people weren't expecting it. The combination of the low blow and the fast count keeps Ryback looking strong, as he's still basically never really been pinned because he wasn't held down for a true 3 count. The post match beat scene with Punk desperately trying to escape through the door but being unable to was also smart, and having Ryback destroy Punk after the match made him look that much more dominant. Overall the match wasn't as good as the Big Show/Sheamus World Title match, but it still accomplished its objective and had a story that was effectively told. Both guys did well and Heyman added a lot to the match as well with his comments from the outside and his reaction when Ryback came out of the cage.

 

[cult_of_icecream_bar]

Boy that sucked.Instead of getting a great match for the WWE championship,we got a snoozefest between Punk & Ryback.Ryback can't be the next guy sadly.Punk played well as a cowardly heel.But this match had nothing to remember in the future.This match created one of the biggest hype's in the last couple of years.But failed to live up to it.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Or for a third option, and this option would see Ryback losing - with the recent referee storyline that occured after Night Of Champions, we see some kind of swerve with the referee (Brad Maddox), where he'll help Punk escape with the title and it'll be revealed that Brad was in cahoots with Heyman & Punk all along.

I wonder which WWE writer came on this forum and saw my post

Hopefully with Ryback losing, people will stop comparing him to Goldberg and the crowd will stop chanting "Goldberg" in his matches, now that the streak is off him. They may look similar, but Ryback is his own man, not a Goldberg ripoff. People are bitching that Ryback should've won & kept his streak alive, and now that he's lost, "he's failed", but if Ryback had won, people would still compare him to Goldberg and that would be what kills him because people would expect him to live up to Goldberg's expectations and if he doesn't then the fans will turn on him. Comparing present wrestlers to past wrestlers and expecting them to be exactly like them is what's gonna end up killing them. Thankfully the pressure is now off Ryback. The WWE will continue pushing him as a monster even without the streak and in a few months time, everyone will have forgotten all about the Goldberg comparisons and will still be cheering Ryback.