WWE is all set to break the doors down and blow the roof off the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, tonight (Sun., Aug. 18, 2013) with its annual SummerSlam pay-per-view. The card is stacked from top to bottom with intriguing match-ups everywhere, but perhaps no match holds more interest than the main event: WWE Champion John Cena defending his title against the darling of the pro wrestling community, Daniel Bryan.
Oh, and Triple H is special guest referee. Oh, and Randy Orton has been teasing for weeks that he will cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the winner.
The story has been laid out brilliantly. Vince McMahon is so against Bryan possibly becoming champion of his promotion, the new flagbearer for his company, that he's been doing everything he can to convince anyone who will listen that it's a terrible idea. He's tried to screw Bryan over, he's set up roadblocks at every turn; hell, he even briefly accepted some measure of defeat in trying to force Bryan into a "corporate makeover."
None of that worked out, of course, partially because his son-in-law and COO of WWE, Triple H, kept getting in the way. And he'll be in the way again tonight thanks to the fact that he is, as mentioned, the referee for the match.
None of that has anything to do with Orton other than the fact that, well, he's a "Viper" who is ready to strike at the most opportune moment. And with all this chaos surrounding all involved, the finish of tonight's headlining attraction could provide the perfect setting for his inevitable cash-in.
That's kayfabe land.
Back in reality, WWE has been teasing so heavily that Orton will be cashing in, it has led many to believe he won't. I myself predicted they would hold off and have him do it on Monday Night Raw tomorrow evening. With Cena's elbow needing surgery, and Bryan being at his hottest, and everyone wanting in on a piece of the pie, though, the prevailing thought is that we are going to get an Orton cash-in one way or another.
There should be a Money in the Bank cash-in tonight, and a title should change hands because of it. But it shouldn't be the ugly red case Orton carries around with him.
No, it should be that beautiful briefcase Damien Sandow has been protecting for weeks now.
All great swerves are based on one simple concept, no different than a magic trick: misdirection. You get your audience looking one way, so completely enthralled with what you're doing with your right hand they pay no attention to your left. We're all paying so much attention to Orton and his briefcase, we've forgotten about Sandow and his.
And, really, which match needs it more? Cena vs. Bryan with Triple H as referee? Or Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian for the world heavyweight title in a program that has featured the challenger laying out the champion at every turn and defeating him clean in the center of the ring twice in three weeks? SmackDown needs new blood at the top while Raw is incredibly top heavy.
All signs point to Orton cashing in tonight, but it's for that reason that maybe we should expect Sandow to surprise us all and beat Randall to the punch.
Stay tuned.
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