I don’t know about you, but I say thank God!  MITB to me is simply a vehicle to push someone who hasn’t received a main event push yet.  Historically, that is the norm and it shouldn’t be any different here.

If you look at the Raw participants and use your head, it’s pretty evident who is in the running.  The intriguing part is who is actually going to win out.  Randy Orton, R-Truth, Evan Bourne, John Morrison, Chris Jericho,  The Miz, Ted DiBiase, and Edge are in the Raw MITB match.

If you believe everything you read on the Internet (which you shouldn’t), Evan Bourne is being heavily pushed by both John Cena and Triple H as someone Vince should elevate.  It’s pretty clear he has received a push because he is in this match to begin with, but is that as far as it goes?  I think for now it is.  I don’t see him winning.

That leaves The Miz and Ted DiBiase as legit contenders.  Remember, history has shown the winner will go on to win a main event run.  Of the participants, these guys are the only guys close to that in my mind.  My money is on DiBiase.  He has gotten a major push since Wrestlemania resurrecting the Million Dollar Man image.  The only problem for him has been a lack of decent people to get into a program with.  Orton, Batista (when he was still there), Sheamus have all been circling Cena for some unknown reason leaving DiBiase no quality opponent.  It seems his time has come.

As far as the Smackdown MITB winner who knows?  Until they figure out who is going to replace Punk and McIntyre WWE most likely  doesn’t even know.

Check these out:

Dirty Dutch Mantell blogged a great story a month back about fans who cross the line.  The Dutchman has a great way of telling a story which is no doubt why he was such a good booker.

Kingly One at Bleacher report has an interesting perspective about the current state of WWE Raw.  I agree with most of his points.  Raw has got to get away from the hokey storylines and get people excited again.

Scott Bowden blogs about the old days in the Memphis territory (the “rasslin” I happened to grow up on) including the infamous Tupelo, Mississippi concession stand fight between the Blonde Bombers and Jerry Lawler/Bill Dundee.  Damn those were the good old days!

TH at The Wrestling Blog has a whole slew of good posts recently.  (Skip his latest on cheesesteaks…well unless that is your thing at the moment…and read his views on the work visa situation, the Danielson situation, and the uncertainty of where the hell wrestling storylines are going.  Actually, just read the whole damn blog!  It’s good stuff.)

Ring Posts (the Baltimore Sun wrestling blog) written by Kevin Eck has some interesting thoughts on NXT.  He and I clearly don’t see eye to eye on who is hot if you read my post yesterday, but we both agree that Titus O’Neil is not gone for good unless there is something backstage we don’t know about.

I also enjoyed reading Wheelhouse Radio’s take on the WWE work visa situation on the Camel Clutch Blog.

Also at Camel Clutch Blog, check out TH’s post about the cursed Nexus angle.  He’s make some good points.  Maybe this thing is cursed.

The totals are in on the first NXT season 2 poll with what I consider to be surprising results.

Kaval came out #1 overall in the polling which frankly shocks me.  Granted, things are just getting started in the second batch of NXTers, but who really sees long-term superstar potential in this guy?  It’s not that he is talentless.  I can certainly see the potential in his athletic abilities. What I fail to see at this point is a useful spot for him (again I am speaking long-term).  I’m sure he could develop into a mid-card talent, but is that worthy of being #1 in the first poll?  Not in my eyes.  To be completely honest, he reminds me too much of Rey Mysterio–a guy I have never gotten behind since he debuted.  And what is Mysterio?  A full-fledged mid-carder.  Yes, I know, you will say Rey Mysterio is the current World Champ.  But he isn’t the WWE Champ and that is obviously the belt of importance.  To belabor my point a little further, is Rey a perennial serious contender for the top spots?  No.  Sure he gets his run as a transitional guy–a placeholder.  He is not a long-termer.  I see the same for Kaval.

Grabbing the #2 spot was Percy Watson and again I ask what the hell are people thinking?  Sure he has the physique, but the Guy Smiley fake enthusiasm routine is already worn out with me.  If he can’t sell me on his personality outside the ring, how in the hell is he going to sell me on a match inside the ring?  Believe me when I say I am keeping in mind that it is early and that these guys are still as green as goose shit, but in the early running, you’re trying to tell me this guy is making a splash?  Not bloody likely.  And while I’m on it, can somebody tell him to loose the goggles?  I get it, Percy.  You’re trying to stand out.  But you look ridiculous and as long as you look ridiculous you aren’t going to the top.  It’s as simple as that.

The #3 position supposedly goes to Michael McGillicutty.  This may (and I stress MAY) be the first poll ranking I can get behind, but I am baffled at his use of the name “McGillicutty”.  I’m sure there is a reason and it may eventually find its way out, but I hate it.  WWE acknowledges he is the grandson of Larry “The AX” Hennig and the son of “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig so why in the hell isn’t that his name?  All the other second and third generation stars (Dibiase, Orton, Rhodes) are riding the coattails so why is he not?  If it was WWE’s choice I really would like to hear that reasoning.  If it was his idea why didn’t somebody Larry The Ax that explaining that the name sounds ridiculous and is too hard to spell correctly?  As for his place in the business, I can buy into it.  But just like Kaval, I think his stature is going to limit his potential.  Is WWE bringing back the light heavyweights?  Could that be the reason these smaller guys are rising (think Evan Bourne)?

Alex Riley or as Michael Cole annoyingly referred to him “A-ry” came in at #4.  Finally somebody with a good shot at making it!  Like it or not (and personally I don’t) Riley has the look of a current WWE star.  He is big.  He is cut and he has potential to use his brain and his mouth to go somewhere.  Whether any of his potential actually pans out remains to be seen, but he at least has the tools to get it done.  I’m buying him as legit.  In fact, he is the only one of two in the whole bunch I can see with the potential to make a long-term run.

Which brings me to the other guy I think who has a decent shot at a big-time career and the guy who came at #5–Lucky Cannon.  Again I see someone with all the tools to get his foot in the door.  What he does with the tools is as yet a mystery.  Give Cannon some time and the right tutoring and I could see him having a nice long career.

Eli Cottonwood snagged the #6 slot in the first NXT poll.  I have to admit I am uncertain about him.  At this point, I can’t quite put my finger on what is missing (other than another 20-30 pounds) with Eli.  In my mind, he is too big in stature to be portrayed as a  HHH or Randy Orton type and too skinny to be a Kane or Undertaker class guy.  He could turn out to surprise me, but then again he could get saddled somewhere down the road with a bad gimmick and end up just another big guy who came and went.  The jury is still out on him.

Husky Harris was worked at #7.  Who knows why?  I don’t know that, but I do know he is going to be given plenty of rope to hang himself because he is the son Mike Rotundo.  Legacy’s are going to be given ample opportunity to shine if their dad has been a good company man and Rotundo has been.  With Husky we see the lack of acknowledging the family name again.  Now that I think about it, maybe WWE is suppressing that because they do have quite a few at the moment throughout the company?  Anyway, Husky’s biggest obstacle, without question,  is going to be his weight.  He totally fits the Dusty Rhodes mold (which I like), but the fact is someone like a Dusty Rhodes is at real disadvantage getting ahead in this day and age of shredded muscles and ripped six packs.  It makes me wonder why they didn’t put him in a singlet to at least attempt to cover that belly up.  Nonetheless, just where Husky winds up is quite possible the biggest mystery of them all to me.  I see a lot to like in him, but that body may be too much for the WWE image.

Coming in dead last at #8 and getting promptly booted from the show was Titus O’Neil.  I’m not buying that this guy is gone for good and here’s why:  He looks great and has the seeds of a good talker.  I’m smelling a work.  The only possibility that he is legit gone is if there is something back stage that came out about him.  Just to be clear, I have no idea that there was anything.  I’m just having a hard time believing they would let a guy with a body and a mouthpiece like this guy split while someone infinitely less in every way like Percy Watson is allowed to stay.  If it was a work he resurfaces eventually.  If it was a shoot the news mill will eventually crank it out.

Overall, I guess you could say I am disappointed with the direction of this bunch in the early going.  We’ll see over the coming weeks if it stays that way.