WWE Money in the Bank: 10 Burning Questions Heading into Sunday's Pay-Per-View

In just six days, it's time for the WWE to be...money.

The second annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view emanates from Chicago, and a pretty stacked card has most wrestling fans excited about the show's prospects.

But it has them a little nervous and a little anxious, too.

For better or for worse, Money in the Bank should be one of the most newsworthy PPVs of the year, and we fans are hoping that the WWE delivers.

If that's going to happen, though, we're going to need some answers, and an answer without a question is just a statement.

So, here are 10 burning questions for you to ponder before they get answered on Sunday night. 

10. Will Anything Newsworthy Happen in the Undercard Matches?

The WWE Championship match between John Cena and CM Punk will be one that we'll always remember, because it could very well be Punk's last WWE match (at least for a while).

It won't be easy to forget about Christian vs. Randy Orton either, considering how entertaining their feud is and how great their matches have been.

The same goes for the two Money in the Bank bouts, which are always newsworthy when you think about what's actually at stake in these matches.

But The Big Show vs. Mark Henry? Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella? 

No one's really expecting anything all that memorable to happen in either of those matches, and I'll wonder throughout the pay-per-view whether these matches are being used simply for filler rather than to further some more major storylines.

9. Who Will Be This Year's Shelton Benjamin?

Former WWE star Shelton Benjamin has been in more Money in the Bank ladder matches (five) than any other wrestler in company history.

And, as many of you might recall, he stole the show in just about every single one of them.

But, with "The Gold Standard" no longer with the WWE—I know, he was gone last year, too—I have to wonder who will fill his shoes as the stars of this year's MITB ladder matches.

On the Raw side, many people expect Evan Bourne to do just that by hitting a Shooting Star Press off the ladder as well as some other high-risk spots. But I'm going with Kofi Kingston, whose competing in his fourth MITB match and has pulled off some impressive spots in each of his prior appearances.

As for SmackDown, I'm going with none other than Sin Cara, who doesn't have a great chance at winning the match but damn sure could be the most entertaining competitor in it.

8. Will We See the Return of a Missing Superstar?

The Undertaker and Triple H haven't been around since WrestleMania 27, Chris Jericho and Batista are no longer WWE superstars and John Morrison is currently out recovering from neck surgery.

But, with SummerSlam right around the corner and the WWE looking to put on a stacked show in Los Angeles, you have to wonder if any of these guys could show up at Money in the Bank.

I'd say that both Taker and Triple H won't be around until the build for WrestleMania 28, while Batista and Jericho are looking like huge long shots to return the company right now. 

However, I'm not so certain that the WWE isn't trying to swerve us with Morrison's injury timetable.

I actually think there's a good chance he could return at the pay-per-view, possibly as a participant in Raw's MITB ladder match.

That being said, though, I wouldn't get my hopes up for the potential return of any of those WWE legends I mentioned.

7. Will the PPV Be Predictable, or Will the WWE Surprise Us?

Here's how the Money in the Bank pay-per-view would be entirely too predictable: John Cena beats CM Punk clean (and Punk leaves), Sheamus wins SmackDown's MITB match, Alberto Del Rio wins Raw's, Kelly Kelly defeats Brie Bella in four minutes, Mark Henry beats The Big Show and Christian wins the World Heavyweight Championship thanks to the stipulation that was added to the bout on Friday's SmackDown.

Damn, I hope that doesn't happen.

I actually have faith that the WWE will surprise on Sunday, because there are so many ways that the creative team can make this one of the best and most entertaining pay-per-views of the year.

Don't do what we expect, though. Do something, anything, that will leave us wanting to know more.  

6. Will Christian Finally Win Back the World Heavyweight Championship?

Since Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton, he's had opportunity after opportunity to win it back.

Yet, Captain Charisma still hasn't been able to beat "The Viper" for the strap, and it appears that his time to do so is almost up.

I, however, am still of the belief that Sheamus will be added to this bout to make it a Triple Threat match, and that he will take the pin from Christian.

That way, Christian will indeed win the belt, but Orton won't take the pin so that the feud between these two can continue all the way through SummerSlam.

 

5. Who Will Win the Money in the Bank Ladder Matches?

Winning the Money in the Bank ladder match generally catapults mid-carders into superstardom, with Edge and The Miz being good examples of how grabbing that briefcase can turn a guy into a star.

Unfortunately, it doesn't do that for some. Just ask Jack Swagger, who's in the same spot—or maybe even lower—that he was in prior to his MITB win.

When it comes to MITB, one thing is for sure, though: Winning that title shot guarantees that you will become a World Champion.

Therefore, the winner of these bouts at this year's Money in the Bank PPV should be chosen because they've never been consistent main-eventers but deserve to be there.

That's why I'm picking Kofi Kingston on the Raw side and Cody Rhodes for SmackDown.

4. What Role Will Vince McMahon Play?

After the recent confrontations between John Cena and Vince McMahon, it's almost inevitable that the WWE chairman will play some type of role in the WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank.

Maybe he screws over Punk, or maybe he screws over Cena. I don't know.

My actual bet—OK, maybe my hope—is that Vinny Mac helps Punk win (even if Punk's leaving) in order to ignite a feud between himself and Cena.

I could certainly be totally wrong about this, but I'm about 99 percent sure that we'll see Mr. McMahon get involved in the Cena/Punk match. Somehow, someway.

It only makes sense at this point. 

3. Will Someone Cash in the MITB Briefcase That Same Night?

Only once in WWE history has a Money in the Bank winner cashed in his briefcase on the same night he won it, and that happened last year when Kane won SmackDown's bout and then defeated Rey Mysterio later on in the show.

Will it happen again?

I could perhaps see CM Punk defeating John Cena or vice versa, and the Raw MITB winner, Alberto Del Rio, cashing in on whoever is the WWE Champion to win the strap.

But I don't think ADR needs to be in the match, much less win it, and he likely won't grab the briefcase.

And, over on SmackDown, I'd expect the Christian/Orton feud to extend through SummerSlam, so having the blue brand's MITB winner—likely Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett or Sheamus—cash in would upset the balance of the show's main-event scene.  

2. Can CM Punk Defeat John Cena for the WWE Title and Get Him "Fired" from WWE?

John Cena is the WWE Champion, and he'll defend his title against CM Punk in Punk's hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

I can already feel the atmosphere in the Allstate Arena: "If Cena wins, we riot."

But does that mean that he won't go all "Super Cena" and get a clean victory Punk? Absolutely not—Cena could certainly go over in that fashion.

Then again, there are a number of different scenarios that could lead to Punk getting the win, too.

Or whoever wins the match can have his title taken away by the MITB winner, making the result of this match largely pointless.

Maybe that's why this question is on every WWE fan's mind right now.

1. Is It REALLY CM Punk's Last Night with the Company?

Over the past month or so, I've read so many different headlines on CM Punk's WWE status that it's hard to even keep count.

CM Punk Leaving the WWE on July 17th.

CM Punk's Contract Expires in September, Not Leaving After All?

Has CM Punk Already Re-Signed with the WWE?

Truth is, I have no idea whether or not to believe that Money in the Bank will indeed be Punk's last night with the company.

That's why this question is such an important one.

Punk's WWE status has a huge domino effect, because his stance with the company will alter the outcome of everything from his WWE title match against John Cena to Raw's MITB ladder match.

The funny thing is, we probably won't know the answer to this question until we know the answers to questions No. 2 and 3.