WWE Survivor Series 2011: Lack of Stipulation Will Lead to CM Punk Loss vs. ADR

When CM Punk used his Anaconda Vice submission hold on Alberto Del Rio a couple weeks ago to get a shot at his WWE Championship, I thought their match at Survivor Series would be a submission match. Since that hasn't come to fruition, though, I don't like Punk's chances.

Punk hasn't used the Anaconda Vice regularly in quite some time, so it seemed as though his re-dedication to the hold would be a counter to Alberto Del Rio's vaunted Cross Armbreaker. That may still be the case, but I don't believe it will come into play.

When a submission match or "I Quit" match is announced, it's usually pretty apparent that the face has the advantage. That's because part of a face's persona is an unwillingness to quit, while a heel is always going to take the easy way out.

If an "I Quit" match had been announced for the WWE Championship, then there's no question in my mind that Punk would have won the match. A regular match leaves it open for Del Rio to win by using some dirty tricks, though, and I believe that's exactly what will happen.

Punk has a lot going against him to begin with as Del Rio needs the title much more than Punk. That isn't an indictment of Punk as he has proven to be a great champion, but he can easily remain relevant without the belt. The same can't necessarily be said for Del Rio who needs a long title reign to fully establish himself.

Since there's no stipulation to help Punk, the odds of him winning are pretty low at this point, especially because I believe Kevin Nash will get involved in some way. Nash doesn't have anything to do at the moment with Triple H kayfabe injured, so I figure his role will reside in the WWE Championship match.

Nash has long had a beef with Punk, beginning when he cost him the WWE Championship by powerbombing him after his match at SummerSlam. This ironically allowed Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and become the new champion.

I think Nash's involvement with Punk and Del Rio is far from a coincidence, though. Interim RAW general manager John Laurinaitis has had plenty of disagreements as well, and I think it's pretty clear that he's working with Nash, Del Rio and Awesome Truth behind the scenes.

Seeds have already been planted with regards to Laurinaitis working with Nash as he was seen texting before Nash showed up and interfered in the match between Punk and Triple H at Night of Champions. Eventually, I think it will come to light that Laurinaitis has been masterminding everything all along.

Nash's interference will serve to further the suspicion, and it will allow Del Rio to retain the title. While the creative team didn't make it obvious, the absence of a stipulation such as an "I Quit" match increased Del Rio's chances immensely and will allow him to pick up the win.