WWE Over the Limit 2012: Predicting the Winners of the Announced Matches

WWE Over the Limit is just around the corner and so far we have six confirmed matches, four of them being title matches and one being a pre-show match.

Before the show goes live on PPV, we will see Kane face Zack Ryder in the live YouTube pre-show.

The Divas title will be on the line as Layla will be defending against a jaded Beth Phoenix, who's looking to get back the title she lost after an ankle injury.

The Tag Team Championship will be contested in a match between champions R-Truth and Kofi Kingston against Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler.

The World title is on the line in a Fatal 4-Way match between Randy Orton, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho.

The WWE Championship is up for grabs as CM Punk will be defending against Daniel Bryan.

Finally, John Cena will be going up against the corporate heel John Laurinaitis in a match which could see Cena taking some time off afterwards following the announcement of his plans to divorce his wife.

In this slideshow, I will examine each match and give my best predictions for who will be taking home the win.

Zack Ryder vs. Kane

Zack Ryder has been on WWE's back burner for quite some time following his angle with John Cena, Kane and Eve.

When Kane and Randy Orton had a match at Extreme Rules, Zack Ryder attacked Kane, allowing Orton to get the advantage.

Now it seems as if these two will be reigniting their feud on the YouTube pre-show match.

Ryder needs a match like this to show WWE he's not just a one-hit wonder. Kane has been hot and cold recently, so this could also help him get back on WWE's radar.

In regards to the winner, I see Kane going over Ryder in this match so the two can have a rematch on Raw the following night, allowing Ryder to get the win in front of a larger audience than will be watching Over the Limit.

Layla vs. Beth Phoenix for the Divas Title

Layla is fresh off a return at Extreme Rules where she defeated Nikki Bella to gain back the Divas title after having been gone for almost a year with an injury.

Beth Phoenix is looking to regain her title which she held for several months, but I doubt she gets it back at Over the Limit.

Layla is a talented wrestler and charismatic personality and WWE could be hoping that her having the Divas title will be the right way to set up the eventual return for Kharma.

With the best odds being a Kharma vs. Beth match at SummerSlam, I'm going to say Layla will be winning this match then losing the title to Kharma at the following PPV so Kharma can face Phoenix at SummerSlam.

Kofi and R-Truth vs. Ziggler and Swagger for Tag Titles

Newly-crowned champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth will be defending their titles against Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler.

WWE has taken some heat recently for how they've featured tag teams less and less on PPVs, so this could be them trying to make up for it. It's just too bad that Epico and Primo were so vocal about it and now they don't get a PPV match of their own.

I see Truth and Kofi retaining in this match simply because I don't see WWE doing two quick title changes for the tag belts unless there's a bigger plan in motion.

If Epico and Primo are picking up the services of A.W., then it's reasonable to assume WWE would keep the belts on a face team for them to compete against.

John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

I am looking forward to this match the most simply because I want to see how well John Laurinaitis will be able to wrestle after years of being inactive.

John Cena will likely be taking some time off to handle his divorce, so this match could go two ways.

The outcome will either involve Laurinaitis having someone else incapacitate Cena so he can get the win or Cena will win, but be attacked after the match to write him off TV.

My guess would be the first scenario.

Cena is coming off a big win against Brock Lesnar and WWE may want to have him lose this match so he can return down the line to seek revenge.

Fatal 4-Way for the World Title

World Champion Sheamus is going to be defending his title against Randy Orton, Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio at Over the Limit.

This one is hard to call since all four men could be likely champions following Over the Limit.

Orton has been without a title for a long time, so it could be his time to finally hold gold again, but Chris Jericho is also looking to gain his first title since returning to the company.

Sheamus is a good candidate to lead WWE into SummerSlam as World Champion, which is why I see him retaining as the most likely outcome.

Alberto Del Rio just doesn't seem ready to be a Champion again, but that could just be my opinion.

Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk

The two guys who are known by WWE fans as the most unlikely World Champions in the entire WWE will be squaring off in what has the potential to be the match of the year.

If WWE lets these two wrestle a match on their own terms instead of creative trying to insert a bunch of drama, then I think this will outshine anything at WrestleMania this year.

Daniel Bryan is an outstanding heel who has become a fan favorite without even turning face. Every time Bryan is on screen, we hear "Yes!" chants and the crowd is filled with more and more "Yes!" shirts each week.

CM Punk is being booked as a WWE champion we can believe in. His straight-edge lifestyle is obviously great for WWE's image and his in-ring ability is on par with anyone else on the roster.

While I wouldn't mind if either man came away with the WWE title, I get the feeling the era of Punk is not over yet, which is why Punk gets my prediction for the win.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to share your own OTL predictions below.