WWE Over the Limit 2012 Preview: Full Card WWE '12 Simulation

WWE Over the Limit is almost upon us. The WWE is in a state of mass confusion bouncing all over the place with new story lines every week and has been throwing the fans massive curveballs for the sake of throwing curveballs. 

Because of that, a simple, mild-mannered writer such as I has no authority or clue how this pay-per-view will end up. Will we see Kharma? Will the tag team division be revived? Will Johnny Ace get his comeuppance? 

Because I can't even come close to pretending I know what's going to happen on Sunday, I, once again, recruited the help of my trusty ol' Xbox 360 and WWE '12 to give us some insight. 

Here's how the console thinks this Pay-Per-View will turn out. 

Kane vs. Zack Ryder

The simulation between everyone's favorite broski and the big red monster was even early in the match. The two Superstars were trading blows back and forth with weak grapples and lots of strikes, Ryder targeting the left leg of Kane, while Kane targeting the right arm and head of Ryder. The match would continue going back and forth until Kane was able to hit his signature sidewalk slam followed by the tombstone piledriver to seal his victory. 

How will this compare to the real match we'll see on Sunday on YouTube? I would like to think that the actual match will be a little more exciting, seeing as it's the second or third YouTube pre-show match, so the WWE will want to make it worth the watch. 

How about the outcome? Will Kane destroy Zack Ryder again? I think not. Ryder has been pretty quiet as of late and went on the terrible streak of having his back broken 39 weeks in a row by Kane. (Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but still.) It's Ryder's turn to get over with the crowd again, because whether you like him or not, the dude connects with the fans. 

WWE Divas Championship: Layla vs. Beth Phoenix

This simulation went like most simulations involving Beth go. Beth dominates early, tossing Layla around with suplexes, slams and German suplexes. Layla tries to mount a comeback, but to no avail. Beth hits a suplex followed by the Glam Slam to seal her victory and the Divas Championship.

Is that what we'll see Sunday? Will Layla already drop the strap to Beth or will we see the beginning of an actual storyline for the Diva division!? 

Either way, I'm expecting to actually enjoy this Divas match. Layla and Beth are both solid in the ring (especially Beth) and have the ability to finally give a good Divas match at a pay-per-view. I don't see the simulated outcome happening, but either way I think we're going to see the start of a decent feud in a very weak division. 

The real question, though, is something this simulation can't properly...simulate. Will Kharma show up? We'll just have to wait and see. 

WWE Tag Team Championship: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. ZigSwag

This simulation was about as exciting as a video game simulation can get. Ziggler and Kofi started off in the ring with Ziggler on the offensive early. Kofi and Ziggler both tagged in their teammates, which led to Swagger dominating R-Truth with high-impact slams. Truth was able to counter a few moves and had time to tag in Kofi, and Swagger also tagged in Ziggler. Kofi and Ziggler went back and forth, both teams getting frequent tags and lots of double team moves. Kofi all of a sudden hit a Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler, who kicked out at two. Ziggler was able to tag in Swagger, which led again to a lot of back-and-forth frequent tags, neither team really able to build momentum or get the upper hand. Ziggler finally was able to string a few moves together, building to a ZigZag. Somehow Kofi was able to kick out at two and hit his signature SOS maneuver to retain the belts for his team. 

Can we expect a match this exciting on Sunday? I say yes. It appears that the WWE is finally ready to revive the tag team division, pitting two teams of great Superstars against each other at a pay-per-view. So, will the tag team titles be revived? Yes. Will Kofi and Truth keep the belts? Yes. Will it be an awesome match? DUH. 

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus vs. Orton vs. Jericho vs. Del Rio

Another solid simulation to watch. Interestingly enough, Sheamus and Orton were trading blows for most of the match, while Del Rio and Jericho duked it out. All of the Superstars hit their finisher at one point, hitting anything that moves. Bodies were flying until it finally reached a boiling point. Del Rio had found himself dealing with Sheamus, while Jericho was taking on Orton. Jericho sneaked a roll-up pin on Orton at almost the same time that Del Rio hit a German suplex with a bridge into a pin. The ref started the count for Jericho first, who got the W and the World Heavyweight Championship. 

Phew! This simulation was more exciting than any match I can remember from recent Raw SuperShows. While this match will definitely be amazing come Sunday, will the outcome be the same? I submit that it will not. I can't see Jericho getting the title with all the rumors flying around about his leaving. I also can't see Del Rio getting the belt because he's failed to get over in any way his previous title runs. I fully expect to see Orton or Sheamus walk away with the belt, and for the two to start a feud after OTL. We'll have to wait and see.  

WWE Championship: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan

This simulation, like we can expect from the match on Sunday, was back and forth throughout. These Superstars looked like they scouted well, countering a lot of maneuvers and using their educated feet to pummel their opponent with kick after kick. After a long period of back and forth, Punk was able to get the upper hand and hit his springboard attack from the apron. Bryan immediately got his "comeback" sequence and hit his five moves of death leading up to the Yes! Lock. Punk was able to scramble to the ropes and immediately hit the GTS when Bryan stood up. Bryan wouldn't go to sleep, however, kicking out at two. Bryan started building momentum, hitting a superplex from the top rope. With Punk lying on the mat, Bryan went for a springboard attack from the corner, finding nothing but the mat, which Punk capitalized on to get the victory and keep the WWE Championship.  

While the ending might have been anti-climactic, the simulation was solid. It went exactly how I think we'll see it on Sunday, sans the ending. Punk and Bryan have a very long history with each other and will put on a great show on Sunday, most likely a candidate for match of the year. These are two of the best in the business, and while I don't see any reason for Bryan to win the match as per storyline, who knows what to expect from the WWE these days?

John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

An interesting simulation, to say the least. Cena starts out with an unrelenting assault, looking very similar to what Brock Lesnar did to him at Extreme Rules a few weeks ago. Within minutes, Cena had Big Johnny reeling with severe damage to his head and back. The GM didn't hit his first move on Cena until over three minutes into the match. The momentum didn't last long as Cena continued to dominate the monotone manager. Cena targeted the arms and head throughout the match. Laurinaitis was finally able to build a tiny bit of momentum with a few well-placed right hooks on the jaw of Cena, but to no avail. Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment for the easy win. I'm not sure that Cena even broke a virtual sweat. 

This is a tough match to go by a simulation prediction. The "lose and you're fired" stipulation for Laurinaitis, and the added stipulation of termination for any Superstar or Diva who interferes, will have the chance to add a lot of hijinks. Will the already-fired Big Show come back to help the GM and try to get his job back? Will Brock Lesnar, who technically "quit," show up to beat the snot out of Cena again? Whatever happens, I can't imagine seeing Johnny Ace lose. The WWE is becoming invested in him, giving him a storyline with Cena, and he also gets some of the biggest pops from the crowd. To me, the question isn't who will win. The question is: will Johnny Ace ride a skateboard to the ring? 

What Do You Think?

So what do you think? Were the predicted outcomes correct? Which matches do you think were right or wrong and why? Will we see Kharma, Big Show or Brock Lesnar on Sunday? 

Heck, feel free to run the simulations on your copy of WWE '12 and let me know what happened! Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the simulation!