WWE Money in the Bank: Alberto Del Rio Must Dethrone Sheamus as World Champion

At Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Alberto del Rio will challenge Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. The "Mexican Aristocrat" is poised to dethrone the champion and must be sure to do so.

Del Rio has adopted a similar hard-hitting, no-nonsense attitude that brought him within seconds of defeating Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in the opening bout of WrestleMania 27. It was also that demeanor that allowed him to decimate Rey Mysterio and Christian en route to that WrestleMania title match.

At last year's SummerSlam PPV, del Rio won the WWE Championship by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on then-champion CM Punk. Del Rio's reign was forgettable at best. He had become a cookie-cutter, cowardly heel and failed to make an impact as champion.

This time around, del Rio is letting his actions speak for him. He has dominated his competition. He even sent a very strong, physical message to Sheamus on this past week's live Super Smackdown.

The WWE needs to capitalize on del Rio’s mean streak. Del Rio’s inability to capture the World Heavyweight Championship in the Spring of 2011 crushed all the momentum he had quickly built up since his debut. Now that he has returned to his old ways, it is imperative that he defeats Sheamus for the title and continues on his destructive warpath.  

As World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus has dominated every contender that stepped between the ropes. On Sunday, del Rio will prove to be Sheamus' toughest challenge yet.

Now that Alberto del Rio has reverted to the demeanor that skyrocketed into his first world title shot, it is time for him to dethrone the dominant "Celtic Warrior."

Michael Prunka is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist. To stay up to date with his WWE and NHL commentary, you can like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter.