WWE SummerSlam: Who Should Compete for the 6 Championships?

After a Monday Night Raw that was as praiseworthy as it was unpredictable, the landscape for SummerSlam has changed drastically, especially as far as the title picture is concerned.

Without waiting to hear SmackDown spoilers to see if any of this has been decided already, I'd like to make my suggestions for how all six WWE titles should be defended at SummerSlam 2012.

WWE Championship: CM Punk vs. The Rock

At first, I thought that WWE was making a mistake by having John Cena cash in his briefcase just one week after winning it. But I think the way they ended the match on Monday played out very well and leaves the doors wide open for all sorts of options.

First, you have to believe that one of two things will happen:

•  a rematch will be scheduled between Punk and Cena; or
•  Cena will be allowed to cash in the briefcase again whenever he chooses, as if he never cashed it in to begin with.

I would go with option "b" so that Cena gets the same ability to use the briefcase as everyone else does, holding it and always making us wonder when he'll cash it in. He'll be the first grappler to give us two "cash-in" moments with one briefcase.

Plus, that leaves CM Punk free to face The Rock at SummerSlam (just imagine how many lines they would come up with, calling it a true "punk-rock SummerSlam") while Cena takes care of The Big Show one last time (hell, give Cena and Show a match at SummerSlam with the briefcase on the line).

CM Punk, heel-turn in full force, wins his match with The Rock in a questionable way. Still in possession of the briefcase, Cena continues to threaten Punk with the briefcase for another month or two before letting Punk know that they'll face off at Survivor Series in some sort of match that guarantees no interference (Hell in a Cell, perhaps).

Cena wins the title at Survivor Series, setting up a WrestleMania rematch with The Rock at the Royal Rumble. That would look good for the major PPVs leading up to WrestleMania: Punk/Rock at SummerSlam, Cena/Punk at Survivor Series, Rock/Cena at Royal Rumble.

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Christian

I'm sorry to be a Negative Nancy, but I'm bored with Sheamus being World Heavyweight Champion. As far as I can tell, his reign hasn't given him the boost that I assume WWE hoped for, being as mildly over as he was before WrestleMania 28.

But if ADR is out of the picture, what heel will take his place? Ziggler has to work his program with Jericho, while ADR will be working with Rey Mysterio.

We know that Daniel Bryan and Sheamus can work a great match together, but they've already had several matches in the past. Still, Bryan needs something new to do now that Punk is fully involved with other wrestlers and AJ has been named a permanent fixture to Raw, at least for now.

Christian is someone that a lot of people want to see in the main event, but I don't think Sheamus and Christian have enough of a draw to make a face/face between them worthy of a SummerSlam match.

However, combine Sheamus, Christian, and Daniel Bryan, and you have three solid-working, believable main eventers in one match for the World Heavyweight Championship while some of the other storylines sort out and settle down.

IC Championship: The Miz vs. Sin Cara vs. Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd

I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised when The Miz cleanly defeated Christian for the Intercontinental Championship. So many of us have been waiting... and waiting... and waiting for The Miz to get another push, and it looks like it's finally happening.

Sure, since he peaked at WrestleMania 28, a lot of his peers have surpassed him as he slowly crumbled: Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus. It could even be argued that Santino Marella is higher on the pecking order than The Miz.

But it looks like things are about to change.

The Miz is over, and he'll get to work with some really big names as he holds onto the IC strap, but let's give him a solid (yet reasonably impressive) victory at SummerSlam.

Sin Cara, Santow, and Kidd were all involved in the MITB matches at the last pay-per-view, and all three of them have received decent pushes over the last month or so.

Sin Cara and Kidd would manage to pull off a few sweet spots, and working with smaller guys like this gives Sandow and The Miz the chance to pull off some sick power moves they wouldn't normally be able to do.

With a match like this, the fans remain entertained, three guys get IC Title rubs, only one person takes a pinfall, and The Miz's reign as Intercontinental Champion gets a solid PPV victory from the get-go.

United States Championship: Santino Marella vs. Tensai

Santino Marella doesn't deserve the United States Championship. At least not in his current incarnation.

If you want a cartoon character holding a title, then make a title as lowly as the character. Don't give him a legitimate title like the US Championship. Bring back the Hardcore Championship, or more appropriately, introduce a TV Title.

Hell, make Ryder's Internet Championship a real belt that is only defended in matches you have to watch online. I wouldn't mind seeing Santino wearing a belt like that.

Put him in the ring with a monster like Tensai, and let Tensai be the monster we all know he can be. Let him absolutely destroy Santino, and give him a push in the mid-card with a belt like Ryback has in the lower card.

If he still isn't over, then send him back to Japan. Otherwise, he's going to be just another mid-carder.

WWE Tag Team Championship: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. New Age Outlaws

As my friend and I watched the 1000th episode of Raw, we were surprised to realize how many phenomenal former tag teams were on board: The Rock 'n' Sock Connection, the Brothers of Destruction, the New Age Outlaws, and the APA.

Can you imagine what it would do to the division if those teams all decided to start competing again, even if they've aged a bit since they last held gold?

What about a reverse Nexus invasion? A bunch of old tag teams return, complaining about how weak the division has become, saying they could steal the tag belts even a decade after they won them last.

Suddenly, teams like the Kofi & R-Truth, the Prime Time Players, Epico and Primo, and the Usos have a real reason to step it up. Suddenly, a bunch of wrestlers no one cared about have a storyline that matters.

And can you imagine the ratings for the first few weeks if four Attitude Era teams returns to try to take over?

Sure, it's a long shot. A very, very long shot. But it's not like Road Dogg and Billy Gunn have anything better to do.

WWE Divas Championship: Layla vs. Natalya

Let's be honest for a minute: no matter what they do with the Divas division, aren't we all just waiting for the return of Kharma?

I'm incredibly disappointed with the treatment Beth Phoenix has received as of late. No one should get a clean victory over her, unless it's Kharma, Natalya, or a surprise return by Chyna. Or maybe Lita.

But Layla? It's too sad to be laughable. It's pathetic.

Natalya deserves a title reign infinitely more than Layla. Layla was good as an ECW dancer. She's not good as a Divas Champion.

Neidhart should take the title from Layla while Phoenix slowly begins to build herself back up again. And then, when Phoenix earns a shot at Natalya, Kharma makes her return to destroy them both.

And once again, the WWE's Divas division is respectable.