WWE Capitol Punishment: Batista's Return and 9 Other Things the WWE Should Book

Another pay-per-view is fast approaching on the WWE calendar and for the first time, WWE fans will have the chance to order "Capitol Punishment."

This will take place in the nation's capital and there is a presidential theme as evidenced by the excessive use of Barack Obama in the pay-per-view promotion campaign.

So far, R-Truth is set to face John Cena for the WWE title, Christian will get one more shot at Randy Orton's World Heavyweight Championship and Wade Barrett will defend his Intercontinental title against Ezekiel Jackson.

Traditionally WWE fans do not expect too much from these "minor" pay-per-views such as "Capitol Punishment" or "Over the Limit," but they have the potential to pleasantly surprise us.

Instead of the usual predictions, I have decided to put forward 10 booking decisions that would make WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 memorable.

They have to be within reason in terms of the roster that the WWE currently has at its disposal. 

Beth Phoenix to Win the Divas Championship

The impact made by Kharma shows that the WWE Diva's division still has potential if booked correctly.

The Bella Twins' act has become very boring, very quickly and they need to lose the title as soon as possible.

The perfect way to do this would be to book a Fatal Four way match between Brie, Nikki, Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix.

Kelly and Beth would appear to be on the same page going into the match but during the bout, the "Glamazon" would show her true colors by destroying Kelly and turning heel.

A brutal beat-down after the match on the modern-day Trish Stratus would cement her status as a monster of the division again.

She can fill Kharma's shoes until the behemoth returns from her high-risk pregnancy and it could even lead to a dream match at WrestleMania.

Beth Phoenix is the perfect woman to carry the division, as she is one of the few Divas that can actually wrestle.

She could put on good matches with Kelly, Natalya and Melina and restore some credibility to the belt.

She could also throw the Divas title away and call for the Women's Championship to be reinstated, as it has so much more history. 

Alberto Del Rio Scores a Clean Victory over the Big Show

Alberto Del Rio's feud with the Big Show has not really developed since the "World's Largest Athlete" was run down by one of Del Rio's luxury cars.

The giant has not appeared on television since and Del Rio rubbed salt into the wounds by mocking the Big Show with Ricardo Rodriguez's help.

It is unclear whether Big Show will be at "Capitol Punishment" but if not, it will mean that this is the second consecutive PPV where Del Rio does not have a match.

The Mexican should come to the ring and run his mouth as usual, not expecting "Show" to be there.

Big Show could come out to thunderous applause and race down to the ring to start the match.

However, due to the continued delay of Del Rio's "destiny," it is vital that he picks up a clean victory over the Big Show to keep his legitimacy as a main event threat.

The giant has been a stumbling block in the pushes of many young wrestlers as it is all too easy for the creative department to book Big Show as an unstoppable monster.

He single-handedly destroyed the Straight Edge Society and he stopped the momentum of Jack Swagger when he was World Champion.

But Del Rio actually has a finishing move that he could lock on Big Show and he needs the "World's Largest Athlete" to put him over before he suffers from "Sheamus syndrome."

The Nexus Defend Their Titles in a Tag Team Turmoil Match

Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga have yet to defend their tag team titles and this should be an opportunity to showcase some of the younger talent.

The Usos, The Major Broskis, Santino and Kozlov and the new face team of Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater could all be involved.

It would be a good way to give under-used talent such as Ryder, Hawkins and the two Uso twins an opportunity to shine on pay-per-view.

They could even debut some teams from FCW such as the two luchadors, Epico and Hunico, or the team of Richie Steamboat and Seth Rollins.

The Uso twins should win this match as they proved on Smackdown that they could be convincing babyface champions that the crowd could get behind.

They could put on good matches with any team in the division and start to make tag team wrestling mean something again. 

Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger

Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger have been taking part in a mini-feud on Raw that has comprised of two matches.

Swagger won one and Bourne the other, so a "rubber match" should be in the works.

It would be a much-deserved payday for these two talented athletes, who have fantastic in-ring chemistry and who could work an above-average wrestling match.

It has been so long since either Swagger or Bourne had an important role to play on PPV, and this could be the chance to re-establish Swagger as a World title contender, elevating Bourne in the process.

Daniel Bryan vs Sin Cara vs Cody Rhodes vs Ted DiBiase for No.1 Contendership

Daniel Bryan's feud with Cody Rhodes has now encompassed Sin Cara and Ted DiBiase and instead of booking a predictable tag team match, there is a much more creative way to end the feud.

A Fatal Four Way match between these young up and comers with the winner becoming the No. 1 Contender to Orton's World Title.

It would show the world that the WWE consider all of these men potential title contenders and it would set up the inevitable feud between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

This angle could write itself based on the history between the two men and the dark and haunted character that Rhodes has carved for himself.

Not only could it produce a gripping storyline but the matches between the two would provide further proof that "wrestling matters" in the WWE.

Jinder Mahal Makes a Winning Start to His WWE PPV Career

Jinder Mahal has made an explosive start to his WWE career with two comfortable wins over Yoshi Tatsu and Trent Barreta.

A push for Mahal would make the company more marketable in India, which would appeal to Vince McMahon.

The Great Khali's new associate has all the makings of a star and is riding a wave of momentum at the moment.

This needs to continue at "Capitol Punishment" with a win over a more formidable opponent than Barreta or Tatsu.

It is clear that the WWE want to make Mahal a main event star on Smackdown, and he needs a big victory to cement his reputation.

The perfect opponent would be Kane, who does not yet have a match booked, as not many wrestlers are able to score a clean victory over the "Big Red Machine."

The match would not be a five-star classic but it would further the Jinder Mahal storyline and establish him as a potential threat to Orton's World Title somewhere down the line. 

The Miz vs. Alex Riley in a Loser Leaves Raw Match

The Miz is in danger of being phased out on Raw and therefore needs a change of scene.

Smackdown should be the place for him to rekindle the flames and start to make a difference again.

Therefore, his match with Alex Riley should have the added stipulation that the loser has to leave Raw for good.

Riley's transition from heel to face has been made much smoother due to the fact that he is technically feuding with the two most over heels in the company in Michael Cole and the Miz.

When Riley eventually moves on, the fans need to remember his achievements and continue to support him in the way they have been doing.

If Riley banishes the Miz from Raw, the crowd will never forget it and his popularity would only increase.

This is the best scenario for all parties, as Smackdown needs heels that are over with the crowd as opposed to Mark Henry and Ted DiBiase.

There would be many options for both Riley and Miz on their respective shows after this match, and it would be just another step on Riley's long road to legitimate babyface WWE Champion. 

Christian Puts in a Strong Losing Effort

Christian has continually demanded another match against Orton claiming that he can beat the "Viper."

Now that "Captain Charisma" has turned heel, it would not make sense for him to fulfill his promise by beating Orton to regain the title.

In my opinion, Orton has to win again to finalize Christian's heel turn and then Christian can disappear from the main event scene for a few weeks before cashing in Money in the Bank to win back the title.

I think that Christian will be the likely winner of the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match, and this would be the perfect way for a heel Christian to start his second World title reign, which will hopefully last much longer than the first.

But Christian has to look strong in this match coming up just short; these two men will have to pull out all the stops to ensure that this third match surpasses the two previous bouts.

The Y2J Countdown Begins

After Orton's match with Christian, it would be interesting to start a Y2J countdown signaling Jericho's eventual return to Smackdown.

Jericho was punted off television by Orton in late 2010 and there is a built-in storyline between the two.

I think it would be a mistake to write in Batista's return so close to Jericho's as it could minimize the impact of the two moments.

The countdown could last for months until Jericho finally returns to challenge the "Viper."

This would have the potential to turn Orton heel as Y2J is sure to produce a monumental reaction on his return to action from the thousands of screaming "Jerichoholics."

If Orton drops the title before Jericho's return, then Smackdown could finally have a non-World Title feud that people are interested in.

This is one of the problems with the show, as the lack of depth to the roster means that every feud where the World Heavyweight Championship does not feature feels like a mid-card rivalry.

Randy Orton and Chris Jericho are two established main-eventers who could headline PPV's and sell tickets.

I have always felt that Orton is at his best as a sadistic heel and this feud could bring out the best in the WWE's "Apex Predator."

Why not sow the seeds at "Capitol Punishment"?

Batista Returns After Cena Defeats R-Truth to Retain the Title

As much as it irks me that Cena is the WWE Champion again and as entertaining as R-Truth's new heel character has been, I do not see the former rapper winning the "Big One."

The likelihood is that Cena will score yet another victory and he is then rumored to face either CM Punk or Alberto Del Rio.

But there have been rumors about Batista's return for weeks, and this would be the perfect window of opportunity for the "Animal" to make his comeback.

I predicted Batista to return at "Over the Limit" but a shock appearance at "Capitol Punishment" would make more sense, as it is set to take place in his hometown.

Batista has a score to settle with Cena, as the "Champ" kayfabe ended his career a little over a year previously.

However I do not see another feud between Batista and Cena, as it would be difficult to find roles for Punk and Del Rio in the coming months.

It would be more useful for Batista to return and beat down Cena which could then lead to a match on Raw, before the "Animal" returns to his "home" on Smackdown.

The "Blue Brand" is desperately short of talent and the dynamic between Orton and Batista with the "Evolution" connection could make for an interesting feud.