WWE Money in the Bank Coundown: Breaking Down the Build-Up (Part 1 of 8)

The countdown begins now. In four weeks, WWE's second annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view will air, and that means we have eight shows remaining to build up feuds and to develop the angles for each match.

I'm taking on the job of looking at each show and seeing how things are coming along, starting with June 20th's Monday Night Raw. First, let's recap the matches of Capitol Punishment:

1. Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler
2. The Miz vs. Alex Riley
3. Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show
4. Wade Barrett vs. Ezekiel Jackson
5. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
6. Randy Orton vs. Christian
7. Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne
8. John Cena vs. R-Truth

Now let's see where we're going from here.

Kofi Kingson vs. Dolph Ziggler

The two of them had their rematch, which Kofi won by DQ when Ziggler clocked him with a microphone. Because it was a disqualification, however, Ziggler kept the title.

My take: This feud is over. Kofi will go into the Money in the Bank ladder match from here, while Ziggler will make a run as a mini-Miz champion, probably weaseling his way through a defense or two before dropping it to whoever wants the next push.

Not that I'm disappointed about that. Kofi will certainly be usual exciting self come the ladder match, and holding the belt gives Ziggler a spotlight that will certainly rejuvenate the character they nearly castrated when they chopped off his hair and made him silent.

The Miz vs. Alex Riley

These two went at it in a six-man tag-team match, during which the Miz hit Riley with a Skull-Crushing finale and allowing Christian to eliminate him.

My take: This feud still has some fire in it, but I don't expect it to get much hotter than it did at Capitol Punishment. There may be a rematch at MITB, but right now I actually see the two of them getting spots in the MITB ladder match.

If not that, then let them jockey for one of the positions. It would allow them to go at it, and maybe the Miz could cost Riley his spot, leaving for interference during the match. Either way, these two will probably still be going at it come this time next month.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show

Del Rio fought in a No.1 Contender's match and lost to CM Punk while Big Show was nowhere to be found.

My take: Please tell me this feud is over. I am a little worried that Del Rio might feud with Rey Mysterio yet again, but I think these two should do the same that I have planned for the Miz and Riley. Let them in the MITB ladder match, or let them jockey for the spot. Rey can't jump around like he used to, but I think he's still got it in him. And Del Rio is my pick to win the briefcase. He did win the Royal Rumble though, so will he win two big title match opportunities like that?

As for the Big Show, I figure he'll begin a feud with Mark Henry, who came out at Capitol Punishment and put him through the announce table and came out on Monday cutting a good promo. On paper, it sounds like a good feud, but we'll see how the next week progresses. We should hear more about this come Friday.

Wade Barrett vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Neither of these two men appeared on Monday Night Raw.

My take: I figure this feud is dead too. Barrett will begin preparing for the MITB ladder match while Jackson should start a decent run with the Intercontinental Title. He can use it to get a big push, and I think he'll hold on for at least a couple solid title defenses. My guess is we'll get a rematch on Friday, and Jackson should retain.

CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio

These men competed in a No. 1 Contender's match, which CM Punk won.

My take: As I said before, Ray will probably head into the MITB ladder match while CM Punk has a HUGE WWE Championship match against John Cena. The biggest question out of this is what will happen to CM Punk come midnight on July 17th? Will he really be gone, and will he take the belt with him?

There's much speculation on what might happen, from Punk leaving with the belt to him staying after he wins. My thought? CM Punk wins the belt, then loses it when the MITB winner (Alberto Del Rio) cashes it in.

It's safe to give Punk the win, and then Del Rio has the belt for Summerslam, where many seem convinced that the two will go at it. I guess we'll see more on this next week, or at least on Punk's Twitter.

Randy Orton vs. Christian

These men competed in a six-man tag-team match, where Christian eliminated Orton near the end before being put away by a RKO and a STF.

My take: This feud will and should continue. The controversial ending to their match at Capitol Punishment and the ending to their match on Monday should do nothing but add fuel to the fire.

But Teddy Long should not grant a rematch.

This would allow Sheamus to feud with Orton for a while, and let Christian take part in the MITB ladder match and win the briefcase. Now we just wait in suspense for Christian to cash it in and run off with the title that he feels is rightfully his.

Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne

Jack Swagger had a chance at a match with him on Monday, but the people chose Sin Cara, and we got Mason Ryan. Ryan then put Bourne away with relative ease.

My take: I don't see these two really going at it anymore, though I do see them competing in the MITB ladder match. These two really had a chance to promote and emphasize the ladder match being that Swagger had already won it and Bourne was made for these matches, but alas it doesn't seem so. I figure it's a huge missed opportunity, but look for these two making a run for the briefcase.

John Cena vs. R-Truth

These men competed in a six-man tag-match that Cena won for the good guys after taking out Christian. R-Truth was eliminated by Orton.

My take: This feud might go on, but it will be greatly overshadowed by CM Punk's match and departure. R-Truth will likely go on to feud with John Morrison, or someone else if he's not ready yet. If that's the case, I would hope to expect an R-Truth victory. He needs to look like a credible threat when he starts with Morrison.

As for Cena, I see him losing the title to Punk, then needing to get it back from Del Rio at SummerSlam.

Miscellaneous: Kelly Kelly won the Diva's Championship from Brie, meaning we could see a rematch soon on Raw or at Money in the Bank. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it next week as a Roulette match, but chances are it could be a PPV match.

Daniel Bryan also had a match against Cody Rhodes, making me believe that they want to continue their mini-feud and possibly make something of it come MITB, which I would not be against. As I said in my last article, the two of them (along with Sin Cara and Ted DiBiase) are capable of giving us a sleeper hit-match.

Final Thoughts: I'm a little surprised that so little was said about Money in the Bank on Monday's show, and even more surprised that Night of Champions was already being advertised for. Why don't we stick to the matters at hand, WWE? And why did you give Evan Bourne that incredible video package only for him to lose to Mason Ryan? And why are we doing Raw Roulette next week? Sigh... oh well, that's all for Monday Night Raw. We did a little to develop the matches, but not anything to interest me in the meat of the PPV. I am excited about Cena vs. Punk, so we'll see where that goes in the coming weeks.

T-Minus seven and counting.