Rich Twilling and Chris Shore meet up at the water cooler to discuss the major happenings in professional wrestling.

Today’s Topic: The Great American Bash

Rich: At the office on a Sunday? Anyway, today is the Great American Bash. I think this could be a very good to great PPV, however, it is not one of the “big” shows. There are a lot of intriguing matches, starting with C.M. Punk vs. Batista. I think Punk retains here and I am guessing Kane will have something to do with it.

Chris: Yeah, we work for a slave driver. At any rate, I think Punk retains too. I’m not sure Kane is involved. Or rather, I hope Kane isn’t involved. His storyline is neat to watch, but Punk needs to win clean to establish himself as a legit champion. He can’t continue to win by flukes and distractions and have any credibility.

Rich: I agree about Punk but when was the last time Batista lost clean? Moving on, I know the argument, “The money is in the chase” will lead people to believe that Edge will defeat Triple H for the WWE Championship. However, I see Triple H retaining and Edge moving on. I bet Vickie Guerrero brings back The Undertaker to punish Edge. Those two can feud and down the road, Triple H and Edge can have an extended program.

Chris: Makes you wonder if Taker returns tonight. I just hope Hunter wins clean. I don’t want to see Vickie get involved in the match—afterward would be fine, but not while it’s going on. I think Hunter retains as well. On the ECW front, Mark Henry should retain against Tommy Dreamer as it makes no sense for Henry to drop or for Dreamer to win. Why is Tommy Dreamer still around? He was the heart of ECW but now he’s the whipping boy. Enough is enough.

Twill’s Two Cents: Dreamer is the only guy I can think of that remains credible despite the fact that there is no reason he should be. I realize the ECW Title is not very important, but in the eyes of most fans, Dreamer is not out of place challenging for the title. However, he is in on the card, which is more than I say for Jeff Hardy, MVP, Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, and Kofi Kingston.

Chris: True that. I can’t believe the U.S. Title is on the line and the Intercontinental Title is not. It boggles the mind considering the history of that belt in WWE. The one match that can and should bump a championship match at a PPV is the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho match. This match could be an instant classic, but I wonder if the hype has set the bar too high.

Rich: I hope they let them go for at least twenty minutes and preferably more. I hope Jericho goes over clean, similar to the way Jeff Hardy beat Michaels on Raw a few months back. I do not think the hype will affect this match negatively. These two can straight up go and I see no reason why they will disappoint anyone tonight, unless they are given eight minutes to work with or something like that.

Chris: They have to give them 20 minutes. Anything less is negligence on a grand level. Of course, leaving the aforementioned guys off the PPV is also pretty negligent as well. This match should steal the show, even with Hunter and Edge going at it. I see Jericho winning, but with Cade helping. This will help push the heel stable that was rumored and appears to be forming around Jericho. It also allows us to revisit this match later, which would be very cool.

Rich: With JBL’s attempted murder on John Cena, I doubt negligence is a concern! Jericho will probably win with Cade’s help, but I really want him to win clean. He can win with Cade’s help down the road, but he needs a definitive win against Michaels. The more I look at the card, the more loaded it seems. I see Cena defeating JBL, although JBL has never beaten Cena. I think Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins will win the tag team titles, Matt Hardy and Mark Henry will retain, and Michelle McCool will become the first Diva’s Champion.

Chris: Loaded doesn’t even begin to describe this card. I like Ryder and Hawkins too as a payoff for all the crap they have had to do, though I would rather see Jesse and Festus win the titles. I also like Natalya winning the belt and the feud continuing. Cena has to win after almost getting “killed” by JBL. What a stupid angle.

Rich: I predict Michelle to win because I feel the belt was created with her in mind. Remember all of those “All American Girl” videos? Also, Natalya is not dating The Undertaker. Hawkins and Ryder should feel happy to do the things they have done. They are working an extended program with Edge, so that in itself is about a hundred steps up from the Major Brothers.

Chris: True about Hawkins and Ryder, but when the announce team talks about not being able to tell them apart without their name’s on their trunks, it’s pretty bad. They need the run to establish themselves outside of Edge. Much like I didn’t think much of Batista when he was in Evolution, I don’t think much of these guys now. McCool can date whoever she wants, but she should earn the belt. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s great, but if the title was created for her, you move her to Raw to challenge for the “real” belt. Natalya has this one set. I guess we’ll know for sure in a few hours.

Rich: I think Natalya should win; I just don’t think she will win. Michelle is athletic, but very awkward to me, even in the way she pumps her fist to the crowd during her ring entrance. I like how the announcers are making off the cuff comments. Hawkins and Ryder should come up with something themselves. They look too much alike. However, if it was not for Edge, they would be in midcard purgatory. I have to run; enjoy the show!

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