Although Capitol Punishment doesn’t seem any better than Over The Limit, which was a substandard show at best, there are a couple of landscape-shifts that could happen at the show that’ll determine WWE’s direction on the road to Summerslam. It’ll also determine who will compete for the coveted briefcase at Money In The Bank. Check out predictions for the show after the jump, and leave your comments after the post to let everyone know what YOU think is going to happen at Capitol Punishment. 

Wade Barrett vs Ezekiel Jackson (Intercontinental Championship)

While it would seem that Barrett will once again get the upper hand in this match, a bit of a background check will make you see why this looks like the perfect place for the former leader of The Corre to drop the title to Ezekiel. This isn’t so much a push for Ezekiel as it is a character-shift for Wade Barrett. Now that The Corre has disbanded, I won’t be surprised to see Barrett show up on Raw to reclaim Nexus from CM Punk next week to “celebrate” the anniversary of Nexus’ debut last year. Or, he could go on to create his third stable. In the end, I think Jackson will walk out champion but Wade Barrett is the one who will benefit from this the most.

Chances Of Winning :

Wade Barrett : 30%

Ezekiel Jackson : 70%

Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler (United States Championship)

Lets face it, Kofi Kingston has been floating on the roster for some time, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to get a push soon. He’s a tremendous athlete, but his talents in the ring aren’t helping him to be a noteworthy champion. Giving Dolph Ziggler the championship will give the belt a bigger spotlight, and as proven on SmackDown! not too long ago, Dolph and Vickie can own a segment pretty well when given the chance. They’re good on the mic, Ziggler is great in the ring, and all he needs is a belt to keep the spotlight fixated on him on Raw. I say Ziggler’s a Zig Zag away from bagging this one!

Chances Of Winning :

Kofi Kingston : 20%

Dolph Ziggler : 80%

The Miz vs Alex Riley

Alex Riley took me by complete surprise a few weeks ago when he clocked The Miz in the face. It was an instant face turn, and the following week Riley came out to a massive pop from the crowd. He’s on a roll, and he knows how to kick some ass in the ring. That being said, Miz will find a way to weasel a victory out of this. These two are going to have a long-winding feud until they find different opponents, and that isn’t such a bad thing. It’ll give Riley better leverage as a babyface and give Miz a “personal” reason to continue focusing on this rivalry. My bets are that Riley will serve an ass-whoopin’ in this bout but end up succumbing to some devious plan by The Miz.

Chances Of Winning :

The Miz : 85%

Alex Riley : 15%

CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio

A match between these two is always a beauty to behold. There’s so much chemistry and history between Rey and Punk that it seeps into the match, making it better every time. I’d like to think that Rey will win this bout, but something tells me it’ll end in a beatdown, a DQ, or a draw. I see Mysterio walking out with a win, but with Nexus around you can never be sure.

Chances Of Winning : * this match could end in a DQ, a draw, or in an interference.

CM Punk : 45%

Rey Mysterio : 55%

Big Show vs Alberto Del Rio

There’s a potentially long feud ahead for these two, so I’m going to say that Del Rio will find a way to grab a victory from this battle. Either Ricardo will find a way to intervene or Del Rio will find a way to escape, walk out, or just get himself DQ’d. Although Big Show’s in a foul enough mood to win, he’s probably going to end up in a worse mood after the show. Expect to see Kane make his presence felt here as well.

Chances Of Winning :

Big Show : 35%

Alberto Del Rio : 65%

Randy Orton vs Christian (World  Heavyweight Championship)

This is probably the match that I’m looking forward to the most at Capitol Punishment. It’s extremely hard to predict. Instinct tells me that Christian will bag the championship by using Orton’s concussion to his advantage. It’s either that OR Orton battling through his injuries and coming out with a win, proving once and for all that he is without a doubt better than Christian. I don’t see Sheamus coming in thanks to The Punt, but then again you just never know. If I’m right, we’re about to see a new World Heavyweight Champion. If Christian doesn’t bag it, he’ll probably get SmackDown!’s briefcase at Money In The Bank next month.

Chances Of Winning :

Randy Orton : 45%

Christian : 55%

John Cena vs R-Truth (WWE Championship)

Make no mistake about this one, John Cena will walk out of Capitol Punishment STILL the WWE Champion. R-Truth isn’t going to win the championship. He will, however, most probably grab Raw’s briefcase at Money In The Bank. R-Truth is on a massive push and will stick around the main-event league for a year at least, but he’s not winning the WWE Championship anytime soon. Morrison could make an appearance here, but I’m guessing he won’t since Cena can take care of Truth himself.

Chances Of Winning :

John Cena : 95%

R-Truth : 5%

So there you have it. If I’m correct, these wins and losses could shift WWE’s landscape quite drastically. Leave comments below and speak your mind, I’m always open to different opinions!

PPV Predictions is a column that runs a few days before WWE’s monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) PPVs. The predictions here are based off personal opinions and are not in any way spoilers. Check out the next PPV Predictions when the next WWE PPV comes around.