When World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was bought out by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2001, it left all the talent left on the roster at the whim of Vince McMahon, which was quite the problem for a great deal of the roster. Many of the folks working for WCW at that point were only doing so because they weren't on good enough terms with McMahon to go to the WWF.

And that included Jeff Jarrett.

"Double J" had parted ways with the WWF on less than amicable terms in 1999 before becoming a leading man in WCW. He couldn't draw flies to shit, though, assisted in the company's ultimate demise. With no major stateside promotion to turn to, Jarrett and his father simply decided to create one of their own.

As the story goes, the two were out fishing and cooked up a business plan that included teaming up with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and running weekly pay-per-view (PPV) shows in lieu of a television deal, a model the company would use until it struck its first TV contract in 2004.

And so it was on this date in history (June 19, 2002) that Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling was born, running its first PPV event from the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The main event for the show was a 20-man over the top rope battle royal entitled "Gauntlet for the Gold" that had special rules. It was set up exactly like a Royal Rumble but with 10 less men and once they were down to two, a referee would come out and a singles match would begin with the NWA heavyweight championship on the line.

As it turned out, the two men remaining were Ken Shamrock and Malice. After just over six minutes, Shamrock hit a belly-to-belly suplex and got the pin.

After the jump, get complete results from TNA's first show ever and watch video of the entire "Gauntlet for the Gold" match, which featured a cameo from country music star Toby Keith, who hit a straight suplex on Jarrett that actually looked awesome and got a big pop from the crowd.

Jimmy Yang & Jorge Estrada & Sonny Siaki def. AJ Styles & Jerry Lynn & Low Ki
Teo def. Hollywood
Richard Johnson & Rod Johnson def. James Storm & Psicosis
Bo Dupp & Stan Dupp def. Christian York & Joey Matthews
Ken Shamrock & Malice def. Apolo, Brian Christopher, Bruce, Buff Bagwell, Chris Harris, Del Rios, Devon Storm, Jeff Jarrett, K-Krush, Konnan, Lash LeRoux, Norman Smiley, Prince Justice, Rick Steiner, Scott Hall, Slash, Steve Corino, Vampire Warrior
Ken Shamrock def. Malice

Results via profightdb.com.

WWE Main Event comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 19, 2013) at 8 p.m. ET on ION Television from Dayton, Ohio. As per usual, this episode was taped on Tuesday prior to the SmackDown tapings.

Tonight's show features The Shield vs. The Usos & Justin Gabriel, Antonio Cesaro vs. Sin Cara, and Kaitlyn vs. Aksana.

Come back here at precisely 8:00 p.m. ET for complete results and the running live blog, which will start right below this line. Hanging out here is guaranteed to enhance your viewing experience.

_________________________

WWE MAIN EVENT RESULTS & LIVE BLOG FOR JUNE 19

Geno here. See you tonight, folks.

Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to actually watching the matches. In this daily column, we take a look at the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill.

Important reminder: Rumors are just that -- rumors. None of this has been confirmed as legitimate news or fact; so remember to take it all with a grain of salt.

Rumors for the Day:

• As we continue to digest all of the possible new storylines that come out of Monday night's (June 17) Raw, we can add another to the list. WWE has a strong belief that the Undertaker will work SummerSlam in August. In fact, during his match with Kane on Raw, US Champion Dean Ambrose attempted to break out Taker's signature "Old School" move. It will all come down to the Deadman's health and willingness, but it sounds like WWE is making preliminary plans for the Shield to take on the reunited Brothers of Destruction.
• Speaking of the Shield, they received high on-screen praise from none other than Vincent K. McMahon on Raw. Current rumors suggest that this may be planting the seeds for a Vince McMahon heel turn as dissension within the McMahon family (Vince, Stephanie, and Triple H) continues to build. If this ends up being the case, look for Vince to make the heel turn with Triple H as the face and Stephanie caught in between. (Side Thought: Isn't there another wrestling promotion out there doing a father-husband-wife authority figure angle? Hmmm...) Vince and Triple H are being advertised for every Raw through July 15, the night after Money in the Bank.
  
• After some confusion Monday night into Tuesday morning, reliable reports finally started coming out that Daniel Bryan's stinger injury was legitimate, and that Triple H, who was in the "gorilla position" for that match, finally called for it to be ended. Bryan and Triple H reportedly had a heated argument backstage following the match, surprising many in the back because Bryan is usually soft spoken. The two eventually apologized to eachother and all is believed to be well now.
• As noted yesterday, Dolph Ziggler was held off of Raw with an injury for storyline reasons only. (He did make an appearance at the end to beat down Alberto Del Rio.) The double turn between Ziggler and Del Rio is still on, and the belief backstage is that Ziggler should have an easy time transitioning into a face role with the fans. Technically, (or at least as "technical" as pro wrestling rules can be,) Ziggler is owed a rematch with Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, there has also been talk that Ziggler could win his second Money in the Bank ladder match at that pay per view and cash it in on Del Rio soon after.
• In TNA news, Hulk Hogan stated that he was unaware of Rob Van Dam signing a new part-time deal with WWE and that RVD leaving TNA was a "Dixie Carter/Bruce Prichard deal."

If you have heard of any interesting rumors that you'd like to add, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Please remember, these are merely rumors. Try not to take them too seriously, just have fun with them.

WWE SmackDown returns to SyFy this coming Friday night (June 21, 2013) from Dayton, Ohio, but the show was taped, as usual, on Tuesday night. That means full spoilers are readily available if you're the impatient type who doesn't want to wait a couple days for the payoff.

Unwrap that present early (via Wrestling Observer):

- Daniel Bryan opens the show with an interview taking the company to task for stopping his match with Randy Orton on Monday Night Raw, which is apparently a play on the fact that the match was legitimately stopped and he was legitimately pissed about it. We'll have more on that later. But it leads to Orton saying he was trying to be respectful by helping Bryan to the back but if they have a rematch, Bryan isn't leaving on his own power. The main event for the show was then set.

- That does mean Bryan vs. Dean Ambrose, the advertised main event, is in the shitter.

- Sheamus def. Cody Rhodes with a Texas Cloverleaf, so apparently the big white Irish bully is back to using submissions on lowly jobbers.

- Curtis Axel def. Wade Barrett to retain the Intercontinental championship, effectively pushing Barrett out of the picture. This was further cemented with The Miz challenging him for a match but Paul Heyman getting in the way and saying his clients don't fight for free.

- AJ def. Natalya with the Black Widow to help get bot her and her awesome finisher over. Simple and smart.

- Pre-tape of Aksana and Kaitlyn getting into it and Aksana catching a beat down for her troubles. This comes after the two had a match together on Main Event.

- Alberto Del Rio def. Chris Jericho via disqualification thanks to interference from Dolph Ziggler. After the match was called, Ziggler caught a Codebreaker from "Y2J" for making him lose and then got stomped out by Del Rio. They're really trying to make him a sympathetic figure now. We'll see if it works. It's certainly working for Bryan but let's not even put Dolph in the same sentence as the best in the world right now.

- Christian def. Drew McInytre and attempted to cut a promo but was interrupted after the match and triple powerbombed by The Shield.

- Renee Young interview attempt with Paul Heyman goes poorly.

- Daniel Bryan def. Randy Orton via count out but he's not satisfied with the victory, so he calls for a restart. His wish is not granted because the referee refuses him. They're starting to play this up like not only is Bryan the weak link in the eyes of everyone, even if that's not the case, but the system is out to get him. That adds a certain depth that is going to do wonders in making fans want to see him break through and win the title. Hopefully they go even further with this storyline and give it even more time to marinate so it can have maximum effect.

That's the show, Cagesiders. Your thoughts?

The second round of the Cageside Seats Greatest Finisher Tournament continues today with a match-up pitting number one seed the Stone Cold Stunner, as performed by Stone Cold Steve Austin, against number eight seed the Jackknife Powerbomb, as performed by Kevin Nash.

Remember, voting closes at midnight CT. In order to cast your vote, leave a comment and in the subject line make sure you adhere to the guidelines as follows:

To vote Stone Cold Stunner simply write: Vote - Stunner
To vote Jackknife Powerbomb simply write: Vote - Jackknife

Here are videos showcasing each move.

Stone Cold Stunner:

Jackknife Powerbomb:

Updated bracket:

During this week's (June 17, 2013) Monday Night RAW, longtime veteran Mark Henry staged a fake retirement, only to swerve the audience and demolish WWE champion John Cena in the process (reactions here). The result? A championship title match against Cena at next month's Money in the Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV).

I'll be ordering that one.

That's because Mark and I have some history. It was just over two months ago when I froze my ass off, standing in line at the IZOD Center with my kid at WWE Fan AXXESS, so that we could rub shoulders with some of the talent prior to WrestleMania 29 in my home state of New Jersey.

We got inside, warmed up, and had a blast.

The night was capped off by a meet and greet with Mark Henry. As luck would have it, "The World's Strongest Man" signed her book, posed for a picture and gave her one of his paws to shake. He was the first WWE superstar she'd ever met.

That shit is thrilling when you're 10 years old.

Needless to say, she's been Mark Henry's number one fan ever since. So you can imagine her surprise when the artist formerly known as "Sexual Chocolate" lumbered to the ring in a pink sport coat, big enough to cover my Kia SOUL in case of inclement weather, and called it a career.

I saw her bottom lip begin to tremble.

Then came Henry's tears and welp, it was waterworks at Casa de Holland. There wasn't much I could do except sling my arm around her and try to assure her that he would be surfacing in the WWE Hall of Pain Fame at some point in the not-too-distant future. By then, even I was convinced the big lug was hanging up his boots.

Then came the ultimate act of betrayal.

My initial reaction was, that son of a bitch got me.

It's not often I get worked these days and it's not because I have some otherworldly insight, but rather because I've been watching pro wrestling for 30 years and I recognize the usual patterns. As for my daughter, red-faced and glassy-eyed, her expression was indescribable.

It was like she wanted him dead.

By contrast, I saw quite a few reactions on Twitter -- as well as right here on Cageside Seats -- to the effect of, "Dude, it was so obvious," and "Well, I knew it was a work the entire time." If you are one of these people, I think it might be time to ask yourself why you still watch WWE programming.

If you can't allow yourself to be a mark when the situation calls for it, or at least enjoy the occasional kayfabe ride, then what's the point?

I don't understand this need to be the smartest guy in the room. Is it an ego defense? I have a friend who I positively WILL NOT see a movie with, because as soon as the opening credits begin to fade, he starts doing his detective shtick for the next two hours. It's maddening.

Psst ... see that guy in the trench coat? I'll betcha he's the killer!

He can't enjoy the movie because he's too busy trying to outsmart it. Similarly, I know a lot of pro wrestling fans these days who can't enjoy the product, because they take every angle, promo and storyline and run it through the spectrometer for analysis.

It's like a contest they have with themselves to see how quickly they can outrun the ending.

When they're right, they pat themselves on the back. I knew it. When they're wrong, they complain about how stupid the booking was. Typical PG era bullshit. I guess some guys just can't handle getting beat. Sure, we're all guilty of it from time-to-time, but last night's segment, even if you had your doubts, was flawless.

The credit falls squarely on Mark Henry's sizable shoulders.

Everything about his career-defining performance was spot on. From his delivery, to his tone, to his inflection. His dialog felt real and let's face it, when a man who can bench press Rhode Island starts crying on live television, it's hard not to take him at his word.

Plus it helps that he creamed the promotion's top babyface (great breakdown on that here).

It's a monumental task in the Internet age to keep anything a secret. Shutting-the-fuck-up is a lost art, so most of what's laid out in advance will slip through the cracks, or mirror aforementioned patterns from the angles of yesteryear.

Not this time.

The good news is, there was no collateral damage. Apprehensive about reopening any wounds, I meekly asked my daughter this morning if she was still a Mark Henry fan. Her reply? "Well yeah, I mean I met him and everything, but I'm not happy about what happened last night. Not happy at all."

World's Strongest Actor.

Considering the Payback pay-per-view (PPV) was as strong as it was the night before, and there was no major competition from any of the big sports that usually rip viewers away, one would think last night's (June 17, 2013) episode of Monday Night Raw would bounce back over the four million average for all three hours.

And that's exactly what happened.

Indeed, Raw, which emanated from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, did a 3.0 rating and averaged 4.15 million viewers. There was an NHL Stanley Cup Final game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins that did around 4 million viewers, but it didn't appear to cut into Raw's audience much, if at all.

Here's the hourly breakdown:

Hour one: 4.03 million
Hour two: 4.26 million
Hour three: 4.17 million

Not the best, but certainly not the worst. The third hour didn't benefit from actual promotion of Brock Lesnar, who showed up in the main event segment as a surprise to F-5 CM Punk following his split from Paul Heyman.

WWE has been getting it right an awful lot lately, though and with so much entertainment value looming on the horizon, the hope is the ratings will gradually improve as the shows continue to get better.

The hope is that much, at least.

For complete results and the live blog click here. For reactions to the show click here. And for a playlist of the entire night click here.

Well this is discouraging news in one sense but somewhat encouraging news in another: Daniel Bryan's "stinger" injury that he suffered during last night's (June 17, 2013) episode of Monday Night Raw at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during his match with Randy Orton was legitimate.

And the decision made to stop the match was a shoot.

That's according to Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer in today's Daily Update:

Daniel Bryan was injured in his match with Randy Orton last night and the finish was essentially a shoot as they stopped a match that Daniel was scheduled to win. The story online that he suffered a stinger is legit.

For its part, WWE played up the story with an article on the company website featuring comments from Triple H on putting the health of his performers first followed by an apparent kayfabe confrontation with Bryan, who wasn't happy about his match getting stopped.

An excerpt:

Among the most controversial moments of a wild Raw in Michigan was the unexpected stoppage of the Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton contest after the submission expert suffered a "stinger" in the middle of the bout and was deemed unfit to compete by WWE officials, with the final decision coming from WWE COO Triple H himself.

"Whether anybody likes it or not, it's my job as COO of this company," confirmed Triple H to WWE.com. "I made the call that Daniel Bryan's health was important and I called the match."

Bryan - currently battling a self-imposed perception that he is a "weak link" - seemed less than happy at the result on air, and in fact, he let The Game know exactly how he felt once he stepped backstage.

"I saw Daniel face-to-face with Triple H, nose to nose, screaming at him, saying that the match should not have been stopped and he'd worked through several injuries over 13 years," said referee John Cone, who followed Bryan into the locker room area.

There's no word on the severity of the injury and whether or not it will force Bryan to miss any time. He's currently being advertised for the SmackDown taping later on tonight in a match against Dean Ambrose.

As always, Cagesiders, stay tuned.

WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) tomorrow night (Sun., June 16, 2013) live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, with its first annual Payback event starting at 7:30 p.m. ET with the free live streaming pre-show featuring Damien Sandow vs. Sheamus leading right on into the PPV main course at 8 p.m. ET.

And it's actually a pretty damn good show.

John Cena and Ryback will be rumbling in the main event in a 3 Stages of Hell match that doesn't look like it's going to live up to the already low expectations but the rest of the line-up is solid as a brick.

That includes the return of CM Punk in his hometown against Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton teaming up against The Shield, Kane challenging Dean Ambrose for the U.S. title, AJ Lee finally getting her shot at Kaitlyn and the Diva's championship, and Dolph Ziggler bumping all over the place against Alberto Del Rio with the world heavyweight strap on the line.

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blow hards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.

Let's get to it.

_________________________________________________

WWE PAYBACK PREDICTIONS

John Cena vs. Ryback

The General: I'm a fan of extended programs because rushing through them burns through too much talent too quickly for the top dogs but I just could not give a shit less about this match. Ryback has somehow become a textbook example of WWE booking done right and WWE booking done so very, very wrong. They built him up enough to have him pop a buyrate in a headlining match on PPV and then destroyed all his credibility in the ensuing six months. The ironic part? He was booked very carefully in an attempt to preserve that very credibility. He is the reason we can't have nice things. He will not win here but he probably won't lose here either and you, the fan, will wonder why the fuck you keep putting up with Vince McMahon much the way Dallas Cowboys fans wonder why the fuck they keep putting up with Jerry Jones. Pick: No one because no one loses in WWE at the top of the card anymore

Hulk Holland: I've been going back and forth on this one for awhile because a Ryback win would not be insane. At least not after this past month, where he's managed to prove he can work a program with a top star and actually convince fans he belongs. That's a considerable feat if you consider where he was just a few months ago. Still, it's hard to imagine John Cena dropping the strap to anyone, let alone Ryback, and it's much easier to make a heel lose and look strong than it is a face (See Lesnar, Brock). All I can hope for is that these two meatheads don't spend too long on each stage, or it will be three stages of hell for the audience, too. Winner: John Cena

Keith Harris: Though performing competently, Ryback hasn't been knocking them dead as a heel and also the right time for him to win the WWE title, if there ever was one, would have been last month at Extreme Rules. WWE also seems to be back in the business of wanting to put all their eggs in the John Cena basket, so a title change here seems highly unlikely. Ryback will probably be kept strong in defeat though, winning his stage the most decisively, whilst Cena has to eke out his two victories. Prediction: John Cena

Sean Rueter: I've enjoyed this feud far more than I ever expected to, but I'm still not going to miss it when it's gone. And I don't think I'm going to have to wait long for that. Whether or not rumors of a Daniel Bryan program are true or not, if Ryback was getting the belt he would have won at Extreme Rules. I think they want Cena to hold that belt for a long while. And given the way they've set up the whole scene, it kind of makes sense for him to. Pick: John Cena

Eric B. Stephen: Lumberjacks...tables...ambulances...all be damned. I just don't see any way Ryback leaves this event as the WWE champion. Winner: John Cena

Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio

The General: With Jack Swagger having fizzled out completely, not to mention being stuck on the sidelines with a hand injury, this looks like the feud WWE will have to use to keep the blue brand going strong, even though Daniel Bryan is clearly the face of the SmackDown side. I wouldn't doubt that Del Rio was penciled in to win at one point but after how things played out on SmackDown last night, I can't see Ziggler giving up the strap just yet. Pick: Ziggler

Hulk Holland: Ziggy's title run has been underwhelming, at best, and that's not entirely his fault. He's been mired in mediocre programs and his concussion effectively killed any momentum he may have had. To get it back would require a long term effort from both sides of the curtain and I'm under the impression that Ziggler was a transitional champion anyway. You know, "throw him a bone and shut him up," kind of deal. Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Keith Harris: A serious concussion and retrograde amnesia almost torpedoed Dolph Ziggler's World Heavyweight title run almost as soon as it begun. Thankfully, WWE didn't panic and book an emergency title switch just because Ziggler had to miss one pay-per-view event. That decision would be completely pointless if they just decided to go back to the struggling Mexican as champion in his first title defence back, wouldn't it Cagesiders? Prediction: Dolph Ziggler

Sean Rueter: Now that Big E and AJ seem to be on the same page again, I guess this family will stay together for a while longer? Someone would have to be turned to break it up, and now that Langston has duped Kaitlyn and they didn't use his injury return to show any signs of making Dolph the face he probably should be in the long run, I don't see how they do that any time soon. (This is a long way to go for a pick here, but bear with me) With AJ getting a frankly long overdue run with the Divas belt soon, Dolph losing here would be something that could drive a wedge between the two. And since I don't think they're ready for that, I think he'll retain in order to give the group a minute to try to build some heat behind a power couple gimmick. (This is why my picks are almost always wrong, because I overthink and fantasy book the crap out of every angle) Pick: Dolph Ziggler

Eric B. Stephen: Though my gut says Del Rio gets his payback here, I don't think the wrestling gods would punish a hard worker like Ziggler by taking his title after a concussion-addled reign. Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Wade Barrett vs. The Miz vs. Curtis Axel

The General: Fandango was supposed to get crowned here but his concussion prevented that from happening. That may have worked out for the best, though, because I wouldn't doubt WWE wanting to completely revamp the Intercontinental title scene by phasing out Barrett and Miz, putting the strap on Axel, and having Fandango return to say Axel won the belt only because the devilish dancer got hurt and he has a rightful shot at it. Boom, there's your next program over this title. Pick: Axel

Hulk Holland: I believe this was a match designed to put the title on Fandango and I'm not sure those plans have been abandoned, even if the dancing diva has been sidelined with a concussion. I was wondering if Curtis Axel would fill that role, but I think his pending program with Triple H makes it hard to envision him walking out of Payback with the gold. I think instead, he does something dastardly to The Miz, allowing Barrett to pin him and retain the strap. Winner: Wade Barrett

Keith Harris: I suppose Curtis Axel could remain flukily undefeated by not being the guy who drops the fall, but that would only further portray him as an over pushed jabroni. It's one thing to be beating the top stars via a slip on the banana peel finish, quite another to two guys that are just treading water in the mid card like Wade Barrett and The Miz. Prediction: Curtis Axel

Sean Rueter: Wow, is this thing held together with bubble gum and duct tape or what? Barrett's been a dud of a champ, Miz should just do his Maury Povich thing and only wrestle occasionally and the main take away from the McGullicutty reboot is that Vince thinks he's beneath HHH. This should be the pre-show...I'd rather pay for Sandow. Ummm... Pick: Miz

Eric B. Stephen: Though a late substitute for this match, I like the "undefeated" Axel's chances of winning the best. Winner: Curtis Axel

Dean Ambrose vs. Kane

The General: If the idea here is to give Kane a belt to make Bryan even more jealous and look even more like a weak link, I can buy into that even though it would sacrifice Ambrose's first PPV title defense. The Shield don't really need titles to be over, and the U.S. championship is probably the most useless belt in the company. If it can be used in a good story to help advance it, I would rather have that than just sitting on someone's shoulder for the sake of looking dominant. I'm going to say that's the direction they decide to go and it ends up being the straw that breaks the camel's back in Team Hell No. Plus, they can always change it back around later, maybe even with Bryan costing Kane the belt at a later show. Pick: Kane

Hulk Holland: Much like the tag team match up that follows it, Kane vs. Dean Ambrose is less about winning a championship and more about furthering the storyline of Team Hell No's fractured relationship. How Randy Orton fits into the outcomes on Sunday night remains to be seen, but I like this new dynamic and rarely has splitting up a popular tag team been handled with such care. Usually it's the nuts-and-bolts, "one guy is jealous, turns heel and clobbers old friend," but that's not the case here. Hopefully, the epic sell jobs by Ambrose don't distract from the bigger picture. Winner: Dean Ambrose

Keith Harris: The tag team with Daniel Bryan and feud with The Shield have rejuvenated Kane's career, but at 46 years old he's not the future. The youthful Dean Ambrose, on the other hand, has the potential to be one of WWE's key headliners for many years to come if his career is handled correctly. Thus, the only way Kane wins is by a copout disqualification or count-out victory, but this match is on pay-per-view and the company is so behind Ambrose that I can't see that happening. Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Sean Rueter: The first rule of the United States championship is, you only win when you're defending the United States championship. Pick: Dean Ambrose

Eric B. Stephen: The Big Red Monster will be coming into this match angry, but I don't see Ambrose losing in his first ppv title defense. Winner: Ambrose

The Shield vs. Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton

The General: For the aforementioned storyline breakup between Kane and Daniel Bryan to work, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have to go over here. If Orton ends up being the guy to cost them the match by flat out turning heel on Bryan, or by accidentally getting in the way, or even something similar to their loss on SmackDown a couple weeks back, it would all work towards the larger storyline goal. Pick: The Shield

Hulk Holland: Rollins and Reigns just got the belts, so I would be shocked to see them relinquished so quickly. Especially to a tag team that was cobbled together solely for the purpose of furthering the divide between a corresponding twosome. If it were Randy Orton and Kane, that I might consider, as a title win would almost certainly send Daniel Bryan over the deep end, but I think the more likely scenario is Bryan getting pinned and blaming it on Kane. Winner: Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns

Keith Harris: This seems the obvious time to have Randy Orton complete his long teased heel turn by stabbing the increasingly popular Daniel Bryan in the back, giving The Shield duo the easy victory. Of course, if something is too predictable, then Vince McMahon might decide to put it off or abandon the idea completely, but either way the recently crowned tag champions should win via pinfall, as it's far too soon for them to be dropping the straps. Prediction: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns

Sean Rueter: Something tells me we get odd-ball tag champs destined to feud, Summer 2013 edition. They seem bound and determined to make DB a heel whether the fans want to cheer him or not, and rubbing the belts in Kane's face and getting too cocky for Orton is probably their best bet. Shield can win the belts back later when Randy and Daniel try to kill each other. Pick: RK-No

Eric B. Stephen: Bryan may be riding the hottest streak in WWE right now, but I don't see he and Orton getting along well enough to dethrone the Shield as champs. Winners: Rollins/Reigns

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

The General: I don't even really know what to think of this. I do know that somehow, to me, the most disappointing outcome would be for Punk to simply walk out, have the match, win, and then go to the back. There's simply no way that's going to happen because it would be even more of an insult to us all than advertising Punk to Chicago and having him not show up would be. He will be there in some capacity but there has to be a swerve in here somewhere. I just hope there's a good plan in place and it's executed well. Pick: Abstaining due to likely swerve

Hulk Holland: I'm still not convinced this match is even taking place since every time they mention it, CM Punk tweets pictures of himself climbing The Devil's Tower in Wyoming, or teaching Hamer pygmies how to breastfeed in Omo Valley. If he does surface, there's no way he's losing his first fight back. Hey, maybe Jericho will get beat down by The Shield and Punk will come out to save him! Face turn! Why not? It's as good as anything else creative will come up with. Winner: CM Punk

Keith Harris: It's hard to see any possible reason why Chris Jericho would win this match, unless Paul Heyman somehow costs CM Punk the match to build to their eventual break up and a babyface turn for the man who has done it all as a heel. However, it seems far too soon to pull the trigger on that. I'm sure that Y2J will continue in his role of being the veteran hand whose so good that he doesn't need to win much and whose commitment to the WWE cause isn't strong enough that he wouldn't be allowed to anyway, whilst Punk soaks up the hometown cheers as the victorious returning anti-hero. Prediction: CM Punk

Sean Rueter: Either Punk refuses to wrestle in a valiant attempt to stay heel, or loses by DQ due to Heyman-terference, or gets beat when he refuses help from Paul E. In either of the latter two scenarios, we get a big feel-good moment with the hometown guy and Y2J showing each other respect in some way. Jericho also seems to be picking up some wins lately, so that it looks better when he does put young 'uns over, too. Pick: Chris Jericho

Eric B. Stephen: Assuming Punk actually shows, I can't see him losing while energized by his hometown crowd. Winner: Punk

Kaitlyn vs. AJ Lee

The General: A belt is nothing more than a prop used to sell merchandise or put over the person wearing it so they look like a bigger star. Kaitlyn having the belt does neither of those things but AJ getting it would accomplish both. Plus, AJ and Dolph have to break up sometime and I could see a future feud between the two over something like vanity. Pick: AJ

Hulk Holland: It would be nice to see Team Ziggler add another belt to its collection and wouldn't it be nice to have WWE resurrect the European title just so Big E. Langston could wear some gold. Unfortunately, I don't think Dolph is going to retain and we already have one championship stable in The Shield, but for my money, AJ Lee is the female Daniel Bryan right now. She elevates every program she's a part of and it's time to reward her for her efforts. Winner: AJ Lee

Keith Harris: Kaitlyn has been a rather bland placeholder babyface Divas champion who won the title by default when the much more versatile Eve Torres quit the company. There doesn't seem to be much point keeping the belt on her, especially when there's much greater storyline potential in making AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler a braggadocios championship couple. Prediction: AJ Lee

Sean Rueter: I'm actually looking forward to this, as I think Kaitlyn can brawl and AJ is talented enough to carry her through a compelling five minutes. AJ will be champ soon, I just wonder if it gets delayed a month or so being as there are no other programs in sight for either woman following either outcome. Pick: Kaitlyn

Eric B. Stephen: Kaitlyn may be looking for payback, but AJ is crazy...like a fox. Winner: AJ

Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow

The General: There are two sides to this, one that's good for business and one that isn't but should be pondered anyway: 1) Sheamus should win because he's the babyface and it's a pre-show match being given away for free designed to entice viewers to purchase the PPV, 2) Sandow should win because Sheamus is a bully trying to batter the geeky guy for absolutely no reason. They'll go with the former, and that's fine, but it should be clear, at least, that the wrong guy is the babyface in this match and it would be awful nice if WWE just acknowledged as much at some point. Or maybe we're blaming the wrong people. Maybe it's the mark fan base who goes to the shows and doesn't know any better than to just blindly follow along with the rest of the unwashed masses. Just because Vince McMahon is shoveling shit onto your plate doesn't mean you have to stuff it down your gullet. Have a brain, think for yourself, and boo the hell out of Sheamus for beating the shit out of someone for no reason. Pick: Sheamus

Hulk Holland: This is as easy as it gets. You don't get the WWE Universe amped for a $50 pay-per-view by having one of your top babyfaces go down in flames. This match is going to be a showcase of super-Sheamus clowning the hapless snob at every turn. In fact, I would be shocked if the hulking Irishman even broke a sweat. There's just no love for ass-kicking bookworms these days. Sigh. But on the bright side, at least Sandow isn't jobbing to The Miz. Winner: Sheamus

Keith Harris: In art imitating the sad reality of life, the aggressive bully will humiliate and beat up the geeky nerd. Of course, the positive role model here is the mean spirited jerk not the gifted brainiac. Keep being stars, WWE. Prediction: Sheamus

Sean Rueter: I hope Damien gets a few minutes to dazzle with the microphone before the match, because I don't think heels win on the pre-show. Still can't believe the guy who held the WHC forever last year is on free streaming show. But I'm still picking him. Pick: Sheamus

Eric B. Stephen: In this pre-show matchup for brains vs brawn, I expect brawn to prevail. Winner: Sheamus

___________________________________________________

Those are our predictions, Cagesiders. What are yours?

Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat

Wade Barrett (c) vs. Curtis Axel vs. The Miz

A concussion to rising star Fandango clears an opening on the IC title's dance card. Enter the newest Paul Heyman guy, Curtis Axel, to tango with reigning champion Wade Barrett and the man he defeated for the belt, The Miz, in a triple threat!

The Road to Payback

The current champ and the multi-media personality have tangled over the white and gold belt for much of the past season. Miz even managed to end Barrett's previous stint with the title on the pre-show to WrestleMania 29. But his own time as champ would prove to be excruciatingly short, when the leader of the Barrage took him out the following night on Raw.

The two have remained on each other's radar in the months since the Granddaddy of Them All. But until just this past week, it seemed that they would have to deal with a different newcomer on PPV from Chicago-land.

In May, Wade and Fandango were paired up for a tag match against Chris Jericho and the awesome one. But when the man who defeated Jericho at 'Mania chose to dance at ringside rather than face Y2J again, Barrett was hung out to dry. Miz ended up submitting the champ with his inherited figure-four finisher.

The former Nexus leader warned the hoofer to never cross his path again, but later on the same episode of Smackdown, Fandango's interference gave Miz a disqualification victory over Barrett. The British brawler took out his frustrations on both men after the bell, and the Payback match seemed set.

But the wrestling gods had other plans, and when Fandango's injury prohibited him from competing on Sunday, Vickie Guerrero instated the son of legendary Intercontinental champion Mr Perfect, Curt Hennig into the triple threat match.

Curtis Axel has been on an impressive tear since being reintroduced to the WWE Universe by Paul Heyman several weeks ago. While the means have not always been decisive, he has achieved wins over HHH, John Cena and Chris Jericho in just a month's time.

Given his lineage, the IC strap seems like part of his heritage. But neither Barrett or Miz is going to just step aside and let him take it. Perhaps he's cagey enough to let their bad blood and the triple threat format provide an opening for his first singles title?

What's at stake?

Miz wants to prove that his one-day run with the belt was an aberration. In order to put together a respectable reign, you first have to win the title. A victory on June 16th would prove that he's more than just the host of the most must see talk show in WWE history, and just maybe put him back on course for the heights he once reached as WWE champion and WrestleMania headliner.

The winner of inaugural NXT competition has been a little lost since his 2012 return, even with a championship wrapped around his waist. Fandango had taken much of the spotlight in this feud - will the absence of the flamboyant one allow Wade Barrett to rise to the top of the scene?

Axel's record may look good on paper, but he hasn't had much of a chance to win matches on his own merits. Having recently embraced his family history, this is a big opportunity to prove himself worthy of it. If he can, he just might be able to bring some prestige back to the title that his father once perfectly personified.

Anything can happen in a triple threat...will the champ be able to hold off both competitors, or will the Intercontinental championship have a new name listed under it in the record books when Payback is finished?

Cageside Seats is the place to come for the answer to that and all the questions WWE is likely to ask and answer on Sunday night!