A step above the rest?
OMAHA, Neb. -- WWE Champion Randy Orton just can't seem to get enough of the painful, yet soothing, melody of Sweet Chin Music -- and that's why Shawn Michaels may be a step above his competitors in the running to face the Legend Killer for the title at Cyber Sunday.
Tonight on Raw, all the Superstars involved in the voting for the WWE Championship Match at Cyber Sunday were in the same ring at the same time when Orton teamed with one potential challenger, Mr. Kennedy, against his other prospective opponents, Michaels and Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy.
Hardy got the win for his team with a Swanton Bomb on Kennedy, but the winner of the match was somewhat irrelevant. Making a statement and the greatest impression on you, our fans, who will decide Orton's opponent at Cyber Sunday, seemed first and foremost on the three candidates' minds. And HBK might just be the frontrunner at Cyber Sunday right now after laying out Orton for the third straight week with Sweet Chin Music. (WATCH)
As Michaels stood over a fallen Orton after their tag team match tonight on Raw, he hoped he left a lasting impression on you, the voters. He also hoped you thought about what the WWE Championship Match at Cyber Sunday means to him.
For HBK, Cyber Sunday is about more than the WWE Title. It is about getting vengeance on the man who tried to end his career. It is about taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth from a man who tried to take away everything he holds dear -- and bragged about it for five months. Michaels wants to make Orton feel what it's like to experience loss -- and would love to do it by taking away his cherished WWE Championship.
However, HBK wasn't the only potential challenger who jockeyed for position tonight. Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy are hungry for an opportunity at the WWE Championship and have targeted each other while trying to impress the voters.
Hardy, a four-time Intercontinental Champion and six-time World Tag Team Champion, believes you may want a change in the WWE Title scene and that he can infuse new excitement in a match with Orton at Cyber Sunday. Years ago, the Cameron, N.C., native came very close to winning the WWE Title from then-champion Triple H. But WWE Championship opportunities have been few and far between for Hardy, and he wants an opportunity to make his career complete by winning sports-entertainment's most coveted prize.
Mr. Kennedy has yelled and screamed for everyone to hear that he is the future of sports-entertainment and has long coveted a WWE Championship opportunity. At one time, he won a guaranteed opportunity by winning the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 23 -- only to lose it because of injury and an opportunistic Edge. Tonight, Mr. Kennedy reminded the world -- and Orton -- that he has defeated several world champions in his young career and single-handedly put out Bobby Lashley. But is that, along with his performance tonight, enough to sway you, the voters in Cyber Sunday?
One thing is certain: HBK has done what Kennedy and Hardy have been unable to do -- knock Orton out for three straight weeks. Michaels has made perhaps the most direct impression on Orton, who has made no secret that he wants HBK to win the vote and face him at Cyber Sunday. But what do you want? Who do you think deserves to face the Legend Killer on Oct. 28? Vote now and vote often and find out how your vote counted at Cyber Sunday.
WATCH: Orton's three potential challengers make their case
VOTE: Who should face WWE Champion Randy Orton at Cyber Sunday?
WWE Shows Latest Results
Raw results, Dec. 9, 2024: Rhea Ripley outlasts Raquel Rodriguez in epic Anything Goes Match
Full ResultsSmackDown results, Dec. 6, 2024: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens ignited a brawl after Rhodes defeated Chad Gable
Full ResultsWWE NXT results, Dec. 3, 2024: Roxanne Perez causes mayhem with the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge combatants
Full Results