Injury Report: Kane, Richards

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Two injuries of note in two different companies. First up, Kane "suffered" a fractured fibula last night on Smackdown. I haven't seen the show yet, but apparently, WWE.com posted a note about Mark Henry splitting Kane's wig breaking the Big Red Machine's fibula, sending him out for three months. So with all that being said, it looks like a kayfabe injury. With that in mind and Daniel Bryan's spot in one of the three-four biggest matches at WrestleMania next year announced, maybe they are looking to build up new stars. Bless my stars and call me Betsy!

In PWG news, Davey Richards landed in the hospital for a very much legitimate and scary staph infection, announced via the PWG Facebook page. Obviously, his spot in tonight's main event three-way against the Kings of Wrestling for EIGHT will be vacated. Not sure if they'll run with a straight up rematch between PWG Champ Claudio Castagnoli and his tag partner Chris Hero, or whether they'll insert another challenger in the fray, but folks, this is PWG we're talking about. They'll deliver. In fact, I feel bad for not posting a preview column for tonight's anniversary show, but perhaps I'll watch one of my PWG DVDs in the coming week.

I know it's kinda weak to post a kayfabe injury along with a real one, but hey, they're both huge deals for different reasons.

Wrestling Oddsmakers: Smackdown's Money in the Bank Match

Your next Smackdown briefcase holder?
Photo Credit: WWE.com

See the RAW odds here

Okay, so I'm a bit late on handicapping the Smackdown MitB match. The field was announced a couple of weeks ago and reinforced with an opening promo on this week's show. Here are the competitors:

• Cody Rhodes
• Daniel Bryan
• Heath Slater
• Justin Gabriel
• Kane
• Sheamus
• Sin Cara
• Wade Barrett

As with the RAW match, I'm going to handicap the odds for each guy to win this match. This one might be a little tougher to forecast, even though they're strongly, STRONGLY hinting at one among the field taking it.

Heath Slater
Odds: 300 to 1


Yeah, Slater's most likely there to make someone look good, like this:

That is to say, he won't be holding the briefcase.

Justin Gabriel
Odds: 250 to 1

I'd venture to guess that he has similar odds to his tag partner, but I think his might be better. Let's not kid ourselves. He's got a flair in the ring that can make crowds love him and cheer for him. All it'd take is one big spot off a ladder and he'd go from lukewarm heel to budding good guy in a matter of minutes. Now, that isn't to say that I think he's going to win, just that he has a slightly better shot than his partner.

Sin Cara
Odds: 75 to 1

There's a lot riding on Cara right now, as he's Trips' first big signing and the heir apparent to Rey Mysterio as the key to the Mexican audience. That being said, with the visible problems he's having adapting to the WWE style, I doubt they'll give him the ball this early. Like Gabriel, he'll provide some fireworks. He'll probably get a good tease to win too, but I doubt he gets the briefcase this early in his WWE career.

Daniel Bryan
Odds: 60 to 1

Don't get me wrong, I'll be rooting hard for the American Dragon to get the briefcase. Him being in a World Championship match anywhere, any time would be just surreal as it would be markout-inducing. I also think he'll get to World Title level one day. I think they have some faith in him, or else he wouldn't be on the show each week in a meaningful program. That being said, I think we have to be real here. His time, whether as a built up contender or as a flash title grabber, isn't now.

Kane
Odds: 15 to 1

Kane won last year in a match where I'd probably have given him similar odds. His cash-in was a cool moment too. I think he's in the same spot now, although maybe I'd give him worse odds since he doesn't have Undertaker coming back soon to necessitate that he has a title (even though Taker has been above titles for a long time, but hey, whatever). I'd like to say they won't briefcase him two years in a row, but then again, there are so very few reliable hands on the Smackdown side and if they go Alberto del Rio on RAW, they may want to counter that newness with a guy who's been there before.

Cody Rhodes
Odds: 10 to 1

In about a year, Cody Rhodes has gone from Dashing to dynamite. Extending that to two years, he went from job absorber to having his own job absorber. Amazing journey for the younger son of Big Dust. While Wrestling Theory may argue he doesn't need and shouldn't get the shot, there's no doubt that he's on the cusp. The dark horse candidate of the eight.

Sheamus
Odds: 2 to 1

I'd put him in the favorite's spot, but they're telegraphing him to win. That usually means that he's being set up for the fall. The Celtic Warrior, who has been on fire in the last couple of weeks, has been to the top of the mountain before and would be a safe enough pick to win. Plus, he's got heat with both guys in the Smackdown main event. However, with Orton almost proclaiming him to win as a foregone conclusion, something tells me they might go in a different direction...

Wade Barrett
Odds: Even money

...and give RED BELLY the briefcase. They got really close to putting him through to the upper echelon last year by having him work with both Orton and John Cena. They're high on him, but this high? Well, if you look at the trends of who have won briefcases, things bode well for the former leader of Nexus. CM Punk's second briefcase came off him losing the Intercontinental Championship to JBL. Jack Swagger won his out of nowhere, being in a throwaway program around Royal Rumble with Santino before fading into the Superstar Zone between that time and WrestleMania. The Miz and Kane were both in the middle of big pushes, so they provide some sort of counterbalance to the trend. Either way, Barrett, coming off losing everything, now has a fresh start. Sheamus has heat with Christian and Orton and doesn't need the briefcase. Barrett? Right now, he needs an angle to cling to. That's why I feel like he's the favorite to win.

Rehabbing the Monster: Mark Henry's Rebirth

Somebody gon' get they ass kicked
Photo Credit: WWE.com

When you're with WWE for as long as Mark Henry has without really busting through to the main event, it can be easy to claim that he'll never be a big player, he'll never be really over, he'll never get that allure about him. I mean, you'd think that if he hasn't connected with the crowds all this time, what makes anyone think he could be the guy they thought he could be when they signed him 15 years ago? But that's the funny thing about pro wrestling and crowds in general. They don't tend to have long memories. That's why it kills me when people say that "so and so has been ruined forever because of being booked badly for one night!" Unless the performance is so dreadfully bad or the humiliation is so severe that it scars a guy for life, people can come back from most degrees of malaise. When I say that heat is elastic, it's not some trite, anti-smark sentiment that I use to look down on the pessimists. I really do think it's true.

Case in point, look at Henry since Capitol Punishment. He womped on the Big Show. He beat on Kane like he was some sort of hybrid government mule/red-headed stepchild. In two segments, Mark Henry became a monster again, and from the way the crowd reacted, ESPECIALLY that lady with the cell phone, they bought it. It was sublime.

Of course, it's all for naught if they don't follow up on this. If Henry is back threatening to put his stank on the Divas or gets squashed within the next few weeks as recourse, then it's a failure. I don't give the WWE any credit to keep this going until they prove to me they can. I've seen too many instances of bullshit parity booking in the last couple of years to really believe they have a long term star here. However, the initial spark is enough for me to prove that it doesn't matter who you are. If you get a good faith push and you get to destroy peeps, you'll get over, especially if you're talented like Henry is.

Seriously, there's no reason why Mark Henry has had to languish his whole career. Call it a grudge against him from management, call it Vince Russo and those who were scions of his awful style of booking trying to get too fancy with a simple archetype, call it whatever. It's better late than never, but for a guy who's as good a big man worker as he is, a guy whose angry scowl is among the best facial expressions in the business, for a guy who can project anger and rage and fearsomeness as good as some of the best in the business, well, I'm glad that he is getting chance after chance.

Hopefully, the front office will stop dicking around and notice that hey, this is working and hey, maybe he could be used for something better than fodder.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!