WWE Money in the Bank (2012) had a huge drop off in quality from the previous year’s event. That is not to say it was a bad show because when you’re following up one of the greatest non-big four pay-per-views in WWE history it is kind of tough to stand up to the pressure. Anyway, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan had the match of the night though it wasn’t nearly as good as their past pay-per-view encounter thanks to the storyline and involvement of AJ Lee. Sometimes, when two great wrestlers are in a wrestling match then all they have to do is…you know wrestler. The opening ladder match was impressive and the second one that topped the card was even better. All of the other matches were filler except for the match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which saw Del Rio continue to feud with Sheamus in the feud that nobody asked for.
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Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero) defeated Damien Sandow, Tyson Kidd, Christian, Santino Marella, Tensai (with Sakamoto), Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a World Heavyweight Championship contract
Tensai assaults Kidd early on and the commentators talk about Kidd recently upsetting Tensai. Christian comes in and he and Kidd rule the ring until Christian turns on Kidd. The match goes on and emphasizes Christian and Kidd a second time when Kidd is laying on a ladder and Christian attempts a frog splash…but Kidd rolls out of the way. Ouch! Sandow is near the case at one point, but minutes later he is getting speared into a ladder by Christian. Sin Cara also takes a good spill off of the ladder when Tensai drives his head into some steel. There is also a fun comedy spot when Cody climbs the ladder and Vickie Guerrero comes up the other side to nag him off of it. Ziggler comes up from behind Rhodes and gets him off of it. Christian meets Ziggler on the ladder while Sandow and Kidd join them from other nearby ladders. Kidd powerbombs Ziggler off and the other two are soon out of the picture also. On the outside Tensai sets up a ladder horizontally and powerbombs Sin Cara onto it. Back inside Kidd, Cody and Christian take each other out as they try to climb including Christian spearing Cody off of a ladder. Christian gets back up and fights Santino off. However, just as Christian is about to grab the Money in the Bank briefcase, Ziggler sneaks up from behind and steals it.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Sheamus (c) defeated Albert Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Before the match, Sheamus gives a promo, Miz announces he will compete in the second Money in the Bank ladder match and Mick Foley reflects on his favorite WWE Monday Night Raw moment. However, the best segment before this match is a commercial for the 1989 classic, “No Holds Barred” starring Hulk Hogan. Normally, I don’t like commercials on my pay-per-views, but this is an exception! Anyway, on to the match! Del Rio attempts to dodge Sheamus early on, but Sheamus comes alive when Del Rio smacks him. Sheamus manages a clothesline from the top rope, but gets distracted by Ricardo allowing Del Rio to kick him off of the ring apron. Del Rio brings psychology to the match by targeting in on Sheamus’ arm. Del Rio cannot lock on the cross armbreaker though and Sheamus hits him with the Irish curse. Del Rio makes another mistake by trying to kick Sheamus in the back of the head and missing. This leads to Sheamus hitting him with the white noise and brogue kick for the victory. Del Rio and Ricardo jump Sheamus afterward and Ziggler comes out to collect. Del Rio argues with Ziggler when Sheamus wakes up to brogue kick Ziggler. Because Ziggler is out, but the bell never rang he still has his World Heavyweight Championship contract and Sheamus still has his title.
Rating: 3 stars
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Primo and Epico (with Rosa Mendes) defeated The Prime Time Players (with A.W.)
The current holders of the WWE Tag Team Championship, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston sit in on commentary for this match. A.W. provides his own commentary by wearing a headset mic. Primo and Epico take an early lead with Primo hitting a suicide dive and Epico nailing a plancha. Darren Young and Titus O’Neil take charge and get cocky as at one point A.W. even combs Young’s hair for him. Primo and Epico gain back their momentum after O’Neil gets distracted by having an impromptu dancing contest with Rosa. The match continues until the team from Puerto Rico win it with a roll up. The Prime Time Players confront the tag champs afterward and R-Truth throws water in A.W.’s face.
Rating: 2.75 stars
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CM Punk (c) defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship in a no disqualification match
AJ Lee is the special guest referee for this match. Punk throws Bryan out of the ring early on and the two trade chopfests on the guardrail. The chops don’t end there and the two are soon trading them inside the ring followed by trading kicks. The match is all over the place as Punk hits a suicide dive leading the participants to fight up and down the entrance way. AJ takes a bump off of the ring apron when Bryan pushes Punk into her. Bryan wallops Punk from behind while Punk is checking on AJ. Bryan then acts concerned for AJ before going back to attack Punk. Bryan hits a running knee from the ring apron to the floor and Punk is in trouble. Punk gets in some offense when they fight into the audience and Punk jumps off one part of the guardrail and clotheslines Bryan off of another. Bryan grabs a kendo stick, but Punk keeps ducking from Bryan’s strikes. Punk eventually takes a shot to the knee and another one to the ribs. Bryan becomes wild as he gives Punk multiple strikes to the back using the stick. Punk taps into his adrenaline and fires back by getting a two count and hitting his high knee. Punk tries the go to sleep twice, but Bryan escapes and kicks Punk in the head. Punk soon grabs the kendo stick and pays Bryan back for the shots from earlier. AJ comes out while the two are down on the mat. She brings in a chair and the two fight over it with Bryan winning. Bryan drills Punk, but cannot get the job done so he punishes Punk with some kicks. Punk clotheslines Bryan and pays him back again with some chair shots of his own. Punk tries to Irish whip Bryan into the chair, but AJ blocks it. Bryan kicks Punk into the chair, but AJ stops him from using the kendo stick. Punk slams his opponent on the chair, but misses the “Macho Man” Randy Savage elbow. Bryan tries to make Punk tap by using the Kendo stick, but Punk gets out of it. Punk slingshots Bryan into the turnbuckle and hits the go to sleep, but only gets two. Punk positions Bryan on the table so he can elbow drop him through it. However, Bryan gets up and attacks Punk on the ropes until Punk fights back and crotches Bryan. Punk performs a belly-to-back suplex through the table for the win.
Rating: 4.5 stars
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Ryback defeated Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks in a handicap match
The squash machine wins another squash match on a pay-per-view. Hawkins starts off against Ryback and bumps around plenty for him. Reks gets tagged in and actually gets in some offense. The two keep tagging in and out, but Ryback gets the match going in his favor by bodyslamming Hawkins and decimating Reks. Hawkins takes a sick bump to the floor and Ryback finishes Reks off with his shell shocked finisher.
Rating: 3 stars
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Layla, Kaitlyn and Tamina Snuka defeated Beth Phoenix, Natalya and Eve Torres
The crowd is pretty dead for this one until Layla gets tagged in and wakes them up by clotheslining Beth. However, Layla gets caught in a gorilla press slam position. This leads to chaos when all the competitors come in the ring and fight it out. In the end Layla manages to pin Beth.
Rating: 2 stars
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John Cena defeated Kane, Chris Jericho, The Big Show and The Miz in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship contract
Oddly enough Show is the first to do a neat ladder spot by throwing a ladder at Jericho to the floor while Show is standing in the ring. Show gets taken out early though when Cena gives him an attitude adjustment through an announce table and everyone buries him with ladders. Still, it is not over as The Big Show later comes back from the dead and rips apart a ladder as Jericho is climbing it. Show rules the match for a while and takes out a huge ladder from underneath the ring. Show climbs the ladder and Kane meets him at the top. Show punches Kane off and Cena comes up next, but gets headbutted off. Jericho attacks Show from behind with a chair and soon Jericho and Cena are climbing up each side of the ladder. Jericho crosses over the ladder and puts Cena in a sleeper hold while Miz tries to steal the match, but instead gets punched off of the ladder. Cena finally falls off of the ladder while Jericho stays on. Miz climbs up the ladder again, but him and Jericho get WMDs from Show as the giant climbs the ladder. Cena returns to the top and nails Show in the head with the briefcase. Cena unhooks it to win!
Rating: 3.75 stars
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Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org
Categories: Wrestling Reviews
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