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411’s Instant Analysis 07.15.12: WWE Money in the Bank 2012
Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Money in the Bank 2012. Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one writer’s thoughts on the show. Here’s the team for Money in the Bank:
• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.
Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Hunico & Camacho
Match Result: R-Truth defeats Camacho with What’s Up?
Match Length: 8:24
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was definitely the best pre-show match that WWE has presented this year, and I actually question why the WWE Tag Team Champions were relegated to the pre-show. Hunico and Camacho held up their end of the match, but it was really Kingston and Truth that made this match so much fun. Kingston’s top rope turnaround flying hurricanrana was a thing of absolute beauty, and it only served to remind us why it’s such a shame that Kingston was wasted on the pre-show instead of taking his rightful place in a MitB match. This match was definitely better than the Primo & Epico vs. Darren Young & Titus O’Neal match on the main card, but I understand the need to have Kingston & Truth on commentary for that match to further their feud with Young & O’Neal. Kingston & Truth will definitely clash with Young & O’Neal sooner rather than later, but I’m glad to see WWE investing time in tag teams that aren’t currently in title contention (e.g., Primo & Epico, Hunico & Camacho, and the Usos).
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Christian vs. Santino Marella vs. Sin Cara vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Tensai vs. Damien Sandow
Match Result: Dolph Ziggler wins Money in the Bank.
Match Length: 18:28
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was the Money in the Bank match that I was really looking forward to, because I’m more a fan of MitB matches that give rising stars a chance to shine and maybe even steal the show. Unfortunately, while this match was certainly entertaining throughout, there were very few truly memorable spots or performances. Tyson Kidd’s springboard ladder-assisted sunset flip powerbomb was awesome, but that was just about the only new spot in the entire match. There were no big Shelton Benjamin-esque dives, but there were several very glaring botches. However, what struck me the most was how much time was devoted to Tensai. He obviously utilized a power-based offense distinct from everyone else in the match, and that might have been smart on a traditional MitB card. However, this year’s MitB card also featured Big Show running roughshod in the other MitB match, and so Tensai’s performance ended up seeming lackluster by comparison. Given the constraints of the Raw MitB match, this match should have been filled with young high flyers (e.g., Justin Gabriel in place of Tensai) who could really put on show. However, I take solace in the fact that the right guy won the match. Last month at No Way Out, Ziggler proved that he’s ready for the main event scene. Now that he’s won MitB, his first real World Heavyweight Championship reign is all but guaranteed. Ziggler has often been compared to Curt Hennig and a young Shawn Michaels, but he’s also got a lot of Edge in him. Look for Ziggler to be very opportunistic about when he cashes in his briefcase and thus when he wins the big gold belt.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¾
Sheamus (Champion) vs. Alberto Del Rio
Match Result: Sheamus defeats Alberto Del Rio with the Brogue Kick.
Match Length: 14:27
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a decent enough match, but it certainly wasn’t up to the caliber of many of the WWE and World Heavyweight Championship matches we’ve seen this year. Unfortunately, I have to believe that the blame lies with Alberto Del Rio. Sheamus has had great matches with Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler this year, and I continue to be impressed with his growth as a performer. Thus, my guess is that the dip in the quality of tonight’s World Heavyweight Championship match is due to Del Rio and not Sheamus. Del Rio certainly has a great look, and he’s very good on the mic, but honestly, I can’t say that he’s had one truly memorable match in WWE. He’s solid but unspectacular, and unfortunately that just won’t cut it in today’s WWE. I truly hope Sheamus is able to move on from Del Rio to another challenger, but I’m not sure who it would be. Ziggler doesn’t need to be a traditional number one contender anymore, so Sheamus’ best bet is probably to wait for Orton to return in a few weeks and then face him at SummerSlam. Sheamus and Orton should be able to have a great face / face match, and the winner of that match may very well lose the title to Ziggler the same night.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¼
Match Result: Primo defeats Darren Young with a roll-up.
Match Length: 7:31
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: The good news here is that WWE gave four young stars the chance to have a tag team match on PPV. That’s the kind of thing that needs to happen more often, so I should probably just say thank you and move on. However, I still wonder why this match wasn’t on the pre-show so that Kingston & Truth could be on the main card. The only explanation I can find is that WWE is firmly behind Young & O’Neal and wanted to give them the exposure of the main card. Of course, if that was truly the case, then shouldn’t Young & O’Neal have won the match? With Primo & Epico defeating Young & O’Neal, you have to wonder if Primo & Epico can now claim that they should be challenging for the titles. I’d be more than happy to see Kingston & Truth vs. Young & O’Neal vs. Primo & Epico for the titles at SummerSlam.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **¼
CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
Match Result: CM Punk defeats Daniel Bryan with a top rope back superplex through a table.
Match Length: 27:53
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Is there anything left to say about Punk & Bryan that hasn’t already been said? They’ve had three PPV matches for the WWE Championship, and each one has been distinct. This time around they used the No Disqualification stipulation to full effect and had an absolutely brutal brawl. The action may not have been as wildly insane as some hardcore matches we’ve seen in the past, but every punch, kick, kendo stick shot, and chair shot were incredibly impactful. Those two guys went out there and beat the hell out of each other tonight, and it was amazing to watch. Having AJ as the special guest referee added an element of intrigue to the match without becoming intrusive or over-booked. I’d love to seen Punk and Bryan go at it one more time at SummerSlam, but my guess is that John Cena has other plans for Punk at this point. However, it seems clear that WWE has faith in both Punk and Bryan, so my guess is that we’ll see them clash for the title again in the future.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****½
Ryback vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Match Result: Ryback defeats Tyler Reks with Shell Shocked.
Match Length: 4:20
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: You all know I love Ryback matches. It’s a well-established fact. However, I’ve been rather underwhelmed since Ryback has moved on to guys on the main roster. Guys like Hawkins and Reks need to mount some semblance of offense against Ryback in order to avoid looking like total jokes, but that takes away from the beauty of the Ryback formula. I just want to see him kill small jobbers. I don’t want to know where these jobbers came from, and I never want to see them again. I just want to see them die at the hands of a big bald beast. Maybe it’s selfish of me to want Ryback to never move up the card just so that I can continue to watch him destroy jobbers. But damn it, that’s what I want. And I mourn the loss of the double Muscle Buster. I just… I just miss it so much.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *¼
Match Result: Layla defeats Beth Phoenix with a neckbreaker.
Match Length: 3:02
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Impromptu Six Diva Tag Team Match. You hear those words and you know nothing good is about to happen. One-on-one Divas matches sometimes find a way to be coherent and compelling, but these multi-Diva matches are clusterfucks, almost without exception. The match was pointless, the action was sloppy, I don’t think Tamina was ever legally in the match, and the whole thing was a waste of three minutes of our lives. Give that time to the tag team match and let those guys tell a better story in the ring.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ½*
John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Big Show vs. Kane
Match Result: John Cena wins Money in the Bank.
Match Length: 19:55
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: We all knew this was going to be a rather untraditional MitB match just based on the fact that it featured only former WWE Champions. The smaller number of participants, coupled with their ages and physical limitations, meant that this match was going to focus on storytelling rather than spots. However, with that being said, I was very happy to see Miz return earlier in the show and insert himself into the match. It was Miz and Jericho who shouldered most of the bumping duties in the match, so we should thank them for making the match somewhat resemble what we know to be a MitB match. However, the main narrative thread of this match was the ongoing feud between John Cena and the Big Show, and as is so often the case, Show physically dominated the match before once again falling to Cena. Show definitely brought the brutality throughout the match (there is just no way to “fake” having a giant throw a ladder at you), but in the end it was all in vain. Show is once again becoming a joke, which is rather ironic given that his most recent heel turn was motivated by his desire not to be a joke anymore. Of course, the real story here is Cena winning the MitB contract. He will almost certainly be the first MitB winner since Rob Van Dam to announce when and where he’s cashing in his briefcase, and many rumors have him doing so as early as SummerSlam or even Raw 1000. Of course, those same rumors also speculate that Cena may be the first MitB winner to lose his match, so Punk’s lengthy title reign may not be in that much jeopardy.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Final Thoughts
Match of the Night:
Slimmer: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan (****½)
CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have now delivered an absolutely amazing trilogy of PPV matches. Their first match at Over the Limit was a technical masterpiece, their second match at No Way Out was a clinic in how to incorporate a big man into a triple threat match, and tonight they gave us a great hardcore brawl. The had the Match of the Night at the last two PPVs, and they stole the show again tonight.
Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina Snuka vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, & Eve Torres (½*)
This was a sloppy mess, and at just three minutes long, it wasn’t even an effective way to kill time. These three minutes could have been used much better, and much less embarrassingly, elsewhere.
Final Analysis:
Slimmer: This show wasn’t nearly as good as last year’s Money in the Bank PPV, but that’s an almost impossible standard to match. Last year we had two great MitB matches, another in a string of strong championship matches from Orton and Christian, and the all-time classic magic of Punk vs. Cena. This year’s MitB matches often seems rushed and contained far too few truly memorable spots. Sheamus vs. Del Rio was a decent match, but it certainly didn’t live up to Orton vs. Christian. And while Punk vs. Bryan was fantastic, even it can’t live up to Punk vs. Cena. The filler on the card was, well, just filler, and it’s a bit alarming that the pre-show match was better than many of the matches on the main card. Overall this was a passable and middling show, but it does get bonus points for the WWE Championship Match.
Verdict:
Slimmer: **½
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