WWE: CM Punk, Money in the Bank 2011 and the Week in Review
Every year WWE just has that week, that one defining week of the year that sets the industry ablaze. WWE just completed that week.
The wrestling industry has been turned completely upside down since July 17 when WWE unleashed its wrath on the business with its unbelievably well-executed Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View.
From top to bottom, Money in the Bank was booked to near perfection and will go down as one of the greatest events of this new millennium because it will go down as the catalyst event for what followed.
We have already been thrown for a loop with Punk beating John Cena, holding the WWE Championship hostage and already making the WWE brass miserable.
Vince McMahon was on the verge of firing Cena when โThe Gameโ Triple H came out to put the kibosh on that nonsense. He then effectively relieved Vinceโs duties as CEO per the Board of Directors, which also appointed Triple H the new CEO.
With Vince all but officially off television, Triple H taking over, Punk running wild in the streets with the WWE Championship and much, much more, WWE has taken us on an epic rollercoaster ride.
Itโs time we take a look back at the life-altering week that was in the WWE Universe.
1. Christian Wins World Heavyweight Championship
1 of 10Money in the Bank was an eventful Pay-Per-View before the World Heavyweight Championship kicked off, but this match helped solidify the blockbuster event we were witnessing at the time.
Christian and Randy Orton are having a back and forth bout that already saw Christian tempt Orton with a steel chair as soon as the match started. Yet Christian took the match and feud to the next level when he spit directly into Ortonโs mouth when the tides were turning.
This classic and cunning heel move unleashed the Viper and caused Orton to unleash on Christian with low blows, punches to the face and two RKOโs on the announcerโs table.
Orton may have dismantled Christian, but he walked to the back without his Championship. Christian was the victor and new World Heavyweight Champion of the world.
Finally, Christian was back on top where he deserved to be. People have been calling for Christian to be a Main Eventer and World Champion for nearly a decade, so this was the cream filling for what was to be the icing on the Money in the Bank cake.
Fellow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Donald Wood offers further insight to this feud and why WWE will benefit from Christian holding the Championship instead of Orton, while Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Tom Clark discusses how Christian has been overlooked.
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2. CM Punk Wins WWE Championship, Leaves WWE
2 of 10This was easily one of the top matches of both menโs professional wrestling careers. It has already been deemed an instant classic for its hype, in-ring action and result.
The built for this match was off the charts with Punk announcing that he would leave WWE as a free agentโwith the WWE Championship. Everybody tuned in to see what would happen and WWE delivered an epic showdown.
Vince McMahon attempted to recreate the โMontreal Screwjobโ with the โChicago Screwjob,โ but Cena refused to be a pawn. Vinny Mac and Johnny Aceโs involvement, ironically, screwed over Cena as it gave Punk enough time to recover and hit the GTS to become WWE Champion.
Mr. McMahon immediately got on the commentary booth and ordered Alberto del Rio to the ring, but it was too late. Punk was already into the stands kissing Vince McMahon and the WWE Universe goodbye holding the WWE Championship hostage as he celebrated in the crowd.
This is the match that will be seen as the catalyst for an entirely new era of professional wrestling.
Bleacher Report Member Merlot Williams doesnโt seem too thrilled with CM Punk representing us and decides to play Devilโs Advocate.
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3. Sin Cara Violates Wellness Policy, Suspended
3 of 10Sheamus nearly paralyzed Sin Cara during SmackDownโs Money in the Bank match when he power bombed him through a bridged ladder to the outside. Sin Cara convulsed on the unforgiving ringside mats and was taken to the back by paramedics on a stretcher.
Little did we know this jaw-dropping spot was not just a way to eliminate Sin Cara from the match, but WWE programming for at least 30 days.
On Monday, we found out that Sin Cara was going to be suspended immediately for failing the WWE Wellness Policy after he tested positive for steroids.
Fellow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Tom Kinslow questions if he will ever recover from this in the eyes of the fans despite only being suspended for 30 days. Kinslow also wonders if Sin Cara will be punished further for publicly acknowledging that he did not know why he was suspended and that a doctor must have injected him with steroids for pain management.
Uh oh.
Most young fans adore Sin Cara for his โsuperheroโ appearance and ring style. I previously wrote that WWE needs Sin Cara, but one now has to be more concerned with his image in the eyes of WWE management than the fans.
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4. Vince McMahon Relieved of Duties, Triple H Takes Over as CEO
4 of 10Yes, the aftermath of CM Punk capturing the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank.
As Vinny Mac went to fire John Cena, Triple H informed us that the Board of Directors have relieved Vince of his duties and replaced him with son-in-law Hunter.
And just like that, WWE said goodbye to one of the greatest on-air characters in television history, let alone professional wrestling.
And just like that, WWE once again became must-see TV.
Everyone is trying to figure out what this means for WWE on- and off-air. Right now, all we have is absolute chaos as we try rack our brains trying to figure out where WWE goes from this. The possibilities are absolutely endless.
The one thing we do know is that there will be plenty of changes both on- and off-air. Some will be for the good and some will be for the better. With Triple H taking over on-air, this is a sign of things to come off-air. Vince McMahon is officially bowing out. He was brought to tears as he said his final goodbye to the fans he gave every inch of his body to. People may have hated the character that was Mr. McMahon, but there is no denying his impact on this industry on- and off-air.
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5. RAW-SmackDown Brand Extension Coming to an End?
5 of 10With WWE without a Champion and a severe lack of superstars, WWE may finally be wising up and put an end to the RAW-SmackDown Brand Extension.
The split sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry following WrestleMania X-8 in 2002. It was a way to create new storylines and superstars and it made sense. After Vince McMahon brought in WCW and ECW superstars, there were simply too many wrestlers to go around. The split caused some of our beloved tag teams to split, but it also paved the way for others to shine.
WWE tried to capitalize on the split by creating a rivalry between the RAW and SmackDown, but it never flowed correctly as WWE continued to drop the ball.
The split quickly became stale and the talent pool became too thin to continue the separation years ago. Now, WWE could be inching closer towards brand unification, which would effectively rejuvenate WWE programming.
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6. Triple H and CM Punk Bringing Back Attitude Era? Or a New Era Altogether?
6 of 10The Attitude Era is widely regarded as the greatest era in professional wrestling history. For many, it ended when Steve Austin turned heel to join Vince McMahon at WrestleMania X-7.
Since then, Vince McMahon and WWE have been trying to recreate its mass appeal but can never quite get over the top.
With Triple H as the new CEO and gaining more influence and power backstage, a lot of fans have high hopes that he will be able to usher in an equally exciting era. If the past week is any indication, we may very well be on the verge of recreating the Attitude Era.
Or are we? We may be advancing even further than the Attitude Era thanks to Vince McMahonโs adoption of using social media to his advantage, as Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Michael Cahill suggests.
How can you deny Cahill or the impact social media will have on professional wrestling? WWE has a way to reach viewers even when they are off television.
CM Punk is everybodyโs new favorite anti-hero. He is able to succeed as the anti-hero in different ways than the outlandish โStone Coldโ Steve Austin.
Triple H has done everything there is to do in this industry and he knows the Attitude Era was the peak of professional wrestling because of what they were able to doโshock the world. Triple H will be able to integrate his Attitude-esque ideas into todayโs programming to usher in an Attitude-Social Media combo era that could leave fans stunned on a day-to-day basis.
We donโt know for sure where WWE is heading, but we know theyโre headed somewhere. Triple H, CM Punk and Vince McMahon are on the verge of ushering something new into our livesโwe just have to wait to see exactly what that something is.
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7. CM Punk Invades San Diego’s Comic-Con, Ambushes Triple H
7 of 10You want to talk about shock value?
This moment may even rival Punk capturing the WWE Championship.
On July 21, CM Punk actually decided to fulfill his dream of attending Comic-Con. While at the event, he decided to crash WWEโs presser and ambush new CEO Triple H.
We saw witty back and forth banter between Hunter and Punk, which the fans absolutely ate up. This has been the talk of the Internet Wrestling Community since it was released to Youtube Thursday afternoon.
WWE is truly taking this storyline to the next level and are pulling out all of the stops. You want to talk about a new era? We are truly in the social media era. Vince McMahon and WWE once loathed the Internet, but now they are embracing its ability to reach fans across the world.
If WWE is going to use the Internet against the Internet Wrestling Community, wrestling as we know it will be changed forever. Say goodbye to your dirt sheets because we wonโt know which way the WWE is coming from. WWE is officially taking its company to the next level.
Vinny Mac and the WWE officials have finally taken notice of the Internetโs outreach power.
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8. WWE Looking to Recreate Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon?
8 of 10WWE has a golden opportunity presented to them with Triple H taking over as CEO. Hunter is an equally empowering figure as Vince McMahon in the wrestling industry. Even better, he could legitimately kick some tail in the ring, unlike McMahon.
With fans calling for a new era to be ushered in by Punk, the best way may be to pit him against Triple H just like Steve Austin ushered in the Attitude Era against Vinny Mac.
After Comic-Con, everybody wants to see more back and forth banter between Hunter and Punk. Triple H knows what it takes to make a superstar and he could very well catapult Punk to the top of this industry.
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9. Daniel Bryan Will Cash in Money in the Bank Briefcase at WrestleMania 28
9 of 10Was Money in the Bank the Internet Wrestling Communityโs wet dream or what? Alberto del Rio winning RAWโs Briefcase wasnโt as shocking as it was to see Daniel Bryan make his way up the ladder and pull down SmackDownโs Briefcase.
Now, Bryan is guaranteed a WWE Championship opportunityโand he has time to prepare.
He announced on Friday Night SmackDown that he will cash in his opportunity at WrestleMania 28. Mr. Kennedy wanted to do the same, but that never happened. This will give Bryan an exciting storyline for the next year as we wonder if he truly waits to cash in at the Showcase of the Immortals or not.
At the very least, he has the time to prepare himself for a Main Event program heading into WrestleMania. He needs to improve on the mic to carry a program, though we saw Triple H and Shawn Michaels carry the promos heading into WrestleMania XX with Chris Benoit.
Bryan has the background to make the storyline worthwhile. Now itโs just a matter of time and Bleacher Report Senior Analyst RiZe offers great insight to the American Dragon.
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10. Mark Henry’s Wrath of Destruction
10 of 10How many times has WWE tried to push Mark Henry? Too many.
Still, WWE is doing a fantastic job with Henry this time around. He and Big Show actually put together an entertaining program leading up to Money in the Bank. At the historic event, WWE booked a solid and quick contest that made both men look great.
Both men took it to each other and WWE actually used fantastic in-ring psychology to have Henry attack Showโs injured leg. They then allowed Henry to continue his wrath of destruction by having him leap off the top rope onto Showโs ankle placed inside a steel chair.
They didnโt have Henry stop at Money in the Bank. On SmackDown, Henry attacked another behemoth, Kane, after he lost a Street Fight to Randy Orton. Henry did the same to Kane as he did to Show five days earlier. Kane is now expected to miss three months of action with a broken fibula.
In the end, Henry looks awesome after taking out Kane and Show. These events put Henry over well and will have everyone anticipating the return of Kane and Show to seek their revenge. Whoever takes down Henry will certainly see a big push.
Featured Columnist Donald Wood is not impressed, but Bleacher Report Contributor C-Cool doesnโt recall another man taking out both Show and Kane in less than week!
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