WWE Money in the Bank 2012: 10 Things to Know About CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan

Tonight at Money in the Bank, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan will try to compete with one another for the WWE Championship again. The difference this time around is with AJ being the special guest referee. AJ is the former girlfriend of Daniel Bryan and the former love interest of CM Punk. Both men have since stated that they don't want anything to do with her romantically. This hasn't prevented wedding proposals, multiple kisses and even a red monster to muddy the waters up.

Punk and Bryan were both world champions six months ago and it was a dream match between these two then. Now, it is a WWE Championship match that, with its constant segments and attention given to it, will likely be the main event match at Money in the Bank. Where will AJ side? Will she screw over either man? Will she go back to Bryan? If AJ does not like either man, will the unstable AJ ever end this match?

Here are ten things to know about this match, especially given that very few know how this match will actually go tonight.

Punishing Match at Over the Limit

The last time that these two fought on pay-per-view in a one-on-one match, it was Over the Limit. Just watch this match over and see the torture put forth by both of these men. There are countless submission holds used by these two technical wrestlers. At times, it is almost uneasy to watch.

These two men are not very powerful offensively, so their matches are often full of vicious kicks and crippling holds.

If you anticipate a brawl, don't bother thinking that way. These two will likely have a similar match to Over the Limit, in terms of what each looks to do. The moves themselves, however, are likely to be completely different. These two are the kind of competitors that can have five matches in five days and have each match different than the last.

If you expect a cookie cutter match between these two men, you are absolutely mistaken.

Champions Have Advantage in Phoenix

The U.S. Airways Center has been nicknamed the Purple Palace and the Snake Pit in the past, but to WWE fans, it is a place for big events and few title changes. The WWE Championship has never changed hands inside this arena in Phoenix, despite a bunch of events taking place here. SummerSlam 2003 took place here, but that had Kurt Angle defeat Brock Lesnar.

Judgement Day 2006 was a Smackdown-exclusive event in Phoenix and did not have a WWE Championship match. The building also hosted Cyber Sunday in 2008, which saw Triple H defend the WWE Championship against Jeff Hardy.

There have also been countless episodes of RAW and Smackdown in this arena, including Shawn Michaels' farewell speech following his loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI.

Speaking of that WrestleMania, that is one of only two instances where a new WWE Champion has been crowned in the state of Arizona. At that event, which took place at nearby Glendale, John Cena defeated Batista to become the new champ.

The other one took place in Tuscon, when Mankind defeated The Rock during Halftime Heat to become WWE Champion, in an Empty Arena match. Money in the Bank will look to be another memorable pay-per-view in the city of Phoenix, while Daniel Bryan will try to accomplish what nobody before him has done in the city.

Mr. Money in the Banks Collide

Isn't it ironic that at Money in the Bank, two former winners of Money in the Bank matches face one another in a world title match? CM Punk is the only multi-time winner of the match, while Bryan won the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match last July.

In just the third Money in the Bank pay-per-view, it is just the fourth instance where two former Money in the Bank winners have faced each other in a world title match after their stints with the briefcase.

Edge and Rob Van Dam, the first two winners, faced each other in 2006 after Van Dam won the WWE Championship. Edge would become WWE Champion just 22 days after helping Van Dam become champion. CM Punk cashed in his first Money in the Bank briefcase in 2008 on Edge to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time.

Punk was one of the three opponents to Jack Swagger when he lost his World Heavyweight Championship at Fatal 4-Way in 2010. Swagger won the title after winning a briefcase at WrestleMania XXVI, the last WrestleMania to feature a Money in the Bank match. Alberto Del Rio also cashed in Money in the Bank on CM Punk, a former winner himself.

AJ Is the X Factor

AJ is the special guest referee and has the ultimate power. She will decide who leaves Phoenix as WWE Champion and who will ultimately be disappointed in her. With her mental state in question, it is anyone's guess as to how this match will ultimately end up.

She has locked lips with both men, put both men through a table and slapped both men. That has all happened in the last few weeks. Punk has obviously been the one that AJ has wanted to be with, but he has denied her advances and her marriage proposal. Bryan, on the other hand, broke her heart just a few months ago after losing a world championship. He now wishes to use her to get another one back. Her hatred for him is pretty sincere, at least it seems to be.

Her adoration for Bryan hasn't entirely disappeared, since the looks she gives to him aren't always so negative. What if this is all to help Bryan become champion in the long run?

Special Guest Referee Title Changes Are Special

It isn't very often that WWE Championship matches have special guest referees involved. It's even more rare that a special referee has been involved in a title change. The first one was at WrestleMania X when Bret Hart defeated Yokozuna. Shawn Michaels was the special referee at SummerSlam 1997 when Bret Hart won his final world championship in WWE over The Undertaker.

Mankind had to win a match at WrestleMania XV just to be the referee for the WWE Championship match between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin would defeat The Rock to win his third WWE Championship.

There were two referees at Over the Edge in 1999 when The Undertaker defeated Austin. Those two referees were Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon. Later that year at SummerSlam, Jesse Ventura was the special guest referee that saw Mankind win his third WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match.

Shane McMahon was the special referee the following night on RAW with Triple H becoming the new champion. Shane McMahon was the special referee when his own father became WWE Champion in 1999 on a Smackdown episode.

In 2000, The Rock became WWE Champion at Backlash over Triple H with Shane McMahon as referee. Three weeks later at Judgment Day, Shawn Michaels was the special referee for an Iron Man match between The Rock and Triple H. Triple H won after The Undertaker's return caused a disqualification for the deciding fall. No special guest referee has overseen a title chance in the last dozen years.

363 Days After Money in the Bank 2011

Two days from now will mark the one-year anniversary from last year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view. At that event, CM Punk won the WWE Championship and left Chicago with the belt. He was slated to leave the company with that belt. In another match that night, Daniel Bryan won the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match. Five months later, Bryan became World Heavyweight Champion.

This event really was a benchmark for both men in their WWE careers, and they now get together one year later to try and add another chapter to both of their careers.

Streak of Different WWE Champions at SummerSlam in Jeopardy

In 10 of the last 11 years, a different WWE Champion has come into SummerSlam, the second biggest pay-per-view of the year behind WrestleMania. If Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship between now and SummerSlam, that streak will increase.

In 2001, Stone Cold Steve Austin came in as champion. The next year saw The Rock as champion with Brock Lesnar winning the title, becoming the youngest WWE Champion of all-time. 2003 saw Kurt Angle as WWE Champion, while John Bradshaw Layfield was the champion in 2004. John Cena was the WWE Champion at 2005's SummerSlam and 2007's event as well. Edge was the champion in between those two years.

In 2008, Triple H was the champion, while Randy Orton was WWE Champion in 2009. In 2010, Sheamus came into SummerSlam as WWE Champion. Last year saw both CM Punk and John Cena as champion before Punk won the undisputed championship, only to lose it to Alberto Del Rio.

So, if you're keeping count, in the last 11 SummerSlams, there have been a total of 12 different men to be recognized as WWE Champion. Daniel Bryan can make that 13 in the last 12 years if he wins.

Rivalry Full of Messy Finishes

This is one of those rivalries where there just won't be a clear cut winner any time soon. Bryan and Punk face each other, but keep having issues that get into the way. From submissions and pinfalls going on at the same time to Kane being involved in the feud, anything can be done to make this feud lengthen without a definite winner.

In the greatest non-finish yet, this match from SmackDown in February saw both men pin each other at the exact same time. Will Money in the Bank show a winner finally? I doubt it.

Expect This Feud to End at Big Time Event

To go along with that lack of a definite winner, expect a big event to be the final chapter in this rivalry. A few weeks from now will be SummerSlam, which may be the setting for their encounter. I'm personally thinking a little bit loftier of a dream.

Can we see these two at WrestleMania? If they do have such a match, it needs to be a match that will leave no doubt. I would personally like to see an Ultimate Submission match or a standard Iron Man match between these two guys.

Don't Expect a Submission Finish to This Match

I just mentioned submission matches. These two men have both been known for their submission holds. It will be the Yes Lock against the Anaconda Vice. As for Money in the Bank, don't expect either hold to be the way that this match will finish.

Over the Limit's match finished with a Yes Lock turned into a pinfall attempt. Punk tapped roughly a second after the three-count was completed. It wasn't a controversy, but it left more to be desired. This match will also leave more to be desired, but not in the same way.

This match will be different than the past.

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