WWE Money in the Bank 2012: Lack of a Must-See Match May Hurt This Year's Show

The Money in the Bank pay-per-view has always been a fan-favorite event on the WWE calendar. The Raw and SmackDown ladder matches created an excitement that made fans more inclined to order the show than other monthly company offerings.

In 2011, the ladder matches were accompanied by a WWE Championship match that set the world of professional wrestling on fire (for as long as that may have lasted) as CM Punk challenged John Cena in front of Punk's hometown of Chicago.

With just under 24 hours to go until the 2012 edition of the show, the buzz surrounding the event is nearly non-existent. Fans are not talking about Sunday's event in the same manner as they have in previous years.

Part of the blame for the lack of anticipation belongs to the creative team, who have been responsible for some horrendous television in recent weeks.

Another part belongs to Vince McMahon, who has been reluctant to create any tried-and-true new stars to fill the voids left by the likes of Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Triple H and Undertaker. A decided lack of star power makes it harder for fans to buy into a given performer or performers.

Finally, the decided lack of a must-see match makes it harder for fans to decide to drop $45 on a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view offering. With little emphasis being put on the importance of the Money in the Bank matches and the WWE and World Championship matches being treated as undercard affairs, fans are left with no real motivation to pay for or to care about the show.

This, in no way, is a death sentence for the show before it even takes place. The Money in the Bank show is, annually, one of the more interesting and entertaining events of the year. The wrestlers themselves often put forward extra effort, and the fans in attendance are more pumped for the death-defying stunts they bare witness to.

Money in the Bank, in many ways, has outperformed WrestleMania in recent years in terms of quality.

And that may be the case this year. Unfortunately, with a lackluster card and only one real story to pull the fans in, fewer fans may see the high-quality production than in years past.