WWE Classic of the Week: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan from Over the Limit 2012

As the summer of 2012 approached, the idea that the WWE Championship feud would revolve around two former Ring of Honor standouts in CM Punk and Daniel Bryan was almost inconceivable.

Neither man had the size or look of traditional heavyweight champions, and their work on the independents hardly garnered them favor from a company known for its disdain for "indy darlings."

But at Over the Limit, with franchise player John Cena embroiled in a stale rivalry with authority figure John Laurinaitis, and Superstars such as Kane, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and Sheamus positioned elsewhere on the card, the decision was made to run with Punk versus Bryan for the most coveted prize in sports entertainment.

At the conclusion of their match at the Over the Limit pay-per-view that May, fans would be very glad officials did.

Two Superstars in their prime, celebrated for their in-ring work, delivered a quality main event that not only wowed the fans but also management, which proceeded to give them the opportunity to steal the show on two subsequent pay-per-view events.

One of the hottest feuds of 2012, Punk and Bryan helped prove to WWE Creative, and those making the most important decisions, that it was not the size of the performer in the match but the quality of their performance that dictates the overall success of the program. 

The Background

To say that 2012 had not started out ideally for Daniel Bryan would be an understatement.

Sure, he kicked off the year as the world heavyweight champion and the lead villain on SmackDown, but he also endured the humiliation of losing the title to Sheamus in just 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28, then dropped a rematch against the Celtic Warrior in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match at Extreme Rules.

CM Punk, on the other hand, was riding high as the new year began. The WWE champion, he had knocked off Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble, retained the title in an Elimination Chamber match and emerged from his intensely personal rivalry with Chris Jericho with the championship intact.

With a top contender to his title not readily available, Eve Torres announced a Beat the Clock Challenge to help find Punk his next challenger. The assistant to the Raw GM, she had the right to do so.

Punk then watched as Bryan defeated Jerry Lawler in the fastest time to emerge as the winner and new No. 1 contender.

With nothing else in the way of legitimate build, champion and challenger rolled into Raleigh's PNC Arena for Over the Limit, knowing full well that expectations would be through the roof and that the only way to meet them was to deliver the performances they built their reputations on while working for Gabe Sapolsky in Philadelphia at Ring of Honor.

The Match

The Analysis

Anyone looking for a masterful piece of technical wrestling will appreciate what Bryan and Punk were able to do here. The straight-edge champion, in particular, proved to the world he could not only have outstanding professional wrestling matches with John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Alberto Del Rio and Triple H—he was also able to get on the mat and trade submissions with someone as adept at ground work as Bryan.

As the contest advanced, the Superstars relied more on the near-falls and counters that have become a staple of WWE's main event style, creating drama and leaving the fans on the edge of their seats.

Some liked the finish, others did not, but it certainly allowed WWE Creative to continue the rivalry without booking a screwy ending that would have tainted all of the phenomenal work that preceded it.

The only complaint is that, throughout the match, Bryan forgets to sell the left leg that Punk spent so much time working over. It is evident early on, when he throws kicks with it, then flips off the top rope with ease, even though the limb should be in a fair amount of pain.

It is a minor nitpick but one that, for longtime fans who pay close attention to the psychology of a match, is sure to drive them crazy.

The Aftermath

The Punk-Bryan program really introduced fans to the AJ Lee character that would become one of the most popular on all of WWE television in the years that followed.

After being dumped in front of the entire world by Bryan, the WWE's answer to a Black Widow began setting her sights on Punk. Then Kane, who had issues with both Superstars. She would become integral in the story, leading to a Triple Threat match at No Way Out in June.

One month later, at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, the feud between Punk and Bryan culminated in a No Disqualification match that AJ factored into heavily as the special guest referee.

While many diehard fans would have appreciated a more straight-forward program, the involvement of AJ brought both Punk and Bryan expanded television time and helped their feud rival that of John Cena and Big Show, which was a much slower, plodding and uninteresting program.