WWE Money in the Bank 2011: Was This the Most Internet-Friendly Show Ever?

The 2011 edition of WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view is in the books, and fans across the country continue to celebrate what was one of the greatest events Vince McMahon's company has ever put together. Far exceeding Wrestlemania XXVII, this year's Money in the Bank had a little bit of everything for each section of pro wrestling fans. There were high spots, brutal use of weapons, solid technical wrestling (in a match involving John Cena, imagine that), and near flawless booking throughout.

More than anything, Money in the Bank was the first event in a very long time, maybe since Wrestlemania XX back in 2004, where WWE seemed to be tipping its hat to the smart mark, internet fan base.

At Wrestlemania XX, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero left as world champions and Chris Jericho, Christian, and Trish Stratus nearly stole the show. At Money in the Bank, a handful of the internet's favorite performers were featured, adding to the legacy of what will undoubtedly be remembered as a fine example of a near-perfect professional wrestling show.

The Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match started the show off perfectly, mixing and matching high spots and smart, psychology-filled work with the all-important ladders. As many figured, Sin Cara, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel were responsible for many of the high spots, while stars such as Sheamus, Wade Barrett, and Daniel Bryan held the match together.

Prior to the contest, no one expected Daniel Bryan to capture the briefcase and earn a future shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. But WWE, apparently finally acknowledging their large and vocal internet fanbase, awarded Bryan the opportunity of a lifetime.

It remains to be seen what will come from this, but it was a major step towards WWE giving the ball to someone fans respect and have been clamoring to see succeed, as opposed to a Superstar that has been shoved down their collective throats.

The Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match featured another internet favorite, Alberto Del Rio, who reached the briefcase and secured an almost-guaranteed WWE Championship reign. The match, like the Smackdown match, was extremely well-booked and featured a number of high spots that repeatedly popped the crowd, an essential part of these types of ladder matches.

Christian left the World Heavyweight Champion, something the internet fans have been clamoring for since April, when he originally lost the title. Some will complain about the manner in which he won the gold for the second time, but remember: Christian is the heel.

Since turning heel, Christian has been booked as a cowardly heel that continuously needed rematches in order to keep his title aspirations alive. He cried controversy and screwjob when he lost. Winning the title the way he did was brilliant booking that played to the booking of the storyline thus far and will only help to get Christian over further as a main event heel.

Finally, the main event caused the internet to break, almost literally. Hundreds of wrestling websites were downed by the intense traffic CM Punk's WWE Championship victory caused.

Casual and die-hard fans alike took to the internet to find the latest news, read the numerous reviews, and voice their opinions on what many are considering a Match of the Year candidate. CM Punk, in the last month, has generated a new interest in the product, and his win at Money in the Bank was one that smart marks could celebrate and casual fans found intriguing and may very well tune in weekly to follow the story.

Money in the Bank was, at the very least, one of the most internet-friendly events in recent history. Daniel Bryan, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and CM Punk--four of the most popular Superstars across the web--were all put in the spotlight, while typically-pushed stars such as Cena, Miz, and Big Show were sent to the background for one night. The result was a pay-per-view that has a tremendous amount of hype and acclaim coming out of it.