Mike’s CM Punk Fest/Money in the Bank 2011 Review

Did the biggest hyped WWE b-show PPV in the past six years live up to enormous hype on TV, social media, and in the mainstream press?

By a wide margin, oh yes.

Here’s my favorite moments of the show, both CM Punk related and not–

– Loved that such a big show was in Chicago, not just as the hometown of the main eventer, but as a historic building in WWE history from the WrestleManias they mentioned, Survivor Series 1989 which was the first WWF PPV I saw live, big RAWs such as Jericho’s debut, and other notable hot crowds they have there, big ups to Chicago for bringing their A-Game.

– Loved the Smackdown Money in the Bank match. So many crazy stuff happened:

• Spanish Fly on Bryan by Sin Cara
• Sheamus powerbomb Sin Cara off the apron through a ladder
• Cody and Sheamus both showing huge house of fire spots
• Doomsday Device on Bryan as an ode to the Road Warriors in Chicago
• Heath Slater just hanging on the top of the ladder just launched on dudes
• Sheamus choked slammed off ladder onto another ladder
• Justin Gabriel 450 splash
• Bryan hitting huge elbows that eventually led in a big finish to his win

– Loved Johnny Ace on WWE TV!

– Loved the RAW Money in the Bank bringing another real fun match, that although I didn’t think as good as the opener, featured some real enjoyable and rewatchable spots:

• Everyone grabbing a ladder to begin and using them like they were playing the Joust on American Gladiators on each other
• Alberto Del Rio getting ladders thrown right on him and then The Miz threw Rey right on the ladders that were on Del Rio! Sick spot that the announcers really didn’t mention
• Rey did a rana off the ladder on Swagger
• Bourne and Kofi had some fun interactions early on doing a tug of war with the ladder and using their athleticism
• Great dive sequence with Riley busting out a dive, Truth doing a crazy dive, Rey and Kofi simultaneous dives, and then culminated with maybe the spot of the match with Evan Bourne hitting an IN SANE shooting star press off a ladder on the outside on everyone
• He later took a man sized bump in the ring on a ladder to the outside that eventually was the end of Bourne for the match
• Kofi dropkicked Rey off the ladder
• There was a spot where Swagger and Kofi just killed themselves legit with a crash and burn off the ladder. Swagger took it worse but crazy stuff.
• Ended with a very creative Del Rio stealing Rey’s mask spot, but wasn’t the best in execution – as Rey was unmasked, thrown to another ladder and the momentum knocking him down had also sent Del Rio down falling in a giant wreck. It looked bad, but it didn’t look THAT bad where it seemed to of turned people off. It was a very creative spot that was alright in the end as it finished with Del Rio getting back  up and grabbing the briefcase.

– Enjoyed the post match Del Rio promo after winning the briefcase. Always a fan when WWE does a big interview with a guy after a big win – something they don’t do much often anymore. Reminds me when they’d do a post Rumble press conference. Put that cigarette out!

– Liked the Orton/Christian match. Didn’t like it as much as their previous matches, but solid stuff.

• Hot ending with Christian hitting the Killswitch for 2.9999999.
• Orton then retaliated with a real sweet move – He gutwrenched Christian so his back was on his shoulder and then flipped him up and hit a neckbreaker
• Christian becomes the first man to get kicked in the balls and win the World Heavyweight Championship
• Post match beat down. May see this all end in a Hell in the Cell or some kind of big blowoff match. I’ve enjoyed this feud enough where I can tolerate it going on a bit longer.

– Loved that the Cena/Punk stuff started right at 10:00. Ok, maybe 10:01, but still – for fifty minutes it was some of the most enjoyable pay-per-view atmosphere I’ve ever seen.

• Match started around 10:13 and ended at 10:46 as I tried to document how long they’d give them. I’m a believer in wrestling matches not going super long, but if this whole thing went 50 minutes and this match went 33, it was a very easy 33 minutes to sit through. I remember in Summer of Punk I when he had a 60 minute match with Daniels in Philly and I could never see myself sitting through that again.
• Cena hitting the AA for another 2.99999 type spot was huge. Cena deserves a king sized amount of credit for his role in tonight.
• I couldn’t care less what anyone says, John Cena can wrestle and the fact that is such a loud criticism of him still is incredibly stale and I cannot wait for it to be over, if it ever is. There’s a lot of other material to use to bash the guy, but he was fine here.
• Punk was awesome and put on a performance in all the years watching him since IWA-MS/ROH in the very early 2000s. He has everyone talking right now and he deserves all the recognition hes getting.

So now here we are – Punk has presumably left the WWE with the WWE Title as the PPV came to a close. But the big story for me is what seemed to be countless fans all just seemed to remember how awesome pro wrestling is. Cannot remember the last time this has happened.