With 2012 coming to an end, it's very apparent the WWE needed some direction in quality...
9. Night of Champions
On a night dedicated to champions, the match of the night (and one of the best matches in Night of Champions history) truly epitomizes what the night is about. A determined John Cena challenged the WWE Champion CM Punk for the company's top prize. This feud really heated up in the summer when The Rock announced at the 1000th episode of RAW that he would challenge for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. This didn't make Punk very happy and he responded by attacking the Great One later that evening. While a lot of fans initially cheered him for his actions, Punk's evolution as a heel was quickly becoming more apparent afterwards, as he was more prone to cheating, bullied as many people as possible, insulted the fans he used to be the voice of, and aligned himself with Paul Heyman. These two went on to prove that it's very difficult for them to have a bad match, as this was one of their best encounters to date with an ending that serves as a throwback to the classic championship matches of the '70s and '80s.
Recommended
10. Hell in a Cell
Another bone head move on this show was the booking of the actual Hell in a Cell main event. Let me paint the scenario for you: you have a WWE Champion in CM Punk, who is being built as a cowardly heel champion who must win until the Royal Rumble so he can defend his title against The Rock (the catalyst of his heel turn). Then you have a monster babyface on the rise in the undefeated Ryback. The crowd is fully behind him, John Cena "passes the torch" in giving him the main event spot, and in terms of his character evolution it is absolutely crucial for him to win. So, we have a match where both men have to win, neither can afford to lose, and they STILL find a way to screw it up. The match itself is brief and ranges on average in terms of spots. The ending is where that match suffers the most, pissing off every fan watching not because of who won, but how they won in terms of being inside Hell in a Cell. There were tons of other endings we could've had and because this was the ONLY Cell match on the card, it's where a lot of the show's focus in history will stay.
Skip It
11. Survivor Series
In a true booking highlight, we are given a Triple Threat for the WWE Championship that has been building since the end of the summer. With continuity towards Night of Champions and Hell in a Cell, CM Punk is forced to defend his WWE Championship against John Cena AND Ryback. Even more important, Punk must win on this night in order to be WWE Champion for an entire year. The match itself isn't bad, but most will remember it for the ending where the trio of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose (later known as The Shield) made their presence felt in impressive fashion.
Mild Recommendation
12. TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
The most important match of the night was the six-man TLC match between The Shield (in their first PPV match) and the team of Ryback and Team Hell No. This was the first ever TLC match that could end in pinfall or submission, and played a HUGE role in establishing The Shield as legitimate performers. What also should be noted is that Ryback was originally supposed to challenge CM Punk for the WWE Championship in a TLC match, before Punk was taken off the show due to a minor injury. But don't worry, he was still able to give a fantastic promo to receive cheap heat from the crowd in Buffalo and prove that even when injured, he's still the Best in the World.
Recommended
Final Thoughts:What in the world happened to the year 2012? Sure, stars like Ryback, Punk, Bryan, and Sheamus were able to stand out, but that was about it in terms of consistency. They started out somewhat strong during the Road to WrestleMania, then had a mediocre middle of the year, and closed the year with a mixed amount of PPVs. The year does end on a hopeful note with even more young superstars coming up the ranks. But if this year shows us anything, more part timers will show up to continuously take their spots when they need a WrestleMania pay check.
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