The 2012 Money in the Bank was the third annual Money in the Bank

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

(PPV)

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...

produced by

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

. The event took place on July 15, 2012, at the

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Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. It was the first Money in the Bank event held following the discontinuation of the first

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in August 2011. The event had 188,000 buys, slightly down on the

2011 Money in the Bank The 2011 Money in the Bank was the second annual WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank professional wrestling pay-per-view List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw (WWE brand), ...

figure of 195,000 buys. Eight matches were contested at the event, with one match on the pre-show. In the main event, John Cena won the

Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...

for a

WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...

match contract, while in the opening bout, Dolph Ziggler won the other Money in the Bank ladder match for a World Heavyweight Championship match contract. In other prominent matches, Sheamus defeated

Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...

to retain the World Heavyweight Championship and

CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...

defeated

Daniel Bryan Daniel Bryan may refer to: * Bryan Danielson (born 1981), American professional wrestler who formerly used the ring name "Daniel Bryan" * Dan Bryan (1900–1985), Irish soldier * Daniel Bryan (Big Brother), contestant on the British reality televi ...

to retain the WWE Championship in a no disqualification match with AJ Lee as the special guest referee.

Production

Background

Money in the Bank is an annual

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...

(PPV) produced by

since 2010, held in July. The concept of the show comes from WWE's established

, in which multiple wrestlers use

ladders A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladders, such ...

to retrieve a briefcase hanging above the ring. The briefcase contains a contract that guarantees the winner a match for a world championship at any time within the next year. For 2012, two Money in the Bank ladder matches occurred; one granted a contract for a

match while the other contained a World Heavyweight Championship match contract. The 2012 event was the third event under the Money in the Bank chronology and the first since the end of the first brand split in August 2011. It took place on July 15, 2012, at the

Storylines

Money in the Bank featured seven

professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds or and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed

villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character as ...

heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. On the June 25 episode of ''Raw'', Vickie Guerrero announced that only previous WWE Champions may participate in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the WWE Championship contract. The four participants announced were Kane, Chris Jericho,

Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...

and John Cena. Earlier, during the pay-per-view, The Miz would return from filming The Marine 3: Homefront and announced that he would insert himself in the match. On the June 29 episode of ''SmackDown'', qualifying matches were held for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship contract. In those matches, Damien Sandow defeated Zack Ryder, Tyson Kidd defeated Jack Swagger, Santino Marella and

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

defeated Cody Rhodes and David Otunga in a tag team match and

Tensai Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler and professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Bloom ...

defeated Justin Gabriel. On the July 3 "

Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National ...

" edition of ''SmackDown'', Rhodes defeated Christian and Dolph Ziggler defeated Alex Riley in two additional qualifying matches. The final qualifying match took place on the July 9 episode of Raw in which Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater. In addition, there was a rivalry involving

and

for Punk's

. In his reign as WWE Champion, he had successfully defended his title against several contenders, and had defeated Bryan in several pay-per-views, the last one also involving Kane. At the same time, Bryan's ex-girlfriend AJ had taken a liking towards Punk and Kane and had also rekindled her interest in Bryan, but Punk and Kane believed that she was unstable due to Bryan breaking up with AJ. Following No Way Out, Bryan defeated Punk and Kane to earn his rematch against Punk at Money in the Bank. Weeks later, AJ was named special guest referee. Right before the pay-per-view began, WWE.com posted that the no disqualification stipulation was added.

Event

Preliminary matches

The actual pay-per-view opened with the

Money in the Bank Ladder Match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...

for a World Heavyweight Championship contract involving Damien Sandow,

, Intercontinental Champion

, United States Champion Santino Marella, Tyson Kidd, Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. In the end, Christian attempted to retrieve the briefcase, but Ziggler struck Christian with a ladder, causing Christian to fall off the ladder, and retrieved the briefcase. Then, The Miz returned and announced his entry in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match. Next, Sheamus defended the World Heavyweight Championship against

. During the match, Del Rio repeatedly targeted Sheamus' left shoulder after Sheamus collided with the ring post. In the end, Sheamus was able to execute

White Noise In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used, with this or similar meanings, in many scientific and technical disciplines, ...

and a Brogue Kick to retain the title. After the match, Del Rio and his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez attacked Sheamus. Dolph Ziggler, who won the Money In The Bank earlier that night, attempted to cash it in until a distraction by Del Rio. Sheamus would give Ziggler a Brogue Kick and leave with the World Heavyweight Championship, as the match never got started. After that, The Prime Time Players faced

Primo & Epico Primo and Epico Colón are a Puerto Rican professional wrestling tag team. The team, composed of real-life cousins, are former WWE Tag Team Champions, with the title won during their first run as Primo and Epico from 2011 to 2013. They also for ...

WWE Tag Team Champions WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separate ...

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth were at ringside providing commentary for the match. Primo pinned Young with a roll up for the win. In the fourth match,

defended the

against

in a no disqualification match with AJ serving as the special guest referee. During the match, Punk accidentally knocked AJ down. Bryan took advantage of the situation and made it appear that he was concerned about her health when she was escorted to the back of the arena. While AJ was away, Bryan targeted Punk's ribs using a kendo stick. Punk attempted a Go To Sleep twice, but Bryan countered each time. Bryan applied a

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

, but Punk escaped by striking Bryan with the kendo stick. AJ returned to the ring and made the second referee return backstage. She brought a chair into the ring, which Bryan struck Punk with for several near-falls. Bryan tried to coax AJ, allowing Punk to roll him up for a near-fall. Punk set the chair up in the corner and before he could send Bryan into the chair, AJ stood in the way, allowing Bryan to gain the advantage. However, as Bryan went to retrieve the kendo stick, she stood on it, allowing Punk to execute a scoop slam with the chair. Punk attempted a

diving elbow drop Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

with the chair, but missed and fell on the chair. Bryan applied the Yes Lock using the kendo stick but Punk fought out and performed a GTS for a near-fall. Punk executed a back

superplex A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs. Professional wrestling feature ...

through a table on Bryan to retain the title. Later,

Ryback Ryback Allen Reeves (né Ryan; born November 10, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Ryback. One of the eight finalists on WWE's '' Tough Enough 4'', Reeves l ...

faced

Curt Hawkins Brian Myers (born April 20, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is a former Impact Digital Media Champion. He is best known for his tenures in WWE from 2006–2014 and 2016–2020 unde ...

and Tyler Reks in a handicap match. Ryback executed

Shell Shocked Shell shock is a term coined in World War I by the British psychologist Charles Samuel Myers to describe the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) many soldiers were afflicted with during the war (before PTSD was termed). It is a react ...

on Reks to win the match. After that,

Layla "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compose ...

, Kaitlyn, and

Tamina Snuka Sarona Moana Marie Reiher Snuka-Polamalu (born January 10, 1978) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tamina. She is a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champ ...

faced Beth Phoenix, Natalya, and

Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...

in a six-diva tag team match. When the referee lost control of the match, Tamina performed a

superkick Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...

on Phoenix. Layla performed The Layout on Phoenix for the victory.

Main event

The main event was the Money in the Bank Ladder match for a

contract involving John Cena,

, Chris Jericho, Kane and The Miz. Cena performed an

Attitude Adjustment Attitude Adjustment is an American crossover thrash band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their debut album, ''American Paranoia'', is considered to be an early "crossover" between hardcore punk and thrash metal. Formation The band was formed ...

on Big Show through a broadcast table and then the other wrestlers buried Big Show under several ladders. Cena performed an Attitude Adjustment on Kane on top of The Miz, who was lying on a ladder, but Jericho struck Cena with a ladder. As Jericho was about to retrieve the briefcase, Big Show destroyed the ladder with one hand. Big Show destroyed every ladder in the ring and then retrieved a super-sized ladder. Kane and Big Show fought atop the ladder, but Big Show knocked Kane and Cena off of the ladder. Jericho struck Big Show with a chair, causing Big Show to fall. Jericho applied a sleeper hold to Cena atop the ladder. After Cena fell, Jericho almost retrieved the briefcase, but The Miz climbed the other side of the ladder. Big Show climbed up the ladder and attacked Jericho and The Miz with KO Punches. Big Show attempted a KO Punch on Cena, but Cena blocked it with the briefcase and struck Big Show with it. During this, the handle of the briefcase broke off, meaning Cena won the match. Cena then knocked Big Show off the ladder.

Aftermath

On July 23, 2012, during ''

Raw 1000 Raw 1000 was a television special that was broadcast live on July 23, 2012, airing on USA Network (in the U.S.) as the 1000th episode of WWE's flagship show '' Raw''. It was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The show featured f ...

,'' John Cena cashed in his Money in the Bank on CM Punk by having a singles match with him, becoming only the second wrestler ( Rob Van Dam being the first) to announce his intention prior to cashing in. Cena won the match via disqualification thus not winning the title after Big Show interfered. This made John Cena the first of four wrestlers (as of 2018) to officially cash in the contract and not win the championship, the others being Damien Sandow in October 2013, Baron Corbin in August 2017 and Braun Strowman in September 2018. Meanwhile, Dolph Ziggler attempted various times to cash in the contract following Money in the Bank including four times on SmackDown against Sheamus and

when they were champions respectively and on two episodes of ''Raw'' attempted to cash in, being thwarted by John Cena and Ricardo Rodriguez respectively. Ziggler defended the briefcase twice, on the August 20 episode of ''Raw'' to Chris Jericho and at

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

to Cena in a ladder match. Ziggler finally cashed in the contract, defeating Alberto Del Rio on the April 8, 2013 episode of ''Raw'', after Del Rio had been attacked by Jack Swagger. The feud between Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio continued into SummerSlam, where Sheamus "beat" Del Rio. After Sheamus attacked Ricardo Rodriguez, Del Rio sought David Otunga to ban the Brogue Kick. This was granted by SmackDown general manager

Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...

. The ban was lifted at

Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...

, where Sheamus won. Also, at ''Raw 1000'', CM Punk turned heel after attacking The Rock, who was helping John Cena fend off Big Show. At SummerSlam, Punk defended the WWE Championship against Cena and Show in a Triple Threat Match and at Night of Champions against Cena, where the match ended in a draw. Punk would continue to defend the WWE Championship until the

2013 Royal Rumble The 2013 Royal Rumble was the 26th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 27, 2013, at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal R ...

, where, despite interference from The Shield, The Rock would defeat him for it.

Reception

Money in the Bank received generally positive reviews. ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' called the pay-per-view "Strong, if unspectacular"; they praised the WWE title match calling it a "fun ride" and that "The no disqualification stipulation really added to the contest". Both Money In The Bank matches were well received. 411 mania awarded the pay-per-view a 7.8/10 calling it 'good'. The WWE title match received a 4/5 while both the Money In The Bank matches received a 3.5/5 rating.

Results

References

External links

Official Money in the Bank websiteMoney in the Bank Event Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Money In The Bank (2012) 2012 in Arizona Events in Phoenix, Arizona

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

Professional wrestling in Phoenix, Arizona 2012 WWE pay-per-view events July 2012 events in the United States