WWE Best of the Month: May 2012

Here are the highlights from May 2012:



Superstar of the Month: CM Punk

For the second month in a row, CM Punk outclassed the rest of the WWE roster.  He established himself as arguably, the WWE's top superstar with his consistent performances in and out of the ring and with John Cena in creative limbo, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho both facing suspension and Brock Lesnar's walkout, it's CM Punk's company now.  Much credit should be given for his ability to step up to the plate and become the most dominant superstar in the WWE throughout the month of May.





Match of the Month:: WWE Over The Limit: WWE Championship match: CM Punk(c) vs. Daniel Bryan

For the third time in five months, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan have given us the MOTM.  However this time around, it was an instant classic battle for the WWE Championship.  When Daniel Bryan suffered a pair of losses to Sheamus in April, many were counting him out, suggesting that his impressive run as a main event talent was over.  Those critics could not have been more wrong.  Bryan established himself as the WWE's hottest breakout star and came closer to winning the WWE title from CM Punk than any other superstar before him.  The match itself was a work of art.  It's been nearly a decade since we've seen such a hard fought, catch as catch can battle between two competitors as talented as Punk and Bryan in the WWE.  The match instantly restored the faith of many jaded fans who have been demanding a high profile WRESTLING match for the company's top prize.  More than anything else, it secured both men a place amongst the company's elite and set the bar high for every other young superstar in the WWE looking to make a name for themselves.  Taker/HHH may have been a more poetic example of masterful storytelling, but in terms of in-ring quality, this match is not only the match of the month, it's easily the most brilliant WWE Match of the Year thus far.

Match Rating: ****3/4

Moment of the Month: No more Mr. Nice Show

Big Show has been stale for nearly a year now.  His feud with Mark Henry aside, he hasn't done anything worth noting in a long time.  That all changed on the last Raw of May.  In a move reminiscent of his biggest rival in 2011, Show decided it was time to re-establish himself as one of the WWE's most feared competitors by laying waste to everything in sight.  When you're seven feet tall and five hundred pounds, you can't afford to pander to the audience and play nice with your peers, because then you lose your greatest asset.....fear.   Show realized this and traded his smile for an intimidating scowl.  A move that has set him on course to dominate the WWE for the rest of 2012.  As far as his path of destruction being particularly memorable goes, Brodus Clay, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston can all testify, it was a moment they will never forget.





Surprise of the Month: The Return of Paul Heyman

Continuing the streak of memorable returns this year, Paul Heyman shocked the wrestling world on the first Raw of the month, returning to WWE television as the legal representative to Brock Lesnar.  It was a masterstroke by WWE management that managed to please both the live audience and the impossible to impress IWC as well.  Since then, the buzz surrounding both Heyman and Lesnar has died a bit and they have sparingly appeared on TV.  Still, Heyman's presence alone makes things all the more intriguing and still resulted in the biggest mark out moment of the month.










Top Ten WWE Superstars Pound for Pound


*(The number in parenthesis is the superstar's rank in the last month's list)

1. CM Punk (1) WWE Champion: CM Punk extended his incredible WWE title reign to 190+ days in May, cementing his status as the WWE's man to beat.  He also was revealed to be the WWE 13 cover star, had the best match of the month and continues to be the WWE's most consistent crowd pleaser.
2. Sheamus (2) World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus beat the top three contenders for his world title at OTL in a fantastic Fatal Four Way match and there appears to be no one that will be able to take the belt off of The Great White.
3. Daniel Bryan (7): After a lackluster April, Bryan bounced back in May, further establishing himself as one of the most dynamic and exciting main event talents in the WWE.  And while his match with CM Punk at OTL ended unfavorably for the number one contender, he earned a big victory over the champ on the last Raw of the month.
4. Big Show (-): Big Show is now the most feared superstar in the WWE.  And even though he currently has his sights set on John Cena, his reckless attitude and destructive behavior has the entire locker room is on notice.
5. Alberto Del Rio (-): Del Rio currently is the number one contender for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship.  Having only been back little over a month, you have to be impressed with how focused he has been and at his ability to immediately go toe to toe with the blue brand's cream of the crop without missing a beat.
6. Kane (-): The Big Red Machine has re-entered the title scene and appears to be as dangerous as ever.  His involvement in the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan feud has added a much more intriguing element to what is currently the WWE's best rivalry.  And with Bryan and Punk both so distracted by AJ, it's Kane who's heading into their inevitable WWE title match with the greatest advantage.
7. Christian (-) Intercontinental Champion: Captain Charisma earned his fourth IC title when he defeated Cody Rhodes for the belt at OTL, ending Rhodes 2nd run with the title.  Christian has since successfully defended the title against Jinder Mahal and earned impressive wins over Hunico and The Miz during the remainder of the month, already establishing himself as a fighting champion and further restoring the prestige of the legendary gold.
8. Randy Orton (6) and Chris Jericho (8): Both Orton and Jericho gave show stealing performances at OTL and were both shining bright as the top two in-ring performers on Smackdown.  So you could imagine the level of anticipation I had for a rivalry between the two.  Unfortunately, both men are currently suspended and our dream feud will have to wait. 
9. Ryback (-) and Damien Sandow (-): The two fastest rising stars on Smackdown have given us some of the most impressive talent exhibitions the WWE has ever seen.  Particularly Ryback, who has become the Picasso of squashing jobbers.
10. John Cena (3): Cena's 2012 thus far, has been the most inconsistent year a top star has ever had in the WWE.  One month he's the unbeatable "Super-Cena" that everyone loves to hate, another he's a fallen icon who can't catch a break.  Unfortunately for John, the latter rang more true in the month of May.  Still, you can never count him out.  Look for him to change course in the second half of the year, ending things on a much higher note.