WWE Best of the Month: August 2012

Here are the highlights from August 2012:

Superstar of the Month: Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan may seem like an offbeat choice for the best superstar of August, but hear me out.  I know the argument can be made that it was the worst month of the year for him given the fact that he spent most of it being tortured by AJ, Kane and the entire WWE Universe, however he still somehow managed to become arguably, the most over superstar in the entire company.  He's been prominently featured in every episode of Raw since RAW 1000 and even main evented against John Cena in what was easily one of the best TV matches of the year thus far.  Whether it's in or out of the ring, Bryan continues to be the standard bearer for entertainment value and consistency in the WWE.  This past month stands as a testament to that.

Match of the Month: WWE Summerslam 2012 & Raw 8/20/2012: Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho is my second favorite all-time performer, but in my opinion, he had not quite found his purpose upon his return until he entered this feud.  Sure, his matches with Punk were stellar, but Punk was a bona-fide star and that feud was more "fantasy warfare" and did not really do much further either man's careers.  Enter Dolph Ziggler.  Ziggler has been on the cusp of the main event for two years now and while he had already won the MITB briefcase, it was in his feud with Jericho, that he truly started to appear as worthy of a top spot.   He hung with Y2J move for move and thrilled the audience in what has to be the best Summerslam opener since Kurt Angle/Rey Mysterio back in 2002.  I hope people will come to appreciate this match and if not it's a shame, because it was by far one of the most exciting matches of the year and thrown in with their rematch from Raw the next night, this one month feud has easily been the most crucial work of Ziggler's career thus far.

Match Rating: Summerslam: ****      Raw: ***3/4

Moment of the Month: A Lethal Dose of Attitude

CM Punk's heel turn has provided us with some of the most compelling television of the year.  Still, it wasn't until he began his mini-feud with Jerry Lawler that things began to click.  Not just for Punk as a character, but for the company as a whole.  The promos between both men were as intense as anything else the WWE has produced lately, but it was in their Steel Cage match that we witnessed something eye-opening.  Punk began to bleed and it was as if it made him all the more sadistic as he then proceeded to beat Lawler mercilessly until John Cena ran in for the save.  If you're like me, then this brought you back to the Attitude Era, where things like this occurred on a regular basis.  Let's face it, we were spoiled then and most of us didn't appreciate the emotional weight of such a situation.  We were never compelled to feel sorry for someone getting bullied, we just cheered and begged for more (HEY!  Wipe that evil grin off of your face, that is NOT the ideal reaction).  That's what made this moment so memorable.  There were a plethora of things you just don't see anymore and that leaves us all on edge.  That alone, makes this segment special and the most impactful of the month.

 

Surprise of the Month: Here Comes The Pain

While the outcome of their Summerslam battle may not come as much of a surprise, it's the events before and after that left us all in awe.  Triple H has ended the month a broken and defeated man who's let down himself, his family and his best friend in his defeat to Brock Lesnar.  No one could have predicted the depth that things would go to when Brock initially broke The Game's arm.  We all expected a match to happen, but none of us expected the dark road these two would travel.  The question is still up in the air whether or not we will ever see Triple H compete again and that is the biggest shocker of all.  He has let everyone down to the point that his pride is beyond repair, resulting in a side we've never seen before from the King of Kings.  Perhaps, bowing out is his way of saying Lesnar is the new King.  That remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, he is nothing if not unpredictable.

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: In the past month CM Punk surpassed JBL's 2004 (280 days) reign and now has held the WWE Championship for over 285 days.  In the past 17 years, only John Cena has held the title longer.  Personal taste aside, his "Best In The World" moniker is no longer up for argument.
2. Sheamus (2) World Heavyweight Champion: Sheamus is riding a wave of popularity and momentum rarely seen nowadays.  It's hard to remember the last time anyone has given him a believable challenge and it looks as if there are few superstars in the WWE who can.
3. Dolph Ziggler (3) World Heavyweight Championship MITB Winner: Ziggler accused Jericho of not being able to win the "big one", but it was he who was truly put to the test.  In defeating Jericho and costing him his spot on the Raw roster, he has passed with flying colors.  Oh, and there's also that briefcase.  That should come in handy.
4. Alberto Del Rio (7): Del Rio came pretty close to capturing his first World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam, but he earned the most credibility by picking up perhaps the biggest win of his career in his one on one match with Randy Orton in the final weeks of the month.
5. The Miz (4) Intercontinental Champion: Miz nearly stole the show at Summerslam when he successfully defended his title against Rey Mysterio.  He may not be anywhere near the world title scene, but perhaps he's found his niche as IC champion.
6. John Cena (5): Cena's rollercoaster of a year continued as he again slips out of the top five.  Still, he is the number one contender for CM Punk's WWE Championship and without a doubt the champ's biggest threat. 
7. Daniel Bryan (8): Bryan has been a bit of an afterthought in the minds of both world champions, but his anger issues have provided the WWE Universe with some of the more entertaining moments of the year.  Still, that all means nothing if he can't pick up some big wins.  And speaking of big wins, Bryan looked as impressive as ever when he defeated Kane at Summerslam.
8. Antonio Cesaro (-) United States Champion: In capturing the US title from Santino Marella, Cesaro brought instant credibility back to the fledgling belt.  He also impressed when he defeated former world champion Christian earlier in the month.  Not bad for a debut in the top ten, but he'll have to successfully defend the title on a bigger stage if he wants to rank higher.
9. Chris Jericho (9): Jericho finally got the monkey off his back when he picked up his only big victory this year over Dolph Ziggler.  Unfortunately, he was then released from his contract the next night after losing to Ziggler in a rematch.  It's safe to say he won't be making any top ten appearances again any time soon.
10. Big Show (6): Show has made one of the biggest dropoffs since I started the best of the month back in December, slipping four spots to number ten.  That being said, he is still the most intimidating force in the WWE with an ironclad contract to back it up.  Win or lose, he should not be taken lightly under no circumstances.