How To Watch The WWE In A Focused, Fun Manner, Whether You're New Or A Long Time Fan, 12: PG

The creative doldrums of the last few seasons start to slowly fade as the current crop of AEW and WWE stars ascend to the top of Ring Of Honor, we get our second Summer Of Punk, as well as The Pipebomb, and Impact gives some spotlight time to some looked over WWE veterans while also continuing their excellent X-Division.

This is an era I was totally tuned out for. I wasn't watching any wrestling at all, and nobody I was talking to ever mentioned it. (I didn't even hear anyone elude to the pipebomb until 2014.) So it was fun to go back and see some of these matches, and realize that the mediocrity that turned me away from sports entertainment didn't last very long.

Season 12:
​PG

Starring: John Cena, Randy Orton, Christian, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Kennedy, The Briscoe Brothers, Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode, Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, The Young Bucks, Chris Jericho,  Jack Haeger, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio,  Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, Mickie James, Wade Barrett, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Jay Lethal

1201. Sort Of Extreme Rules, 2010

I won't be including him in any matches, but to give the beginning of this season some excitement, there is a huge return in this episode that makes for a really feelgood moment. (Though, again, there won't be any singles matches with the returning superstar because he was past his time of being able to put on good shows.)

1. Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Kane, Matt Hardy, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Jack Hager, Matt Sydal, Drew McIntyre

2. Triple H vs Sheamus in a Street Fight
3. Chris Jericho (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Edge in a Steel Cage Match
4. John Cena (WWE Champ) vs Batista in a Last Man Standing Match
5. Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk in a Hair vs Straight Edge Society Match

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1202. Big Bang Theory, 2010

While WWE and Impact each have definitive new storylines for this season, ROH continues to just ... exist. There are some great matches here, and it's always fun when Jim Cornette shows up, but, uhh, the storylines are elementary school basic so even though the matches are good, it's tough to invest in them. So this is episode is to highlight Caesaro in the Kings Of Wrestling, the Motor City Machine Guns (who are about to go nuclear in Impact), and give Seth Rollins some more screen time before he jumps to WWENXT nxt season.

Announcers: Jim Cornette, Dave Prazak, Kevin Kelly, Bobby Cruise

1. The Brisco Brothers (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Kings Of Wrestling
2. Davey Richards vs Kenny King
3. The Kings Of Wrestling (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Motor City Machine Guns
4. Seth Rollins (ROH Champ) vs Austin Aries vs Roderick Strong

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1203. Lethal Fortune, 2010

We're just a few seasons away from AEW coming into existence and really making it feel organically like WCW is back. It will be on the same channels that WCW used to be, it will have some of the old school announcers, it will have a couple of the old guard as mentors, and one or two as wrestlers. But now, in Impact, in addition to having Jeff Jarret, Sting and a bunch of aging WWE veterans around, Impact does its best WCW impression by introducing ... sigh ... Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Luckily, they don't wrestle in this episode. This episode is a tag team clinic in three excellent matches as Beer Money and Motor City Machine Guns go all out (like AEW) for the titles. Also, we see some non-Kong Knockout matches, as the division gets fresh blood.

Announcers: Mike Tenay, Tazz, Jeremy Borash

1. Beautiful People vs Angelina Love & Victoria
2. Beer Money vs Motor City Machine Guns for the Impact Tag Team Titles
3. Ric Flair vs Jay Lethal
4. Madison Rayne (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Roxxi in a Title vs Career Match
5. Motor City Machine Guns (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Beer Money in a Ladder Match
6. RvD (Impact Champ) vs Sting
7. Madison Rayne (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Angelina Love
8. Motor City Machine Guns (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Beer Money in a 2/3 Falls Match

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1204. Over The Limit, 2010

We open with a title match featuring two stars who will go on to have one of the best title matches in this history of the WWE but on this night their match is interrupted by the debut of a new faction that features some familiar faces from ROH and Impact. We also see Drew McIntyre get an early spotlight, and two Money In The Bank matches with two genuinely surprising winners. And, even though he's only shown up for a few minutes at the beginning of one episode, we see Bret Hart already being written off the show. For now. 

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Matt Striker, Josh Matthews, Tony Chimel, Justin Roberts

1. John Cena (WWE Champ) vs CM Punk
2. Kofi Kingston (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Drew McIntyre
3. Matt Sydall (as Evan Bourne) vs Chris Jericho
4. Smackdown Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Kane, Big Show, Christian, Matt Hardy, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler

5. Rey Mysterio (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Jake Hager
6. Raw Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Edge, Mark Henry, The Miz, Ted Dibiase Jr, Matt Sydal (as Evan Bourne), John Morrison

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1205. The Nexus, 2010

Hell yeah, the first graduating class of NXT, from its brief stint as a game show, arrived in the last episode to wreak havoc. But we haven't seen them wrestle. Oh, and it was never mentioned on TV but Daniel Bryan was suspended for being Too Real during the Nexus debut, and is quietly brought back in this episode as someone fighting the Nexus. And, hey, Bret Hart's back. Don't blink.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Matt Striker, Tony Chimel, Justin Roberts

1. Team WWE vs Nexus
Bret Hart, John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, R-Truth, John Morrison vs Wade Barrett, Ryback, Heath Slater, David Otungo, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young, Michael Tarver

2. The Miz (WWE US Champ) vs Daniel Bryan
3. Randy Orton (WWE Champ) vs Sheamus
4. ​Wade Barrett vs John Cena

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​1206. The Stairway To Janice, 2010

It's Hogan/Bischoff shenanigans in the title scene of Impact, as RVD and Abyss feud, and Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and Kennedy (as Mr. Anderson) battle over the Heavyweight title. We also get to see the Young Bucks in Impact as they wrestled as Generation Me. 

Announcers: Mike Tenay, Tazz, Lauren Thompson, Jeremy Borash

1. RvD (Impact Champ) vs Abyss in a Stairway To Janice Match
2. Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy
3. Motor City Machine Guns (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks (as Generation Me)
4. Kurt Angle vs Kennedy (as Mr Anderson) in a Lethal Lockdown Match
5. RvD vs Abyss in a Monster's Ball Match
6. Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy vs Kennedy for the Impact Championship

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1207. Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies, 2010

Say goodbye to Seth Rollins, and then pretend to say goodbye to Kevin Owens (he'll be back soon), as this crop of ROH superstars are soon destined for NXT. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of that exchange, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas show up here to prove they're one of the top tag teams in the business even without Vince McMahon, Kurt Angle or Paul Heyman to guide them.
​
Announcers: Jim Cornette, Dave Prazak, Kevin Kelly, Bobby Cruise

1. The Kings Of Wrestling vs World's Greatest Tag Team
2. Seth Rollins (ROH Champ) vs Roderick Strong in a No DQ Match
3. Sara Del Rey & Serena Deeb vs Daizee Haze & Awesome Kong
4. Roderick Strong (ROH Champ) vs Davey Richards
5. Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens in a Career vs Mask Match

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​1208. Meltzer's WWEt Dream, 2010

The Nexus storyline begins to fade out, as we focus on some of the rising stars who don't need a stable to make names for themselves. Miz grows into his heel persona, Daniel Bryan puts on some wrestling clinics, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero provide WWE's near constant corrupt management storyline afloat, Low-Ki even shows up for a one-off (as Kava), and we get out first glimpse of Alberto Del Rio. And the title is because Dave Meltzer reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally likes Daniel Bryan. Smooches.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Matt Striker, Tony Chimel, Justin Roberts

1. Daniel Bryan (WWE US Champ) vs John Morrison vs The Miz
2. Daniel Bryan (WWE US Champ) vs Dolph Ziggler
3. John Morrison vs Shamus in a Ladder Match
4. Daniel Bryan (WWE US Champ) vs Ted Dibiase Jr
5. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Low-Ki (as Kava)
6. John Cena vs Wade Barrett in a Chairs Match
​7.  Kane (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Edge vs Rey Mysterio vs Alberto Del Rio in a TLC Match

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1209. Mortal Fortune, 2010, 2011

The senior citizen brigade had a long running storyline about power struggles between Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, Sting, and Nash throughout this season, and I've mostly ignored it. It was better than the Jarret/Russo nonsense but not by a wide margin. WCW alumni gotta WCW, I guess. There's some fun stuff here, though, as Mickey James makes the first of many jumps, this one from WWE to Impact, the Young Bucks put on a masterpiece against Motor City Machine Guns. We also see a rare post-ECW Dudley vs Dudley match that goes way beyond the pale, and we end with one of those faction vs faction in a cage matches that are totally not War Games, just as the over-the-top timed supecards aren't precisely Royal Rumbles.

Announcers: Mike Tenay, Tazz, Christy Hemme, Jeremy Borash

1. Mickie James vs Victoria
2. AJ Styles (Impact TV Champ) vs Doug Williams
3. Motor City Machine Guns (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks in a Full Metal Mayhem Match

4. Bubba Ray Dudley vs Devon Dudley in a Street Fight
5. Kurt Angle vs Jeff Jarrett
6. Kennedy (Impact Heavyweight Champ) vs Jeff Hardy in a Ladder Match
7. Fortune vs Immortal in a Lethal Lockdown Match
Christopher Daniels, Robert Roode, Kazarian, James Storm vs Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, Bubba Ray & Abyss

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1210. Loading The Chambers, 2011

The second longest/largest ever rumble match is ... long. Plus, two Elimination Chambers that push us toward some impending plotlines.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Matt Striker, Tony Chimel

1. Edge (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Dolph Ziggler
2. Royal Rumble
CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Justin Gabriel, Zack Ryder, William Regal, Ted DiBiase Jr., John Morrison, Yoshi Tatsu, Bray Wyatt (as Husky Harris), Chavo Guerrero, Mark Henry, JTG, Michael McGillicutty, Chris Masters, David Otunga, Tyler Reks, Vladimir Kozlov, R-Truth, The Great Khali, Mason Ryan, Booker T, John Cena, Hornswoggle, Tyson Kidd, Heath Slater, Kofi Kingston, Jake Hager, Sheamus, Rey Mysterio, Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Nash (as Diesel), Alex Riley, Big Show, Ezekiel Jackson, Santino Marella, Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, Kane 

3. WWE Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber
Edge (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Kane vs Rey Mysterio vs Big Show vs Drew McIntyre vs Wade Barrett

4. WWE #1 Contender Elimination Chamber
John Cena vs CM Punk vs Randy Orton vs Sheamus vs R-Truth vs John Morrison

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1211. Four On The Floor, 2011

Apart from the opening title match, every battle on this card has an "extreme" stipulation. Triple H goes after The Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak, Alberto Del Rio goes on a mission to get the Heavyweight title, Christian returns to the WWE, and The Miz, somehow the WWE champ, defends his title in a steel cage.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Booker T, Josh Matthews, The Rock, Justin Roberts, Tony Chimel, Howard Finkel

1. Edge (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Alberto Del Rio
2. The Undertaker vs Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match
3. Christian vs Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match for the WWE Heavyweight Championship

4. The Miz (WWE Champ) vs John Cena vs John Morrison in a Steel Cage Match

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1212. Honor Takes Center Stage, 2011

A couple of epic multi-team tag matches balance the oncoming storm of Tomasso Ciampa and the inaugaration of Davey Richards as the new face of ROH.

Announcers: Jim Cornette, Dave Prazak, Kevin Kelly, Bobby Cruise

1. Tomasso Ciampa vs Colt Cabana
2. World's Greatest Tag Team (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Kings of Wrestling vs The Briscoe Brothers vs All-Night Express

3. Eddie Edwards (ROH Champ) vs Davey Richards
4. The Young Bucks vs Future Shock vs The Bravado Brothers

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1213. Hardcore Justice, 2011

We're nearing the end of the Hogan Bischoff era of Impact. Sting has lost his mind and become Joker Sting, Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarret's feud gets personal when Jarret's wife (who happens to also be Angle's ex-wife) makes disparaging remarks about their marriage, and we even get an appearance by Chyna, who has her own history with Jarret. This is the final time we'll see Chyna, and we really don't get enough of her here. Oh, and Low-Ki is already back from the five seconds he was in the WWE.

​Announcers: Mike Tenay, Tazz, Christy Hemme, Jeremy Borash

1. Kurt Angle vs Jeff Jarrett in a 2/3 Falls Match
2. Bubba Ray Dudley vs AJ Styles in a Last Man Standing Match
3. Kurt Angle & Chyna vs Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett
4. Austin Aries vs Low-Ki vs Jack Evans vs Joaquin Wilde for an Impact contract
5. Mickie James (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Katarina
6. Fortune vs Immortal
7. Sting (Impact Champ) vs Kurt Angle

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1214. Capitol Punishment, 2011

This is a great episode. The heartbreak of Christian's short reign as WWE champ, and CM Punk dropping The Pipebomb and threatening to leave with the title. It was nearly some of the best storytelling of the 2010s WWE, except that they didn't let it linger long enough after the shocking ending of this episode. But for this chronology, we'll at least take some time off to pretend there was a long time between this inciting incident and the next part of the story.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Booker T, Matt Striker, Tony Chimel, Justin Roberts

1. Christian (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Randy Orton
2. Kofi Kingston (WWE US Champ) vs Dolph Ziggler
3. CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio
4. Randy Orton (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Christian
5. John Cena (WWE Champ) vs R Truth in a Tables Match
6. Raw Money In The Bank Match
Rey Mysterio, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Alberto Del Rio, Jake Haeger, Matt Sydal, Alex Riley

7. John Cena (WWE Champ) vs CM Punk

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1215. Northern Aggression/Southern Defiance, 2011

Another no nonsense Jim Cornette affair with miminal storytelling outside the ring but a ton of action in the ring.

​Announcers: Jim Cornette, Dave Prazak, Kevin Kelly, Bobby Cruise

1. The Briscoe Brothers vs All-Night Express in a Ladder Match
2. Jay Lethal (ROH TV Champ) vs Sami Zayn vs Mike Kanelli
3. Kevin Owens vs Steve Corino
4. Davey Richards (ROH Champ) vs Eddie Edwards

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​1216. Control, 2011, 2012

It's the end of the Hogan/Bischoff era as Joker Sting takes out The Immortal once and for all. Plus, Bobby Roode ascends to the top of the card, Gail Kim returns to dominate the Knockouts Division again, and we see how ROH alum Austin Aries is faring in the X Division. All in all, it's a fun endpoint to this season's Impact Adventures.

Announcers: Mike Tenay, Tazz, Christy Hemme, Jeremy Borash

1. Kurt Angle (Impact Champ) vs Bobby Roode
2. Gail Kim (Impact Knockout Champ) vs Mickie James
3. Bobby Roode (Impact Champ) vs AJ Styles in an Iron Man Match
4. Austin Aries (Impact X champ) vs Kid Kash vs Jesse Sorensen vs Joaquin Wilde
5. Sting vs Hulk Hogan for control of Impact

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1217. Disputed, 2011

Vince McMahon holds a tournament to crown a new WWE champ in CM Punk's absence. Then Triple H returns, fires McMahon, and throws John Cena at the new champ. And THEN CM Punk comes back, meaning there are two WWE Champs. Plus, Randy Orton and Christian continue to toss the Heavyweight title back and forth.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Josh Matthews, Tony Chimel, Justin Roberts

1. Rey Mysterio vs The Miz for the vacant WWE Championship
2. Rey Mysterio (WWE Champ) vs John Cena
3. Randy Orton (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Christian
4. Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston & John Morrison vs The Miz, R-Truth & Alberto Del Rio
5. Christian (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Randy Orton
​6. CM Punk (WWE Champ) vs John Cena (WWE Champ) for the Undisputed WWE Championship

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1218. Hall Of Pain, 2011

It's been a while since the Heavyweight Champ was a super heavyweight. And it's been a while since we've seen Mark Henry in a solid storyline. Finally, these two things converge. The match where he won the title wasn't great, but he did have some strong matches as champ, and here's the first of them.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Booker T, Josh Matthews, Justin Roberts, Tony Chimel, Howard Finkel

1. Dolph Ziggler (WWE US Champ) vs John Morrison vs Jake Hager vs Alex Riley
2. Triple H vs CM Punk in a No DQ Match
3. John Cena (WWE Champ) vs CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio in Hell In A Cell
4. Mark Henry (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Big Show
5. Alberto Del Rio (WWE Champ) vs John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match

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1219. Awesome Truth, 2011

This isn't precisely a filler episode, but it's mainly to showcase a few people who are going to be left out of the final episode of the season, as well as provide more drama leading into the big finale match of: John Cena vs The Rock. It feels wrong that CM Punk isn't in the final episode, but it also sort of proves his point that the WWE was usually happy to overlook him to make room for John Cena.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Booker T, Josh Matthews, Lilian Garcia, Justin Roberts

1. Alberto Del Rio (WWE Champ) vs CM Punk
2. Awesome Truth vs John Cena & The Rock
3. Dolph Ziggler (WWE US Champ) vs Zach Ryder
4. Mark Henry (WWE Heavyweight Champ) vs Big Show vs Daniel Bryan
5. Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett in a Tables Match
6. CM Punk (WWE Champ) vs The Miz vs Alberto Del Rio in a TLC Match

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​1220. "Once" In A Lifetime, 2012

Next season will see the rise of Team Hell No & The Yes Movement but we get a preview of why they happen here. Plus, while the WWE lied to you about The Rock vs John Cena being "once in a lifetime", I will tell you the truth: this is the only time they'll face off in this continuity.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Booker T, Josh Matthews, Lilian Garcia, Justin Roberts, Tony Chimel, Howard Finkel

1. Royal Rumble Match
The Miz, Alex Riley, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, Justin Gabriel, Primo, Mick Foley, Ricardo Rodriguez, Santino Marella, Epico, Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler, Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal, The Great Khali, Hunico, Booker T, Dolph Ziggler, Jim Duggan, Michael Cole, Awesome Kong,  Sheamus, Road Dogg, Jey Uso, Jack Hager, Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Big Show

2. Beth Phoenix (WWE Diva Champ) vs Tamina
3. The Undertaker vs Triple H in Hell In A Cell
4. Daniel Bryan (WWE Champ) vs Sheamus
5. The Rock vs John Cena