WWE Over The Limit 2012
|20.05.2012|
Live from PNC Arena - Raleigh, North Carolina
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WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
BRYAN WINS CHALLENGE TO FACE PUNK
In several ways, a CM Punk-Daniel Bryan WWE Championship Match was always fated to be. The two Superstars are among the purest athletes and finest technicians WWE has ever seen. Their championship reigns were some of the most dominant in late 2011 and early 2012, and they come from a hardscrabble, old-school wrestling background that has endeared them to the WWE Universe in a way that is not typically seen amongst modern Superstars. And now, at Over the Limit, they will finally meet with the supreme prize on the line.
The clash is sure to be a memorable one: each time these two have met in the ring, the results have been electric. The two wrestled a fierce sequence of Champion vs. Champion Matches earlier this year, when Bryan still held the World Heavyweight Title, and their paths have crossed numerous times over 10 years in smaller, independent promotions all over the world.
Bryan seemed to be out of the world title picture after a pair of losses to Sheamus – the infamous 18-second defeat that cost him the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, and a grueling 2-out-of-3-Falls rematch a few weeks later at Extreme Rules. But the upstart Superstar was actually emboldened by his effort in the rematch, which saw him trap The Great White in the “Yes!” Lock and render him unconscious in the process. Bryan’s bravado carried him through a Beat the Clock Challenge on the following night’s Raw, when he beat times set by Randy Orton and The Miz to earn the right to challenge for Punk’s mantle.
Immediately after learning of his new No. 1 contender, The Second City Saint made his presence known. Punk sized up his future opponent from the stage and offered a round of applause in approval for his opponent before holding his title aloft in defiance of his challenger. Bryan responded with a mocking gesture of his own, which is particularly fitting given the rivalry between these two: neither will budge, neither will back down. But only time will tell who is left standing with the ultimate prize in hand.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton - Fatal 4-Way Match
THE GREAT WHITE 4-WAY
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus has said time and time again that he loves to fight.
Well, at WWE Over the Limit, The Great White will get that opportunity – times three – when he battles challengers Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way Match for the World Title.
Originally slated as a one-on-one title encounter against Del Rio, the pay-per-view showdown picked up two contenders on the May 7 edition of Raw SuperShow. This happened when John Laurinaitis, the General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown, announced that it would be a Fatal 4-Way Match aftter the competitors erupted in a brawl after an intense tag team battle on Raw.
Sheamus has been on an absolute tear since capturing the World Heavyweight Title from Daniel Bryan in a history-making 18 seconds at WrestleMania , including hard-fought victories over the former champion in a 2-out-of-3 Falls rematch at Extreme Rules and a tremendous win over The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry on SmackDown. More than ever before, the Irish Superstar has been running on all cylinders, demonstrating the heart of a true World Champion.
Despite his recent success, however, the odds of The Great White walking out of Over the Limit with the coveted title around his waist are strongly against him. In a Fatal 4-Way Match, any of the four competitors can win the title by scoring a pinfall or submission on any of the other three. In short, Sheamus doesn’t technically have to be beaten to lose his championship.
In addition to the numbers game, the elite Superstars that The Great White will face are both successful and dangerous even on their worst days – with talents particularly well-suited to this type of match.
Chris Jericho is a four-time World Champion and one of the most highly decorated Superstars in the history of WWE. Translation: the first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion has always, and will always, know how to win. He’s skilled, adaptable and completely merciless in any and all conditions. Therefore, his fourth World Title could be but a Codebreaker away.
Randy Orton is a nine-time World Champion, capable of waging war on any battlefield. Besides being an unpredictable and cunning grappler, The Viper’s ability to strike quickly in a number of ways gives him a decisive advantage in this type of contest. The crown jewel of his arsenal in particular – the RKO – is the perfect device to emerge triumphant in the fast-paced chaos of a Fatal 4-Way.
Del Rio is a two-time World Champion, who’s as confident as he is ruthless. Rising out of the luchador tradition of Mexico, the aristocrat Superstar is no stranger to the tornado-like atmosphere he will encounter at Over the Limit. In fact, he’s already reached the pinnacle of squared circle greatness in a similar environment, having won his second title in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell WWE Championship Match in 2011.
At WWE Over the Limit, find out who will emerge from the mayhem of the Fatal 4-Way with the World Heavyweight Championship in his grasp, Sunday May 20 at 8 / 5 PT, only on pay-per-view.
John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis
GM WANTS TO PUSH CENA TO THE LIMIT!
Before John Cena went to war with Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules, he accused Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis of trying to put him "out of business" by bringing Brock back to WWE.
Now, it looks like the power-hungry GM wants to personally eradicate Cena from WWE.
Still nursing the wounds from his punishing clash with Brock, the Cenation leader was asked to meet Laurinaitis in the ring on Raw SuperShow for a face-to-face talk, in which the GM would reveal who Cena's opponent at WWE Over the Limit would be. At first, it appeared that Lord Tensai was Laurinaitis' hand-picked Superstar, but following an unbelievable 3-on-1 assault which included Tensai and Sakamoto, the choice became brutally clear: Laurinaitis will be the man who goes one-on-one with Cena on May 20.
On repeated occasions since WrestleMania XXVIII, Laurinaitis made it known which Superstar he believes represents the future of WWE, and it's definitely not Cena. The Raw and SmackDown General Manager proved he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep Brock happy by agreeing to the outrageous contract demands laid out by the behemoth prior to Extreme Rules.
Against all odds, Cena overcame the seemingly-unstoppable Lesnar in an Extreme Rules Match, but it still wasn't enough to convince Laurinaitis that it's the 10-time WWE Champion, not Brock, who rightfully deserves to be called the "face of WWE." Then, in a shocking confrontation on Raw SuperShow, Laurinaitis made his boldest power play yet, attacking and mocking Cena while his left arm was still healing.
Cena isn't the first Superstar to tangle with arguably the most polarizing figure in WWE. It was just a few months ago when WWE Champion CM Punk had it out with Laurinaitis, even going so far as to knock him out with the Go To Sleep on the Jan. 23 edition of Raw SuperShow. However, Laurinaitis didn't let his scuffles with Punk derail his quest to remain the dominant decision-making force on WWE programming, and he later took control of SmackDown in addition to Raw with a resounding victory over Team Teddy at WrestleMania.
At WWE Over the Limit, just three weeks will have passed since Cena's savage battle against Lesnar at Extreme Rules. Will the Cenation leader be able to recover in time for his collision with the Raw and SmackDown GM? Or can Laurinaitis pull off an upset and break Cena's spirit coming off one of the biggest victories of his career? Find out at Over the Limit on Sunday, May 20, live on pay-per-view.
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger
NEW CHAMPIONS PUT TO THE TEST
Newly minted WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth will defend their titles for the first time at WWE Over the Limit, where they will do battle with the arrogant and aggressive duo of Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Swagger & Ziggler have proven themselves as dominant singles competitors in the past, but the duo’s business advisor Vickie Guerrero is now determined to lead the former World Heavyweight Champions to the top of WWE’s growing tag team division. Since A.W. has yet to invoke the automatic rematch clause of his “All World” clients, former WWE Tag Team Champions Primo & Epico, Swagger & Ziggler have emerged as the No. 1 contenders to Kingston & Truth’s illustrious titles – and they don’t intend on leaving WWE Over the Limit without them.
“The All-American American” & “The Show-Off” will have their hands full, however, even if they would never admit it. Garnering attention for their high-energy offense and uncanny ability to connect with the WWE Universe, Kingston & Truth rode a wave of momentum when they challenged Primo & Epico in a WWE Tag Team Championship clash on the April 30 edition of Raw SuperShow. Despite a distraction on the ring apron from Rosa Mendes, Kingston nailed Epico with Trouble in Paradise for the three-count to win the championships. The exciting tandem would go on to notch an impressive victory over Hunico & Camacho later that week on SmackDown, no doubt fueling Ziggler & Swagger’s desire to snatch the titles from their grasp.
Will Swagger & Ziggler overcome the kinetic WWE Tag Team Champions, or will Truth and his imaginary pal “Little Jimmy” join Kofi for a celebratory boom clap after sending Vickie’s blond blowhards packing? To find out, tune in to WWE Over the Limit, Sunday May 20 at 8 ET/5 PT, only on pay-per-view.
WWE Divas Champion Layla vs. Beth Phoenix
CAN PHOENIX RISE AGAIN?
When Beth Phoenix lost the WWE Divas Championship to Nikki Bella on the April 23 edition of Raw SuperShow (WATCH), The Glamazon severely sprained her left ankle.
But that wasn’t enough to keep Phoenix down. Less than a week later, she was set to face Nikki for the butterfly-emblazoned title at Extreme Rules … or so she thought. Before her match at Extreme Rules, Phoenix learned she was not medically cleared to compete.
With The Glamazon out of the picture, Layla stunned the WWE Universe by returning from injury to capture the WWE Divas Championship from Nikki at Extreme Rules.
Layla’s shocking return was the culmination of a long road to recovery after suffering an injury in 2011. Immediately after her victory, an exuberant and glowing champion did not mince words about her plans. “I'm going to dominate,” she said in a WWE.com Exclusive Video.
But Layla’s return is not sitting well with The Glamazon.
"I’m going to bust her other knee, and make sure that she goes away and never comes back," Phoenix said in a recent emotional interview with WWE.com. "She has no idea what she has gotten herself into.”
With tensions continuing to mount between the two, their clash was officially announced on May 7 on WWE.com.
At WWE Over the Limit, will The Glamazon find a way to reclaim the title she held for just over six months? Or, will Layla fight to keep what she has earned just as hard as she fought to rehab from from her injury? Tune in Sunday, May 20, live on pay-per-view at 8 ET / 5 PT.
Pre-Show Live Streaming
Zack Ryder vs. Kane
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'People Power' Battle Royal - US or Intercontinental Title Match to winner!
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