WWE pay-per-view schedule losing Money in the Bank this year?

by Geno Mrosko on Jan 23, 2012 6:20 PM EST in WWE

It would seem as though the WWE 2012 pay-per-view schedule is getting yet another makeover.

This time, word comes down from Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer that Money in the Bank is being dropped from the line--up as a stand alone show and two shows are being moved around to make up for it.

"I heard just a couple days ago that they have eliminated the Money in the Bank pay-per-view and I think the July show may be the TLC show. They're going to move the TLC show to Vegas, and then the December show will be called Vengeance, god only knows why. And Money in the Bank, in fact, is not going to be a pay-per-view this year. You know, Money in the Bank did very well last year but that was not because of Money in the Bank, that was because of Punk. I don't know that it's going to be at WrestleMania. If they're getting rid of the pay-per-view, I would say for sure it's going to be at 'Mania."

Vengeance had previously been scheduled to take place on Oct. 28 before word came down that it was getting dropped from the schedule altogether. I guess we now know that could have been simply to move it to July to get rid of the Money in the Bank show, which sounded like a good idea in theory but didn't work in practice. The match itself is extremely popular but turning it into an event by itself was always a bad idea.

We can't blame WWE, of course, for attempting to take advantage of a hot concept that was new and fresh but it works best as one showcase match at WrestleMania. It's also great because it gives plenty of mid-card guys the chance to showcase their skills on the big stage. To that end, winning the briefcase has turned into this generation's version of the King of the Ring tournament. The winner is almost always destined to move on to much bigger and better things.

The way to maximize that is to make sure it starts at WrestleMania and not on a pay-per-view no one is really paying for. Everyone on board with this change if WWE goes through with it?

Here's a look at the updated WWE 2012 pay-per-view schedule:

Royal Rumble -- Jan. 29, 2012, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri
Elimination Chamber -- Feb. 19, 2012, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WrestleMania 28 -- April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Extreme Rules -- April 29, 2012, at the AllState Arena in Chicago, Illinois
Over the Limit -- May 20, 2012, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
Bragging Rights -- June 17, 2012, location TBA
TLC -- July 15, 2012, Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
SummerSlam -- Aug. 19, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
Night of Champions -- Sept. 16, 2012, Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hell in a Cell -- Oct. 28, 2012, location TBA
Survivor Series -- Nov. 18, 2012, location TBA
Vengeance -- Dec. 16, 2012, location TBA

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Comments

Not a fan

At first, I liked MitB as only a match at Wrestlemania, but I like having two matches (more potential winners) and two briefcases (two cash-ins).

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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 23, 2012 6:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions

If they want to get rid of a PPV they should get rid of their most useless one, Hell in a Cell.

by StrongStyle81 on Jan 23, 2012 6:46 PM EST reply actions

I liked the gimmick PPV for it because I always enjoy those matches so 2 of them is a win

But as long as its back on Wrestlemania, I can’t complain. I think they would usually have more people in the WM match and it adds to the surprise factor when the winner can cash it in against whichever champion he chooses.

by hfl2013 on Jan 23, 2012 7:27 PM EST reply actions

WWE is losing PPV value because they don't value PPV themselves

Look at the names of these shows! Besides the Rumble, Summerslam, Mania and Survivor Series, these shows are corny, bubblegum crap. There is no big fight feel to anything they do anymore. Here is what I would do

Jan—Royal Rumble
Traditional 30 man over the top style.

Feb—No Way Out
A PPV designed to screw the Rumble Winner as usual.

March— World War 3.
3 rings in 3 elimination chambers, 30 men, 10 in each ring, last shot at Mania main event. If they could pull of the visual, they might get buys just for the spectacle!

April— Wrestlemania
Nothing need to be said here.

May— NO PPV
Wrestlemania costs too much. This gives some fans a break! Plus it lets WWE reset after Wrestlemania.

June— SuperBrawl
Bring back a WCW named PPV that is way better than Bragging Rights or Over the Limit.

July—NO PPV
SummerSlam needs proper build up and the July PPV’s have historically sucked at drawing buys.

August- SummerSlam
Biggest show of the summer

September- War Games-
If you really want a Raw vs. Smackdown PPV what sounds better and more like a fight than War Games? This is a historic event that needs to be brought back ASAP. This show would reset WWE for the end of the year.

October- Halloween Havoc-
This has been a no brainer for fans for many years. WWE just continues to ignore it.
This could be your extreme rules show.

November—Survivor Series
Classic Traditional Team PPV

December— Starrcade
I’d try to make the last PPV of the year almost as big as Wrestlemania or SummerSlam. End the year with a bang by having a huge show and I’d have this show in MSG every year. NY doesn’t want the half hearted Survivor Series.

Ten focused shows that serve a precise purpose with a couple breaks in the summer but grabs your attention in the fall. These shows sound like big fight shows and not the cookie cutter cliche shows they have now.

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by Major on Jan 23, 2012 7:33 PM EST reply actions

Come on

Those old WCW names are just as cookie-cutter as the ones we have now. “World War 3?” This idea has been heavily played out. Of the old WCW PPV names, the one I’d be most interested in seeing is obviously Starrcade for its historic grandeur, but otherwise I’m not married to any of their other old PPV names.

Honestly, they just need to cut the number of PPVs. Leave one or two concept PPVs and the big four along with one or two random other ones. Eight PPVs is actually perfect; you can fill the Wrestlemania-to-Rumble time with those eight and give a HUGE buildup to Wrestlemania from the Rumble.

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by Michael Jong on Jan 23, 2012 11:00 PM EST up reply actions

maybe

But they are better than over the limit and bragging rights.They also have history tied to them. There are tons of film they can use to promote those old WCW ppv’s to make them feel more meaningful and more special than just throwing out a generic cliche and having a show no one is going to buy.

Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes...

by Major on Jan 24, 2012 5:16 AM EST up reply actions

if true then i'm sad

the two money in the bank ppv have both been excellent , and this years was one of the best ppv they have ever put on

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by Jadden Hopkins on Jan 23, 2012 7:42 PM EST reply actions

I guess I'm in the minority here

but eliminating MitB seems okay to me. The briefcase has gotten a little stale as a storytelling device – at least the writers don’t seem to know what to do with it beyond having a heel or soon-to-be heel cashing in on an exhausted/unconscious champ. Give the concept a break and return it to hot opener that gives a bunch of guys a payday at ’Mania.

by s1rude on Jan 23, 2012 10:21 PM EST reply actions

I'm a fan of this

Two briefcases is one too many. Make the briefcase and the match itself special by highlighting it at Wrestlemania. Give it 20 minutes as the show opener, and you have fans hooked for the evening. Give the opportunity to one young star every year. Maybe this way, you can avoid that problem of having a hard time making new ideas with the briefcase cashing.

Fish Stripes, a Florida Marlins blog
Author, Baseball Prospectus Fantasy

by Michael Jong on Jan 23, 2012 10:57 PM EST up reply actions