The 15 best pay-per-views ever

BY John Clapp & Bobby Melok

September 11, 2013

#2 Money in the Bank 2011

The second annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view may have been the most talked about in WWE history. Leading into the event, CM Punk vowed to leave his hometown of Chicago — and WWE — with the WWE Title in hand. The Straight Edge Superstar’s WWE contract was expiring, leaving fans to wonder what would happen if Punk did, indeed, win.

The tension in the Allstate Arena was palpable, with Windy City natives eager to see their hometown hero challenge John Cena. In the lead up to that epic showdown, sixteen Superstars clashed in two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, with Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio emerging from the wreckage with the coveted contracts in hand.

The crowd erupted when Punk hit the ring for the main event, while showering Cena in boos. Not knowing what to expect, the Chicago faithful, and millions around the world, were in disbelief as Punk defeated Cena, grabbed the title, blew Mr. McMahon a kiss and ran off into the Chicago night with his prize.

http://www.wwe.com/classics/15-best-pay-per-views/page-16

The 15 best pay-per-views ever

BY John Clapp & Bobby Melok

September 11, 2013

#7 SummerSlam 2013

Clichéd though it may be, the 26th annual SummerSlam was replete with matches that could have been the main event in any arena in the world. It just so happens they all took place on the same night, under the same STAPLES Center roof. The WWE Universe witnessed a collision between ex-besties Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, a rarely seen Ring of Fire Match with two genuine monsters, Bray Wyatt and Kane, and a superb World Heavyweight Title Match between consummate wrestlers Alberto Del Rio and Christian.

Yet, those stellar matches all took a backseat to the dual main events. CM Punk and Brock Lesnar’s No Disqualification “Best vs. The Beast” match broke new ground in brutality. Weapons came into play, as did bruising power maneuvers and deft submission attempts. From there, SummerSlam’s epic feel held steady with Daniel Bryan’s WWE Title win over John Cena, a watershed moment for WWE’s “Yes!” Man that was accompanied by chants of “This is awesome!”

http://www.wwe.com/classics/15-best-pay-per-views/page-10