7. WWE Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. CM Punk - Royal Rumble 2012
By the time the Royal Rumble rolled around in January 2012, Dolph Ziggler had earned the reputation as one of the best workers in the sport. He had excelled in any and all situations, against an array of different Superstars of varying talent levels. A year earlier, he had even feuded with Edge over the World Heavyweight Championship so the fact that he had managed to improve throughout the year comforted management and led to his insertion into what was, essentially, a placeholder rivalry with CM Punk over the top prize in the entire company: the WWE Championship. Ziggler and Punk had battled in the past, to great acclaim and success, and fans had reasonably high expectations surrounding their Rumble bout. Unfortunately, the involvement of John Laurinaitis and the focus put on his budding rivalry with Punk took away from the actual ring work of the Superstars involved. Thus, the pay-per-view bout failed to live up to their previous encounters. Still, it was a damn fine match between two of the very best workers in the world and a worthy addition to their portfolios. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy8kq9_cm-punk-vs-dolph-ziggler-wwe-royal-rumble-2012_sport Had it been slightly better, it would have ranked among the most outstanding of either man's career. As it is, it is an exceptional bout in the careers of two Superstars who have had many of them.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
