WWE Pay Per View Season 2012: Episode Guide & Ratings

The Road to WrestleMania begins at the 25th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble, and 30 men look to realize a dream by winning the Royal Rumble match and headline WWE WrestleMania. The current WWE Champion CM Punk faces long odds against retaining his championship when he deals with both #1 contender Dolph Ziggler and a special guest referee with a particular axe to grind, Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis. Daniel Bryan looks to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, but he must overcome two colossal competitors, Mark Henry and Big Show in a steel cage. Plus John Cena and Kane square off in a bitter personal bout. The Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri is this year's host for WWE Royal Rumble.

The Road to WrestleMania goes through one callous coliseum, the Elimination Chamber. Over the last decade, championships, careers & legacies have been at stake in the unpredictable environment, and this year will be no exception as CM Punk and Daniel Bryan will try to survive the sadistic structure with their respective titles in tact. Elimination Chamber (2012) was a PPV that took place on February 19, 2012 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The pay-per-view was the third annual Elimination Chamber event. Apart from the two Elimination Chamber matches, John Cena fought Kane in an Ambulance match, Beth Phoenix defended the Divas Championship against Tamina, and Jack Swagger defended the US Championship against Justin Gabriel.

The Rock and John Cena collide in the most anticipated WrestleMania face-off in history, an epic match that will forever define the legacies of these icons. The Deadman stakes his entire legacy on one battle with Triple H inside the nightmarish prison they immortalized, Hell In A Cell, with The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels as special guest referee. WWE Champion CM Punk faces off against Chris Jericho in the explosive clash of revolutionaries that will determine which man truly is “The Best In The World.” Daniel Bryan defends his title against a riled-up and ruthless Sheamus, who will have to fight through The Submission Specialist’s tactics to claim his first World Heavyweight Championship. Team Teddy takes on Team Johnny to determine which man will win total control of Raw and SmackDown. This was the twenty-eighth annual WrestleMania. It took place on April 1, 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is the highest grossing PPV event in professional wrestling history.

After eight years away from WWE, Brock Lesnar has reemerged to bring the pain, but John Cena refuses to be intimidated. CM Punk returns home to defend the WWE Championship and his family against Chris Jericho. Daniel Bryan faces Sheamus in a 2-out of-3 Falls Match! It’s time to toss out the rulebook as WWE presents Extreme Rules! Extreme Rules (2012) took place on April 29, 2012 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the fourth event under the Extreme Rules chronology.

John Cena takes on the polarizing purveyor of "People Power", John Laurinaitis. Plus, both World Championships are on the line! The Superstars of Raw and SmackDown dial up the intensity as WWE goes Over The Limit! Over the Limit was a PPV which took place at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on May 20, 2012. It was the third and final event under the Over the Limit chronology. In a main event from the Raw brand, John Laurinaitis challenged John Cena. Another main event from the Raw brand featured CM Punk defending against Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. In the main event from the SmackDown brand, Sheamus defended against Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, and Chris Jericho in a Fatal Four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Desperate measures have earned the Big Show an ironclad contract from John Laurinaitis. Now the Big Show vows to take out 14 years of pent-up aggression on John Cena inside the confines of a 15-foot high steel cage, but if the Big Show falls to Cena, Mr. McMahon will utter those 2 infamous words to the reviled GM…”You’re Fired!”. Plus, the WWE Championship is contested amidst a bizarre love-quartet involving the unstable Diva AJ and three Triple Threat combatants - CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Kane. And Dolph Ziggler gets a golden opportunity when he faces Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. With careers, pride and championships on the line, there truly is NO WAY OUT!!

The coveted prize that has launched several careers into the championship limelight suspends from the rafters! The biggest Superstars in the WWE will battle for 2 Championship match contracts including, for the 1st time ever, John Cena. Who will scale the ladder and emerge with a chance at immortality? Plus, will the devilish Diva AJ be the kiss of death for WWE Champion CM Punk or for Daniel Bryan? And the entitled Alberto Del Rio finally gets his one-on-one title opportunity against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus when WWE presents MONEY IN THE BANK!

The Perfect Storm engulfs Los Angeles on the historic 25th Anniversary of SummerSlam. The wrecking ball force of Brock Lesnar meets the blind rage of a vengeful Triple H as two larger-than life gladiators collide for the first-time ever! Plus, CM Punk seeks validation for his status atop the WWE in a Triple Threat title defense against the Big Show and long-time rival John Cena. And after being injured at the hands of Alberto Del Rio, a determined Sheamus puts his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against the ruthless “Man of Destiny”. A violent whirling of storm clouds approaches the Staples Center for WWE SummerSlam!

In a match marked by confusion and controversy, CM Punk puts his 300 day reign as WWE Champion on the line against the one man who embodies the respect he’s been challenging for – John Cena. Plus, Sheamus as World Heavyweight Champion is in jeopardy as he faces Alberto Del Rio without the use of his own signature move The Brogue Kick. And allies in anger, tag team partners Kane and Daniel Bryan, challenge WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth. Plus the WWE divas champion, the US champion and others will arise or to be conquered at WWE Night of Champions!

For WWE Champion CM Punk and the undefeated Ryback, the unforgiving structure will either spell doom for the most impressive title reign of this generation or mark the first blemish in the beast's path of destruction. Also, the most potent finishing move in WWE will be determined when two behemoths, Sheamus and Big Show, lock horns for the very first time with the World Heavyweight Championship at stake. Plus, WWE's resident odd couple wants to continue its improbable run with the Tag Team Titles. Standing in their way is the intelligent yet arrogant new alliance of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. Witness the defining moments that change the course of history at the Philips Arena for WWE Hell in a Cell!

Deception and foul play have brought CM Punk to the brink of a year long winning WWE Champion title reign. But can he survive with the odds stacked against him as he defends his coveted WWE Championship against Ryback and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match and the Celtic Warrior Sheamus looks to take back his World Heavyweight Championship from the man he lost it towards The Big Show plus Mick Foley makes his WWE return and much more.

Insurgent trio The Shield’s onslaught against injustice has led them into the path of ravenous monster Ryback and Team Hell No, as the two sides engage in a treacherous Tables, Ladders & Chairs match. Plus, John Cena attempts to rewrite history and seize Dolph Ziggler’s most prized possession, the Money in the Bank briefcase, in a high-stakes Ladder Match. And the hostility between Big Show and Sheamus escalates to barbaric new levels when they collide in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE wraps up 2012 with the most unruly event of the year, WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs!