WHC MITB Match: Botchamania will have a field day with this one. Yes, it was full of newbies. Yes, and established vets as well. But all of that added up to a wonderfully frantic and intense match.
Both Tyson Kidd & Damien Sandow saw time in the spotlight, & Sandow should come out if this with a nice IC Title chase. But with the good comes the bad, which consisted of two botched powerbombs from Tensai, as well as Sin Cara nearly breaking Ziggler’s neck.
In the end, Ziggler came away with the briefcase and, as per usual, the biggest bumps of the match.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
The Miz then addressed the crowd & entered himself in the WWE Championship MITB match. He looked and sounded a thousand times more professional than before his hiatus.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio:
Every so often, a report gets released saying something along the lines of “Creative wants Del Rio to show more intensity, as he is scheduled for a push.”
Neither comes to fruition.
Perhaps it’s a “chicken or the egg” problem, but Del Rio does one thing consistently, and that is get the crowd to not give a damn.
Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio put on a slightly longer & more physical version of their Smackdown matches, but really, it was nothing worth the price of a PPV buy. Sheamus retained his belt with a classic kick, nullifying any of Del Rio’s work in this match (which isn’t saying much).
Winner: Sheamus
After the match, Ziggler attempted a cash-in, but Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick before the ref could ring the bell.
Prime Time Players Darren Young and Titus O’Neill vs. Primo & Epico:
Kofi Kingston and R- Truth sat in on commentary for this one, as well as having AW’s boy-band-style headset mic open for the entire match.
Primo & Epico picked up the win, perhaps clouding PTP’s number one contenders standing, but two tag teams do not make a division.
Winners: Primo & Epico
After the match, PTP confronted Truth & Kofi, but we’re thwarted by Truth’s water bottle.
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Bryan-No DQ-AJ as guest referee:
Before anything else, Bryan has incorporated black into his gear, therefor solidifying his spot as heel.
If that wasn’t enough to tell you, Bryan would also send Punk into the ropes, knocking AJ of the apron, & then playing up his concern for her, as she was taken to the back.
This was arguably this most physical match between these two, complete with a flurry of kendo stick shots from both men. A plodding strike-Fest quickly turned into a classic Punk vs. Bryan game of oneupsmenship.
Returning from the back, AJ brought a chair into the ring, forcing both men to race for it, in a scene reminiscent of the XFL’s opening scramble.
While still enjoyable, the match deteriorated into a spot fest, with AJ setting up situations for each combatant, then looking upset that she was at fault.
Punk would back suplex Bryan off the top rope, through a table for the win. He’d celebrate, completely ignoring AJ, which seems like a good idea at this point.
Winner: CM Punk
Ryback vs. Reks & Hawkins: Finally, Ryback showed some weakness and was legitimately outgunned for the beginning of this match. Instead of a pure squash, Ryback was forced to mount a comeback against the two Internet darlings, ultimately pinning Reks.
Winner: Ryback.
Layla/Kaitlyn/Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix/Natalya/Eve: No reason in heaven or hell to have this match. It easily took the air out of a crowd that had just seen the first real Ryback match. The one positive aspect, was the Natalya and Kaitlyn got ring times, as they are certainly have the talent.
Winners: Layla/Kaitlyn/Tamina
WWE Championship MITB match:
Any bad words about this POV should have been immediately taken back as soon as Big Show pulled out his Big Ladder. Some may find it dumb, but it is probably the most logical thing the WWE has come up with in years. For the most part, the match played out like an All Star Game: Big stars, flashy for-the-hell-of-it offense and no defense. A prime example, Show was knocked over the top rope twice, even though it usually takes six or seven men to do it. While the crowd was solidly behind Jericho, yes, Cena walked away with the briefcase, with a face like a 12-year old getting his Nintendo 64 for Christmas.
Winner: John Cena
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