Ratings/Analysis:
Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (Tag Team Titles): Vickie more annoying than ever in introducing the challengers. It appears Air Boom has new music. I can't understand a damn thing the Spanish announcers are saying. Kofi starts off hot on Dolph. HUGE monkey flip on Ziggler, damn. Good tag moves from Air Boom early. Nice move from Swagger catching Kofi into a slam. Bourne gets the hot tag and goes to town on Swagger. Huge kicks for two. Swagger and Ziggler collide. Air Bourne countered by Swagger. Two count broken up by Kofi. Good pinning counters from Bourne and Ziggler. Dolph continues to work on Evan. Good job by Evan fighting back, Swagger tries for the ankle lock but countered. Swagger prevents the tag and isolates Bourne some more. Swagger tries for his splash again, but gets hit in the face. Hot tag to Kofi. SOS blocked but pendulum kick in the corner from Kofi. Kick to Swagger! HUGE crossbody for two...I think Dolph leaped about two feet in the air as well. Trouble in Paradise blocked...SOS! Two count and Swagger nails Ziggler by accident. Trouble in Paradise to Swagger blocked...ankle lock! Bourne off the top! Double knee to Swagger! Ziggler tries to steal the win with the rollup (with tights) but only gets two. Trouble in Paradise! Tag to Bourne! Air Bourne! Three count! That was fun. ***
Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder (U.S. Title): Oops. Ziggler's title match is next! Air Boom is still at ringside. Ryder goes to town on Ziggler, very aggressive stuff. Zack with a couple of near falls. Crowd behind Zack now. Air Boom puts Ziggler back in the ring, so the ref boots Air Boom from ringside. Huge flapjack on Ziggler for two. Ryder flies into the ropes and now Dolph on the offensive. Dolph hits one splash in the corner, then misses the next. Broski Boot...misses! Rocker Dropper by Ziggler for two! Ryder comes back...Broski Boot! Swagger tries to get involved but Zack fights him off. Zigzag countered. Swagger gets hit again. Superkick out of nowhere by Ziggler! Hey, if HBK is retired, I'm cool with Ziggler using it. Three count! *3/4
Beth Phoenix vs. Eve Torres (Divas Title): So before the match starts, some WWE.com exclusive is shown with Kelly Kelly getting assaulted by Beth and Natalya. Eve comes in and all hell breaks loose. Was that the Usos helping separate the divas? Eve comes out to a remixed theme. Beth asserting herself at the start getting a couple of two-counts. Enzuigiri to Beth Eve "handcuffs" Beth with Beth's own outfit...huh?! Kicks to Beth, who retreats to the outside. Eve on the apron and Beth sweeps her down. Rest holds from Beth in the ring. Unique gutbuster from Beth gets two. Beth now using a body scissors. Eve fights back and gets a couple near falls. Eve with a unique submission move, on the shoulders of Beth and hyperextending the right arm. I guess it's part choke and part armbar. Beth uses her leg strength to power her way to the ropes. Glam Slam countered! Rollup by Eve for two! Crowd really thought that may have been it. Eve misses the moonsault. Glam Slam gets three. That was actually way better than I thought. *1/2
Christian vs. Sheamus: Sheamus pumps his chest as Cole relays a story Sheamus apparently told him about the origins of that gesture. Sheamus pounds away on Christian, then a delayed vertical suplex for two. Christian counters and gets on the offensive. Sheamus tries to get shots in but Christian continues the beatdown. Christian with impressive moves, finishing with his second rope forearm for two. Missile dropkick from Christian. Christian misses the headbutt. Tilt-a-whirl slam from Sheamus. Fallaway slam gets two. Low bridge and Sheamus to the outside. Christian gets caught, Sheamus with a slingshot shoulderblock for two. Christian with a slap, reverse drop DDT but only gets one. Christian looking for Killswitch, countered. Sheamus has Celtic Cross blocked. Pendulum kick by Christian countered. Sheamus putting the hurt on Christian and gets two. Celtic Cross countered, pendulum kick! Christian caught, Irish Curse by Sheamus for two. Brogue Kick...NO! Spear by Christian for two! Booker's made-up names are trending on Twitter! Sheamus gets caught on the top rope.Hurricanrana from the top! Christian looking for the spear...BROGUE KICK! Three count! OK match here, but didn't get the crowd reaction I wanted. **1/4
The Miz & R-Truth vs. Triple H and CM Punk: Punk and Miz start. Punk gets to Miz and kicks him a few times. Tag to HHH but Miz scampers away to tag in Truth. HHH works on Truth for a bit. Truth does some acrobatic moves but pays the price from HHH. DX crotch chop. Punk works on Truth, suplex for two. Punk then works on Miz. Good double-team from Punk and HHH. HHH works on Miz. Figure-four on Miz! Punk and HHH cheating multiple times! Epic win! Punk and HHH wishbone Miz's "injured" legs and now Punk works on Miz's arms. Truth gets in and works on Punk. HHH gets the tag and works on Miz and Truth. Vintage HHH moves. Crowd into it now. Numbers game gets heels in control on HHH. Heels work over HHH. Lie Detector from Truth, but that gets two. Big knee from Miz for two. Neckbreaker combo (vintage Miz!) for two. HHH with an electric chair drop on Truth. HHH to the wrong corner, but decks Miz with a clothesline! Truth in. He misses the scissors kick...DDT to Truth! Hot tag to Punk! Punk flies in the ring like a house of fire. Knees, clotheslines, kicks! Two on Miz. Punk to the top but Truth interferes. HHH takes care of Truth and they go through the crowd. Punk to the top...Savage elbow! Wait...Nash assualts HHH! Miz and Truth with "Little Jimmy's Finale" for three. **3/4
Nash continues to beat up HHH. Jackknife powerbomb on HHH. Nash looks good.
Ricardo Rodriguez sporting a black eye, but not Alberto. Lovely.
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes: Have I mentioned that I love that classic IC title? Orton with the upper hand early. No letup from Orton. Beautiful Disaster missed, but Cody headbutts Randy with the mask to take control. Knee to Orton's neck. Nice dropkick for two. Boston Crab from Cody. Orton gets back on his back and kicks out. Nice move from Orton into a victory roll for two. Slugfest ensues. Alabama Slam from Cody for two! Cody to the top. NICE moonsault but Cody misses. Orton now starts the comeback. Cody to the top but Orton catches him with a dropkick! Two count there. Orton tried for the gutwrench but Cody with the Beautiful Disaster for two. Orton looking for the DDT, Cody counters, but Orton counters back with a backbreaker for two. Gutwrench into a side slam for two. Headbutt by Cody and he HITS the moonsault this time for two. Rhodes misses a knee from the second rope. One of the baggers interferes, Orton decks him. Cross-Rhodes! WTF, only two?!?! Cody mocking Orton and wants the RKO. Orton hits a dropkick, then the hangman DDT. Orton now getting into the RKO mode. The other bagger on the apron. Orton throws Cody into the bagger. RKO for three! **3/4
Mark Henry vs. The Big Show (World Heavyweight Title): No main event intros here, but these two are ready to get it on. Henry showing his strength early, but Show with the huge punches. Show tosses Henry in the ring the hard way. Huge kick to Henry...man Show's got some agility. Henry is frustrated. Henry goes low on Show to take the man down. HUGE slam on Big Show! Elbow to Show's back. Henry slowing things down (hell it was already slowed down). Show gets out and tries a power move but leg gives way and Henry gets a two-count. Mark back to the leg. Two trucks collide in the center of the ring with a double clothesline. Tons of Big Show headbutts, then a few clotheslines. Big Slam from Show! Chokeslam, but only two! WMD countered! World's Strongest Slam from Henry, but only two! Wait....Henry to the top?!?! Show caught him at the top...chokeslam from the top! Only two! Show looks like he's gonna cry. Wait...no way. Show to the top?!?!?!?!?! Henry meets him up there! Oh God. Superplex!
OH SHIT THE RING COLLAPSES! WOOHOO! Crowd goes bonkers. Shades of Lesnar and Show from yesteryear. Now some EMT guy in the ring. Both Show and Henry getting assisted. They're both woozy. I guess there's no better way to end this match, huh? I liked that finish...pretty impressive stuff, actually. **
Laurinaitis still says the WWE Title match will go on. I like it.
Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena (Last Man Standing; WWE Title): Hey, Cena has a new shirt. "Rise Above Hate." Justin Roberts with the glorified intro for Cena. ROFL, there's a guy in the front row with a shirt "We Hate Cena." Cena also with camouflage shorts now. Ricardo runs interference to let ADR take control first. Oh, Lawler with a Lesnar reference! Cena into the post. Bodyslam from Cena, and a few elbow drops. That's right, Cena will have to do some new moves now. No five moves of doom tonight!
Side slam from ADR. Ref starts counting, but Cena gets up. More offense from ADR, but Cena still got fight in him. More snap suplexes from ADR, but Cena blocks another one and gets a suplex of his own. Oh, I guess we have a modified five moves of doom! AA countered...German suplex from ADR. Not bad for working in a busted ring.
Cena misses a clothesline. ADR with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Both guys are gasping for breath. ADR places Cena under one of the collapsed ringposts. ADR stomps the ringpost on Cena! Cena up at eight. ADR runs right into an AA! Ref counting both guys now. Cena up at 4, ADR up at 8. Cena for another AA, but Ricardo comes in. Cena kicks Ricardo to the outside. ADR with a sleeper and body scissors. Ref doing the hand-drop-three-times spiel, but why? Ref must count to 10 here! Gaffe by the ref, maybe? Cena's out cold. ADR releases the hold and the ref starts the count. Cena up at 8, Cena tosses ADR into the barricade outside! Ref counts ADR but Alberto gets up at 6. ADR reverses and whips Cena into the steps. Ricardo again tries to interfere, but Cena crotches Ricardo on the post. OW.
ADR works on Cena in the ring. Drop toehold to ADR on the post. ADR's face hits the post, and the post crotches Ricardo again. Double ow. Cena moves the other set of steps. Cena wants to use the steps again, but ADR moves and works on Cena. ADR uses the steps now on Cena. Ref counts Cena. Cena up at 8 and starts punching ADR. They go to the back! ADR thrown on a table. Ref starts counting. Cena tries to drop the whole huge TV equipment container on ADR but ADR moves out of the way. ADR now working on Cena. Slam on that container. Ref counts Cena. They make their way to the interview area. ADR now tossing all those plexiglass structure things on Cena. Cena fights through the rubble and gets up at 9! Ricardo AGAIN with interference. ADR throws Cena through the "V" structure on the entranceway! ADR now sets up a table. Alberto climbing the structure, but Cena throws ADR through the table! ADR up at 8. Back at ringside, Cena tossed into the announcing team. ADR now clearing the Spanish table! But Cena fights back, tossing ADR into the barricade and knocking Ricardo out AGAIN. ADR goes for his running enzuigiri but smacks the post! Cena gets the steps and places them near the Spanish table...I know what's coming. Cena going for AA on the Spanish table! He hits it on ADR! Ref starts counting.
Wait! Miz and Truth assaulting Cena! Skull Crushing Finale! Little Jimmy! Now the ref counts both guys. ADR is up. Cena is stirring and gets up at 9! ADR with the title belt and nails Cena. Cena tries to get up, but doesn't make it. ***3/4
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Final Thoughts:
It was decent, above-average show. A fun tag match started the night, and a very impressive LMS match closed the show (elevated a bit more because they had to "improvise" without ring ropes). The first time I saw such a spot with Lesnar and Show, it was freakin' awesome. This time around, still awesome, but not as shocking. It's still cool to see, but obviously it has to be with two huge wrestlers.
No titles changed hands on this PPV, which I like. The current champs should all hold onto the belts for a bit more. Survivor Series is around the corner anyway, and of course, this means Rock should be back for that one (he's been advertised for the show for months now). ***
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