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The WWE Universe had more than its fair share of shockers with WrestleMania, Edge’s retirement and the WWE Draft, all happening within a month. And this time, they were prepared for total chaos, and again got it in wholesome amounts. One of the most exciting pay-per-view events left the audience gasping for breath. And as the smoke cleared, it was ‘Survival of the Toughest’.
Here’s what transpired during the three hours of mayhem:
1. John Cena def. The Miz and John Morrison (Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship):
It was a day of reckoning for the Cenation Commander-In-Chief, as he outlasted two very formidable opponents in the form of The Shaman of Sexy, John Morrison and the current WWE Champion, The Miz. The match was utterly physical and brutal from the very beginning, and all three competitors showed great resilience and will-power, getting close to escaping the cage many times, only to be stopped by the other two.
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Towards the end, the coveted belt seemed to be going A-List, as John Morrison seemed all set to escape the cage after a series of his patented Spiderman-like acrobatics on The Miz, but his dreams were shattered by none other than his old tag-team partner and new found nemesis, r-Truth, who hasn’t yet forgiven Morrison for taking away his shot at the main event. After Truth left, Cena leveled The Miz with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope to capture his 10th WWE Championship.
2. Christian def. Alberto Del Rio (Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship):
This match was a result of Edge having to retire from the WWE, and he could not get a better farewell gift than watching his long-time best friend, Christian claim the vacated World Heavyweight Championship for the first time, even though Edge himself played a most significant role in determining the outcome.
The match was, well, nothing less than a fight in the mighty coliseum. The two gladiators were consistently one-upping each other in a battle of brain and brawn alike. While Christian’s extensive ladder-match experience was finally paying dividends, Del Rio’s agility and viciousness gave Christian a really hard time. The match was looking indecisive when Brodus Clay decided to get involved and almost cost Christian the match-up. But after Captain Charisma had taken care of the big man, it was Edge who entered the arena in a jeep, distracting Del Rio long enough for Christian to capitalize and retrieve the World Championship.
3. Randy Orton def. CM Punk (Last Man Standing Match):
The epic rivalry of 2011 finally came to an end, and this time, WWE’s Apex predator might just have shut his rival up for good. With the Nexus being removed from ringside by the Raw General Manager even before the bell rang, Punk had already suffered a massive psychological blow. But the Second City saviour dished out one hell of a punishment on The Viper. This was a fight for the ages, where both competitors just refused to stay down for a 10-count. But after a hellacious RKO from the top rope, it was lights out of Punk, who could not answer the referee’s count. This win gives Randy Orton one hell of a momentum as he looks to carry his wrath to SmackDown.
4. Rey Mysterio def. Cody Rhodes (Falls Count Anywhere match):
Another storied rivalry came to an end at Extreme Rules as Rey Mysterio finally got his much-awaited retribution on the ‘Dashing One’ in a falls count anywhere match. The match went all across the arena, as no ring seemed big enough to contain the two firebrand wrestlers. But the match ended inside the ring itself, when Mysterio pulled out the newest weapon in his arsenal and hit Rhodes with a blue mist, blinding Rhodes which allowed Rey to hit the 619 and get the victory.
5. Kofi Kingston def. Sheamus (Tables match for the US Championship):
If Sheamus was angry at being drafted to SmackDown, GM Teddy Long wasted no time in adding fuel to the fire as he forced Sheamus to defend his United States Championship against Kofi Kingston in an impromptu tables match. The Jamaican gladiator proved to be more than a match for the Celtic Warrior, as he put Sheamus through the table with a thunderous leg drop to get the win.
6. Kane and Big Show def. Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson (Tag Team C’Ship Lumberjack Match):
The internal clash of egos between the members of The Corre got the better of them in this match, as Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson, the two biggest men in the stable, could not work as a team to regain the tag titles back for the foursome. Even though Jackson had Kane down and was ready to go for the pin, Barrett tagged himself in, providing Kane the little time that he needed to tag in his partner and turn the results of the match around. After their victory, the two behemoths decided to destroy a few of the lumberjacks who had earlier crossed their paths, and left a heap of bodies in the ring as they made their exit.
7. Layla def Michelle McCool (No Disqualification; Lose leaves WWE):
The two former best friends-turned-worst enemies squared off in the ring, both of them hell-bent at getting rid of the other forever from the WWE. After a close contest, it was Layla who succeeded in countering a Faith-Breaker by McCool to get the victory. And to add insult to injury, Michelle McCool was attacked after the match by WWE’s newest diva, Kharma. The gigantic woman left Michelle lying unconscious in the ring.
