The Matchcard
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Match 1 – Kofi Kingston (Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler (United States Championship)
A really good match to start off the event, though you would expect nothing less from these two competitors. Kofi looked strong and Ziggler wrestled like the heel he was supposed to be portraying.
On a side note, Vicky Gurrero is and was an excellent manager; her irritating outbursts and antics, though sometimes overbearing, reflected the right amount of heat on her and her charge, whether it be Edge or Ziggler later on.
The only bad part of this match, and the sole reason really that it is not rated any higher, was the finish (a theme you will see develop throughout this PPV.) Ziggler applied a Sleeper Hold, and what happened next was confusing chaos. Kofi seemingly rolls to the rope, only for Ziggler to push him away using his foot.
The commentary team then begin explaining that the hold should be broken, whilst the referee, seeing things differently called for the bell and gave Ziggler the belt. Good match, strange finish.
Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 stars
Eyes On Rating: 7/10
Match 2 – The Miz vs. Alex Riley
This rivalry was one of the hottest things going when this PPV rolled round and, speaking as a fan, the build was excellent, well-paced and well portrayed by both of the involved parties. When it came to the culmination point of this battle, it was...okay.
Nothing more, nothing less, just...okay...especially when you consider the match before this between Kofi and Ziggler had us ready for some high-quality wrestling. The Miz, as you would expect, delivered the majority of the offence, with Riley offering very little otherwise, until the end that is.
Riley hit Miz with an Impact DDT and pinned him. A former World Champion, someone who has faced the best finishers in the business and main-evented pay-per-views, finished with a DDT. It was...an unsatisfactory end in fairness. Yes, the face won, which a lot of fans wanted to see, but with a DDT? Really?
However, there is definitely a point to be made for the best moment of the night being Michael Cole wrenched from his commentary position and flung to the floor by Riley. Though, unfortunately, it doesn’t make up for his terrible ‘heel’ commentary throughout.
Dave Meltzer Rating: 2.25 stars
Eyes On Rating: 4/10
Match 3 – Alberto del Rio vs. The Big Show
There was very little...wrestling... that took place during this match. Before the event, del Rio had hit The Big Show with his car, leading to a rivalry between the two (which is absolutely how the judicial system should work – hit with a car, sorted via a wrestling match.)
During Del Rio’s entrance, Show runs in and attacks him before throwing him into the ring. Mark Henry then appears, for some reason which is not really clarified by the commentary team, as the World’s Strongest Man picks up the World’s Largest Athlete and World’s Strongest Slams him through the announce table without even taking the top off.
After that, Big Show climbs back into the ring, and some very slow and very ‘clunky’ wrestling happens with del Rio attacking the leg injured by the car. Then, completely out of left field, the referee has the bell rung as the Big Show can apparently no longer continue with the match.
It is a truly baffling end, with no resolution at all. An anti-climax to a poor match. Shame.
Dave Meltzer Rating: 2 stars
Eyes On Rating: 1/10
Match 4 – Wade Barrett (Champion) vs. Ezekial Jackson (Intercontinental Championship)
Make no mistake, this was an awful showcase of wrestling. I know I said in the introduction to this feature that the wrestling during this PPV was okay as a rule; this is the epitome of why it was simply okay.
I would give this match 1/10 if it wasn’t for Wade Barrett, who singlehandedly carried Jackson (a person who seemingly only knows how to deliver a rudimentary power slam) before he performed one Torture Rack to win the match.
Not only was I not invested in the match but I both didn’t care about The CORRE – the post-Nexus stable they were both a part of – and could not get behind Ezekial Jackson, no matter how hard I tried.
In this match, he showed he had little skill in the ring and little skill on the mic. But he had muscles, which apparently places him high on Vince McMahon’s ‘to push’ list. Unsurprisingly his push didn’t last long. Terrible match.
Dave Meltzer Rating: 2 stars
Eyes On Rating: 2/10
