From the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California
Commentators: Michael Cole & The Miz
Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: CM Punk… World Champion: Sheamus… Intercontinental Champion: The Miz… United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro… Tag Team Champions: Team Hell No… NXT Champion: Seth Rollins… Diva’s Champion: Eve Torres
Michael Cole and The Miz welcome us to the program. Miz, in SWANK red velvet blazer, explains his relationship with Big Show. We start off with a cool video package showing off how big the Show is and his new “attitude” with the new ironclad contract. He reiterates he’s not an entertainer but a mighty man of devastation. After the package, Josh Matthews asks him his mental state; he’s pissed because people second guessed his victory over Randy Orton at SmackDown and called it a fluke. Show shows his fist to Josh (which is almost as big as Josh’s entire head) and tells him the horrible things that happen after it makes contact with a face. Show promises no one will second guess him after tonight. Back to the hosts, Miz explains how it feels to meet the WMD.
Michael Cole and The Miz move onto Randy Orton and his video package; his package is pretty fun as well. Pat Patterson and John Cena tout his qualities. Arn Anderson says he was too cocky when he first entered the WWE. Triple H and Batista reminisce about Evolution. The package concludes with him morphing into the current Viper character. Matt Striker talks to the man himself and he is not here to make excuses for his earlier loss to Big Show. He says that he will meet Alberto Del Rio very soon. Randy, with new longer hair, says lightening may not strike twice but vipers do. Orton heads to the ring. I like these openings to this show; it feels like a main event. I like the old school Saturday Night’s Main Event feel.
Randy Orton vs. Big Show: Show is back to the camouflage singlet. Randy kicks away but Show reverses. Orton is too fast for the big guy and sticks and moves with some Euro uppercuts. Orton pummels him in the corner until he meets Show’s head. He looks for the Shush Chop but Randy moves again; he gets a quick ten punch in the opposite corner More European uppercuts follow until Show retains his wits and punches Randy’s ribs; he CHOPS Orton in the corner. Randy tries to fight back but Show maintains his advantage with a slam and big elbow drop. Orton punches back but charges into a shoulderblock. The commentators sure are mentioning Ric Flair a lot during the broadcast. Hmm. They fight on the floor… rather, Show dominates on the floor with chops. He tries to lawn dart Orton into the ringpost but that never works and Show meets post. Back from commercial, Show is dominating once again with a huge head-butt and WALKS over him. He stands on his chest to inflict more damage and taunts him as he struggles to his feet. Fans chant “Randy” and he comes back… until he rushes into a bearhug. Show drops to his knees in lieu of holding Orton in the air in the hold. This goes on for a good minute or so. Orton CREATES SEPARATION with head-buts and then eliminates Show from the Rumble. Orton has the advantage again so he head to the second commercial; when we return, Orton is working Show over on the floor with chops. Back in the ring, he methodically stomps Show down into the Orton Stomp; the floating knee drop gets two. Show gets to his knees and punches Randy back down into the mat. More chest standing follows from Show; he heads to the ol’ trapezius hold. Orton fights out of that hold rather quickly until Show side slams him. Show makes like Killer Kowalski with a stomach claw. Orton uses elbows to free himself; he tries to whip Show but eats a short clothesline. Clotheslines abound for Show, which leads into a reverse avalanche and… dropkick from Orton. Both men down. Randy crawls to the cover and HOOKS THE LEG for two. The power kickout sends Orton to the floor where Randy drop-toeholds him into the steel steps. They reenter the ring and Orton manages to snag Show in the Viper DDT (from the top rope). The Miz is really getting into the match, calling for Orton to hook legs to get pins and groans when Show kicks out. Randy slowly recovers and heads into the coiling routine (with one arm, selling the midsection work). RKO! Show, however, smartly rolls to the floor; Orton gives chase and tries an RKO on the floor. Show blocks and tosses him into the ring apron chest first; back in the ring Show locks in the Colossal Clutch. He releases and proceeds to drop four huge elbows to Randy’s back and reapplies the Clutch. Orton tries to fire up; Show quickly cuts that off with a chokeslam and gets the three count, clean. 7/10 It wasn’t Savage/Steamboat but it was still very good match with good psychology. Show worked the ribs and weakened Orton and eventually allowed him to hit the chokeslam and get the CLEAN pinfall over the usually invincible Randy Orton. Probably one of the better Big Show matches I’ve seen since he tangled with Mark Henry last summer.
Here is your winner… Big Show @ about 18:00 (broadcast) via chokeslam pinfall.
After his convincing win over Randy Orton, Big Show takes the mic away from Matt Striker and complains about the fans’ booing. He says at Hell in the Cell he KOs Sheamus and becomes the world’s largest champion. Back in the ring, doctors tend to the fallen Orton.
Josh Matthews talks to Sheamus about Big Show. Sheamus says that he came to the WWE for the big fight; Show is the biggest fight. He says that after he defeats Show at HITC, it will feel much sweeter.
Kofi Kingston vs. Michael McGillicutty: Kofi comes out first and The Miz is obviously disgusted. This match is JIP after commercial, no entrance for McGillicutty. Kofi monkey flips McGillicutty out of the corner. He hides in the ropes and uses the heel referee shield and takes over with a clothesline to the back of Kingston’s head. McGillicutty stomps away and mauls him in the corner. He hits a nice snap-back suplex for two. Miz makes fun of Larry King on commentary (as we see clips from Raw in a split screen) and calls him the Crypt Keeper. Kofi comes back with a beautiful float-over hurracanrana out of the corner. The momentum takes McGillicutty face first into the turnbuckles in a bump his father would be proud of. Kingston begins the comeback with clotheslines and a Superman punch; the Boom Drop follows. McGillicutty ducks Trouble in Paradise (so he’s not a complete jobber) but gets snagged in the S.O.S. for the pinfall (well maybe he is a complete jobber). 5/10 May have been a squash but it was an entertaining squash. Kofi moves onto the IC title picture. After seeing McGillicutty on NXT a lot more often, I think he will be a pretty decent midcarder in the future.
Here is your winner… Kofi Kingston @ about 7:15 via S.O.S. pinfall.
Post-match, The Miz gets into the ring and calls it a “nice win”. Kofi Kingston has a mic too and says it was fun. Fun? Really? Really? Miz feels this cavalier attitude devalues the in ring work and, by proxy, his IC title. He calls Kofi a “carefree hippy on a drum line”. Miz says Kofi will never be at his level. Kingston says that he can do what Miz did; he says, “Perhaps I’m hiding a dagger behind his smile.” Kofi challenges him to an IC title match next week on the Main Event. Kingston goads him into the title match saying he was a better IC champ than Miz… and Miz accepts to which Kingston says, “Sounds like fun.” Miz tries to backjump him but Kingston avoids and floors him with Trouble in Paradise. 7.5/10 That was an excellent little exchange between these two to promote a title match; simple storyline, you have title, I want title, face me for title.
OVERALL 7/10 Two good matches one main event and the other the aftermath match, which is the Junk Yard Dog versus Hercules to the Randy Savage versus Ted Dibiase opening match, for example. Show and Orton had a good match, with a bit of a surprise clean victory for Show; usually there is some chicanery involving outside interference when Orton loses. Kofi and McGillicutty closed the show with a good spirited squash match. The exchange between Miz and Kofi did a great job selling next week’s show.
