-From Los Angeles, CA. Our hosts are Michael Cole, Matt Striker, and Jerry Lawler.
Intercontinental Championship:
Dolph Ziggler © (with Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kofi Kingston
Ziggler is the newly crowned IC Champion, having won the belt from Kingston with an assist from Vickie. Kingston cuts off Vickie’s mic work before the match. Kingston wants revenge and is aggressive in the early going. Kingston misses a suicide dive and takes a nasty spill into the guard rail. Ziggler is eager for a count-out but to no avail. Ziggler goes to work on Kingston’s neck. Kofi dodges a corner splash and mounts a comeback. Ziggler rolls through a springboard cross body for a near fall. Fame-asser by Ziggler also gets 2. Kofi catches Dolph with his educated feet and delivers a flying shot to the head. Trouble in Paradise misses and Ziggler applies the sleeper hold! It’s about this time when the Nexus runs in and draws the DQ at 7:04! The group tosses Ziggler over the ropes and surrounds Kingston. This was a solid opener until the non-finish, **¼.No contest.
-Kingston tries to fight, but the seven Nexus members beat him down. Wade Barrett takes a mic and says Team WWE is trying to recruit another member. He doesn’t feel that it’s possible for any group of WWE superstars to properly unite and defeat them.
-The Miz is clutching his Money in the Bank briefcase as Chris Jericho and Edge try to recruit him for Team WWE. Miz says he has a lot on his plate and doesn’t really want to make Nexus a priority.
Divas Championship:
Alicia Fox © vs. Melina
Fox scores first with a side headlock takedown, as a faint “We want puppies” chant can be heard. In other words, this match has zero heat. Melina gets aggressive and stomps the head. Melina stomps Fox off the second rope. Fox plays possum with a face injury and runs into a face plant. Melina seems to hurt her knee on an awkward landing, making the match an uphill battle for her. Fox isn’t all that interested in working the knee, choosing to attack pretty much every other limb. Melina signals her comeback with a scream and plants Fox to win the title at 5:20. This effectively ended the Alicia Fox experiment as well. Nothing match here, ¼*.Winner and new Divas Champion: Melina
-Josh Mathews interviews a teary Melina on her victory. Before she can speak,Michelle McCool and Layla show up to ruin the moment. Each member of LayCool is holding a Women’s Championship cut in two, as Layla is technically the Women’s Champion. They offer Melina an insincere congratulations and seem to be setting up a trap. Melina is on to them, but it doesn’t save her from a double team beating. I’m stunned to see an actual wrestling angle involving the divas.
CM Punk, Luke Gallows, and Joey Mercury (with Serena) vs. Big Show
At Summerslam 2009, Punk became World Champion. At Summerslam 2011, Punk would defend the WWE title. But at Summerslam 2010, smack in the middle, he’d be on the losing end of a 3 on 1 handicap match. It’s funny how wrestling works sometimes. Before the match, Big Show has his cast removed, so it appears his broken arm is fully healed. Big Show has little trouble fighting off Mercury and Gallows in the early going. Serena attempts to distract, but Show goes to town on Punk at last. Show accidentally misses and smashes his hand against the ring steps, allowing the Straight Edge Society the opening they oh-so desperately needed. Show gets triple teamed but quickly makes a comeback. Punk springboards into a choke slam setup but it’s blocked. Punk and Mercury deliver a double bulldog for 2. Punk delivers repeated shots to the hurt hand, but Show lifts him up. Gallows makes the save, as Punk rolls to the floor. Show choke slams Mercury onto Gallows and pins them both at 6:48. What a stunning waste of the talent involved, ½*.Winner: Big Show
-World Champion Kane is fondling a casket (set to dramatic lights and music) backstage. He’s talking to The Undertaker, who isn’t there, and promises to hurt Rey Mysterio. WWE Champion Sheamus shows up and asks to borrow the casket so he can dispose of Randy Orton. Kane thinks it over but says no. Sheamus is disappointed and warns him to stay out of his way. Kane laughs and admits that Sheamus has guts… which will be spilled the next time he interrupts him. Sheamus leaves Kane to do whatever it is that Kane does.
-The Miz, decorated with the U.S. Championship and Money in the Bank briefcase, comes to the ring. Miz is ready to decided whether or not he’s joining Team WWE. Miz claims that John Cena got down on his knees and begged him to join the team. Miz makes a series of outlandish claims about what the Team WWE members said to try and butter him up. Ultimately, Miz agrees to join Team WWE. This was a long-winded, yet strong promo. Miz was really proving himself on the mic during this time.
WWE Championship:
Sheamus © vs. Randy Orton
There’s a stipulation that if Orton loses, he doesn’t get another shot so long as Sheamus is champion. The match kicks off competitively, with the back and forth trade of offense. Orton begins to build some steam, clothes lining Sheamus to the floor. Orton puts a hurting on Sheamus in the crowd but leads him to the ring to avoid a count-out. The match plods along with Orton in the driver’s seat until Sheamus reverses an Irish whip to send the Viper crashing into the ring steps. Sheamus wears down Orton until Orton counters with a suplex. Sheamus blocks a DDT and back drops Orton to the floor. Sheamus regains control and the wearing down of Orton continues. Orton does an admirable job selling as it Sheamus’ pin attempts seem increasingly dangerous. Orton counters a chinlock and both men go down. Orton sidesteps a charging Sheamus and delivers the inverted backbreaker. They trade shots, with Orton getting the best of it. Orton nails a superplex for 2. Sheamus rebounds with a backbreaker of his own. Sheamus misses the Brogue Kick and tumbles to ringside. Orton delivers the spike DDT as Sheamus crawls back. Sheamus counters the RKO! Orton blocks the Irish Curse but runs into the Brogue Kick! Orton kicks out! Sheamus brings in a chair and tosses the referee out, drawing the DQ at 18:52. This match build nicely as it went along, ***.Winner via DQ: Randy Orton
-Sheamus prepares to use the chair but Orton ducks and delivers a kick to the nuts! That’s right, a kick to the nuts. Orton opts not to use the chair, instead puts Sheamus away with an RKO on the announce table. Whew, for a minute I thought the fans in attendance would have to be disappointed for longer than five minutes.
World Heavyweight Championship:
Kane © vs. Rey Mysterio
If you work for WWE for 15+ years, it seems you get a gold watch in the form of a WHC reign. Kane wheels a casket to ringside and I’m absolutely sure that no one will pop out of it at any time. As you could guess, the early portion of the match is Kane’s strength vs. Mysterio’s speed. Rey gets enough offense in to appease the crowd before settling into Kane’s extended beat-down. Rey gets a couple of hope spots in along the way, but the thing about Kane you have to understand is that he’s really, really big. The crowd is generally apathetic, perhaps waiting patiently for a possible Undertaker appearance. After an eternity, Rey counters a side slam and business might be picking up. Seated senton by Rey and a tirt-a-whirl DDT counter. Kane clubs a flying Mysterio in the face and is ready to utilize the casket. Sadly, the casket is empty as Kane prepares a choke slam. Rey blocks but Kane blocks 619 and drops Rey into the casket. Rey bounces out and counters into 619! Kane muscles back and delivers a choke slam for the victory at 13:29. They were just going through the motions, **¼.Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Kane
-Kane takes a microphone. He’s continuing to insist that it was Rey who hurt The Undertaker and it’s his job to make him pay for it. Kane opens the casket and the crowd is audibly disappointed that it’s still empty. Kane shuts it (for no apparent reason) and delivers another pair of choke slams. Rey eats a tombstone piledriver and Kane opens the casket a third time. The Undertaker is in the casket! Kane more or less wets himself. Undertaker wheezes as he interrogates Rey. Turns out Taker believes Rey’s side of the story, as the Dead Man attacks his less accomplished brother. Kane overpowers Undertaker and delivers a tombstone! Whoa, I didn’t see that coming. That effectively set Kane up going into the fall as a force to be reckoned with.
-We’re all set for the main event tag team elimination match. The Nexus wait in the ring as Team WWE makes their entrance. The Miz is the very last to enter, but John Cena has second thoughts about him being on the team. They found a new seventh member behind Miz’s back, someone who hates the Nexus as much as the rest of them. The surprise superstar is none other than (newly rehired) Daniel Bryan! Team WWE charges the ring and the match is on!
The Nexus (Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Skip Sheffield, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Michael Tarver, and Darren Young) vs. Team WWE (John Cena, Edge, R-Truth, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Bret Hart, and Daniel Bryan)
A huge brawl erupts before the bell rings. Team WWE clears the ring as Striker and Cole argue over the merits of Daniel Bryan joining the match. The bell rings and Bryan quickly makes Darren Young tap out at 0:42 to the Lebell Lock. Gabriel eagerly enters the match and gets thrown off his game by Chris Jericho. Jericho plays nice and tags in R-Truth, who continues the good fight. Gabriel rebounds and tags in an aggressive Michael Tarver. Morrison tags and easily out-maneuvers the rookie. Starship Pain finishes Tarver at 3:35! Wade Barrett calls for a huddle as the Nexus are in big trouble. Barrett orders Skip Sheffield into the ring to make things right. Morrison slaps the face and eats some power moves in return. Gabriel assists in setting up a Sheffield clothesline to eliminate Morrison at 7:30. Truth charges in to avenge his tag partner’s defeat and finds himself pinned in short order at 8:00. Jericho storms in but gets press slammed. Wade Barrett makes his first tag and stomps away on his former mentor. Otunga makes his first tag as well as the Nexus effectively isolate Jericho. Bret Hart makes a hot tag and out-brawls Heath Slater! Hart sets up the sharpshooter, but a chair gets slid into the ring. Sheffield makes a blind tag and takes a chair shot from Hart, drawing a DQ at 12:05. That was fun while it lasted. Jericho surprises Sheffield with the Codebreaker and tags in Edge! The spear finishes Sheffield at 13:10. Gabriel enters and is a glutton for punishment. Gabriel surprises with a spin kick and Nexus manages to isolate Edge. Otunga’s arrogance allows for Edge to counter with a DDT and Jericho gets a hot tag. Otunga taps out to the Walls of Jericho at 19:12! Jericho batters Slater around ringside and delivers a flying elbow to the face. Jericho is distracted by his hatred of John Cena and gets pinned at 20:02. Edge blames the pinfall on Cena and they tease a brawl. Slater rolls up Edge at 20:36! Edge, being the good sport that he is, spears Cena off the apron. We’re left with Bryan and Cena vs. Slater, Barrett, and Gabriel. A weakened Cena enters the match (why not Bryan?) and gets picked apart by the Nexus. Bryan finally gets a hot tag and goes to town on Slater. Suicide dive by Bryan and a missile drop-kick! Bryan kicks Barrett and Gabriel off the apron, and successfully applies the Lebell lock to eliminate Slater at 28:58! Miz sneaks in and clocks Bryan in the head with the Money in the Bank briefcase! Barrett easily pins Bryan at 29:30, leaving Cena alone against Barrett and Gabriel. Cena does his superman routine on Gabriel but Barrett makes a blind tag. Barrett ends Cena’s momentum and dishes out a nice beating. The Nexus exposes some concrete at ringside and Barrett serves a DDT onto the floor. Cena appears to be dead, at least until he dodges Gabriel’s 450 splash! Cena pins Gabriel at 34:37! Barrett storms in too eagerly and gets caught in the STF! Barrett taps at 35:13! Epic main event here, these elimination matches are difficult to screw up. Sadly, this result has got to be one of the biggest booking blunders of the decade. Still, this warrants a **** for the match itself.Winner: John Cena
Final Thoughts: This show was a true clunker up until the main event came along to (sort of) save it. Daniel Bryan’s return is a nice historic moment, especially considering where he’s gone since this event. The main problem I had if that this was filled with TV-quality matches and this is supposed to be the second biggest show of the year. Instead, Summerslam 2010 feels like just another day at the office.
Thumbs down.
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