w/ Alex Archer & Violet Buttle
CM Punk and John Cena wrestled to a draw. CM Punk retains WWE Championship
Alex: Punk and Cena wrestled a really great match. The near falls, especially after their respective finshers, weren't as believable as they probably wanted them to be, but they did a lot to show both guys toughness. The back and forth was excellent, and the finish was perfect. The only thing I'm weary about is having them overdo it with the Cena/Punk matches. These guys work great together. This could be a money feud that WWE could keep coming back to if they don't blow it all now.
Violet: Punk and Cena had a very good outing. Even though Punk's retention is presented as a fluke, he still comes away from this title match looking strong and deserving of his belt. Also, after watching this match I've realized that Punk really brings out the best in Cena.
Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio to reatin the World Heavyweight Championship
Alex: Another good match from Sheamus and Del Rio, and another win for Sheamus. I didn't expect Sheamus to tap out to the arm bar, but they almost had me second guessing myself when Del Rio had it locked in in the middle of the ring. I just want this feud to be over with, to be honest. Del Rio is too good to keep losing to Sheamus every single month. It stopped being entertaining months ago.
Violet: If I had any doubts about Sheamus retaining his title, they were erased when Booker T announced that he was allowing the use of the Brogue Kick. Then, I hardly even watched the match. I didn't need to. Sheamus won with the Brogue Kick. Again.
The Miz defeated Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio, and Sin Cara to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Alex: They started off a little sloppy, but this turned into a pretty good match. Sin Cara trying to put his mask on Cody, but then getting it on Miz to setup the finish was a little silly, but it was pretty fun and it could lead to some good feuds/angles.
Violet: The end sequence of this match was so much fun that I almost forgot about its sloppy start. I was pleased to see Miz retain, and I was especially pleased to see Miz win clean. His character is much more effective when he's pushed as a legitimate champion. I wasn't crazy to see Sin Cara bringing out spare masks to put on his struggling opponents. It comes off as a heelish move, and, due to Sin Cara's silence, he can't defend his actions and spin them so that we all understand where he was coming from.
Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder to retain the US Championship
Alex: They wrestled a very solid match, and Aksana's interference should setup some sort of return match. They could grow this into a feud and elevate both Cesaro and the US Title (and probably Ryder, too).
Violet: Cesaro and Ryder had one of my favorite matches of the night. I feel like both men aren't necessarily given the credit they deserve, but they were able to prove just how good they both can be in this match. I hope that this results in a feud between the two, after all, Aksana's interference at the end of match should give Ryder a reason to chase Cesaro and the title.
Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Kofi Kingston & R Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Alex: The match was great, the comedy stuff went over well, and the right guys came out on top. Team Friendship might be just what the tag division needed to make it relevant again (as long as they keep the titles in focus and they don't just fall by the wayside).
Violet: Much to no one's surprise, Team Friendship won the titles and continued to butt heads. No matter how obvious the outcome was, it was incredibly enjoyable to watch. I really like the dynamic between Kane and Bryan, and I'm excited to see what their win does for their storyline and the tag division as a whole.
Eve defeated Layla for the Divas Championship
Alex: I got a kick out of the Nancy Kerrigan/Tanya Harding angle that went down with Kaitlyn before the match. Eve played her part well and actually made Layla look half decent in the ring (well, almost). I'm interested in seeing this storyline play out. Eve has done a great job at keeping her character relevant in the post-Big Johnny era.
Violet: I'm so glad to see Eve as Divas champion. She's doing a wonderful job with her new character, and her in-ring work is impressive. I hope that WWE spends some time spotlighting Eve and investigating Kaitlyn's injury. Wouldn't it be interesting if Eve was working with someone and had them take Kaitlyn out rather than doing it herself? This has the potential to be a dynamic Diva story, but I don't trust WWE will give Eve and the Divas the TV time they need.
Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler
Alex: Awesome match with a dumb finish. Why does Ziggler continue to lose? I
know he's a future champion and I
know he's the future of the WWE, but I'm still frustrated with all of the losses he has taken since winning the MITB. Hopefully this feud is over and Orton somehow gets himself suspended again soon.
Violet: I liked every part of this match except for its ending. Orton would have been perfectly fine without a win here, but Ziggler needs to start looking like a guy who can be the World Heavyweight Champion. He loses far too often for any of us to ever believe he can successfully cash in his MITB briefcase on superhuman Sheamus. And, even if he does find Sheamus in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness so that he could cash in, no one would ever believe that he could hold the title for very long.
Zack Ryder wins the Battle Royal to become the #1 Contender for the US Championship
Alex: Once everyone was in the ring, I would've put money on Clay or Ryder (Tensai if the champ was a babyface), and I was happy to see them go with Ryder. I have to admit, I was mostly glad it was Ryder because I assumed Cesaro would go over him, but wasn't so sure about Clay.
Violet: I worried we might see Clay or Tensai win here but was relieved when Ryder pulled out the victory. I was excited to see Ted DiBase back, but I feel like his comeback was wasted here after he was eliminated fairly early in the match. Also, are we seriously supposed to believe that Santino doesn't understand the rules of a battle royal? Santino can be funny, and he certainly has his place in the WWE... but this man was the previous United States champion, and he's trying to pin guys in a battle royal. Ridiculous.
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