Written by: Alec Settee
Over The Limit 2011, May 22, 2011, Key Arena, Seattle, WA
Announcers: Josh Matthews, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, & Booker T
The show opens with a graphic for Randy Savage, which is nice. The video package from Raw was also great.
Opening Match: R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio
The Setup: Mysterio was picked to take part in a #1 Contenders match over Truth, so Truth made sure he lost it leading to Mysterio issuing the challenge here.
The Action: Truth draws some good heat with his pre match promo, but Mysterio controls early on until Truth crotches him on the corner. Truth beats him for a while, but Mysterio eventually comes back with a bulldog off the top for 2. He gets a few more nearfalls, but can’t put him away. Truth nails the twisting elbow for 2. He misses the ax kick, but then avoids the 619 and kills Mysterio on the floor. Back in the ring he nails the reverse STO and that gets the 3 count at 8:12.
The Verdict: This was a decent match to open things up here and good to see Truth get a big win, which he needs to start being taken seriously. **3/4
Intercontinental Championship Match: Wade Barrett vs. Ezekiel Jackson
The Setup: Jackson was kicked out of The Corre for not being a team player, so he’s now dedicated himself to taking them out.
The Action: Jackson overpowers him to start things off and works him over with basic stuff. Barrett then fakes an injury to get a moment and suckers Jackson into a beating of his own. Jackson fights out of Wasteland, but does take the pump handle slam for 2. Jackson takes over again to pretty much no reaction. His big move is now a series of bodyslams, but I’ll grant the crowd does get into it as he goes on. He then hooks the Torture Rack, but Slater and Gabriel run in for the DQ at 7:26. Jackson briefly holds his own, but ends up getting triple teamed and destroyed.
The Verdict: A Smackdown match and angle comes to PPV. Obviously they have plans for Jackson, and maybe given time he’ll get over, but I don’t think he’ll amount to much. 1/2*
Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero
The Setup: They had a confrontation on Smackdown after Sin Cara objected to Chavo helping him in a match with Daniel Bryan.
The Action: The lighting the have for Sin Cara’s matches is kind of ridiculous and hopefully won’t last too much longer. Cara knocks him to the floor and follows with a corkscrew plancha. He keeps on Chavo with the high flying, with Chavo getting in a few shots here and there. Cara kicks Chavo to the floor to set up another dive. Back in, a series of kicks sets up a crossbody, which gets 2. He then goes for what I guess was supposed to be La Mistica, but it ends up pretty badly screwed up. It gets the pin regardless at 7:23.
The Verdict: Other then that finish, which looked terrible and drew boos from the crowd, this was a pretty good match. **1/2
Alberto Del Rio comes out for a promo. He promises that it’s only a matter of time until he becomes WWE Champion, and it doesn’t matter who wins tonight because he’ll beat either one. Big Show and Kane interrupt and bully him out of the ring, ironically just after they aired an anti bullying PSA featuring Show. The Champs stick around because their match is next.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Kane & The Big Show vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
The Setup: Nexus and Kane/Show have gone back and forth the past few weeks on Raw, and so Nexus gets a shot at the Titles here. It doesn’t take much in the tag division these days.
The Action: Kane and Ryan start off and the crowd immediately starts chanting “Batista”. Ryan then slams Kane, so maybe he can feud with Ezekiel Jackson. Punk gets caught and chopped by Show, but finally goes to the knee and tags back out. Ryan works Show over, but Punk tags in again and takes more of a beating. Nexus isolates Kane on the floor and now they hold him in the corner for a bit. Punk goes for a Randy Savage elbow, but misses and Show gets the hot tag. He rolls through Ryan and Punk and then they hit Ryan with a double chokeslam for the pin to retain at 9:05.
The Verdict: This was unspectacular, but still a solid little tag match. *
Divas Championship Match: Brie Bella (w/Nikki Bella) vs. Kelly Kelly
The Setup: Kelly won a non-Title match on Raw, so she gets the shot here tonight.
The Action: Kelly takes it to her and hits a crossbody for 2, but gets kicked to the floor where Nikki gets a shot in. Brie goes to work on the arm, which at least means they’re doing moves they can’t screw up. Kelly fights back and tackles her, followed by hitting a bulldog for 2, but when the ref pulls her back, the Bellas switch and Nikki finishes Kelly with an X-Factor at 4:02.
The Verdict: Nothing to see here. Wrestling-wise anyways. DUD
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Christian
The Setup: Christian won the vacant Title last month, but lost it to Orton 48 hours later because no one is ever really allowed to be elevated around here. He gets his rematch here tonight.
The Action: Christian scores a couple of nearfalls early on while taking it to Orton. Orton gains control and nails a superplex for 2. Christian gets back on him and gets a couple more 2 counts with a spinebuster and an inverted DDT. A flying headbutt gets another 2 as Christian throws everything he’s got at Orton and starts to get a little frustrated with each kickout. Orton hits the backbreaker and drops a knee for 2, then hooks an inverted Boston crab, with the crowd really getting into it as Christian fights to the ropes. He goes for the sunset flip, which on Smackdown was countered to the RKO for the finish, but this time he fakes Otron out and hits it on the second try for another close 2. Orton hits the hanging DDT for his own close 2. He sets up the RKO, but it’s countered and Christian goes for a Spear, but then he gets powerslammed for 2. Orton then second guesses himself on the punt and that costs him as Christian hits the Spear for 2. The crowd is going nuts for the nearfalls at this point. Christian goes for the Killswitch and they trade a few finisher tries which culminates with Orton hitting the RKO and putting Christian away at 16:53. Orton helps Christian up afterwards, but Christian shoves him off. He then changes his mind and goes back to shake his hand, so it looks like a slow burn to a Christian heel turn.
The Verdict: Easily the best match of the night here, which is exactly what I would have expected following their great Smackdown match. This is the only reason to check the show out. ****1/4
Kiss My Foot Match: Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Michael Cole
The Setup: Cole retired after his two big wins over Lawler, so in order to get another match Lawler put up his Hall of Fame ring. Cole still didn’t accept, so Lawler attacked him until Jack Swagger accepted on Cole’s behalf. Cole then snuck the Kiss My Foot stip into the contract in the hopes of humiliating Lawler.
The Action: Cole comes out and claims to to be medically prohibited from competing here tonight due to his severe athlete’s foot, with a doctor’s note backing him up. He shows it to the ref, who tears it up and rings the bell. Lawler attacks and rips the suit off, followed by dropkicking Cole to the floor. Cole gains a brief advantage by dropping Lawler on the steps, but pulls the shoe off instead of following up. Lawler sends him through the Cole Mine, then puts him back in and drops the fist for the pin at 3:02. He then brings out Eve, who hits Cole with a moonsault as payback for all his comments about her. Next he brings Jim Ross out for revenge and he covers Cole in BBQ sauce, which I’m sure he enjoyed. Lawler then gets the boot off, but Cole runs away. He brags about how he’s not gonna kiss Lawler’s foot, however, Lawler has one more friend, and it’s Bret Hart, who chases Cole back into the ring. Bret puts him in the Sharpshooter where Lawler forces him to kiss the foot.
The Verdict: This was exactly what the feud needed to be brought to an end as Lawler and everyone else gets their revenge and Cole gets humiliated. So they did the right thing, but they did it two months too late. The match is a DUD, but overall it was a pretty entertaining deal.
Main Event, WWE Championship I Quit Match: John Cena vs. The Miz (w/Alex Riley)
The Setup: Miz lost the Title to Cena last month at Extreme Rules, but then won a number one contenders match on Raw. Cena had the right to pick a stip, and so he picked I Quit because he’s never said those words before.
The Action: Miz starts by grabbing the mic and talking. He actually says “I Quit” twice while talking here (this is after the bell), but apparently that doesn’t count. He also says that since it’s no DQ, Alex Riley is gonna help him out, so Cena may as well just quit right now. Cena refuses and we’re under way. Cena gets the STF and the AA early on, but Riley is there to save Miz both times. The double team beatdown is on, but Cena of course refuses to quit in spite of being nailed with monitors and DDT’d on the steps. Riley drops the steps on him, but still no dice. Miz takes the unique approach of calling his shots in advance and giving Cena the chance to quit, only following through when Cena refuses. They go up the asile where Miz kicks him off the stage, but Cena remains defiant. Cena has had zero offence since the early part of the match, but finally starts fighting back after Miz sends Riley to get a chair. Miz ends up getting the chair and nailing him with it, but Cena again fights back. We get a ref bump for some reason and Miz gains control again, hitting a SCF onto a chair. Cena still won’t quit so Miz resorts to asking a kid in the crowd to quit for him, but the kid is just as persistent as Cena is. They put Cena through the timekeepers pit and threathen him with a chair, but he still says no. After hitting him with the chair, we hear someone who sounds nothing like Cena say “I Quit”, but none the less that’s it and Miz is the new Champion at 23:09. But Wait! The ref finds a cell phone on the floor and suspects shenanigans, then plays it over the mic to confirm it and restsrts the match. Riley immediately hits Miz with an inadvertent belt shot and gets put through the announce table, so now it’s one on one. Cena lashes Miz with a belt and then hooks the STF for a quick submission at 26:37.
The Verdict: This was an interesting match, very different from the usual, and different is good. But still I didn’t find myself enjoying it all that much, mainly because there was no doubt Cena was never going to quit. I’ll call it **1/2.
Overall Thoughts: This was a total one match show, with Christian/Orton being the only really withwhile thing here. Take that out and it almost certainly ends up being one of the worst WWE shows of the year. Cole/Lawler was a god blowoff, but as I said it was two months too late. Everything else was average at best and all in all I think it’s a Thumbs Down show, but Christian/Orton is worth tracking down if you missed it.