A show with some good in-ring action, one that saw Dolph Ziggler wrestle on WWE Superstars and a show that really put over SummerSlam.
We kick off with Zack Ryder coming out to face up against Heath Slater with Drew and Jinder in his corner. This was taped before Ryder took to the barbers this week to change his hair back to his spiked ‘broski’ gimmick. Poor guy. I wonder whether he’ll get any TV time now. I have a strong suspicion that I’ll be writing about his telegraphed arm drag takedowns next week as usual.
Match 1 –R-Truth v Drew McIntyre
Ryder and Slater lock up and posture to the crowd to get them going. They trade catchphrases and then Ryder reverses an arm drag to lock in an arm bar and the match is underway. As Slater tries to reach the ropes to break the hold, the crowd trades “lets go Ryder… 3MB” chants. After Slater powers out, Ryder tosses him over the top rope and hits him with a missile drop kick through them. While Slater regains composure, Mahal and McIntyre beat down Ryder. Slater rolls him back in the ring and hits a neck-breaker for a very early near fall. As Ryder recovers, rolling to the apron, Slater complains to the referee as McIntyre punches Ryder in the face and Mahal kicks him on the floor.
After the break, Slater is in control hitting Ryder with punches. He chokes him with the middle rope and as the ref breaks the hold with a count, Slater again complains allowing McIntyre to again punch Ryder in the face. The crowd hear it and buy it; Slater tries again for the win but gets 2. We then get the rear choke hold. Ryder fights out but is cut off with a stiff clothesline. Slater stomps on him but Ryder fights out and rolls Slater over for a near fall. An angry Slater goes back to stomping on Ryder and then goes to McIntyre and Mahal at the ropes for advice. Hilariously, McIntyre just shouts “kick him in his head” and points at Ryder who is lying on the floor.
Slater hits him with two stiff kicks to his head. Sound advice, Drew. He gets a near fall and then reapplies the chin lock. Ryder powers out and out of an Irish whip hits a facebuster, he uses a missile drop kick off the top rope, lines up for the Rough Ryder but Slater counters with a leg lariat for a very close near fall. In a spot that should have been the finish, Ryder counters a suplex by landing on his feet and hitting a neckbreaker and rolling him up for the pin but Slater kicks out. Instead Ryder steals a pin by reversing a sunset flip for the win in 8:41
Next is the Raw Rebound the Miz TV segment with Cena and Bryan and then the end of the US title #1 contender battle royal, Shield interference and Big Show return.
Out next is Dolph Ziggler. Crazy to see him on this show. I really wish they’d given him longer with the title and given more opportunity to cut promos and improve. His partner tonight is Kofi Kingston. These two don’t belong together – Ziggler needs to turn heel again. The Prime Time Players are next out to face them. Fitting that Darren Young should be on this show this – since this was taped at Raw on Monday, no mention is made of his coming out in the media this week.
Match 2 – Dolph Ziggler & Kofi Kingston v The Prime Time Players
Kofi and Young lock up and immediately Kofi takes Young to his corner, tags in Ziggler and the pair use some tandem offence on Young, hitting him with a double Russian leg sweep. After the move, they both sway their hips (Kofi doing his best Dolph impression) and then both leap in the air (Dolph returning the favour to impersonate Kofi) to land duel elbow drops. These two would seem to have good chemistry immediately so I seriously hope that this isn’t the direction that Creative has in mind for Dolph.
Ziggler goes for a pin and gets a near fall, Young runs into an elbow and from Ziggler who hits him shots in the corner and sees off interference from O’Neill only to have his legs swept by him so that Young can go for a quick cover. This match is all pace and offence from the word go. Titus gets the tag and he and Ziggler trade blows but Titus powers out and powerslams Ziggler. Young comes in off a tag and the two clothesline Dolph. After a near fall, Young puts Ziggler in a chin lock, Ziggler battles out and recovers in the corner. Dolph has just enough energy to side step charging Darren Young, who hits the ring post. Dolph is able to crawl to Kofi for the tag.
Kofi runs wild and hits the Boom Drop to set Young up for the Trouble in paradise. Young counters due to a distraction by O’Neill and goes for a power slam. Kofi wriggles out and hits a springboard plancha for a near fall. As the ref is distracted, again by Titus, Ziggler rolls in and hits Darren Young with the Zig Zag so that Kingston can hit Trouble in Paradise and get the pin in 3:48. A great quick tag team match; blink and you’ll miss this one.
A good show ends with an awesome video package to hype Punk and Lesnar for SummerSlam.
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