The crowd was pretty full for a house show, estimated at around 6,000-7,000 at Consol Energy Center. The Smackdown show in July had about 2,500.
The Miz interrupted Howard Finkel's introduction to the show, and Miz began bashing Pittsburgh and talked about his hometown of Cleveland. He talks about beating down R Truth a month ago, and he will do more to him in the future. Truth comes out from the crowd and attacks Miz, sends him off, and Truth cuts a quick promo as Miz is running away.
Dolph Ziggler def. Santino Marella, Tyler Reks, Mason Ryan, Curt Hawkins, Leo Kruger, JTG, Alex Riley, David Otunga, and Michael McGuillicutty:
Typical battle royal match here with Ziggler thrown between the ropes early, enters again, and tosses out Santino. He will face Ryder for the US Championship later tonight.
Alex Riley def Leo Kruger (billed as South Africa's most decorated athlete)
Leo looked like Tarzan with long hair and leopard trunks. Basic match, with Riley hitting his finisher after about a five minute match.
Jerry "The King" Lawler def Jack Swagger:
Swagger controlled most of the match, but Lawler got a great chant from the crowd throughout. Lawler finishes with a rollup to beat Swagger.
Beth Phoenix def. Eve to retain the Divas Championship:
Brie Bella was the referee here, and helped Beth win. She did not count for Eve when she hit a nice moonsault from the top rope. Glam Slam finished off Eve for the Beth Phoenix win.
Santino Marella def. David Otunga:
Nothing great here besides Otunga completely overselling the Cobra. It looked like he got shot, kind of funny.
Zack Ryder def Dolph Ziggler to retain the United States Championship:
The best bell to bell match of the night. Ziggler got the win, but Ryder's foot was on the rope. The match restarted and Ryder hit the Rough Ryder for the victory. Crowd was into this match.
John Cena def. Kane by DQ
A good mix of wrestling styles here, as Cena looked sharp. Kane, shockingly, looked much more athletic and graceful in the ring. He controlled most of the match until Cena hit the AA. Kane kicked out, grabbed a chair, and got DQ'ed. He walked away, came back in the ring, and Cena hit the AA on him.
CM Punk def. The Miz in a Steel Cage match to retain the WWE Championship:
A very solid bout between these two, more slowed down and focused on wrestling other than splash moves. Punk had the biggest pop of the night, and Miz got the most heat. The cage was not used much in this match besides a prop. It was used at the end when Punk threw Miz into the cage, hit a GTS, and made the cover for the win.
*Overall, a solid night of action. I was happy we got to see some young talent, but it focused solely on the main players. The show started at 7:30 and ended at 10:00.
Biggest Pops:
CM Punk
Zack Ryder
Jerry Lawler
John Cena
Biggest Heat:
The Miz
Dolph Ziggler/ Vickie Guerrero
John Cena
Kane
