As we talked about this show yesterday, it should have been abundantly clear that the main event was the draw of the show. This is not a weird thing by any stretch, but it seemed like no other match on the card had any steam going in. However, that's not to say that other matches didn't have the potential to deliver, and deliver they did. The first half of the card was fantastic from a wrestling standpoint, which was a good lead in to the storyline driven main event. By now, many of you know the ending to the show, but for those that rely on me to give you the info (you shouldn't as you should tune into these wrestling shows), let's start talking about the booking.
US Title: Daniel Bryan(c) vs. Ted Dibiase - I was a little nervous about this opening the show due to clashing wrestling styles and the fact that Ted Dibiase still sucks in my opinion, but this was better than expected. Ted got some decent offense in, but Bryan came out on top. Can't ask for much more than that. I still might have put Kaval/Ziggler to open, but this worked and the right man definitely won.
Sheamus vs. John Morrison - I was taken aback by the result here. I know that Morrison is in the midst of a push, but is Sheamus ready to be able to put people over without losing steam himself? That's the question that remains to be seen, but if you look at this from a broader perspective, Morrison has lost th Sheamus before and finally got over the hump when it counted, so in that sense it's excellent booking to show the face overcome his tormenter. It was also great to see someone win a match without their finisher. Somehow, this makes the match more believable and realistic, and I think a match pitting a smaller Morrison against a bigger Sheamus needs that dose of realism. Nice job with the finish. If only Morrison magically gained the gift of gab now.......
Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval - I took a chance here and I was wrong. Fair enough. I thought having a face champion would open up the possibility of feuding with McIntyre, Dashing Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio, and others down the road, but I have no problem with Ziggler winning. He made Kaval look like a threat, which isn't easy considering Kaval's losing streak prior to Friday, but found a way to win. Ziggler's reign has been quite solid as he has outwrestled his opponents to victories, something no so common to heels. I'm not sure that I ever see him as a main eventer, but as a throwback heel midcarder, he's one of the best.
Traditional Survivor Series Match: Team Mysterio vs. Team Del Rio - Shame on me for thinking this match could fuel an already lit fire. Shame on me for forgetting the golden rule of Smackdown: Thou shall not let Rey Mysterio lose under any circumstances. While I get the feel good aspect of the faces winning, I really thought this was a good opportunity to put over the young heels. Imagine if any of them found a way to pin Big Show by themself? Imagine if any of them pinned Mysterio to end it. What a rub that would be. Unfortunately, Mysterio doesn't seem to believe in rubs. It has gotten to the point where I've developed hatred towards Rey Mysterio the performer and it's not ok. I'm tired of the littlest man overcoming the odds. I don't want to be "that guy", but it's reached that pont. I didn't like the result here and at least if you are going to have Rey's team win, have him be the sole survivor in a weird way that doesn't make the other team look vastly inferior. This is the one aspect of the night I steadfastly can't agree on.
Divas Title: Laycool(c) vs. Natalya (handicap match) - So after singles matches where Natalya couldn't get it done, she finally gets it done when both women are legal. At first, I didn't agree with this, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. When one is not legal, that one distracts a ref causing interference. If both are legal, that can't happen, and the result happens this way. Great win for Natalya and it's good to see her finally get recognized. Not sure I like Beth Phoenix's return after the match. It's great to see her back, and obviously she'll feud with Laycool, but is a non-title feud the ticket there? I suppose it is. Also, who will feud with Natalya if Laycool are busy? These are questions that certainly need to be answered.
World Heavyweight Title: Kane(c) vs. Edge - Obviously, this had nothing on the main event in terms of build, and somehow Kane loses a lot of luster if he isn't involved with the Undertaker, but it wasn't a complete stinker. Give credit to SM Punk for basically nailing this one on the head. He didn't say it would be a double pin, but he predicted a way out of the match so that Edge gets a rematch at TLC. That looks very likely, with Edge seemingly winning, only to find out that Kane's arm on him actually created a double pin. Some hated this as purists always want clean finishes on Pay Per View. I'm a fan of clean finishes, but sometimes you need to further a story and this finish did that. I liked the booking here and I'm sticking to it.
WWE Tag Team Titles: Nexus (Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel)(c) vs. Santino Marella and Vladimir Koslov - This was fine for what it was and was booked solid all around. Knowing Koslov is the bigger threat, the pin came on Marella due to distraction. That's fine, even though Gabriel and Slater could arguably beat this team without the help. They are part of the group and it makes sense for the group to help. I also liked that this match rather than the Divas title match separated the two major title matches. For one thing, it allowed Nexus to be out there in order to be kicked out, and it just helped the continuity. Plus, with Beth Phoenix returning, the big moment aspect of that match needed to happen well before the events to follow.
WWE Title w/special guest referee John Cena: Randy Orton(c) vs. Wade Barrett
*If Orton wins, Cena is fired, but if Barrett wins, Cena is free from Nexus
The match everyone was waiting for. Free or fired was the phrase of the month and we all waited anxiously to find out which it would be. Most of us realized that the match itself wouldn't be great, so all the focus was on the man in black and white. After all the hoopla, all the drama, all the torment, and all the backlash, we finally got our answer. Cena is.........fired? Yep, staying true to himself, Cena got backed into a corner by Barret, but ultimately saw Orton RKO his boss and counted the 1, 2, 3. With slight hesitation, Cena realized he was doing the right thing, even if it meant his job. The hands over the face after the count saying "what did I just do" were an image to remember as a summation of this decision. What's crazy is that no one expected this ending. No one in their right mind thought that Cena would choose the fired stipulation. Many speculated a Cena heel turn, while others figured Barrett would win on his own accord and Cena would count the victory for him, granting him freedom and probably establishing himself as the next contender. With one fell swoop, the WWE swerved us all. It wasn't a grandiose moment, but perhaps the anti-climactic nature of the events actually made it better. The impromptu trip into the audience really added to the realism of the situation. It's as if Cena came to peace with this knowing that he did the right thing, despite it costing him the thing he loves most. What a great story to be told and we should all be anxious to see how it progresses.
Overall, it was a much more solid Pay Per View than I expected. The undercard was filled with solid wrestling while the main event provided a swerve that wasn't simply someone changing sides from heel to face. IT was a well executed swerve that changes the face of the WWE. Where will this story go? More than ever, I'm anxious to find out. Trust me when I tell you that business is just beginning to pick up and you do not want to miss Raw moving forward.
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