Over The Limit 2012

We could fall asleep in the ring and still be better than Cena vs. Big Johnny

People Power Battle Royal (Winner chooses title match for Intercontinental or United States Champion)

Christian returns from injury. Yoshi Tatsu took a nasty spill on his ankle. I thought Regal had retired. Cole still being a tool on commentary and trash talking Regal and Booker T. The second of the Usos had the most obvious looking elimination, literally throwing himself over the top rope as did Darren Young. Cole claims this is the future of WWE: hopefully they don’t have too many Royal Rumbles as they will be atrocious at this rate. Otunga, Kidd, Miz and Christian last 4. Kidd impressive but eliminated trying to skin the cat. Christian beaten up 2 on 1. Christian eliminated Otunga. Christian spears Miz off the ring curtain for the win.

Winner: Christian

Exciting start to the night but some of the eliminations looked pretty awful and Christian’s comeback victory was easily telegraphed. Poor Miz: from WWE champion to guy you get step up wins over.

Johnny’s People Power Promo/Cena’s Anti-People Power Promo

WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth (Kofuth) vs. Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler (Swaggler)

Excuse me! Vicky wants her old GM job back. Blonde twins out first then the champion black haired twins out next with Lil’ Jimmy. I wonder how many times Kofi will be tag champion in his career? He doesn’t have the size to be main event despite his wrestling ability and WWE wasted the push he got after he beat Orton a few years back. Double team on Swagger and a styling leg drop by Truth. Ziggler takes control on Kofi and tags in Swagger. Corkscrew elbow after the hot tag to Truth before Vicky causes a distraction and Swaggler back in control. King can’t stop talking about Vicky’s dress, which is making me a bit sick. Booker criticising Kofi for not breaking up the pin after the double team. Truth hits the tornado DDT off the top rope on Swagger, hot tag to the excitable Kofi and a 2 count on Ziggler. Reversal of the situation with Truth breaking a Ziggler pin on Kofi. Trouble in paradise for the win.  

Winners: Kofuth

Swaggler looked good in this match and likely to take the titles but Kofuth pulled out the win. Hopefully they try to seriously build the tag team division and not just keep throwing together random teams.

Eve sends the heel tag team to confiscate anti-Johnny signs from the audience.

WWE Divas Champion Layla vs. Beth Phoenix

Layla was surprisingly dominant early on in the match before a nasty looking knee breaker and Beth wrapping Layla’s knee around the ring post. World’s slowest 10 count on the outside before Layla sells the knee injury in the middle of the ring. A horribly applied Boston crab by Beth was followed by some soft counters by Layla to continue this unexciting and poorly constructed match. Gorilla press by Beth into a DDT on Beth for a 2 count. Neck breaker out of nowhere and Layla retains the title.

Winner: Layla

A great example of why the Divas are getting worse. Layla can barely chain wrestle and I felt sorry for Beth having to carry her throughout the match. Bring back Kharma so Beth has someone to wrestle or at least put it on someone pretty like Kelly Kelly.

Orton interview with Striker interrupted by Jericho, who brags about beating everybody.

World Heavyweight Championship Fatal 4-Way Match

Del Rio (ADR) was out first in a $150,000 car followed by Jericho (J) in an expensive sparkle jacket then Orton (RKO) in only his wrestling gear and finally Sheamus (S) with an expensive gold belt (spot the odd one out). Main event announcement by Lillian, first time I’ve ever heard Del Rio announced not by Ricardo, and the crowd is nuts for Orton tonight. Sheamus/Del Rio and Orton/Jericho pair off and fight in/out of the ring. Orton and Sheamus face off before Sheamus low bridged out and thrown into the barricade. Del Rio/Jericho double team Orton before turning their attention to Sheamus’ shoulder. ADR and J start fighting after ADR attempts to pin RKO. J trash talks RKO after keeping S out of the ring once again. S knocks J and RKO off the top rope. S beats up ADR after a flying shoulder block. ADR regains the advantage with an inziguri after Ricardo distraction. Back and forth between ADR and S before J breaks it up. RKO power slam on J and S before elevated DDT on S. ADR puts the cross arm breaker on RKO before J breaks it up. Attempted finishers by RKO and S, double elevated DDT on ADR and Ricardo. Code breaker on RKO, cross arm breaker on J turned into the walls of Jericho. S misses brogue kick and J hits the code breaker for a 2 count. Walls on S, sitting it down before RKO to J and ADR then brogue kick to RKO then white noise to J for the retain. Randy looks pissed on the outside as Sheamus celebrates and Jericho remains out in the middle of the ring.

Winner: Sheamus

I like that the commentators spoke about the crap come back that Jericho has had. This just proves their point: he dominates the match and still can’t pick up the win. I am a huge Jericho fan and even I am thinking he is starting to look like a loser. Good on Sheamus for continuing his title reign but he doesn’t come out looking stronger: he was the one person to not dominate at any point and snuck in for the win at the end.

Cody complains about almost having a match and bad mouths Christian: surprise, surprise Christian changes his mind and will face Cody for the intercontinental title.

The Miz vs. Brodus Clay

Miz trash talks Brodus and suggests he is a better dancer... I didn’t realize the Miz had sunk this low. He does a decent thriller but out comes Brodus, who seems to be dancing less than when he started. Miz out powered early on and is rag tagged by Brodus. Miz reverses Brodus into the steel post on the outside to take control. Throw from the top rope and an earthquake for the win.

Winner: Brodus Clay

Somebody call Miz’s momma because his career is on the skids. The dance was awful and his match was not much better. I don’t know why he is being made to job so much because all the respect he may have made by being WWE champion is being wasted away now.

Reks and Hawkins take some signs from the crowd: martial law according to Cole.

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Christian

Cody bad mouths his home town then Captain Charisma enters. Back and forth between Christian and Cody to start the match. Cody takes control on the outside after putting Christian into the steel steps. Cody wearing down Christian in the ring before a superplex takes out both men. Every time Christian mounts some offense, Cody quickly gets back in control. Tornado DDT reversed by Cody and he hits a moonsault for a 2. Cody mouths off about not having enough competition and gets caught by a kill switch for a new champion!

Winner: Christian

A nice welcome home present for Christian and Cody took a good heel loss here. Cody dominated here but Christian just held in there and pulled out the win. Hopefully these two can have a good little feud.

Interview with CM Punk about getting the crap beaten out of him by Kane because of Bryan. Punk imitates Vince not recognising Bryan/Punk 10 years ago. AJ breaks up the interview and gives Punk her sexy look.

WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan

Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s clobbering time! Main event introductions. Punk works on Bryan’s knee in the corner. Yes chant every time Bryan lands a kick. Punk continues to work on the knee with kicks and various submission moves. Bryan takes control on the outside by putting Punk into the barriers. Nasty looking abdominal stretch on Punk and a pin for 2. Surfboard submission on Punk into a dragon sleeper type hold (Punk bent like a pretzel backwards). Fisherman’s suplex for a 2 count on Bryan. Benoit head butt from Bryan on the top rope for a 2 count. Double cross body for a standing 10 count by the referee and Punk takes control. Bryan elevated to the outside and a suicide dive by Punk. Drop kick onto a flying Punk and Bryan is firing up: yes kicks to the ribs of Punk but reversed into a finger four on Bryan. Rope break and Bryan escapes the hold. Head kick for a close 2 count on Punk. Bryan crotched on the top rope before a flying clothesline and a 2 count. Bryan reverses a GTS into a roll up. Inziguri but foot on the rope saves Bryan. Macho man top rope flying elbow but cannot make the immediate cover due to his ribs. Bryan knees into Punk’s ribs to regain control but misses a kick. Bryan finally gets the yes lock on Punk but he rolls it through into a pin as he taps out AFTER the 3 count.

Winner: Punk

Awesome match between these two technicians! Reversals, submissions and a nice finish to the match as well. Unfortunately someone had to lose and I would have preferred to see that be CM Punk. Bryan looks like a chump once again: close but no cigar in a championship match. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two go at it again because Punk did tap out in the end.

Mexican guys vs. Ryback

Goldberg entrance as per usual. This was the usual domination of the other guy so not much to say here.

Winner: Ryback

Feed me... How about fighting someone, who is actually decent, and then we’ll take you seriously.

John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

Johnny is out first while Cole craps on about supporting him to the end. Green Cena is out next. Tight body suit on Johnny is laughable. Cena does some Big Show slaps on the exposed torso of Johnny. Cena is wasting too much time here: I smell a big show rat here... on aeroplane spins... on commentary... on a microphone... on getting a drink... using a fire extinguisher... taking out the trash... but Johnny starts working on Cena’s arm. Chair shots and a 2 count on Cena. Chair style 5 knuckle shuffle is countered with a low blow to Cena and Johnny tries to escape through the crowd. Johnny leaves the arena but Big Show drags him back to the ring. KO punch to Cena and Johnny picks up the win.

Winner: Big Johnny

It was a logical end to the match with the Big Show turning heel and giving Johnny the win. Apart from that a complete waste of time as Cena was boorish and it took 20 minutes too long.

Overall:

A good PPV considering the lame build up. The main event was the piece of crap it could only turn out to be but Punk/Bryan, the Fatal 4 Way and the Tag match were good. Punk and Bryan put on a wrestling clinic and showed that actual wrestling does draw a crowd. The Fatal 4 Way was exciting but the outcome was a bad call and does nothing to help push Sheamus or Del Rio. Finally, the tag team match had 4 good guys going at it. The Divas match was shocking as was the battle royal and Brodus Clay but none of this is new.