Sheamus def. Alberto Del Rio
What I Liked:
Del Rio picked up his game tonight. With new tights and a more aggressive offensive attack, Del Rio was able to control Sheamus and ground him with his kicking and submission moves. This was a good match because we get a great combination of technicality and brute strength. Sheamus is on the top of his game and has been able to adapt to every opponent. The physicality in the match was solid, and Sheamus did a good job selling Del Rio's strength. Sheamus connects with White Noise, and follows up with a Brogue Kick for the victory. Nobody expected Del Rio to win. After the match, they teased Ziggler cashing in, and everyone knew he would appear. i am so happy that he did not cash in tonight because he needs to gain more steam and more established victories in the coming month or two. I want Ziggler to have a lengthy title run, and not one thrown away in a month or two. That is what they did with Del Rio last year, and was an epic failure.
What I Disliked:
I got to be honest here, nobody cares about Alberto Del Rio. He is a guy who simply does not get over as a heel because the crowd has not been given a legit reason to hate him. When you cannot build a heel the apporpriate way, his character and importance is flushed down the toilet to the fans. They simply do not give a crap. Sheamus picks up the win, but out of all his opponents, where is the best feud? He has not had a great storyline in a very long time, and I feel like it may have something to do with his character. He needs to alter his overall demeanor, or fans will begin to wonder why he is still champion. I am a big fan of his ring work, but he needs to be more complex and not just a power guy.
Grade: C+
Primo and Epico def. Prime Time Players
What I Liked:
I was surprised to see this match added. I felt like the action in the ring was very solid, with Titus showing off his ridiclous strength. Epico is the least popular of his team, so it made sense that he took most of the beating. I wanted to see the crowd become more interested, but Arizona was dead for this match. I wonder if half the crowd even knew who these guys were. Also, AW may not be getting completely over, but his banter during the match was comical at times. Titus and Darren have that classic "football player" cockiness, so I was happy to see their personalities shine more tonight than recent weeks.
What I Disliked:
Why did PTP lose here? And, why didn't Kofi or Truth speak at the announcer's table much? They wore suits, so we are supposed to think they are important? They NEVER have worn suits before, and it was completely illogical. I just did not understand why the champions were not on the card, two guys who the crowd always cheers for. Kofi has always been a popular guy, but the contenders are a bigger story than the champions. This gets so frustrating to me. Also, PTP goes over to trash talk the champions, but retrreat when their manager gets hit with water? Talk about looking like a bunch of wimps. Another example of booking that makes no sense.
Grade: C-
