The Miz Defeats Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio, and Sin Cara To Retain the IC Championship
What I Liked:
With a match with little build, I did not expect much in this match. Rey and Sin were able to gain the early advantage over the heels, working quickly and effectively. The beginning of the match separated the four men in their respected feuds, and showcased the fact that Cody and Miz are much better overall than Cara and Rey. You can see the maturity from these two guys, more of a ground and pound offensive psychology. As the match continued, I really enjoyed how all four men finally interacted, with Rey hitting a nice springboard splash onto Miz. That was a really nice move that we have not seen from him. My favorite Cara moment was when he hit a corkscrew splash onto Rhodes, and really had some quick pinfall attempts. The end of the match saw Cara put a mask onto Miz, only to have Miz be blinded, hit hit Skull Crushing Finale onto Rhodes, and pick up the victory. The Miz needed to win this match, keep the championship, and move onto a real feud. Is this the beginning of a slow face turn from Miz? I think it is possible, but maybe not quite yet.
What I Disliked
What is the big deal with Cara trying to mask Miz? If Cara can see with the mask on, wouldn't Miz be able to as well? That really did not make any sense to me, and made less sense when he pinned Rhodes. He is supposed to beat anyone, and it does not matter who he pins. I felt like they wanted to have Miz pin a heel because it will give him a bigger pop, which does not make sense in a Fatal Four Way match. Nonetheless, the match was entertaining, took plenty of time, and started the show off on an entertaining note. I just wish they gave more build to the weeks leading up to it, so there would be a hook or some drama to it.
Grade: B
Daniel Bryan and Kane Defeat R-Truth and Kofi Kingston To Win The WWE Tag Team Championships
What I Liked:
Well, this was the absolute right decision to switch titles. Truth and Kingston really have not done anything since winning them. I absolutely love when Bryan gets in the ring because the level of aggression picks up immediately. He continuous kicks to Truth on the ground gains the advantage for his team, and really makes him look stronger, even though he is much smaller. Bryan is quick, aggressive, and really knows how to advance the match with the moves he executes. The champions did get some strong offense, with Kofi hitting a splash onto Kane on the outside. Kofi continues to work on Bryan inside the ring, hitting the Boom Drop. Kane helps Bryan out from getting pinned, and then the finish came when Bryan kicked Kofi in the back of the head. This would lead to Kane tagging himself in, arguing with Bryan, and then Bryan throws Kane off of the rope and lands on Kofi. This is how they win the titles. It was very humorous. After the match, they both celebrate and scream "I am the tag team champions!"
What I Disliked:
Bryan and Kane are GOLD together. The match itself lacked some real controntation from the champions. It would have been better if Kane and Bryan faced some heels simply for the fact that the crowd seemed confused who to root for. Kofi and Truth were put in a bad position from the very beginning to hold gold because they did not have established tag teams to work with. I still think Truth should have stayed as a heel because he is just like every other face now. There is nothing different between him and Kofi, both connecting to the younger crowd. The action in the match was good, but not great. Also, Kane's final bump to get the win looked pretty bad. Let's be honest, that move should not have kept Kofi down, especially since Kane landed on his feet first. That did not matter because it was all about moving on and continuing the odd couple of Kane and Bryan. That was accomplished here.
Grade: B
