The Undercard
R-Truth defeated Wade Barrett to kick off the in ring action on Raw. I was expecting this match to last much longer than it actually did because they have three hours to fill. Truth got a quick flurry of offense in until the stronger Barrett grounded him. Truth rolled up Barrett for the victory, and it was quite a surprise. I really wanted to see more action, and was shocked this happened. Why not give two guys who need all of the exposure get the chance to prove themselves. They are going to fight for championships in less than a week, so why would you not give at least 7 minutes. There just was not much action to grade. Grade: C-
Rhodes Scholars defeat The Uso's, Primetime Players, and Primo and Epico. This was an elimination match, and was very entertaining to watch. I enjoyed the action that Jimmy and Jey put on for us, which was a continued athletic attack throughout. Primo and Epico seemed to be the quick exits in the match, so it would come down to PTP and Rhodes Scholars. I did not think for a second that Uso's would be one of the last teams, but it does make sense to have one face team and one heel team at the end. Damien Sandow worked hard, but Cody Rhodes was very aggressive in the match. He was able to use his intelligence between moves to get under the skin of the crowd. When the action spilled to the outside, this is where Rhodes shined. Sandow took control of Jey, so Rhodes was able to hit a dropkick, as well as some knees to his opponent. When Rhodes put his knees up to stop a splash from Jimmy, it looked excellent. He was able to get the Cross Rhodes for the victory. This match gave us everything, and even gave us a great looking moustache. Grade: B+
Eve Torres defeats Alicia Fox in a match that was paced perfectly. This is how a Divas match should be executed, and was one of the best matches from the women I have seen in a very long time. There was no story or angle, but that was overlooked because of the execution of each move. Fox is such a versatile competitor that Eve benefitted from her. Eve looked strong, hit her finisher after coming back from a few moves, and finally posed at the end of the match. Well done from all fronts. Grade: B
Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler via Disqualificaion. I had a feeling this was how the match would end, but let's talk about the brilliance both men put on in the ring. We have seen them fight in PPV matches before, but this may have been one of the best matches I have seen from both guys. The action went back and forth, with Sheamus and Ziggler exchanging blows to get the pace moving quick.The action went to the outside, with Sheamus clotheslining Ziggler. I loved when Sheamus was able to suplex Ziggler back into the ring and set up for Battering Ram. Ziggler was able to cut him off, hit a facebuster, and get a close two count. Another few pinfalls, a few more kickouts, and then Ziggler got DQ'ed after hitting Sheamus with a chair. Sheamus would scare off Ziggler, and that was the end of it. We know Ziggler has the briefcase and even though he is facing Cena for it, I liked how they refocused on the World Heavyweight Championship. That really is the ultimate goal for Ziggler, and his match with Cena is his last pitstop. Grade: B+
