The Undercard Page Two
Wade Barrett defeated Santino Marella. Wade was able to stop Santino pretty often in this match, and Santino was actually able to hit some newer moves than usual. He connected with a nice spinning heel kick, but Wade came back and made quick work of him. The actual story of the match was the addition of Ricky Steamboat, who had a short confrontation with Barrett before and after the match. As Barrett begins to improve, I am not sure if this is a good thing for him to get into a feud, or lack thereof, with Steamboat. I am all about superstars creating new superstars, but Steamboat is really out of left field for me. He does not make much sense, especially for a guy who is brand new at holding the IC Title. (This time around) So, my opinion is incomplete. Steamboat needs to be in the corner of a viable opponent for Barrett, someone who can thrive in the mid card and become more important. Grade: C+
Antonio Cesaro defeated The Great Khali. Before I began typing this, I went back to look and see how good the Neutralizer looked. It was quite impressive, and is one of the reasons why I love him. He hit a simple European Uppercut, but made it better by springing himself off of the ropes. This set up for his finisher, which is a dead lift of close to 500 pounds. Some finishers, the other man needs to make it work. Whether they need to boost them or help them jump up, they get that extra help when executing it. All Khali did was lock onto his legs, and Cesaro lifted him up by himself and nailed it. He is a player in the WWE, so be ready for much more of Cesaro. Grade: B
Sheamus defeated Jinder Mahal in a match that also had another random backstage segment. Sheamus needs to be a badass, a fighter, and not trying to be a comedy act. He is not that funny, and people see that each week. He is trying too hard to be liked, and should do what got him there. Let him be cheered for his abilities in the ring, and not his friendly gimmick. He was able to put on a decent match with Mahal, but he did the same thing Orton did. The match was made to see him try and one up Orton, but it's 3MB. Nobody wants or cares to see them in matches with former World Heavyweight Champions. Grade: B-
