The Undercard Part Two
CM Punk and R-Truth defeated Curtis Axel and Ryback in a decent tag team match. I wonder if Truth is the best option for a guy like Axel right now. When Axel needs someone to get over, why are they giving him a guy who is NOT over? Does that make sense to you? Truth was singled out in the match which forced a hot tag to Punk. Punk would hit an elbow drop and a GTS onto Axel. He kicked Ryback in the head and tagged in Truth. Truth hit a Scissors Kick for the victory. I wanted the heels to win because they needed it more. Axel needed a win that was in a big spotlight. Ryback certainly needed to look dominant outside of the few powerful moves he put onto Truth. Truth picks up the pinfall victory for the sole purpose of getting another title shot. Does this mean Axel is bound to lose it? I hope it is not to Truth. While Truth is talented and his arsenal is fun to watch, he is not the right guy to beat Axel. He lacks depth in character development and lacks an overall connection with the audience.
Grade: B-
Randy Orton defeated Kofi Kingston in a match that took us close to the final hour of Raw. Orton took control of Kingston during the commercial break. Orton connected with a nice dropkick on the jaw of Kingston for a two count. Kingston was placed on the ropes and fought back by hitting a tornado DDT from the top rope. Kingston heads back to the top and hits a cross body for a two count. As the former WWE Champion is in distress, he caught Kingston from the ropes and planted him with a beautiful powerslam. Orton clotheslines Kingston on the outside and throws him into the barricade. He hits a hanging DDT off of the barricade. Orton rolls Kofi in the ring only to hit an RKO and pick up the victory. Solid match with little drama and suspense. After the match, Daniel Bryan comes out and attacks Orton. He beats the hell out of Orton around the announce table. Referees come out and break up the two men. This was a nice way to set up the end of Raw tonight. At this point, I expect Bryan to get attacked by Orton later on.
Grade: B
Fandango defeated Zack Ryder. Fandango hit a beautiful spinning heel kick which prompted a quick pin attempt. Fandango slowed down the pace with a headlock until Ryder hit a few moves. He connected with knees to his face and a missile dropkick. Ryder sit up for a Broski Boot, but Fandango slipped outside of the ring. Fandango hit a kick and a reverse neckbreaker which knocked Ryder out. Fandango finishes off Ryder with a Legdrop from the top rope. Simple and logical. A basic squash match. I wish Fandango had something to do.
Grade: C–
The Real Americans defeated The Great Khali and Santino Marella. Another night of a meaningless match. The big swing was the highlight of the match. We had to "pay" to see this last night and get it again? Interesting logic by WWE.
Grade: D
