(1) RANDY ORTON vs. THE FIEND (w/Alexa Bliss)
Orton came out first. They showed Fiend at the start of a long tunnel. As he walked, he healed and lost the burns and charred remains and became “normal” again. Then Bliss danced to the ring. A gigantic Jack in the Box was rolled to ringside. Bliss cranked the handle and out popped Fiend, no longer burned to a crisp. Orton looked up at him and breathed deeply over and over in anticipation. He took a running leap off the Jack in the Box onto Orton in the ring. He hit a uranage, then leaned upside down in the corner, then charged after 20 seconds. Orton rolled to the floor to regroup. Fiend went right after him. Orton dropped Fiend back-first on the announce desk, but Fiend popped up and applied a Mandible Claw. Orton pulled himself free as he rolled back into the ring. The ring was lit in red throughout
Fiend stared down at Orton, but Orton took control. He upkicked Fiend and then delivered a draping DDT. He stomped on Fiend’s hands, then punched away at him. Fiend no-sold it and stood and made grunting growling noises. He clotheslined Orton and then landed a running crossbody. Fiend went for a senton, but Orton moved. Orton threw front kicks and delivered another draping DDT. He pounded the mat and set up an RKO, but Fiend countered with another Mandible Claw. Orton dropped to his knees. Fiend set up Sister Abigail, but suddenly fire blasted from the turnbuckles. Bliss on the Jack in the Box began profusely leaking or sweating black liquid. Some fans chanted “Holy shit!” That distraction led to Orton hitting an RKO for the three count. Fiend and Orton looked over at Bliss. The lights went out, then back on, and everyone was gone.
WINNER: Orton in 6:00.
That was pretty flat and anticlimactic. No wonder they didn’t bother producing much hype for it this past week on Raw and Smackdown. For those who hated this whole thing, there’s relief that it’s over early. The in-ring payoff to this was so insubstantial, it’s going to work against anyone investing the Fiend character going forward, I think. I suppose on the bright side, in the interest of keeping the show of reasonable length, and given that anymore more added to the match might be seen as belaboring the point which was getting to that weird finish, I’m not sure I ultimately would have voted for it to go longer.
(2) NIA JAX & SHAYNA BASZLER vs. NATALYA & TAMINA – WWE Women’s Tag Team Title match
Natalya & Tamina came out first. The announcers commented on clips of Natalya & Tamina winning the Gauntlet Match the previous night. Baszler and Natalya opened against each other. They exchanged brief mat holds. Natalya leapfrogged Baszler and then went for an early sharpshooter. Baszler reached the bottom rope to force a break, then tagged out to Jax.
Jax called for Tamina to enter. They battled mid-ring. Tamina went for a bodyslam, but Jax resisted. Jax took control. Natalya entered and together they backdropped Jax. Baszler, meanwhile, blind-tagged in and kicked Natalya in the head. Natalya and Tamina dropped Baszler onto Jax. Baszler caught Natalya with an inside cradle. Baszler and Jax beat up Natalya for several minutes until Natalya avoided a charging Jax, who went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Natalya took Jax down with a discus clothesline. Jax came back and slammed Natlaya for a near fall. Tamina was late with the save, so Natalya just lifted her shoulder.
Baszler controlled Tamina until Tamina came back with a Samoan drop for a near fall. Tamina climbed to the top rope, but Baszler got up and tagged in Jax. Jax then set up a top rope Samoan drop on Tamina. Natalya broke that up. Jax leaped off the top rope onto both Natalya and Tamina, who had to cartoonishly stand there and make faces and wait for her to leap.
Jax and Tamina battled next. Jax said, “I’m King Kong, bitch. What’ve you got?” Tamina then bodyslammed Jax for a two count. The crowd popped. Tamina went for a top rope Superfly Splash, but Jax moved and Tamina crashed on the mat. Both were slow to get up. Tamina crawled over and tagged in Natalya. Jax stood and tagged in Baszler. Natalya knocked Baszler to the floor and went for a sharpshooter on Jax. Cole said Baszler is legal. Natalya applied it mid-ring. Since Jax wasn’t legal, Baszler entered and put Natalya in a Kirafuda Clutch. Natalya’s arm went limp. Graves praised the “respectable performance” of Natalya & Tamina.
WINNERS: Jax & Baszler in 14:00 to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles. (**1/4)
Pretty good tag match, actually. The length was ambitious at best, but the crowd was into the match, seemingly more for the spectacle than having a favorite team.
(3) SAMI ZAYN (w/Logan Paul) vs. KEVIN OWENS
JBL joined the announcers on commentary. Sami made his ring entrance and enthusiastically introduced Logan Paul. Graves said finally someone understands Sami. Cole brought up how Sami trying to visit Logan at his boxing gym didn’t go well. Logan hugged Sami when he entered the ring. KO made his ring entrance and went right after Sami. Graves said Sami wasn’t ready for that. Sami briefly fought back at ringside, but KO took over again. He landed a cannonball and climbed to the top rope, but Sami rolled to ringside. Sami set up a move on the ring apron, but KO elbowed out of it and then suplexed KO on the ring apron. They showed Paul gasping at ringside. Graves said call off the match because nobody’s getting up from that.
They battled back and forth for several minutes, hitting signature spots and scoring two counts. Sami gave KO an exploder suplex into the corner. KO avoided a Helluva kick, but Sami landed a quick Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Sami landed another exploder into the corner. He landed a brainbuster for a two count. Fans chanted “This is awesome!” KO countered Sami on the top rope and landed a fisherman suplex onto the mat. They showed Logan looking deflated at ringside. KO ran at Sami in the corner, but Sami landed a Helluva Kick. KO caught a charging Sami with a superkick, then another. Owens had some final words for Sami, and landed a Stunner for the win. Logan shook his head at ringside. Graves asked, “How will the world ever know the truth now?”
WINNER: Owens in 10:00. (***1/4)
These two are good for three stars almost no matter what. They didn’t get enough time to have a truly special match, but everything they did was good. Given their history, it’s cool and fitting they got to have this match in this setting.
(4) RIDDLE vs. SHEAMUS – U.S. Title match
Riddle threw early chops and then applied an early sleeper. Sheamus back Riddle into the corner to break free. Sheamus caught a leaping Riddle and slammed him hard to the mat for an early soft two count. A minute later Sheamus climbed to the top rope. Riddle quickly met him up there and gave him a belly-to-belly to the mat. Both were slow to get up. Riddle landed a Bro-ton a minute later, then landed a brute-force power suplex for a near fall.
Riddle threw some kicks to Sheamus’s head, but when Riddle went for a handspring move, Sheamus landed a knee to Riddle’s head and scored a two count. Sheamus landed an Alabama Slam next. They fought on the ring apron where Riddle shoved Sheamus into the ringpost. Riddle suplexed Sheamus onto the ring apron. He landed a running knee to Sheamus’s chin, then flip dove onto Sheamus on the floor. Riddle landed a twisting splash off the top rope onto Sheamus for a near fall. He shifted to a headlock and armbar combo on the mat. Sheamus lifted Riddle and slammed him to break the hold. Riddle applied a quick sleeper. Sheamus reached the bottom rope, then pounded away at Riddle.
Sheamus looked around like he was enjoying himself. He lifted Riddle onto his shoulders and climbed to the second rope. Riddle broke free and set up a move, but Sheamus blocked it and lifted Riddle back onto his shoulders. Sheamus landed White Noise, followed by a flying knee for a near fall at 10:00. Sheamus then kicked Riddle out of mid-air after a second rope springboard flip dive and scored a three count. Cole said it was creative offense by the now three-time U.S. Champion. Riddle sat up a bloodied face as Sheamus smiled down at him with the belt.
WINNER: Sheamus in 11:00 to capture the U.S. Title. (***1/2)
Once these two landed on the same brand, this was a match I said I was looking forward to seeing. It didn’t let me down. They both like physical fights. Sheamus has always welcomed hard-hitting matches and sometimes delivered unwelcome stiff offense. Riddle comes from MMA and is used to getting hit and dishing it out. This was real looking a lot of the time.
