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| Is the man on the right just waiting until Monday for the hammer to fall? Photo Credit: WWE.com |
And yet, there was no magic to be found.
That said, let's get into it.
Three is the number of men competing for the Intercontinental title on this upcoming RAW per the orders of Vickie Guerrero, who turned into a babyface so gradually I barely even noticed. In addition to Chris Jericho, who doesn't win matches, and the Miz, who doesn't win secondary title matches, there is the Intercontinetal Champion seen above, who is only now beginning to win title matches again after about a season's sojourn in the wilderness. He survived the neXplosion against Justin Gabriel to pick his former subordinate out of the air with a Bullhammer elbow that rocked him to the corre; one can only imagine how many high flyers he would hospitalize with a full rotation pre-elbow. Bizarrely, the champ had spent most of his offense picking off Gabriel's midsection with moves unique and known alike before seizing opportunity and dropping the Capetown Werewolf like so much third period French.
Three is the number of men who ended up being involved in the opening titleless tilt that was a revision of hostilities between Hecho En Los Estados Unidos Mas O Menos Alberto Del Rio and the man he hoisted the World Championship from, the Big Show. This one-on-one was marred as Jack Swagger clipped Del Rio after he'd taken a tumble to the floor after Show had freed himself from a Tarantula-styled cross-armbreaker, allowing the big thorn in the Shield's side to win by countout. Obviously, this paled in comparison to their PPV matches they've started the year with but Show looked impressive gorilla pressing out of covers after suffering at the hands of Del Rio's huracanrana, basement superkick, and top rope seated senton. (And without Rey around, if not Del Rio, then who?) The same kids playing Sing Along With Ricardo and chanting ¡Si! before the match and throw to the HILARIOUS Impersonation Promo looked highly concerned about Alberto limping around and having to be helped up by Ricardo after the match, but they did give el campeon del mundo a good round of applause. Obviously, it's TBD if Del Rio sells this going forward, but it's something to look for on future shows.
And I said TBD, not 3MB. As you guessed, the power trio graced WWEME with their presence in a losing effort. Want an easy reason why they fell to the Usos? They had Drew McIntyre, he the latest collateral damage of the Hall Of Pain/Feeding Time rivalry to the point where he had on the DDP memorial rib tape on, wrestling in this tag match while Jinder Mahal stood out there. When Michael Cole is pointing out your logic gaps, you're not gonna have a good time. Poor Drew was even selling his ribs the whole match whether or not he was on offense. In the end, like Gabriel would to the Hammer, the 3 Man Band would end up counting the lights.
In another in a series of passable but unmemorable Main Events, it was as easy as...
As easy as...
As easy as...
...ah, hell. Give me time, it'll come to me.
That said, let's get into it.
Three is the number of men competing for the Intercontinental title on this upcoming RAW per the orders of Vickie Guerrero, who turned into a babyface so gradually I barely even noticed. In addition to Chris Jericho, who doesn't win matches, and the Miz, who doesn't win secondary title matches, there is the Intercontinetal Champion seen above, who is only now beginning to win title matches again after about a season's sojourn in the wilderness. He survived the neXplosion against Justin Gabriel to pick his former subordinate out of the air with a Bullhammer elbow that rocked him to the corre; one can only imagine how many high flyers he would hospitalize with a full rotation pre-elbow. Bizarrely, the champ had spent most of his offense picking off Gabriel's midsection with moves unique and known alike before seizing opportunity and dropping the Capetown Werewolf like so much third period French.
Three is the number of men who ended up being involved in the opening titleless tilt that was a revision of hostilities between Hecho En Los Estados Unidos Mas O Menos Alberto Del Rio and the man he hoisted the World Championship from, the Big Show. This one-on-one was marred as Jack Swagger clipped Del Rio after he'd taken a tumble to the floor after Show had freed himself from a Tarantula-styled cross-armbreaker, allowing the big thorn in the Shield's side to win by countout. Obviously, this paled in comparison to their PPV matches they've started the year with but Show looked impressive gorilla pressing out of covers after suffering at the hands of Del Rio's huracanrana, basement superkick, and top rope seated senton. (And without Rey around, if not Del Rio, then who?) The same kids playing Sing Along With Ricardo and chanting ¡Si! before the match and throw to the HILARIOUS Impersonation Promo looked highly concerned about Alberto limping around and having to be helped up by Ricardo after the match, but they did give el campeon del mundo a good round of applause. Obviously, it's TBD if Del Rio sells this going forward, but it's something to look for on future shows.
And I said TBD, not 3MB. As you guessed, the power trio graced WWEME with their presence in a losing effort. Want an easy reason why they fell to the Usos? They had Drew McIntyre, he the latest collateral damage of the Hall Of Pain/Feeding Time rivalry to the point where he had on the DDP memorial rib tape on, wrestling in this tag match while Jinder Mahal stood out there. When Michael Cole is pointing out your logic gaps, you're not gonna have a good time. Poor Drew was even selling his ribs the whole match whether or not he was on offense. In the end, like Gabriel would to the Hammer, the 3 Man Band would end up counting the lights.
In another in a series of passable but unmemorable Main Events, it was as easy as...
As easy as...
As easy as...
...ah, hell. Give me time, it'll come to me.