WWE Over the Limit Review

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Kane defeated Zack Ryder with a chokeslam. Like you expected anything else?

A battle royal was added with someone facing either Cody Rhodes or Santino Marella later in the night for their respective titles. The Battle Royal just started the PPV for no reason. No PPV intro at all. The final 4 was Tyson Kidd, Miz, David Otunga and Christian. Otunga eliminated Tyson Kidd. Christian dumped Otunga. Miz threw Christian on the apron and tried to eliminate him but couldn't. Christian eventually eliminated Miz for the win. Christian appeared to point to Santino, making it known he will challenge for the United States Title.

WINNER: Christian

After a John Cena/John Laurinaitis video package, the usual PPV intro and pyro was done.

WWE Tag Team Championship: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth (c) vs Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler
Kofi and Swagger started off. Kofi ducked a couple moves then caught Swagger with an elbow. He tagged in R-Truth who hit a leg drop for two. Truth applied an armbar. Both men made tags and Kofi hit a flying clothesline on Ziggler. Dolph hit an armdrag then tagged in Swagger who applied another armbar. Swagger missed a leg drop and Kofi tagged in R-Truth. Truth hit a face plant. Dolph tried to interfere but was taken out, but it allowed Swagger to hit a clothesline then a Swagger bomb for two. Dolph was tagged in. Ziggler applied a chinlock. Ziggler went for a neckbreaker but Truth countered with a backslide for two. Truth then walked right into a Ziggler dropkick.

Swagger was tagged in. Truth started to fight back but Swagger made a blind tag to Dolph and they hit a tandem face plant on Truth. Dolph applied is headlock/handstand. Truth tried making a tag but Dolph stopped it and tagged in Swagger. Truth hit a tornado DDT and tagged in Kofi Kingston. Swagger tagged in Dolph. Kofi hit his springboard clothesline then Boom Drop. Dolph ducked the SOS but Kofi hit a reverse crossbody from the top. Swagger broke up the count. Truth cleared out Swagger. Kofi hit a mid air Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler for the win.

WINNERS: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Match Analysis: **1/2: Basic tag team match but it had some good action it. Still can't believe how far Dolph has fallen. The booking makes sense with Primo and Epico waiting in the wings for their rematch. Good action to start the show.

Backstage, Eve told Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins to confiscate any anti-John Laurinaitis signs.

Divas Championship: Layla (c) vs Beth Phoenix
Beth fought out of an early headlock and went to work over-powering Layla. Layla hit a crossbody for two. Beth gained control and went to work on Layla's leg that was injured. She smashed it against the ring post. Beth continued to work on the leg in ring, constantly hitting it into the mat. Beth applied a one leg boston crab. Beth applied a leg hold in the ropes, but Layla knocked Beth off the apron. In the ring, Layla countered a press slam into a DDT for two. Layla countered a GlamSlam into a roll up for two, Beth countered into a roll up for two. Layla then hit a neckbreaker for the win.

WINNER: Layla
Match Analysis: *1/4: Not bad. Could have been worse. The long working over of the leg kind of wore out the crowd, but the ending sequence got the crowd back into it. Layla retains and still is waiting to get destroyed by Kharma.

Interview with Randy Orton talking about what happened on Smackdown. Chris Jericho came in and said he sat back and watched Sheamus and Orton take each other out and he will be World Champion tonight. Orton said he will take an RKO.

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus (c) vs Alberto del Rio vs Chris Jericho vs Randy Orton
The four men paired off. Orton and Jericho and Sheamus and Del Rio fought on the outside. It got down to Orton and Sheamus in the ring. Orton landed some punches and kicks but caught a running knee from Sheamus. Sheamus was taken to the outside by Jericho. Del Rio and Jericho teamed up on Orton in ring. Jericho and Del Rio went to the outside and went after the injured shoulder of Sheamus. They threw Sheamus into the barricade then over the announce table. Orton fought back against the heels in the ring. He hit a suplex on Del Rio. The heels began fighting after Del Rio went for a pin. Del Rio hit a spinning backbreaker. Orton came back and threw Del Rio over the top. Jericho hit an enziguri for two. Sheamus tried coming back in the ring but hit a baseball slide.

Jericho applied a chinlock on Orton. Jericho went to the top but Orton stopped him. Del Rio came in as well. Sheamus fought his way back and knocked everyone off and hit a flying battering ram on Del Rio. Sheamus hit a rolling senton. Ricardo distracted Sheamus and ate a kick to the head from Del Rio for two. Del Rio applied an armlock. Sheamus fought out with some elbows and a knee to the head. Del Rio fought out of a Celtic Cross with a drop kick to the head. Del Rio missed a kick to Sheamus and hit his rope punches. Jericho broke it up. Orton came in and hit some powerslams then his middle rope DDT on Sheamus. Orton wanted an RKO but Del Rio came in and applied the cross armbreaker. Jericho broke it up. Jericho went for a Lionsault but ADR caught him with knees to the gut. Orton hit his backbreaker on Jericho. Sheamus and Orton countered each others finishers. Sheamus ate the steel post. Orton hit a double middle rope DDT on Del Rio and Ricardo.

Jericho ducked an RKO and hit a Codebreaker on Orton who rolled to the outside. Del Rio came in and applied the cross armbreaker, but Jericho countered it into a Walls of Jericho. Sheamus tried breaking it up but ate a Codebreaker for two. Jericho countered the rolling senton attempt into a Walls of Jericho. Orton hit an RKO on Jericho. Del Rio went for the pin break up but ate an RKO as well. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Orton. Jericho rolled up Sheamus for two, but Sheamus came back and hit the White Noise for the win.

WINNER: Sheamus
Match Analysis: ***1/2: Pretty good fatal 4 way match. Fast paced action throughout and a very good final ten minutes. Not surprised to see Sheamus retain. If he is going to get a big run, he needs some convincing wins like this one. There's a good chance Jericho is done for a while, so he took the pin. Good effort from all men involved. I'm thinking Sheamus/Del Rio at the next PPV. Would like to see Sheamus/Orton at SummerSlam. Good action.

Cody bat mouthed Christian to Eve. Christian was behind him then said Cody was full of crap and decided he wanted to face Cody instead.

Miz came out and complained about Brodus Clay. Then he did the Thriller dance. He was interrupted. by Brodus Clay. My, um, "fishing line" kind of went loopy during this match. It came back to see Brodus Clay win the match.

Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Christian
Cody had control early. Christian countered by tossing Cody to the outside and hitting a baseball slide. Cody tossed Christian into the steps and threw him back in the ring. Cody hit a leg sweep then applied an armbar. Cody dropkicked Christian onto the ropes. Cody hit a superplex from the top rope. Christian ducked a Cody punch and clotheslined Cody over the top, going over as well. Cody got control back with a couple of punches. Christian caught Cody with a punch jumping from the middle rope. Christian hit a missile drop kick for two. Cody ducked a crossbody from the top. Cody connected on a moonsault for two. Cody complained to the ref, allowing Christian to hit the Killswitch for the win.

WINNER: Christian
Match Analysis: **: Not a bad match. Would like to see what these two guys would have been done if they could have gotten the time Miz and Brodus Clay got. Weird seeing Christian randomly turn face tonight. I would like to see a prolonged Christian/Cody program. Two good, underrated workers.

C.M. Punk interview. He did a good Vince McMahon impression of what it would be like 10 years ago if you told him Punk and Bryan were main eventing a PPV. A.J. came in and wished Punk luck.

WWE Championship: C.M. Punk (c) vs Daniel Bryan
Punk started with a head lock and hip toss. Punk hit a couple of kicks. Punk hit some knees to the left leg of Bryan. Bryan caught Punk with a kick and then connected on more kicks in the corner. Punk fought back and applied a leg submission. Bryan countered out and connected on multiple punches. Punk regained control and hit a modified curb stomp to the back for two. Punk tossed Bryan to the outside. Punk missed a baseball slide and Bryan ran Punk into the barricade. The two fought outside as Bryan tossed Punk back into the ring. Bryan hit a missile dropkick from the top for two.

Bryan locked in a seated abdominal stretch. Punk fought out. Punk went for a Figure Four but Bryan countered with a roll up for two. Bryan applied a surfboard chinlock and applied it in various ways. Punk fought out with some punches but Bryan came back with a knee to the back of Punk. Bryan missed a third knee and Punk hi a perfectplex for two. Bryan caught Punk with a quick short suplex then a diving headbutt for two. Bryan applied a chinlock. Punk fought out and both men hit cossbodys in the ring and both went down.

Punk hit some punches then a neckbreaker. He went for the high knee but Bryan countered, but then walked right into a scoopslam from Punk. Punk tossed Bryan to the outside and hit a suicide dive through the ropes. Bryan caught Punk with a dropkick mid air for two. Bryan hit some YES kicks, but Punk caught his leg on one attempt and applied a figure four. Bryan tried fighting out with slaps but Punk slapped right back. Bryan got to the ropes. Both men exchanged pinfall attempts then Bryan connected with a good kick to the head for two. Punk knocked Bryan off the corner and crotched him on the ropes, then hit a springboard clothesline for two.

The two had a punch/headbutt exchange in the ring. Bryan countered a GTS into a nearfall. Punk caught Bryan with a kick for two. Punk hit the Macho Man Elbow drop but also hurt his ribs, allowing Bryan to kick out at two. Bryan regained control and hit some knees to the ribs. Punk ducked a charging dropkick in the corner and hit a running high knee, but Bryan countered a bulldog attempt into a YES Lock. Punk rolled Bryan over with his shoulders down. The ref counted three as Punk appears to tap right after. Punk wins.

Match Analysis: ****1/2: From a wrestling standpoint, I would give this match a nod for Match of the Year. Just great action throughout, not a dull moment. This is the kind of action we fans want to see. Punk and Bryan had the crowd in it the entire time. Great counters and near falls and some complex submission moves to go with it. You know these two know how to work an audience and they put on a grade A performance. I hope this program continues, because I want more of these two fighting.

Teddy Long appeared backstage, planting the thought of Eve and David Otunga losing their jobs after tonight.

Ryback beat Camacho.

John Laurinaitis vs John Cena
Right after the bell rang Laurinaitis tried running away but Cena stopped him. Cena laid out Laurinaitis with a punch and clothesline. Cena picked Laurinaitis up for an Attitude Adjustment and twirled around in a circle forever. Laurinaitis went outside and Cena rang the ring bell right next to Laurinaitis ear. Cena hit Laurinaitis head on the Spanish announce table. Cena then did some mock commentary. In the ring, Laurinaitis offered a handshake but Cena slapped him. Cena grabbed a mic and said if Laurinaitis tapped to the STF he is fired. But if he could last 10 seconds he would let go. Laurinaitis lasted but Cena did again. But Laurinaitis still lasted. Cena poured some water over Laurinaitis. Cena then used a fire extinguisher on Laurinaitis. Cena dumped trash on Laurinaitis.

Laurinaitis tried escaping, but Cena caught him. But Laurinaitis dropped Cena's bad arm on the barricade. Then he threw Cena into the ring steps and took a chair to Cena's bad arm. Cena blocked another chair attempt and hit the You Can't See Me with the chair. Laurinaitis hit a low blow and started walking away through the crowd. Suddenly Big Show brought John Laurinaitis back to the ring. Cena went for the AA but Show connected with the KO Punch on Cena. Laurinaitis scored the pinfall win.

Match Analysis: DUD: It was more of a comedy spectacle than anything else. No actual wrestling with an obvious outcome that any moron could see coming. Bad finish to a surprisingly decent PPV.

OVERALL
The first two hours of this PPV were surprisingly good. The tag match was hot, the Divas match was passable, and the World Title match was a good fatal 4 way. Punk/Bryan was exactly what you would expect out of them. Just a great display of wrestling and they showed that you don't need stupid corny promos to build a program. It is right up there for Match of the Year with both Punk/Jericho matches. The main event was terrible, but if you went into it expecting anything good then that was your own fault. It had a finish you could call since the end of RAW. Had the match gone on where Punk/Bryan did, then it would have been fine. But main eventing a PPV was ridiculous. But the first hour made the show watchable, and I would go out of my way to watch Punk/Bryan. I'm giving the show a 6. Much better than I expected.

Where Do We Go From Here?
Next month is No Way Out. Last I heard, the rumor was this match was either going to be main evented by cage matches or contain matches where escape is impossible. Lets go with this. I'm not adding stipulations because I don't know what they will come up with.

C.M. Punk vs Daniel Bryan: WWE Championship
Sheamus vs Alberto del Rio: World Title
John Cena vs Big Show

Live RAW Review like normal tomorrow.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka