WWE Over the Limit (May 2010)

Original Airdate: May 23, 2010

 

From Detroit, Michigan; Your Hosts are Michael Cole, Matt Striker, and Jerry Lawler

 

Opening WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Drew McIntyre v Kofi Kingston: Kofi blitzes him at the bell, and manages to knock him over the top with a clothesline, then dives after the champion with a tope. Kingston brings him in for the Boom Drop, but Drew bails to the outside to avoid it, and he sends his challenger into the post when Kofi chases. Drew unloads in the corner on the way back inside, and a stomachbreaker is worth two. He works a mat-based abdominal stretch, but Kingston escapes, so Drew kicks him in the ribs to cut off a comeback attempt. Drew with mounted punches and a dive off the middle, but Kingston lifts his boot to block. That allows him to make a comeback for real, and a flying bodypress is worth two. Drew fires back with a gutbuster for two, but Kofi reverses him into the corner, and delivers the Boom Drop for two. Trouble in Paradise misses, allowing Drew to try for the Future Shock DDT, but Kingston counters with the SOS at 6:23. Not much to this one. They were moving along well enough, but there was no real story being told. ¾*

 

Ted DiBiase v R-Truth: Truth grabs an armbar early on, and sinks his teeth into that one until DiBiase manages to get into the ropes. Ted tries a wristlock, but Truth reverses, so Ted tries slapping him around, but that backfires badly on him. Truth knocks him over the top with a clothesline, so Virgil distracts him, but DiBiase still can't seem to turn the tide. His dad would have had the match won already. Finally, after a second distraction from Virgil, Ted is able to deliver a neckbreaker to gain control, and a flapjack gets him two. Ted works a chinlock, but Truth fights to a vertical base, so DiBiase hits him with a side suplex for two. 2^nd rope axehandle follows, but Truth blocks, and starts making a comeback. Reverse STO gets him two, but an axekick misses, allowing Ted an electric chair for two. Truth tries for a submission hold, but Ted is in the ropes before he can get it locked, so he goes with a modified jawbreaker for two instead, then finishes with a jumping corkscrew forearm at 7:44. Another nothing match. ¾*

 

Hair v Straight Edge Society Pledge Match: CM Punk v Rey Mysterio: Really, again? Punk beats him into the corner right away, and backdrops him over the top, but misses a plancha. That allows Rey to send him into the barricade with a headscissors, and he beats on him over by the barber chair (why would they place that right beside the ring on the aisle side when they have a guy who likes to do dives is beyond me), but Punk dodges the 619, and throws Rey out of the ring into the chair. Okay, forget what I said, that bump was cool, and worth the placement. But then the match grinds to a halt, as Punk is bleeding hardway, and this is the era when they were stopping matches cold even over the most minor of shaving cuts. So, with Punk sitting there rolling his eyes (and Rey doing an extended sell job on the outside), the EMTs rush out to stop the bleeding. With that out of the way, he nails a still recovering Rey with a baseball slide, and chucks him into the rail before adding a vertical suplex on the floor. Punk is moving a hundred miles an hour here, clearly pissed about the stoppage. Punk with a slingshot somersault senton splash for two on the way back in, and he works a headscissors, but Rey fights free. Rey comes back with a sunset cradle for two, but Punk quickly cuts him off with a clothesline for two. Punk with a series of forearm drops for two, but he hits boot on a corner charge, and Rey uses a sunsetbomb for two. Springboard bodypress gets two, and a seated senton is worth two. Punk manages to dump him into the corner to buy some time, but Rey blocks a bulldog, and sets up the 619. Punk manages to block him, however, and he delivers a butterfly backbreaker for two. GTS, but Rey counters to a rana - only for Punk to stop it short, and leverage into a buckle bomb. That allows him a 2^nd rope bulldog for two, and a series of kicks get him two. Rey tries coming back with a springboard moonsault press, but Punk catches him in the GTS - only to have Mysterio counter with the 619! Springboard flying splash looks to finish, but Punk rolls out of the way. Cover, but Rey reverses the pin on him, and holds him for three at 13:45. The blood stoppage stuff hurt the overall piece, but not so much as to ruin it. Punk's execution was especially on point throughout, especially after the stoppage where it felt like he wouldn't let anything else fuck with his art. And then afterwards, Punk gets his head shaved, giving him the look he still rocks to this day. ** ¾

 

WWE Unified Tag Team Title Match: The Hart Dynasty v Chris Jericho and Miz: Tyson Kidd starts with Miz, and the challenger pounds him down, but Kidd blocks a press-slam, and takes Miz down for a series of strikes. Tag to David Hart Smith with a hanging vertical suplex for two, and a kneelift sends Miz to the outside. That draws Jericho in without a tag, but Smith backdrops him over the top, and then press-drops Kidd onto both guys out there! Inside, that gets Kidd two, so he grabs a front-facelock, but Miz fights into his home corner for a tag. Jericho tries a backdrop, but Kidd lands on his feet, and unloads with kicks. Over to Smith for a drop-toehold/legdrop combo for two, but a corner charge hits boot, and Chris dives with a dropkick from the middle. Baseball slide sends David to the outside for Miz to abuse, and Chris side suplexes him for two on the way back in. He gets David in a cobra clutch, but Smith fights to a vertical base, and manages a sidewalk slam. He inches for the tag, but Miz cuts him off, and the challengers cut the ring in half. Smith fights him off long enough for the tag, and Kidd comes in hot on Jericho. Slingshot underhook cradle gets him two, but a Jericho counters a rana with the Walls. Kidd makes the ropes to save himself, but a springboard dive gets countered with the Codebreaker for two. Kidd manages to evade long enough for the tag back to Smith, and Roseanne Barr the door! Powerslam on Jericho gets two, but Chris blocks the running version, and cradles for two. Natalya responds by tripping Chris up, and Smith hits the running powerslam for two. Miz grabs him for a two-alarm neckbreaker for two, and he goes for a sharpshooter, but Smith counters with a cradle for two. Skull Crushing Finale, but Smith blocks. He hooks a rollup, but Miz reverses for two - only to have a corner clothesline caught in the Hart Attack at 10:39. Good action here. ** ¾

 

Edge v Randy Orton: They spend the first full minute just literally circling each other, like this is some major battle that they've been preparing for for years, as opposed to a thrown together midcard match on a nothing pay per view. Orton takes control once they get going, and he clotheslines Edge down for a Garvin stomp. Randy stalks him to the outside, but Edge shakes him off by using the rail, and he drops Orton front-first across it. Inside, Edge hooks the leg for two, and he puts the boots to Orton in the corner. Edge works him over in dull fashion, until Orton crotches him to block a dive, and brings him down with a vertical superplex for two. Randy makes a comeback, and a powerslam gets him two. Irish whip, but Edge reverses, and lands a big boot to buy time. Orton bails to the apron, so Edge tries a spear, but Randy throws a knee to block, then drills him with the rope-hung DDT for two. Edge bails, so Orton tries dragging him back, but Edge snaps his throat across the top rope to block. Spear, but Orton punts him in the face to block. RKO, but Randy's arm is limp, and he can't execute it. That allows Edge to bail to the outside to regroup, but Orton is slow in his chase, and we end up with a lame double countout at 12:50. Good to see that these two boring the hell out of everyone isn't anything new, though. ¼*

 

World Heavyweight Title Match: Jack Swagger v Big Show: Swagger tries for a takedown, but Show's size allows him to easily block, and they square off some more. Swagger tries a waistlock takedown next, but Show reverses, and the champ bails to regroup. Here's a thought, Jack... maybe stop trying for takedowns. Swagger charges in to a waiting big boot, and Show takes him into the corner to unload chops. Chokeslam, but Swagger slips free, and hides out on the floor again. Show tries dragging him back, so Jack snaps his throat across the top to buy time, and he manages a three-point stance on the way back in. Jumping shoulderblock gets two, and a pair of pump-splashes are worth two. Apparently that's enough offense from the world champion for this match, however, as Show makes a comeback on him. Chokeslam, but Swagger manages to block again, and he nails Show with the title belt to force a DQ at 5:04. The crowd shits all over that one, and rightly so. This was TV level booking. ½*

 

WWE Diva's Title Match: Eve Torres v Maryse: Maryse kicks her in the knee at the bell, and chucks her into the post to knock the champion silly. Maryse works a reverse chinlock for a bit to show off those long legs of hers, and a running kneesmash puts Eve on the outside. Maryse follows with a roundhouse kick, but Eve ducks, and the challenger hits the post with her leg. Inside, Eve throws a pair of dropkicks, and a short-knee sets up a standing moonsault for two. Would it kill her to go after the leg? Sunset flip gets two, and a reverse STO is worth two. Somersault senton splash, but Maryse lifts her knees to block. She goes for the kill, but Eve fights her off with a facebuster to retain at 5:01. This was like a dark match between two curtain jerkers, down to the silent crowd. DUD

 

Main Event: WWE Title I Quit Match: John Cena v Batista: Batista offers him a chance to quit at the bell, but Cena hits him with the microphone as ways of saying no. John grabs a chair, but Batista ducks a swing, and Cena hits the post. That allows Batista to corner whip him, and a snapmare sets up a seated big boot, but Cena won't quit. Batista pounds him for a bit, but misses a corner charge, and John goes through his comeback routine to set up the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Attitude Adjustment, but Batista grabs the top rope to block, and he kicks at Cena's leg to buy enough time to throw a spear. He slaps on a rings of saturn, but Cena won't quit, and even manages to counter to an STF - forcing Batista to grab the ropes. Cena refuses to break, and since it's no DQ, the referee can't intervene. Batista seemingly passes out, so Cena lets off, since he doesn't want to win by referee stoppage. He pours a bottle of ice water on his challenger's head to revive him, but that backfires when Batista not only doesn't quit, but then drills him with a Batista Bomb. Batista takes him to the outside to put through the announce table, but John gets a paper cut, and we have to do another stoppage so the EMTs can patch him up. My God, I forgot how annoying that was. Batista chucks him into the crowd after that's over with, and they fight through the stands, ending up near the top of the lower bowl. Batista offers him a chance to quit, but John refuses, so the champ sets up another Bomb - only for Cena to block, and shove him down onto the platform below. Batista won't quit, so they brawl back down, ending up on the entrance stage. Batista beats on him with a chair over there, but Cena still won't quit. John's delivery on those 'nos' like he's refusing an order of nachos, or something is never not funny. Batista responds by getting into the car that that's sitting on the stage and trying to back into the champ - which I'm pretty sure counts as a straight up homicide - but John dodges. Phew. John with an AA on the hood of the car, but Batista won't quit. John responds by setting up another AA, but Batista quits before he can deliver it at 20:30. Well, that was certainly a low key finish. But then Cena does the move anyway, dropping Batista off of the car, and through the stage to wrap up. * ½

 

BUExperience: A couple of good matches on the undercard, but mostly nothing to see here. Just a filler pay per view, really.

 

DUD