The Raw Exposé: The Steel City Blues Edition (7-31-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is the Atlanta of professional wrestling when it comes to sleepy crowds being doused with ZzzQuil. Aware of this sobering fact, WWE front-loaded the show with a Triple Threat Match featuring Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe. Will this marquee bout keep the crowd awake or put them in a deep slumber instead? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·        Kurt Angle ran down tonight’s agenda and was about to bid the fans farewell when Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came out to air the grievances about Lesnar being forced to defend his Universal Championship in a Fatal Four Way Match against Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe at SummerSlam.

·        Heyman could see through Angle’s scam and admired his strategy of setting The Beast up for failure. If Lesnar lost the Universal Title, he would leave WWE with Heyman in tow. After all, the ULTIMATE opportunity awaited them if they decided to walk away. However, Heyman vowed that Lesnar would do the improbable and retain his title which would negate any threat of them leaving the company as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a good way to start the show. WWE did a nice job acknowledging the Lesnar-UFC rumors which have been running rampant over the past couple of weeks. It wasn’t explicit, but Heyman saying the word “ultimate” gave fans some food for thought heading into the PPV.

·        The Hardy Boyz defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows when Jeff Hardy pinned Gallows with the Swanton Bomb in a solid tag team match. Anderson and Gallows targeted Jeff’s left shoulder which caused him to play the babyface in peril for a large chunk of the match until he made the hot tag to Matt.

·        Matt cleaned house, but he was almost dropped with The Magic Killer until Jeff made the save. The Hardys eventually gained the upper hand as Matt laid out Gallows with the Twist of Fate followed by Jeff hitting his finisher for the win moments later.

·        After the match was over, Matt and Jeff exchanged words with The Revival before both teams brawled on the main stage. Anderson and Gallows joined the party which caused all hell to break loose.

·        Matt nailed Scott Dawson and Luke Gallows with a pair Twist of Fates on the stage before Jeff laid out Dash Wilder and Karl Anderson with Whisper in the Wind onto the floor as the segment came to an end.

·        The Hardys execution of the Twist of Fate is very similar to the Stone Cold Stunner based on how certain opponents have been selling the move since their return. It’s a little distracting, to say the least.

·        The melodrama surrounding Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins continues as Ambrose is still apprehensive when it comes to forgiving his former Shield brother. Renee Young beaming at a possible reunion was a nice touch. Perhaps she could be the mediator to bring Ambrose and Rollins back together.

·        Meanwhile, Cesaro and Sheamus bragged about their partnership while making fun of Rollins for being friendless due to his past mistakes. Rollins snapped and challenged either man to a match which will take place later tonight. Sheamus was more than willing to accept the challenge. The Tag Team Division is heating up!

·        Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, and Akira Tozawa defeated Tony Nese, TJP, and Ariya Daivari when Tozawa pinned TJP with a Senton from the top rope in a solid match. The action was fast paced and the crowd was somewhat awake. By Cruiserweight Division standards, this was a success.

·        Jason Jordan’s new theme music sucks…

·        After Jason Jordan turned down The Miz’s offer at being his mentor, Miz decided to go below the belt by calling Kurt Angle a washed up jock who was hired as the Raw General Manager out of pity. Jordan warned Miz that he would kick his ass if he continued to bad mouth his father. Miz pretended to talk strategy with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel as he tried to ambush Jordan.

·        His plan backfired when Jordan dropped Miz with an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex which sent him crashing into his Miztourage. Jordan made a swift exit as the heels were left seething in the ring as the segment came to an end.

·        Miz TV was fine, but it was nothing special. Miz generated easy heel heat while Jason Jordan kept his comments short and sweet. Jordan’s promos need some work because he’s scripted like a goody two-shoes who is too good to be true. Minor criticism aside, this was a decent way to tease Jordan vs. Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.

·        Seth Rollins defeated Sheamus with a roll-up, but he didn’t get a chance to celebrate as Cesaro attacked him from behind. Sheamus joined in on the beat down as the fans chanted for Dean Ambrose.

·        Cesaro and Sheamus laid out Rollins with White Noise before leaving the ring. Noticing that Rollins was beginning to stir, they decided to go on the attack once again.

·        Ambrose made the save, but the numbers game caught up to him as well. With Rollins out of commission, Ambrose was in a tough spot as Cesaro dropped him with the Neutralizer. The Swiss Superman ripped Ambrose’s t-shirt off and wrapped it around his face which allowed Sheamus to nail him with a Brogue Kick for good measure as the Raw Tag Team Champions headed backstage.

·        The match between Sheamus and Rollins was okay, but the post-match beat down of Rollins and Ambrose told the true story.

·        This feud was hinted at last week when Cesaro and Sheamus watched Ambrose and Rollins’ 2-on-3 handicap match against Miz and his Miztourage.

·        WWE is doing a nice job milking the Ambrose-Rollins reunion for all its worth. It’s smart to give the fans breadcrumbs instead of delivering the whole enchilada at once. SummerSlam seems like the perfect place for a reconciliation to take place. Hmm...

·        Bray Wyatt talked about destroying Finn Bálor and other assorted nonsense until Bálor magically appeared in the ring with his back turned to Wyatt while doing the Chris Jericho pose for some reason.

·        Wyatt found this amusing and tried to attack him from behind, but he got nailed with an overhead kick for his troubles.

·        Bálor drop kicked Wyatt over the barricade as the segment came to an end with the Demon King standing tall in the ring.

·        For a split second, I thought Bálor was going to show up with his body painted up. WWE is saving that moment for SummerSlam. Hopefully…

·        Roman Reigns defeated Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman when he pinned Joe with the Spear in a good Triple Threat Match. This was not a barn burner by any stretch of the imagination as it was clear from the opening bell that the wrestlers were holding back their best stuff for SummerSlam. The crowd was still hot for the match as all three men got a chance to shine throughout.

·        It appeared that Strowman had the match won because he was about to lay out Reigns with the steel steps, but Reigns nailed him with a Superman Punch instead. Reigns grabbed the steps in order to ram Strowman out of the ring which led to the aforementioned finish.

·        This is Reigns’ first win over Joe which gives him a lot of momentum heading into SummerSlam. I wished the announcers drove that point home because Joe has had Reigns’ number since his debut on the main roster earlier this year. Moments like this should be sold to the hilt, but they dropped the ball at the one-yard line. Here’s hoping Joe goes ballistic next week to show that he cares about wins and losses. Who am I kidding? That would never happen in the land of 50/50 booking.

·        Elias dropped his last name. He’s so fancy…

·        Elias defeated Kalisto with a Swinging Neckbreaker in a serviceable match. The 10:00 P.M. Lull Period of Death is starting to set in.

·        Bayley defeated Nia Jax via count out in a one-sided match that favored Jax for the most part. Jax targeted Bayley’s shoulder which caused the Hugger Extraordinaire to sell for a prolonged period of time. I got a chuckle out of Jax putting her hair in a ponytail to mock Bayley, though.

·        Bayley gained the upper hand until Alexa Bliss tried to attack her from behind. Bayley pounced on Bliss until Jax slung her against the barricade.

·        Bayley managed to sidestep Jax as the powerhouse slammed against the steel steps which led to the count out victory.

·        The match was fine, but the crowd has been doused with Ambien for the last 30 minutes or so.

·        Big Cass defeated Big Show via Disqualification when Enzo Amore jumped Big Cass from behind. However, the moment was fleeting when Cass nailed Enzo with a Big Boot.

·        He taunted Enzo while Big Show was trying to gather his bearings in the corner. Cass charged after Big Show but got rocked with the Knockout Punch as Raw went off the air with Big Show dragging Enzo’s limp body up the ramp.

·        Big Cass vs. Big Show was fine, but it wasn’t worthy of being in the main event spot. The crowd was dead with the exception of Enzo doing some cheerleading at ringside. However, WWE played it smart by not giving away the finish on free television because Big Show and Cass will probably face off in the Battle of the 7 Footers at SummerSlam. Oh, joy! *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was middling at best. The Pittsburgh crowd lived up to their reputation for being sleepy during the third hour while trying their best to hold it together during the first two hours.

·        There were a couple of good matches on the show, but the in-ring action was pretty blah for the most part.

·        The slow burn reconciliation between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose is the best storyline in WWE while the main event and tag team scene is on fire at the moment.

·        The mid-card is so-so, but there is a clear sense of direction heading into SummerSlam which balances things out. This doesn’t erase the fact that tonight’s show was a chore to get through which hasn’t been the case in recent weeks.

·        Things should be better next week as Raw emanates from Toronto. The crowd is usually hot which should liven things up a bit. However, it’s up to WWE to deliver the goods since it’s the penultimate episode before the go-home show the following week. Let’s hope they get the job done. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!  

The Raw Exposé: WWE Presents - Monster Mash 2.0 Starring Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman (7-24-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. After Braun Strowman destroyed Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe at the end of last week’s show, how did newfound father of six Kurt Angle respond to Strowman’s latest rampage? Did he give him some milk and cookies or reward him with a shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship at SummerSlam? That answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·         Raw got off to a hot state when Kurt Angle announced that Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, and Roman Reigns will face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Joe tried to change Angle’s mind, but Strowman interrupted him and said that he cared more about piling bodies instead of complaining about a match stipulation.

·         Reigns sucker punched Strowman which led to a melee as Reigns and Joe tossed Strowman over the barricade. The Badass Samoan Alliance was short-lived when Joe punched Reigns in the face as they took the action back in the ring.

·         Strowman re-appeared and laid out Joe with a clothesline before ramming Reigns’ shoulder into the ring post. Angle called for security, but Strowman destroyed them one-by-one in a great feat of strength. I hope those rent-a-cops were paid handsomely for taking such amazing bumps.

·         Joe locked Strowman in the Coquina Clutch as Angle called for more reinforcement. The locker room cleared out as they tried to pull both men apart. Strowman was able to back Joe in the corner to break the hold, but Joe reapplied his submission as Reigns speared both men in a great spot.

·         Half of the wrestlers were able to hold Joe off while the rest tried to get Reigns out of the ring. Their pleas fell on deaf ears when Strowman laid him out with a Running Powerslam as the opening segment came to an end.

·         This was a great way to start the show. WWE played it smart by booking a Fatal Four Way Universal Title Match featuring the top stars on the Raw roster. Each man brings something unique to the table which should create an electric atmosphere in Brooklyn next month. Here’s hoping the company doesn’t swerve us by trying to book a Triple Threat Match to determine a single opponent for Lesnar at SummerSlam.

·         Elias Samson defeated Finn Bálor thanks to an assist from Bray Wyatt. Bálor had the match won when he hit Samson with the Coup De Grace, but the lights went dark in the arena which meant that Wyatt was about to magically appear in the ring.

·         He nailed Bálor with the Sister Abigail as Samson crawled across the ring to make the cover.

·         The Eater of Worlds told the crowd to Follow The Buzzards as the segment came to an end.

·         Before Wyatt interfered, Samson and Bálor had a good No Disqualification Match. The Drifter targeted Bálor’s injured shoulder for the most part, but Bálor willed himself back into the match. The crowd was muted in spots, but they were solidly behind the Demon King throughout.

·         The ending makes sense because Wyatt warned Bálor last week that he was coming for him. Step two of that plan came to fruition and it’s up to Bálor to respond next week. Both men should deliver the goods at SummerSlam as long as their feud doesn’t veer off into the supernatural.

·         As for Samson, this was the biggest win of his career and he looked good in the ring despite the cheap win. It gives him legitimacy as a performer which speaks well for his future. The Drifter has to build on this momentum by getting better in the ring and we shall see whether or not he will thrive or wilt under the pressure.

·         After Emma threatened to date Jason Jordan in order to get ahead, Kurt Angle booked her in a match against Nia Jax later tonight. Loose lips sink ships…

·         Big Cass defeated Enzo Amore with a Big Boot in a very one-sided match. It was almost an exact replica of their bout from Great Balls of Fire a few weeks ago.

·         Big Show tried to save Enzo, but Big Cass threatened to snap his neck which was a clear threat of attempted murder.

·         Big Show got in the ring as Cass tossed Enzo into him before nailing the World’s Largest Athlete with a Big Boot.

·         Cass kicked Big Show’s ass and dropped five Empire Elbows for good measure to send a message that there is room for only one 7 footer in WWE.

·         The prolonged beat down overstayed its welcome as the fans were quiet for the most part. Cass got booed towards the end, but this ass kicking could’ve been accomplished in half the time in order for him to get even more heat than he did. Minor criticism aside, WWE has done a solid job building up Big Show vs. Big Cass for SummerSlam.

·         Nia Jax defeated Emma with a Somersault Senton in a quick match. This was another lopsided bout where Emma got zero offense. Jax’s finisher popped the crowd which could be a good or bad thing depending on how she’s presented in the future.

·         If Jax is going to be a heel long-term, she shouldn’t be performing babyface moves. If she’s undergoing a character shift, this might be her go-to spot down the road. Either way, it’s an impressive move that makes her stand out from the pack.

·         Ariya Daivari put Neville and Akira Tozawa on notice when he laid out both men with a pair of Rainmakers.

·         Neville came out and talked shit to Tozawa which resulted in Tozawa hitting him with a Senton from the top rope. The move caused further damage to Tozawa’s injured shoulder which allowed Daivari to pick the bones.

·         It appears that Daivari is inserting himself in the Cruiserweight Championship picture which could produce mixed results depending on how he presented on television over the next few weeks. Will his cocky playboy persona translate on Monday nights? We shall see.

·         Bayley defeated Sasha Banks and will move on to face Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. After a shaky first half, Bayley and Sasha upped the tempo after the commercial break and delivered a very good match. It was physical as the fans got into the action down the stretch.

·         Banks went to the top rope and hit the Frog Splash on Bayley only for The Hugger Extraordinaire to counter Banks’ momentum with a roll through for the win.

·         Banks was heartbroken in the ring as Bayley punched her ticket to SummerSlam. Alexa Bliss made her way to the ring and confronted the new number one contender for her title as the segment came to an end.

·         Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Title at SummerSlam is an interesting choice. They had a terrible Kendo Stick on a Pole Match at Extreme Rules which caused Bayley to hit rock bottom as a character. The crowd reactions have been so-so since then and I wonder how the Brooklyn crowd will treat her next month. Will they forget how badly her character has been mishandled or will they back Bliss instead?  We shall find out soon enough.

·         As for Banks, it appears that she will be sitting on the sidelines next month. Is this a prelude to a heel turn for The Boss? Hmm…

·         Jason Jordan defeated Curt Hawkins with a neckbreaker in a quick match. Jordan looked impressive while Hawkins made another star in his self-proclaimed Star Factory.

·         When did Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows magically become babyfaces? Did I miss the memo?

·         The Revival defeated Gallows and Anderson when Dash and Dawson hit Anderson with the Shatter Machine for the win. The Hardy Boyz came out towards the end of the match to scout their opponents and decided to cash in their receipt on The Revival after the Top Guys blindsided them a few weeks ago.

·         Matt and Jeff hit Poetry in Motion on Dash before Matt nailed him with the Twist of Fate. Jeff was about to finish him off with a Swanton Bomb, but Dawson pulled his partner out of the way. The heels headed up the ramp as The Hardys stood tall in the ring.

·         The Revival-Hardy Boyz feud is far from over while Sheamus and Cesaro await the next challengers for their Raw Tag Team Titles.

·         As expected, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Samoa Joe will face off in a Triple Threat Match next week. Fortunately, this is a straight-up bout without SummerSlam implications. Whew!

·         Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins defeated The Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel when Ambrose pinned Miz with Dirty Deeds in a solid main event match. The 2-on-3 handicap stipulation paid dividends for the heels early on as Rollins was isolated from Ambrose for a large chunk of the match.

·         Rollins eventually made the hot tag as Ambrose cleaned house to crowd’s delight. It appeared that the Lunatic Fringe had things under control until Miz hit him with the Skull Crushing Finale for a near fall that was broken up by Rollins.

·         Rollins and Ambrose regrouped and did a double suicide dive onto Miz and his Miztourage. They tossed Miz back in the ring as Rollins nailed Miz with a flying knee which prevented him from hitting Ambrose with another Skull Crushing Finale. Ambrose hit his finisher moments later to send the crowd home happy.

·         Ambrose and Rollins shared an embrace in the ring, but Ambrose wasn’t ready to bump fists with Rollins just yet as he left his former Shield brother hanging in the ring as Raw went off the air.

·         WWE is doing a nice job milking Ambrose forgiving Rollins. Ironically, it’s similar to the relationship between Ruth and Debbie on the Netflix series GLOW because a betrayal ruined their friendship, but they put their differences aside for the greater good. Based on the camera cutting to Cesaro and Sheamus during their match, it appears that they will be entrenched in the tag team division for a while. If that’s the case, business just picked up in the best possible way.

·         Most importantly, it appears that the Miz-Ambrose feud has finally come to an end. Hallelujah!

·         Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. After a hot first hour, things tapered off during the second hour due to a pair of rapid fire matches followed by a non-match that cooled the crowd down. Fortunately, Sasha Banks vs. Bayley woke them up to kick off the third hour as they kept the 10:00 P.M. Lull Period of Death at bay for the most part.

·         Meanwhile, the marquee match for SummerSlam is set as Brock Lesnar, Samoa, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns will face off in a Fatal Four Way Match for the Universal Championship. This should be an absolute barn burner if everything goes according to plan. 

·         Elsewhere, it appears that Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins will become a tag team and vie for the Raw Tag Team Titles based on Sheamus and Cesaro watching the last two tag matches that closed out the show.

·         Also, Next week’s Miz TV will feature Jason Jordan as his special guest which might hint at an Intercontinental Championship match at SummerSlam if The Miz goes rogue during his interview with Jordan.

·         Based on these developments, the Raw side of the SummerSlam card is coming together nicely as the creative team has a clear sense of direction heading into the Biggest Party of the Summer. If only those creative juices seeped their way onto SmackDown Live in order to salvage the shit fest known as Battleground. Just saying…

·         On a lighter note, WWE continues to hype Raw a week in advance as they advertised Miz TV and the Triple Threat Match featuring Reigns, Joe, and Strowman for next week. Giving fans added incentive to watch is always a good thing. Here’s hoping the Pittsburgh crowd is willing to play along because their reputation for being dead during live shows has been well-documented over the years. Can the company reverse that trend? We shall see.

On that note, this wraps up another installment of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back tomorrow night with a brand new edition of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls. 

Geektified's Top 5 Takeaways from WWE Battleground PPV

Top 5 Takeaways from WWE Battleground PPV

By Anton Ware

Hello Geektified family! It's time for another monthly review as we cover Smackdown’s latest PPV offering, Battleground. The 5th edition of this PPV took place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it's the first Battleground show under the brand split. With seven matches and three titles up for grabs, the Smackdown brand looked to hit a home run because this was the last major event before Summerslam next month. So what were the highlights, you ask? Well look no further because Geektified has you covered!

#1: New Day Rocks

In the opening match, The New Day defeated The Usos to win the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. Along with being three-time champions, they’ve become the first team to win both the RAW and Smackdown Tag Team Championship.  The preachers of P.O.P. (Power of Positivity) were granted this rematch due to The Usos intentionally getting counted out during their first tag title match at Money in the Bank last month. The match itself was what you’d except from these teams as all four men would lay it all out on the line in a damn fine contest. Lots of near falls with Woods being nearly beaten within an inch of his life until Kofi Kingston came back into the fray as a result of a vicious outside double powerbomb. In the end, Kingston performed Trouble in Paradise on Jimmy which was followed by Woods performing a ropewalk elbow drop to win the titles. The New Day is back on top of the tag division and we can expect a huge celebration Tuesday night.

#2: The Queen of Harts is on her way to Summerslam

From the women’s division, we had a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match for the opportunity to face current Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi (who had no match, but was at ringside doing commentary) at Summerslam. Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Tamina, Lana, and Natalya faced off against each other via tornado rules (meaning all five women can battle at the same time). The order of elimination were as follows:  

-Becky Lynch eliminates Tamina with the Dis-Arm-Her

-Becky Lynch eliminates Lana with the Dis-Arm-Her

-Natalya eliminates Becky Lynch with a rollup

It would come down to Natalya and Charlotte where Natalya would block a top-rope moonsault from Charlotte, smash her head into the turnbuckle, and pin her to get the win. Afterwards, Naomi entered the ring to offer a handshake, but Natalya refused to signify that she’s all business leading up to their confrontation next month. Nattie’s upcoming title match with Naomi could make her a two-time women’s champion. The last time she won gold was in 2010 when she defeated Michelle McCool and Layla in a 2-on-1 handicap match. This match may be Natalya's last chance to prove she’s not just a stepping stone for the younger talent and is just as capable as any other female competitor on the roster.

#3: WinOwensWin

When the discussion of who’s the most successful NXT star to be called up to the main roster, four names come to mind: Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Charlotte, and Kevin Owens and with Owens’ win over AJ Styles, that statement only gets more validity. Owens is now a three-time US Champion, along with being a two-time Intercontinental Champion and the second-ever Universal Champion. Owens’ ruthlessness, selfish demeanor, combined with his devious, but effective in-ring skills has made him a big time player in WWE ever since arriving on the scene in 2015. He takes no prisoners, has no allies, and does whatever it takes to feed his family and IT WORKS. The backstory was that Owens had lost the US Title to Styles at a Madison Square Garden house show on July 7th (even though Styles had won a previous battle royal to earn his title shot at this very PPV).  Since there was a title change at the house show, Owens would then get a rematch to reclaim his prize and cement his legacy as the one and only Face of America. The ending of the contest saw Styles and Owens trade submissions while the referee was getting himself together due to being knocked down. Owens would counter Styles’ crossface into a rollup to get the win while Styles was left confused and disappointed in the ring.

#4: Cena Triumphs

John Cena returned to Smackdown during the Independence Day special and was met by his old rival Rusev. They traded insults and then came to the conclusion to settle their differences in a flag match on this show. This flag match was different in the sense that a wrestler had to retrieve his flag from the top turnbuckle and place it in a stand at his designated podium near the entryway.  Cena and Rusev would battle, retrieve their respective flags, and wrestle up the ramp. The turning point took place with Rusev setting up two tables near Cena’s podium only for Cena to deliver an Attitude Adjustment on Rusev off the podium and through the tables. Cena grabbed the US flag (which both flags had been dropped on the ground throughout the contest) and stand it on his podium for the win. With Rusev out of the way, what’s next for Cena? Title aspirations? Moving over to RAW due to his free agent status? We shall see.

#5: Mahal with a GREAT assist

The third straight Smackdown PPV meeting between Randy Orton and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was decided in a Punjabi Prison Match. This was also the third Punjabi Prison Match in WWE history as Batista vs. The Great Khali and Undertaker vs. The Big Show (Show subbing for Khali that night) were the two previous matches.  The match rules consisted of four doors an opponent can go through in the first cage, but once each door is summoned open, you only have 60 seconds to go through that particular door. Once all four doors have used the 60 second stipulation, your only way out of both cages is to climb out in order to win the match. Even though Mahal requested this match, it actually favored Orton due to The Singh Brothers being limited in their involvement (or so we thought). Psychological warfare was played by Mahal to give off the illusion that the contest was going to be a one-on-one affair as Samir and Sunil both interfered on his behalf as they were hiding under the ring the whole time. Orton would dispose of the brothers as Samir would be sent crashing through an announce table due to battling Orton on top of the outer cage and beating Sunil and Mahal with a steel chair. Just as it looked like Orton was about to climb over the outer cage to become the new WWE Champion, The Great Khali made his surprise return to WWE. Khali climbed the structure and choked Orton out long enough for Mahal to climb out and get the win. The Mahārāja of Smackdown celebrates with The Great Khali as the PPV comes to a close.

-So what did you guys think of the show? Hit or miss? Let me know in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

-Anton