KELLER'S WWE MONEY IN THE BANK PPV REPORT
JULY18, 2010
KANSAS CITY, MO.
LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW

-Todd Grisham, Matt Striker, and Jerry Lawler introduced the show from ringside.

1 -- SMACKDOWN MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

Order of ring entrances: Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Christian, "Dashing" Cody Rhodes, Matt Hardy, Drew McIntyre, Kane, and The Big Show. Everyone went after Show and Kane, but they knocked everyone out of the ring within seconds and then collided with one another. Show knocked Kane down, then began to climb the regular ladder. The steps broke immediately. The crowd laughed. He banged on another rung in frustration, which broke another rung. Christian and Hardy ran back in. He knocked them down. He did the same to Kofi, Cody, and Ziggler. Then he threw the broken ladder at Kane at ringside. Everyone went after Show at ringside at 2:00. Striker said Show's knee hit the steps. Striker noted early in the match that the tallest winner was the most recent winner of the MITB match - Jack Swagger. He said being tall is an advantage because you have to climb less to reach the briefcase.

At ringside, McIntyre catapulted Christian into the ring apron, then brought a ladder into the ring. The crowd booed. Hardy brought another ladder in and hit Drew in the back with it, then jabbed him in the crotch. Hardy then climbed the ladder. He was so close to it and grabbed at it, but Christian charged in and yanked him down. Hardy had to look to see how close Christian was before taking that final step up to get the case. I'm curious what the fallout would have been of Hardy breaking character and just grabbing the case there. Would they fire him? Would they run an injury angle and suspend him? Would they order him to do an embarrassing decisive job to the winner this week and then suspend him? I shouldn't be giving the TNA booking team any ideas.

Ziggler and Christain climbed each side of a ladder and battled. Christian tossed Ziggler off the ladder to the mat. The director missed Ziggler's bump. Hardy and Christian seemed a bit off on what to do next, but then Kofi and Cody re-entered and they dropped them. Kane then re-entered and caught both Hardy and Christian in position for a chokeslam, but they escaped and teamed up to DDT Kane. They went back and showed Ziggler's bump from a minute earlier in slo-mo from the overhead camera. Hardy and Christian sandwiched Kane between ladders by charging at him from opposite sides. Hardy then went for a Twist of Fate on Christian, but Christian blocked it and then dropped Hardy onto a ladder resting on the middle rope. He stood on Hardy, kicked him out of the ring, and then climbed the ladder. At 6:00 Cody tipped him over and Christian landed on Big Show at ringside just as Show finally began to stand up.

Several concentrated on knocking Kane down. With bodies down everyone, Kofi tried to climb a ladder, but Rhodes knocked him off. Hardy and Cody met atop a ladder. Drew knocked them both over. Hardy landed chest-first over the top rope. Drew threw Matt shoulder-first into the ringpost. Hardy threw Cody into the ringpost. Ziggler climbed a ladder, but Drew threw him down and and then into the ringpost. Kane yanked Drew out of the ring by his feet at 8:00 and began disassembling the ringside table of the Spanish announce team. Kane grabbed Drew by the throat. Drew recovered enough to elbow out of his grip. Kane kicked him in the face, though, fended off Christian, and then slid a ladder into the ring. Kofi slidekicked it into Kane's face at ringside. Kofi then went after Drew at the announce table. He gave him a 360 degree round kick to the side of his head, then dove off the top of a ladder at ringside onto drew on the table below with his Boomdrop legdrop. Both were slow to get up.

Ziggler, meanwhile, climbed the ladder in center-ring. Show entered the ring and knockedZiggler ladder over and then caught him for a chokeslam. Ziggler rolled out of the ring. Kane surprised Show with a chokeslam attempt. Show headbutted Kane to escape and then smashed Kane with a ladder in the corner. He followed by charging back-first into the ladder. He threw Cody out of the ring. Christian and Hardy knocked Show out of the ring with the ladder. Show blocked it and shoved them both hard to the mat. He then splashed the ladder with Christian and Hardy underneath.

At 13:00 Show pulled out the special reenforced special ladder he had custom built. Striker said the ladder weighs more than Kane. Cole said everyone in the match weighs a collective 2,200 pounds, so this ladder could hold everyone at once. Show had trouble lifting it into the ring. I hope they practiced this. The crowd applauded after Show shouted something to the crowd. Show decided to slide the ladder through the second and top ropes, and that worked. Whew! Show set up the ladder. It looks like the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in Las Vegas with the gold color scheme. Cody recovered and rammed Show in the ankle with a ladder. Cody climbed the Mandalay Bay Ladder. Ziggler interfered and knocked Cody down.

At 16:00 everyone was down for an extended pause in the match. Ziggler got up and began climbing the ladder. Show slapped him in the chest. Show favored his ankle. Hardy ran up to Show. Show head-butted him to the mat. Kofi springboarded onto the ladder. Show grabbed his leg. Kofi came off with a DDT on Show. Then he climbed the ladder again. Cody dove off the top rope and dropkicked Kofi off the ladder. Ziggler knocked Cody off the ladder and then Zig-Zagged him into the back of the ladder.

At 20:00 Show began to climb the ladder, but Kane knocked it over and Show tumbled to the floor. The other wrestlers at ringside buried Show under all of the regular silver ladders. Kane threw one from inside the ring onto Show on the floor. Then he began to climb the golden ladder. The rest of the wrestlers entered and tried to climb the ladder. Kane chokeslammed Christian and Cody and Hardy battled on top. Kane yanked Hardy down and chokeslammed him. Cody grabbed at the case, but Kane yanked him down, too. He showed some light when slapping Cody. Cody sold a slap that didn't come close. Ziggler climbed and grabbed at the case, but Kane yanked him onto his shoulders. Ziggler slipped down and applied his signature sleeper on Kane. Kane rammed Ziggler's head into the ladder to break his grip. Ziggler fell to the mat. Ziggler charged at Kane. Ziggler got caught up awkwardly in the ropes and could have torn a ligament in his knee. Kane awkwardly saved him and then threw him onto the pile at ladders at ringside. Ziggler is very lucky he didn't blow out a knee badly there when he was twisted in the ropes.

Cody and Kofi yanked Kane to the floor, then fought each other. Kane went after Kofi with a chokeslam onto the stack of ladders under which Show was still lying. Kane chased Cody up the ramp. Cody tried to escape, but Kane caught him and then slapped him head-first like a dart into the back of the Money in the Bank ice cream truck... I mean armored truck. Hardy climbed the ladder alone in the ring, but Kane caught up to him and yanked him down. Christian and Hardy together powerbombed Kane to the mat. Hardy and Christian climbed opposite sides of the ladder and met at the top. Hardy grabbed the case, but Christian took it from him. They battled each other to unhook it first. The big ladder gave both extra stability. They knocked each other hard to the floor. Good moment for both since they cut that strong promo a few weeks back on Smackdown regarding being longtime rivals, but hoped one or the other of them won.

Drew crawled back into the ring at 25:00. Kane met him at the top on the other side. Kane grabbed Drew by his throat and chokeslammed him to the floor. The crowd popped for Kane as he unhooked it to win.

WINNER: Kane in 26:00 to earn the MITB future title shot.

STAR RATING: ****1/4 -- Very good ladder match. Every storyline built up going into the match was played into. The bumps were dangerous looking, but not done frivolously within the context of the match and there was a lot of long-term selling. The explanation for Show being knocked out was memorable with the pile of ladders over him.

-Josh Matthews said something "begs the question" that didn't really "beg the question," but almost everyone uses that term wrong. He asked Sheamus why he helped John Cena on Monday. He said when he stared into the eyes of Nexus, it was like looking into the eyes of a soulless shark. He said Nexus are a threat to everyone including himself, so he had to choose sides. Matthewsa asked if he had a newfound respect for Cena. Sheamus said he wanted to be sure Cena has no excuses after tonight after he defends his title against him tonight. He said he hasn't received the accolades he deserves. He said he hates Cena for making fun of his "beautiful Irish skin" and his accent. He said the fans may agree with Cena, but their opinion is worthless. "Let's see how many jar of mayonnaise jokes he wants to make when I bash his head off the side of the cage," he said. He said the beating he gives Cena will be worse than what Nexus gave him. He said he's a bigger threat than they are. For some reason the camera lens they used for that segment was on the Barbara Walters soft-focus setting.

2 -- ALICIA FOX vs. EVE TORRES -- Divas Title Match

Cole said the story of this match is Fox trying to prove it wasn't a fluke she won the Divas Title. At 5:00 Eve kicked Fox in the side of the neck and then splashed her for a two count. Fox fired back with a kick from her back. Eve springboard roundkicked Fox in the head. The crowd was dead at this point. WWE's really done a poor job getting any women over as stars lately. It's a rotation ensemble of equal talents. Fox lifted her knee when Eve went for a moonsault, then hit an axe kick seconds later for the win.

WINNER: Fox in 6:00 to retain the Diva's Title.

STAR RATING: *

-They showed Cole, Striker, and Lawler at ringside. They threw to a video package on the Kane-Jack Swagger angle. Then they went backstage to Swagger talking to his distraught mother on a cell phone. He told his mom to quit being so hysterical and told her to "shut up." He said his dad is always living vicariously through him. He said his dad always acted like he won them. He said it was his dad's idea to come to the ring on Friday night. "As far as I'm concerned, Dad got what he deserved," he said. "He was trying to steal my spotlight." He said he feels bad because he's his father, but he couldn't risk Kane hurting him and costing him his chance at regaining the title. He told his mom that his dad would have done the same thing to him. He told her to tell his dad to bask in his glory again tonight when he regains his champions. Cole asked, "Who tells his mother to shut up?" Striker said he did say he loves her at the end of the call.

3 -- THE HART DYNASTY (David Hart Smith & Tyson Kidd w/Natalya) vs. JEY & JIMMY USOS (w/Tamina) -- Unified Tag Team Title match

Cole helpfully reviewed the Hart Family connections of the Hart Dynasty. Lawler said he's been watching DHS for a while and likes everything about him except he lacks a mean streak. At 4:00 Tyson hot-tagged in and went on rapid-fire offense. Lawler referred to the Uso in the ring as "Uso" rather than trying to learn the difference between them, even though the one with the shorter first name wears the shorter shorts to make it easy for all of us. Or is the other way around? Sorry, Jerry. Cole called both Usos "Jey" at different points in the match.

At 5:00 Tyson caught knees to his gut on a dive, but did manage to hot-tag DHS right afterward. He collided hard with Jey mid-ring and then set up a sharpshooter. Tamina began to jump on the ring apron. DHS looked like an idiot as he let go of the hold just as he was about to lock it on even before Tamina had jumped onto the ring apron. She's hardly a big threat and she was nowhere near being able to interfere since he was mid-ring applying the old, so it just looks so choreographed and stupid of him to do that. Anyway, Natalya yanked Tamina off the ring apron and slammed her on the floor. DHS went for the sharpshooter again. Kidd dove onto Jey at ringside to stop him from interfering and then DHS got the tapout win on Jimmy.

WINNERS: Dynasty in 6:00 to retain the Unified Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Okay action. Not a full-fledged standout match by any means. At least the tag titles were defended on PPV, but six minutes isn't enough to really give it a sense of being important or showcase the talent of the wrestlers.

-A commercial aired for a famous magician, who has a new season of his TV series starting soon on a national cable channel. He can buy ads here if he wants his name, station, and timeslot plugged! Viewers understandably resent paid commercials during pay-per-view events, which are understood to be commercial free other than the sponsorship of titles of shows. UFC often airs movie trailers during PPVs, which is also annoying. Cheap plug time: PWTorch's VIP site, by the way, is ad-free, so we practice what we preach.

4 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. JACK SWAGGER -- World Hvt. Title Match

Rey limped at the start of the match. Swagger shot in for Rey's leg. Rey avoided him twice. Rey threw some kicks at Swagger and then flipped off the middle rope toward Swagger. Swagger caught him and slammed him upside down into the corner. He charged at Rey, but Rey lifted himself up and Swagger flew to the floor. Rey then dove off the top rope onto Swagger. Lawler wondered if that was wise. Rey clutched his leg after the landing. Back in the ring Rey climbed the top rope again. Swagger quickly climbed up and tossed Rey to the mat quickly. Swagger went on sustained offense for a few minutes. At 5:00 Rey avoided a Swagger corner splash and then roundkicked him in the head. Rey struggled to climb to the top rope. Rey dove at Swagger, then sent Swagger into the corner with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. He followed up with a split-legged moonsault for a two count at 6:00.

Swagger made a comeback with a gut-wrench powerbomb for a near fall. Rey drapped his leg over the bottom rope to stop the referee's count. Rey kicked at Swagger to try to stop his attack. He sent Swagger into the ringpost with a cool head scissors spin off of his shoulders. Rey climbed to the top again. Swagger met him at the top and set up a powerslam, but Rey countered and reversed Swagger to the mat with a DDT for a near fall. Cole said that might have been Rey's one chance. Rey followed with a 619. The crowd popped. Rey was slow to capitalize, but springboarded at Swagger. Swagger caught him, though, and turned it into an anklelock submission. Rey crawled over and clutched the bottom rope to force a break. He hit a corner splash at 10:00 and then stomped on his leg mid-ring. Swagger loosened the boot, but Rey powered out when his boot slipped off, and then he sent Swagger into the 619 position. Rey then victory rolled Swagger for the upset come from behind win.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio in 12:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- That match told a great story start to finish. They took full advantage of all 12 minutes they used. Swagger is really good and going to keep getting better at this pace. He's definitely solidifying WWE's choice to give him this push to the top of the Smackdown brand.

-Afterward, as Rey celebrated, Swagger attacked him. Rey tapped out. Kane ran to the ring and saved Rey with a power clotheslined. He tackled Swagger to the floor and fought him up the rampway and to the stage. Striker said Kane still believes Swagger attacked Undertaker.

5 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. KANE -- World Hvt. Title Match

The announcers went silent when, after saving Rey and fighting Swagger to the back, Kane walked back to the ring with the MITB briefcase in hand and cashed it in. Swagger broke the silence with a maniacal laugh. Rey shook his hand now. Rey tried to avoid Kane, but Kane grabbed him by his legs and slammed his leg to the mat. Striker said you can't blame Kane for beating the champion at his most vulnerable. Kane chokeslammed Rey once, then delivered the Tombstone. Some fans popped. Kane covered Rey for the win.

WINNER: Kane in 1:00 to capture the World Hvt. Title.

[A subscriber posted in the PWTorch VIP Forum that he tried to order and DVR tonight's WWE PPV, but couldn't and it was labeled "non recordable channel." The Cox Cable rep said WWE made that a new policy to protect DVD sales. I have never heard of that and it's not an issue with my cable. Anyone else experience this? kellerwade@gmail.com]

-Edge and Chris Jericho exchanged some words backstage. Edge said Kane won't be the only one cashing in the briefcase to become a champion tonight. Jericho said he created this match and he's been in as many as Edge. Jericho vowed that he'd win and cash in against the winner of Cena and Sheamus and walk out as champion. Edge said that's big talk from a man who has never won a MITB match. Jericho said that makes him more motivated and desperate than Edge is.

6 -- LAYLA (w/Michelle McCool) vs. KELLY KELLY (w/Tiffany) -- WWE Women's Championship Match

This could have been called a Night of the Champions event with only the IC and U.S. Title's not being defended. Striker said Tiffany and Kelly came to Kansas City early to plan strategy. That sounds ridiculous. There are telephones. Striker said, "Tiffany is vegan. Kinda like vegetarians, a little more annoying." (Hey now. The opposite is true because we usually don't suffer from bloating, indigestion, acid reflux, and general malaise from animal-based ingredients. Okay, so we're a little annoying sometimes. And really, Striker doesn't really get to call anyone else annoying since he's pretty much by design the most annoying person in entertainment television, excluding politics.) When the action spilled to ringside, McCool sat on the ring barrier and taunted Kelly. Kelly had enough and shoved her backward into the time keeper area. Back in the ring, a well-rested Layla countered a Kelly dive into a leverage pin.

WINNER: Layla in 4:00.

7 -- RAW MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

Order of ring entrances: Randy Orton, The Miz, Mark Henry, Ted DiBiase (w/Maryse), John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Evan Bourne, and Edge. Cole said Miz is his dark horse pick to win the match. Bourne dove into Henry in the corner at 1:00; they both tumbled to ringside. Edge, alone in the ring, was the first to climb the ladder and touch the ladder. Orton yanked him down and pounded on him. DiBiase used a ladder in the ring as a weapon. Morrison avoided the ladder and dropped DiBiase with a spinning hook kick. DiBiase clotheslined Morrison back-first onto the ladder. Ouch. Bourne dropkicked a ladder into DiBIase. Miz rammed Bourne's head into the ladder. Jericho attacked Miz. Henry dove onto the back of Miz who was draped over the middle rope. As Henry showboated, Miz blindsided him with a ladder shot.

I the ring, Bourne set up a ladder. Jericho charged at him with the ladder. Bourne ducked and then set up a ladder mid-ring and climbed to the top. Edge grasped as Bourne. Bourne dove off and head scissored him to the mat. Orton entered the ring and gave Bourne a DDT off the ladder's third rung the same way he usually does off the middle rope. Morrison rammed Orton into the turnbuckle and then leaping roundkicked him in the head. Orton rolled to the floor. Morrison fell backward into the ladder and hit the back of his head and seemed momentarily stunned. DiBiase went after Morrison, but Morrison reversed him with a suplex attempt. Miz intervened. Miz and DiBiase stomped on Morrison. Morrison used a drop toe hold to send DiBiase into a ladder propped in the corner.

At 6:00 Morrison then climbed the ladder. Edge re-entered and met him on the other side. Jericho set up his own ladder and climbed it. Orton met him at the top. All four battled to reach the swinging briefcase. Henry entered and shoved both ladders over for stereo mirror images bumps on opposite sides of the ring by both pairs of wrestlers. Bourne springboarded into the ring and at Henry, but he flew all the way to ringside. Maryse checked on DiBiase, who was KO'd at ringside. Maryse climbed into the ring as if she was going to climb the ladder. Lawler wondered if she could officially win the match. Maryse climbed to the top. Morrison gently helped her down and onto his back in a fireman's carry position. He ordered her out of the ring. DiBiase climbed the ladder. Morrison quickly turned and went after DiBiase. DiBiase leaped off the ladder onto Morrison.

Miz catapulted Morrison into a ladder at ringside. he climbed that ladder and then teetered of of another ladder in the ring to land on top of a ladder mid-ring. That was a first. It was like the old Mouse Trap game. He knocked Edge down and reached for the briefcase. Edge yanked Morrison through the ladder so he was bridge of sorts between both sides. Miz and Edge rammed Morrison in his abs (no, not the abs!) with the ladder. Edge then jabbed Miz in the face with the ladder. Lawler said, "Never trust Edge." Edge tipped the ladder over with Morrison's body still bridged across it. He knocked Morrison to the floor and then set up a ladder again.

DiBiase jabbed Edge in the gut with the ladder. He set up it up upside down in a "V" position. He knocked Orton off the ring apron with another ladder. DiBiase propped another ladder against the "V" ladder, then climbed the ladder in the middle. Henry finally returned to the ring and went after DiBiase. DiBiase dove at him, but Henry caught him and powerslammed him. Jericho charged at Henry. Henry kicked the ladder into him. Then he caught Miz and dropped him into Jericho. Bourne leaped onto Henry's back and climbed to the top of the ladder. Edge and Orton intervened, but they turned to Henry. Bourne, meanwhile, reached for the case. They turned back and yanked Bourne off and co-pressed him and threw him onto Henry on the floor. Henry powerslammed Bourne on the floor. Morrison leaped off the ring apron and kicked Henry. Jericho gave Henry a Code Breaker. Edge speared Henry at 14:00.

Miz and Orton and Morrison climbed a ladder in mid-ring. Jericho joined them. DiBiase slid a ladder into the ring, bridging it over the top rope and into the support beam of the ladder and walked over to join them. The meeting of five broke up when Edge and Orton slid the ladder, with DiBiase on it, out of the ring. DiBiase took a hard fall. Orton then gave Edge an RKO. Jericho and Morrison remained on the top. Jericho reached for the case. Morrison stopped him. Jericho ended up hung upside down in the corner. Orton yanked Morrison down and gave him an RKO. Bourne gave Orton an Air Bourne as soon as Orton landed. Bourne them climbed the ladder with Jericho still hanging upside down on the other side. He dramatically reached it and almost had it unhooked. Jericho punched at him. Bourne fought him off and again tried to unhook it. Jericho met him at the top again. At 18:00 Jericho knocked Bourne down by hitting him with the briefcase. Jericho was spent and slipped a couple rungs. Good drama there, especially for Bourne fans.

Edge met Jericho at the top. Edge headbutted Jericho. Orton then gave Jericho an RKO off the ladder. Edge reached for the case, but it was out of reach. Orton knocked Edge onto the "V" ladder. Orton then eyed the briefcase. The crowd popped as he climbed the ladder. He reached for it, got a sense of the height, and almost unhooked it when Miz tipped over the ladder. Good believable near finish. Miz then climbed the ladder and unhooked it for the win. I'm doing pretty well on my picks made earlier today on the VIP Wade Keller Hotline (79 straight days and counting!)

WINNER: Miz in 20:00.

STAR RATING: **** -- Another very strong MITB match. WWE does this style match really well, and the wrestlers really delivered.

-Afterward, Miz said, "You are all living in my moment." He held up the briefcase and said his winning the contract means he made it. "I made it! I made it!" he declared. He said he has made believers out of all of the cynics and skeptics and pretenders and critics. He told everyone to take a good, hard look at the man with the briefcase. "I am Mr. Money in the Bank," he said. "I am a future WWE Champion. Me! Me!" He's trying to add that vicious side and seem less like a joke, but he's losing a little of what made him so entertaining. It's a tradeoff. It worked extremely well so far for Swagger when he dropped the comedic aspects of his persona (the lisp, the wide goofy smile, and the little dance), so it's smart of Miz to try it too in order to get to that next level.

8 -- SHEAMUS vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title Match

A loud "Let's Go Sheamus" chant began just before the bell. Cena fans chimed in, also. The bell rang 2:23 into the PPV telecast. Sheamus dominated with methodical offense for the first five minutes. Cena showed signs of life at 5:00 by exchanging punches with Sheamus. He shoulder tackled Sheamus, but Sheamus ducked Cena on a second attempt and Cena flew into the side of the cage. Sheamus climbed to the top rope. Cena met him up there. They exchanged punches. Cena superplexed Sheamus to the mat and scored a two count. Sheamus went back on offense and applied a sleeper at 10:00. Cena climbed to the top rope with Sheamus on his back. Sheamus dropped down, knocked Cena's let out from under him, and then Cena fell to the mat. Sheamus scored another two count.

At 14:00 Cena made a full-fledged comeback. He went into his You Can't See Me routine. When he went for the Attitude Adjustment, Sheamus grabbed the cage and climbed it. Cena yanked him down to the top rope. They fought on the top rope again. Cena rammed Sheamus's face into the cage and Sheamus fell to the mat. Cena went for a top rope fistdrop, but Sheamus moved. Sheamus got up first and stomped away at Cena and then tried to tie Cena's arms into the ropes. The fans battled with rotating chants for Cena and Sheamus. Sheamus tied Cena into the ropes and punched away at his skull. Sheamus let out a barbaric yell as Cena showed signs of fading. Sheamus climbed Cena's body and to the top of the cage. Cena escaped and yanked Sheamus back to the top rope off the top of the cage. He leaped off the top rope and drove Sheamus's head into the mat for a believable near fall.

Cena waited for Sheamus to stand up, then went for the Att-Adj. Sheamus blocked it and executed an Irish Curse backbreaker. Both were slow to get up. Sheamus gave Cena his signature thrust kick for a believable near fall. Lawler said Sheamus should consider winning by escaping the cage instead of trying to keep Cena down for a three count. Sheamus thought of leaving, but turned back to Cena. Striker said Sheamus wants to earn Cena's respect. Cena surprised Sheamus with an Att-Adj for a highly dramatic believable near fall. Lawler said Cena may be unbeatable tonight.

At that point, just when you forgot about them, the Nexus gang walked to ringside. The ref yanked bolt cutters away from them. Cole called that a bold move by the official. Rather than chase down the referee, the Nexus stood around and complained to the other ref at ringside. The other ref reached into his pocket to apparently give them the keys to the cage, but then threw them into the crowd. Hopefully nobody got hurt! Cena threw Sheamus into the cage, but the ref in the cage ended up getting knocked down. Cena applied the STF mid-ring. The ref was down. Sheamus tapped, but it didn't count. Nexus had the other ref who threw the keys cornered at ringside. Cena began to climb the cage to escape for the win. Justin Gabriel met him at the top, showing that the wire cutters and keys weren't really that big of a deal. Cena battled Gabriel and shoved him of the top of the cage to the mat. Cena began to drop down the cage, but Mexus members battled him. Sheamus climbed over the other side. He fended off Health Slater and landed. The bell rang. The original ref recovered in time to see Sheamus hit the floor before Cena.

WINNER: Sheamus in 24:00 to retain the WWE Title.

STAR RATING: *** -- Okay cage match. A little methodical and one-sided through the first-half. The angle with the Nexus is fine since it'd have seemed strange not to have them involved in the finish given everything happening on TV lately.

-Afterward Cena went after Darren Young at ringside after the other Nexus members had fled the scene. He grunted and fumed with anger over what happened. He pulled the top part of the ringside step free and rammed Michael Tarver with it. Cena yelled, "I told ya' I'd take every one of ya' out!" Lawler said the bottom line is Sheamus is still champion. Cole said the Nexus continue to make their mark and one can only wonder what will be next. The show went black at 10:50 p.m. ET.

[Note: Every weekday, listen to the FREE PWTorch Livecast which I host along with James Caldwell and other PWTorch columnists as cohosts. It airs live at 8 p.m. right before Raw every Monday night and then 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday thorugh Friday. It's also available in iTunes; just search "PWTorch" in iTunes. To listen live or to archives, just visit www.blogtalkradio.com/pro-wrestling-torch. We will take your calls for an hour tomorrow talking about tonight's happenings.]

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