411’s Instant Access: WWE Capitol Punishment 2011

Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Capitol Punishment 2011. Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one TWO writers’ thoughts on the show. Here’s the team for Capitol Punishment:

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Mike Uphoff, author emeritus of 411’s WWE Smackdown Report.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

United States Championship Match
Kofi Kingston (Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero
Match Result: Dolph Ziggler defeats Kofi Kingston with the sleeper hold.
Match Length: 11:05
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match was the obvious choice to open the show, and it was also the right choice to open the show. Kingston and Ziggler put together a solid match, but I have to admit that I was hoping they would try to steal the show. These guys are the stars of the future, and I know that they’re capable of more than simply a solid match. I’m glad to see Ziggler win the United States Championship, because his cocky upstart heel persona is all the more effective when he’s holding gold. More importantly, my guess is that Kingston losing his belt tonight was designed to free him up to win the Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match next month. However, if Kingston does with a MitB contract in the midst of a sustained John Cena title run, then I have to wonder if Kingston will be the first man to not win the championship after cashing in MitB.
Uphoff: Kingston and Ziggler had yet another good match. My only problem with this is, why are these two guys continually feuding with one another? These guys are good enough that they should be feuding in the main event, or at the very least feuding with other mid-carders. These guys provided some new moves we haven’t seen yet, and Kofi is kept strong because of the submission via unconsciousness. Some moves were a little sloppy, but not really noticeable. I would rate this higher, but the sloppiness in the match hurts it.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¼
Uphoff: ***
Average Match Rating: ***¼

Alex Riley vs. The Miz
Match Result: Alex Riley defeats The Miz with the Implant DDT.
Match Length: 9:15
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This right here is what a push looks like. One month ago, Alex Riley was a flunky, but now he’s a mid-card singles star with a PPV victory over a former WWE Champion. And unlike some rocket-up-the-ass pushes that the crowd seems to resent, in this case the fans actually seem to be getting behind young Master Riley. Watching Miz beat down Riley for the majority of the match did become a bit tedious, but Riley’s comeback was so Cenaesque that it only served to put an exclamation point on the magnitude of his push. Some have claimed that the great Miz experiment has clearly come to an end, but I tend to believe that WWE is actually putting their faith in Miz’s ability to build new stars. Miz is no less credible that he was a month ago (at least in my eyes), but Riley is a whole new man. I’m not sure that we need another PPV match between these two, but it would be fun to watch their animosity carry over into the context of Raw’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match next month.
Uphoff: Riley had a very good debut in his match tonight with the Miz. He sold well and really conveyed his emotion throughout the match to the fans. The Miz was good here as well, dominating most of the match as he needed to, because he had been bitched out on RAW the past couple weeks. I would have liked to see Miz win here, but there is nothing wrong with the hometown boy getting a W. Decent match, and if they don’t continue feuding, I would see both of them in the Money in the Bank Ladder match in July.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Uphoff: **½
Average Match Rating: **½

The Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
Match Result: Alberto Del Rio defeats the Big Show via referee stoppage.
Match Length: 4:52 (plus the lengthy pre-match action)
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match was really more of an angle than a match, and at least half of the action took place before the bell even rang. I usually don’t care for purely angle-development matches on PPV, but in this case it bothered me far less than usual. We got Mark Henry on PPV for the first time in recent memory, Del Rio continued to be one of the best heels the business, and this actually wasn’t a bad match by gimpy-giant-vs-chicken-shit-heel standards. However, I don’t think that this show needed both this match and the special bonus match between Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger. Neither match accomplished anything more than could have been accomplished on free television next week, and both matches would have benefited from the added time they would have gained if the other had been left off the card. That being said, it seems clear that the issues between Big Show and Alberto Del Rio are far from resolved, but now Mark Henry is firmly in the mix as well. With the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match coming up next month, I wouldn’t be surprised to see all three men have the opportunity to work out their frustrations with the help of a little steel.
Uphoff: I could have done without this match happening at all. This was awful from beginning to end, and not even Del Rio could save this. I didn’t care for this match coming into the PPV, and even though both guys certainly tried, it just wasn’t there today. I do give this a little extra for Henry actually slamming Show through the announce table.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Uphoff: *
Average Match Rating: *½

Intercontinental Championship Match
Wade Barrett (Champion) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
Match Result: Ezekiel Jackson defeats Wade Barrett with the Torture Rack.
Match Length: 6:46
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: These two guys are never going to steal the show, but they can put on remarkably entertaining big man / big man matches with each other. I’m glad to see that the unfortunate Corre storyline was able to create a new singles star with its last dying breaths, but I question whether or not Ezekiel Jackson can be an effective singles star as a face. His physique lends itself incredibly well to a monster heel persona, but now he’ll have to be recast as something akin to Ahmed Johnson or Bobby Lashley. I have to believe that his feud with Wade Barrett has essentially run its course, so I think it would be useful to feed him a few mid-card heel contenders so that he can pick up a few dominant championship defenses. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase would seem to fit that role quite well. After that, I’d love to see Jackson feud with Sheamus. Sheamus has improved tremendously over the course of the last two years, and at this point I think he’s capable of making Jackson look like a million bucks while putting on a good-to-great big man / big man match.
Uphoff: This was about what I thought it would be. Nothing bad, nothing good, just decent and average. Both guys are raw talents that haven’t really had the time to polish their skills, but this was a decent showing for both guys. Barrett pulled some nice moves, including the Bossman Slam, on Jackson, and Jackson covered his weaknesses by utilizing his power. I wish Jackson had a different finisher, though. The Torture Rack doesn’t quite work for him. Congratulations to Jackson on becoming the new IC champ, and I would look for both of them to feud these next couple of weeks.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Uphoff: **¼
Average Match Rating: **½

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
Match Result: CM Punk defeats Rey Mysterio with the GO TO SLEEP.
Match Length: 14:58
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Let’s face it, there really wasn’t much of a well-developed feud behind this match other than the fact that Mysterio and Punk have history dating back more than a year and, oh yeah, they are FREAKING GOLD when they get in the ring together. There are some guys that just seem born to work together and that are simply incapable of having a bad match with each other. Flair and Steamboat were like that, and so were Benoit and Angle. Watching Mysterio and Punk wrestle reminds me why we love this business. This wasn’t the best match they’ve had, and it wasn’t even a particularly significant match. But it was a great WRESTLING match, and it was a match that I was glad to have paid to watch. Anyway, Punk’s seems poised to move forward from this win and make good on his claim to change the WWE and do something more honest than we’ve ever seen. In many ways I’d like to see him break free of the shackles of the New Nexus, but I have to admit that holding the WWE Tag Team Championships and the continued development of Mason Ryan do somewhat justify Nexus’ continued existence. As for Mysterio, this loss doesn’t hurt him in any way. He is perpetually over, and his popularity can be used to build rising stars. I’m not sure we’ll see it happen as we head to Money in the Bank next month, but I’d like to see Mysterio feud with Miz at some point soon.
Uphoff: This was its usual greatness. I had hoped for this, and was really hoping that they could provide some new stuff, and they did. It was refreshing to see Punk and Rey bringing new counters to moves that they already knew, and the sequence of reversals with the kicks between Punk and Rey was just amazing. The finish at the end where Punk countered the 619 to the GTS was nothing short of sensational. Just four-star entertainment all around, which is nothing more than I would expect from these two. Hopefully, they go on to feud with other people. I would like to see Punk face Cena at MITB at the next PPV.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Uphoff: ****
Average Match Rating: ****

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Christian
Match Result: Randy Orton defeats Christian with the RKO.
Match Length: 14:09
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I will totally admit to being one of the marks that had a WTF reaction when Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Orton so soon after winning it, but their ensuing feud has completely vindicated WWE’s booking decision. Orton is having some of the best matches of his life with both Christian and Sheamus, and Christian is enjoying the longest stay at the top of a WWE card that he’s ever had. Orton and Christian stole the show last month at Over The Limit, but this month Christian could really let loose in full-on heel mode. The results were just as impressive, and I have to applaud Orton, Christian, and WWE for crafting such a rich storyline. We felt elated when Christian won the title, and we felt cheated right along with him when he lost it. We should have abandoned Christian when he became angry and bitter, but on some level I think it’s hard to abandon a character that we’ve spend years and years hoping would overcome the odds. At the same time, Randy Orton may be more popular now that at any point in his career, and the result is a truly compelling feud featuring some top-notch wrestling. The fact that Christian lost tonight’s match with his foot under the bottom rope should serve to allow this feud to continue for at least another month, and I’m more than happy to see another PPV match between these two.
Uphoff: I didn’t get to see their match at Over the Limit, and I was hoping to see another four-star match from these two. Watching these guys wrestle each other is like watching Picasso paint; they’re just classic with each other. This time, Christian played the heel, and it might have hurt the match just a little, but they delivered another classic. I like the ending, with Christian’s foot under the bottom rope giving him a reason to have another title shot, and even though these guys produce classic matches, you can’t drag this on forever. Orton brought his A-game and Christian did as well, and we got a great match out of it. You can’t ask for more than that, especially when one of them is still getting over a concussion. I would look to see these guys again at MITB.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Uphoff: ***¾
Average Match Rating: ****

Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
Match Result: Evan Bourne defeats Jack Swagger with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 7:08
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match was perfectly acceptable by impromptu “bonus match” standards, and I will admit that it was a notch above the matches that Bourne and Swagger have been having on Raw. However, as I mentioned during my comments about the Big Show / Del Rio match, everything that was accomplished by this match could have also been accomplished on free television. I would rather have seen this match kept off the card with the extra time given to Show / Del Rio or have seen Show / Del Rio end after the table spot with the extra time given to this match. I think that Bourne and Swagger could easily put on a ***¼ – ***½ match if given 12 – 15 minutes, and that’s the kind of time they should have been given on a PPV. They probably won’t get that kind of time on Raw, so like I said, I have to question if anything was really accomplished here. That being said, I could easily see the feud between Bourne and Swagger continue with both of them being entered in next month’s Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Uphoff: This was an okay impromptu match, and the appearance of Keith Stone with the Bella Twins was smooth. However, instead of these two, I would rather have seen a match between Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes. I think it would have made for a better use of time, and would also have kept the crowd into it, as the crowd was just dead for it until Bourne won with a roll-up. As it stands, not a bad way to kill some time, but not a good way either.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **¼
Uphoff: **¼
Average Match Rating: **¼

WWE Championship Match
John Cena (Champion) vs. R-Truth
Match Result: John Cena defeats R-Truth with the Attitude Adjustment
Match Length: 14:45
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: For the rest of his life, R-Truth can always say that he main evented a WWE PPV and challenged for the WWE Championship. But he should probably leave out the details. I knew that this match was in trouble when the Bourne / Swagger match and the Fauxbama Promo were crammed into the last hour of the show, so I wasn’t surprised when the main event went less than 15 minutes. However, what did surprise me was how little was accomplished in those 15 minutes. Cena and Truth can both work an up-tempo match, so I have no idea why this match ended up being so lamentably slow. I can definitely fault the match for that much. I know that some people are going to bitch and moan about the finish, but it actually made sense in the context of this feud. Little Jimmy was the very center of this feud, so it only makes sense that Little Jimmy should play a role in the finish of the match. You could also say that the finish made Truth look like a joke, but honestly, in this context he is a joke. I wouldn’t want to see Punk or Del Rio or Sheamus lose thanks to a kid in the crowd, but you don’t have to worry about hurting Truth’s credibility as a title contender. He never was all that credible, and my guess is that this was his one and only one-on-one title shot. Cena’s current title run has that “set ‘em up, knock ‘em down” feel that he had back in 2007 when he faced the likes of Umaga and Khali. I’m not sure I can see him holding the title until his match with the Rock at WrestleMania 28, but I also don’t see him losing the belt anytime soon.
Uphoff: I cannot rate this match as the feed went out right before the ending. However, I will say that what I saw was terribly slow and plodding. It wasn’t bad, it just was meh. And your main event of your PPV shouldn’t be meh.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Uphoff: N/A
Average Match Rating: **½

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (****)
I gave **** to both Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk and Randy Orton vs. Christian, so it was tough for me to choose between them for Match of the Night. Orton and Christian gave us a worthy follow-up to their show stopping match last month at Over The Limit, and their match does have the added importance of the World Heavyweight Championship on its side. However, Mysterio and Punk just seem to create that little extra spark of magic every time they’re in the ring together. From the high spots to the hidden highlights, I could watch these guys wrestle each other every night of the year and not get bored. Orton and Christian were great, but Mysterio and Punk edged them out by the slimmest of margins tonight.
Uphoff: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (****)
This was a great match from beginning to end that featured some amazing counters that we hadn’t seen yet. When two guys fight repeatedly, it’s very hard to bring new stuff to the table, but these guys didn’t have a problem.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: NONE
There were matches on the card that didn’t come anywhere close to ***, and there were matches on the card that we’ll probably have trouble remembering a few weeks from now, but there really weren’t any matches on the card that were worthy of being called Trash of the Night. Every match was enjoyable if not always significant, and there was no absolutely ludicrous booking (other than maybe the Jimmyference, but even that made sense in the context of the feud).
Uphoff: The Fauxbama Promo
Awful, and not necessary. I do not care to see the President of the United States on TV at a wrestling PPV. That was time that could have been used elsewhere.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: I applaud WWE for going back to basics and putting on a pay-per-view with eight one-on-one matches and not a single gimmick match in sight. This probably won’t end up being the most historically significant show, but I can’t help but feel as though it was an enjoyable show. The bottom line for me is whether or not I’m happy that I paid for a PPV, and tonight I certainly am. Last month I felt cheated after watching Over The Limit, but tonight I’m just a satisfied wrestling fan.
Uphoff: A good PPV, which is what they needed after the abysmal shit that was OTL. This had a bunch of decent matches, and two four-star matches. This was a much-needed breath of fresh air from WWE after the last offering, and hopefully WWE can continue this momentum with MITB next month.

Verdict:
Slimmer: **¾
Uphoff: ***¼
Average Verdict: ***