« WWE Digitals ∙ Screen Captures »
BACKSTAGE: Josh Matthews interviewed The Miz backstage. He said with Morrison winning the previous match, “it begs the question” of whether Miz or Orton will be champion when he gets his title shot. Miz had Alex Riley bring him his title belt in the Money in the Bank briefcase. He said everyone is saying he took advantage of an injured Orton. He asks how much he has to do to earn respect around WWE. He listed his recent wins and said tonight he will kill the legend of Orton. He got intense and then implored everyone to see the new face of WWE because he is The Miz and he is awesome.
THE MIZ (w/ Alex Riley) vs. RANDY ORTON
The only good reason I can think of right off to feature Miz’s first WWE Title defense on PPV this early on the card is because he’s winning, and Rey or Edge are winning the World Title, and they want to end on a high note. One of the two major singles titles should almost always headline the PPV, with the Royal Rumble being a rare exception. This demeans Miz, though, as he’s trying to gain traction as a main eventer to have him this early in the show defending his title. Striker said he’s known Miz since he arrived in WWE and he wasn’t well-liked at the beginning and still isn’t. Cole defended Miz’s method of winning the WWE Title with the MITB stip, saying anyone else would have and other have used that method to cash in and win. Orton stared at Miz during ring intros like he was going to destroy him, a bit like Anderson Silva’s demeanor before he defends his title.
The bell rang at 8:21 to start this. Orton aggressively beat on Miz in the opening minute. Miz avoided a charge in the corner and took over the offensive. Cole made his case that Miz should be Superstar of the Year. Orton beat up Miz at ringside for a couple minutes. When he tried to slide a folded ladder into the ring, Miz kicked the ladder into Orton. They tried to slam each other onto the ladder. Miz knocked Orton backward by ramming him with the base of the ringside steps. Miz lay a limp Orton onto a table at ringside, but the table collapsed. Lawler gave Miz a hard time for not setting up the table right. They returned to inside the ring at 6:00. Miz clotheslined Orton in the corner and then set up a table in the corner. Orton countered and then set up Miz for a superplex onto a table, but Riley moved the ladder out of the path. Striker said there are no DQs in a ladder match, which is absurd because if that’s the case, Riley might as well just join in and make it a two-on-one match from the start and use chairs and ladders, too. I mean, no DQ either means no DQ or it doesn’t.
Orton snap-powerslammed Miz at 9:00. Miz rolled to the ring apron. Orton kicked him and then DDT’d him off the second rope. At ringside Orton clotheslined Riley when Riley charged at him. He then slide a table into the ring. Orton gave Miz a backbreaker in the ring and then pounded the mat. Orton waited for Miz to stand, then set up a powerbomb. Riley distracted Orton. Miz got up and set up the Skull Crushing Finale. Orton powered out, but the ref got knocked over. Orton then gave an interfering Riley an RKO. With the ref and Miz down at ringside and Riley down in the ring, Orton surveyed the situation. He picked up Riley and gave him a powerbomb through a table. Miz then gave Orton a Skull Crushing Finale from behind at 12:00. Miz then rolled Riley out of the way and lay Orton over the broken table. he then revived the ref at ringside and showed him Orton. The ref then called for the bell and awarded Miz the win. Cole declared, “That was awesome!” He praised Miz for taking advantage of the circumstances. He said champions find a way to win.
The ref saw the replay and called for the match to restart as Miz was celebrating at ringside. Orton went after Miz at ringside aggressively. Cole said it was ridiculous, but Lawler said justice was prevailing. Orton threw Miz into the ring. As he tried to climb into the ring, Miz shoved Riley into Orton, knocking him off the ring apron through a table for the official win.
WINNER: Miz in 14:00 to retain the WWE Title.
|
