WWE Over The Limit - Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson (IC Title Match)

[SpoodBeest]

Announced exclusively on WWE.com, Wade Barrett will put his Intercontinental Championship on the line against his ultra-fierce former Corre ally Ezekiel Jackson at WWE Over the Limit.

Wade Barrett is no stranger to dissent among the grapplers he has chosen to surround himself with. After molding the WWE NXT season one Rookies into The Nexus on Monday Night Raw, his destructive creation turned on its leader. Learning from his mistakes, the English Superstar then helped to create The Corre on SmackDown – an elite faction made up of himself, Jackson, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater - set up with the understanding that all of its members would be completely equal.

But, nothing so volatile is meant to last and eventually Jackson grew dissatisfied with the four-Superstar partnership. During the April 15 edition of SmackDown, he asserted his independence by hurling his opponent Kofi Kingston onto his fellow Corre members as they sat ringside. Weeks later, the self-professed "Personification of Domination" again walked away from them following his victory over Big Show. Surrounding Jackson in the locker room, Barrett, Gabriel and Slater launched a major assault on their former comrade, officially "excommunicating" him from their group.

When Jackson retaliated the following week, after Barrett's match with Kane, the 3-on-1 odds once again proved too much. In a jubilant mood, the outspoken Intercontinental Champion challenged his ferocious foe to a match at WWE Over the Limit, in which his illustrious title would indeed be up for grabs.

Whatever rage Ezekiel Jackson brings with him to the pay-per-view showdown, there is no doubt that Wade Barrett will be wielding an overwhelming numbers advantage of The Corre, a faction he claims "is better than even." However, when all is said and done, will Jackson show his former collaborator of commotion that the only numbers that count in an Intercontinental Title Match of pure redemption are 1-2-3?

To find out, order WWE Over the Limit, May 22, live on pay-per-view, or be a part of the action live at Seattle’s KeyArena by ordering your tickets here.

Now most may roll their eyes on a big man match being added to the pay-per-view card but this match actually intrigues me. Probably because it's an actual Intercontinental Title defense on a pay-per-view and we haven't seen one of those since TLC in December. Also this match will add fuel to the Jackson/Corre fire. Something is going to go down obviously.

This could be a chance to get Jackson over good as the power babyface like Ahmed Johnson or Bobby Lashley before him. Let him win the title and go on to have a long dominate reign as champion to prove his worth and impress and of course it will continue the feud with Barrett after the title win. Or maybe have Jackson's power replacement in The Corre like *wink wink* Skip Sheffield debut in the group and cost Big Zeke his opportunity while also looking physically impressive. And it also causes the feud to continue as well since Jackson will want vengeance and the crowd will want him to triumph over his former group and eventually become the champion. So for the continuation of this interesting feud I am intrigued to see what happens at OTL. I am also curious to see your opinions on the match as well so post below!

 

[The Holy One]

Very glad that Big Zeke is a face again. He seems more fit in that role. I wouldn't mind either way the match end as Barrett keeping the title wouldn't be bad and I would welcome a Zeke IC reign. I do wish for "Yep Yep What It Do?" to make his return to somehow screw Zeke out of the match as Corre vs Zeke could be a great fued to dominate the Smackdown midcard for the summer. Maybe add Daniel Bryan to help Jackson in the future. Anyway, I look forward to the match and can't wait to see what happens.

 

[MMK]

I'm hoping Wade Barrett is given a lengthy Intercontinental Title run.

It would be a mistake to take it off him this early. They can't keep playing hot potato with the titles the way they are.

Make the IC title meaningful again. I think Barrett's the guy who can make that happen. I'd love to see Barrett be given a Honkytonk man type multi year run as IC Champion. Even the way he pronounces "Intercontinental" with that accent just sounds right to me.

Zeke probably wins by DQ. Which is fine by me. Just so long as he doesnt win the belt. Although I'd rather see Barrett win by pinfall after knocking the big guy out with a steel pipe or some sort of weapon. Pull a Roddy Piper and knock him out with a coconut. lol.

 

[ARLO]

I have been a big supporter of Zeke since he was Brian Kendrick's bodyguard, and I've watched intently as he evolves, learns and improves.

Even though I'm sick of the Corre, I want them to stick around for a little while longer.

I could sleep easily with either of them as champion, and I'm not sure who'll win this. I think if they really want Zeke to get over they should give him the belt, but if they have long term plans for the Corre then the strap should definitely stay with Barrett.

Looking forward to this match. The quality might suck, but in terms of adding to a storyline it may well be the best undercard match at Over The Limit.

 

[JWGunslinger]

I never liked Wade Barrett when he first came to the WWE, but i'll be honest and say that he has grown on me. As for Big Zeke i've always been a fan, so now i'm torn between two guys that I like equally right now. I'll go with Wade on this one because I like him as IC champ and I would prefer to see zeke move on and maybe do something with Mark Henry. I do think it's going to be a good match and i'm looking forward to it. I would say a DQ win for Zeke would be best, Barrett keeps the title but Zeke can have a dominant showing before he moves on to another challenge.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Well, for what it is worth, I thought Wade made the title look much more important than anyone who has held it since Rey back in 2009. He carries himself like he is big deal and not some CAW. I also think his singles matches have been very good because he stopped doing moves just to do them and has stick to what he is really good at: Booting and punching the shit out of people. And, for the most part, Wade's matches have had more buzz going into them than anyone who has held that belt since Rey in 2009.

I do think Wade drops the belt to Zeke. However, I do have a hunch something will go down. Heel champions don't just challenge people to title matches..

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Unless this ends in The Corre disbanding, completely, I cannot bring myself to care. I like Barrett, the talker, but in the ring? Hasn't done much outside of a solid match with Cena last year.

Big Zeke isn't going to carry this thing, we all know that. If the storyline were more interesting, and The Corre was a big deal, I would be singing a different tune. But this group isn't important, and I'm afraid this ends in a massive heel push for Big Zeke. I hope I'm wrong, seriously.

 

[Loveless]

Looking forward to this one. Zeke is much better in the riing than people give him credit for but having said that, he's not over enough as a face yet to win this one. Give it a couple of months of Barrett cheating him out of the title and then it'll be ready for the switch.

 

[The Mighty Tiger]

This match right here is the one I'm most excited about so far. It's the only match booked so far that isn't predictable & it's for the IC Title. I hope Barrett keeps the title by DQ & this feud continues. I'm beginning to really enjoy Wade Barrett he is shaping out to be one of those heels I love to hate. The ones where you like them because there entertaining, but you want to see them get there ass kicked because of how they carry themselves & operate. Big Zeke has the potential to be one nice face character, I think he needs an epic Goldberg like entrance/theme w/a solid finisher that works for his size & power, & he can be on his way.

I really believe that these guys if put in the right direction can give us fans the start of what could be an epic long feud as of the likes of HHH & The Rock. They both should continue to feud over the IC belt for the rest of the year giving the belt back its importance & if they live up to expectations in the midcard then of course move them to the main event.

 

[FSWWE]

I think that match will not happen!!
The idea of being for The Intercontinental Champion was Heath Slater idea!!

I think that they could make this match a Fatal-Four-Away Match!!

Zeke vs Slater vs Gabriel vs Barret​

The Corre will break apart after Over The Limit...

Wade Barret will retain because Wade has a lot of potential to be World Champion!!! I think it is almost 99% certain that he will be a major player...
SO he needs a successful tittle reign with a great storyline!

If that thing stays a single match - Wade will still retain the championship, and my idea over here will be made at SummerSlam!!

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Seems a bit early to do a switch, I forsee the CORRE helping Wade to get a cheating win, only to lose it later on down the road.

This could be ugly as fuck. Neither man are exactly well coordianted or seasoned in the ring. Hopefully be a fun match, and the beginning of a well booked feud.

 

[Daniel]

I want to care. But I just can't. Both are so dull it doesn't bear thinking about. I don't see a good match happening here. They're both big guys. But not good big guys like The Undertaker or Batista. The bad, dull big guys who I have no interest in watching wrestle.

As for the outcome, the Corre will either break-up or become stronger. We'll either see Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater turn on Wade Barrett or someone cost Jackson. For my money that man will be Skip Sheffield. It makes sense. There is the obvious history with The Corre and it would be replacing the muscle of the group with some muscle. See, perfect sense. I also think the break-up will come when Barrett starts to take the limelight of the group. That seems the natural way to go.

I hope that Barrett retains. Only because the prospect of Ezekiel Jackson being the Intercontinental Champion is worse than the reality of Barrett being the Intercontinental Champion.

 

[ringjobber1]

Im hopping big zek wins because they said he was set to get a push so this would be a great way to start it. He is really over you see the big pop he got when he came out to fight the corre this friday and he has a good look plus Vince love big dudes so he's pretty much set

 

[El Rev sXe]

Sure, why not? I mean we haven't seen an intercontinental title defense on a PPV for what, 5-6 months? Apparently Big Zeke is face now, I still don't see him with a personality but well Wade has it but not as an IC champion.

No idea who is going to win the match, nor I care. I don't think this can be a "show stealer" but it can be good, Wade has been very solid this past couple of months, Zeke has been..."the big guy". Yep, Wade is going to carry this match, not that he has the ability but whatever.

 

[ThUnDeRpHoEnIx]

Im pushing towards Barrett retaining.Corre will probally interfere and get Barrett the win and then I can see Zeke vs Barrett at the next PPV whatever that is.I think its the Bash.IDK.

But If Zeke wins he needs a new finisher.That Clotheslines all right but please dont go back to the Book of Ezekiel.

 

[Reddog1146]

I hope that Ezekiel Jackson wins the belt. This is the first time i have been interested in the Corre since.... well this has been the first time i was interested in the Corre. Also, Wade Barrett has not done much with the title lately, he defended it against Kofi Kingston twice, it is nice to see someone new go for it.

What would be better is to have Wade retain and have Ezekiel chase after the tile for a while, bring some credibility to the title. If not, then we have a new IC champion.

 

[Spillz3000]

I agree with the consensus. I love the fact that the IC title is finally being defended at a PPV. I hope WWE makes a habit out of putting more mid card title matches. Even if they alternate between the US and IC title every ppv its just refreshing to see a midcard title defense. But back to the subject. I think Barrett should go over this time. No need for Barrett to rush to the Main Event just yet. Put an emphasis on his title reign and make the belt mean something for either man to hold. I say let them feud for a couple of months and if Zeke finally pulls a victory it can be made to be a bigger moment for him. Zeke, Barrett, and a few choice others have the potential to make the IC title division worth something like Rey and Jericho did a couple of years ago. But if Zeke does win I wouldn't mind Dashing going for it.

But I say lets go Barrett for now and continue the feud at least till mid summer.

 

[JBK2008]

I hope Zeke stays face with this program. That said, I see The Corre helping Barrett win this match. This won't be a 5 star match, but I really hope Wade can carry the match well and show something off. Like previous posters have said, he hasn't had a real solid match since Cena worthy of note. Filler match for the most part, as The Corre has lost about all the steam it had, if any.

 

[Notorious718]

Should be a fun little match. I'm not expecting anything great really. I'm interested in what direction WWE plans to take Zeke. But at this point, I'm not interested in seeing Zeke as IC champion. On top of that, there's still the Slater and Gabriel to consider. I'm guessing Corre interferes, a new member debuts, Zeke wins by DQ, and Barrett retains. I doubt Corre will break up at Over the Limit. On the contrary, I think this feud is gonna be more drawn out and Corre will actually get stronger. I'm kinda interested in what happens... more interested in the Corre than I've ever been actually.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This will be an interesting match. Its resultswill determine the future of The Corre. I see Zeke winning, but it will likely result in him being kicked out of The Corre by Barrett, who will be promoted to the upper midcard where he could potentially challenge Orton for the world title. Slater and Gabriel will still be his underlings and we may see someone take Zeke's place in The Corre, Skip perhaps returning? Anyways the match itself will probably be good. It might open the show and I see Barrett dominating early on, only to lose the title he never needed so that he can be promoted further up the card because he should have already been above this title. Zeke wins the match but Barrett is the real winner here, climbing up the card afterwards.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Ezekiel Jackson will win the Intercontinental Championship.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

This could be a chance to get Jackson over good as the power babyface like Ahmed Johnson or Bobby Lashley before him.

Outside of all three men being big and black, they have nothing on common. Zeke is really big, and that's it. He isn't anywhere near as athletic as Lashley, same goes for Johnson. He hasn't shown any sort of in-ring ability, where both Johnson and Lashley could go. Neither were great, but far better than Jackson.

But, as long as Big Zeke isn't talking, I'm not going to be all that upset. I would rather watch Zeke and Wade bumble around the ring for ten minutes as opposed to listening to Zeke speak anywhere over 30 seconds.

Obviously, I'm not a big fan of Jackson. However, he has shown the ability to not suck while wrestling a smaller, quicker opponent (Christian, Kofi, etc.). Unfortunately, Wade doesn't fit that mold.

 

[Zigglerfan227]

I really like the idea of Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson having a match for the IC title. This has the potential to be a good match. The match has been more than properly built. If I had the money I would buy "Over the Limit" just to see this match (plus Christian vs. Orton). I hope that Wade Barrett wins so it will make Barrett look stronger. This would also allow the feud to continue for a while.

 

[adam]

No way Ezekiel goes over on Barrett. It's more like Skip Sheffield will make his return to wrestling as the fourth member of the Corre.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Well, I'm glad the IC championship is finally being defended on PPV. Not to mention it's Barrett's first PPV defence, and the feud, while strangely built, has at least had a build for quite a few weeks now. This ain't gonna be no clinic in terms of ring work but eh, these guys could still end up telling a good story.

Zeke is better as a face - more charismatic, more comfortable-looking, just all around better. I think he could end up winning in an upset, but I'd like Barrett to have a meatier reign as IC champ first.

 

[#hamler]

Can anyone see Wade Barrett lifting the much bigger Ezekiel Jackson up for Wasteland and hooking Zeke's tree trunk leg for the pin? Ehhh, not me, but I still don't think Wade will lose here. Both Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett would do fine in this division. It does seem likely that Big Zeke wins to finally see what he's made of, but I don't think now is the time to pull the trigger. Wade is someone who hasn't done much since his feud with Cena, why, I don't know but there has to be a reason why his momentum was stopped so quickly. He really hasn't had a chance to prove himself as a champion and I don't believe Wade will give up his Intercontinental Championship so quickly and easily.

Hamler's Prediction - Wade Barrett