WWE Capitol Punishment 2011
Dolph Ziggler VS Kofi Kingston- US Championship
Dolph and Kofi delivered another fine match here. There was a lot good back and forth action here, and this match did feature some impressive counters. Although, the ending to this match was kind of weird. Vickies interference didnt surprise me at all, because if shes at ringside, then you know theres a good chance shes going to stick her nose where it doesnt belong. Also, Dolph obviously used the ropes to gain leverage with the sleeper hold, but he wasnt disqualified for this. Still, I thought this was a very entertaining match,. This was a great way to kick off the show, and Im glad Dolph won the gold here. Zigglers Raw run hasnt been that exciting, and I think he really needed this boost. Kofi should be fine, because he is always consistent, when it comes to delivering good or great matches.
Match Rating: 8/10
The Miz VS Alex Riley
Miz dominated the bulk of this match, but Riley managed to strike back with some offense towards the end. I thought this was a pretty decent match, and I was surprised to see Riley walk away with the victory here. Cole wouldnt stop kissing Mizs ass on commentary as usual, but Riley decided to shut Coles big mouth, as he threw him over the announce table. I expected Miz to cheat, and he did try with the briefcase, but he was unsuccessful. This was the first match between these two, and I thought Miz would use some sort of sneaky trick to win this one. Riley gaining a win over Miz on a pay per view is a HUGE deal. This is the same guy who main evented Wrestlemania this year, and Miz is a former WWE Champion. There should be another match between these two, and I would like to see it. WWE obviously has big plans for Riley. I expect him to gain a spot in the Raw MITB Ladder match, and Rileys huge push should continue.
Match Rating: 6/10
Alberto Del Rio VS Big Show
I couldnt get into this match. Show decided to hit Del Rio with a sneak attack before the match officially began, and then Mark Henry took his shot at some revenge for Shows attack on the previous edition of Smackdown. Show tried to fight through the pain, but Del Rio targeted the injured knee throughout the entire match. Show had a few flashes of some offense, but it wasnt enough in this one, and eventually, the pain of the injured knee was too much to overcome. I dont think I would be too excited to see another Del Rio/Show match, because this encounter wasnt something to remember.
Match Rating: 3/10
Wade Barrett VS Ezekiel Jackson- Intercontinental Championship
Zeke winning the title here didnt surprise me too much. WWE has given the big man a nice push, and you had to expect an IC title win pretty soon. The match here was decent enough. Zeke managed to wear Barrett down with his power moves (clotheslines, the series of body slams towards the end that setup the Torture Rack) and Barrett had his moments of control in this one. There was some hard hitting action here, and this match was pretty physical. Although, this match did have a sluggish pace, and there were times where it felt like the rhythm wasnt there.
Match Rating: 4/10
Rey Mysterio VS CM Punk
Punk and Mysterio are always capable of having a good or great match, and nothing changed here. There was some great back and forth action here, there were some creative counters in this match, and these two managed to maintain a nice and quick pace throughout this match. Punk and Mysterio have awesome chemistry, and they delivered another entertaining contest here. Mysterio should be fine after this match, because he is one of the more over faces in the WWE, so he wont fade away into obscurity.
Match Rating: 8/10
Randy Orton VS Christian- World Heavyweight Championship
Orton and Christian have delivered some fine matches this year, and I think their feud has been flying underneath the radar, especially when it comes to the wrestling. This match featured some nice back and forth action, and Orton was able to stagger his way through the concussion problems. Their first match on Smackdown was very impressive, and I dont think this was as good as their match at Over The Limit, but this still was high quality stuff. Christians foot was underneath the ropes as Orton pinned him, so you just know this controversy is going to cause some trouble. I wouldnt mind watching another match between Christian and Orton, because Christians heel turn has made this feud more interesting.
Match Rating: 7/10
Jack Swagger VS Evan Bourne
Well, this was a bonus match, so I guess you couldnt expect too much from this one. Swagger dominated the majority of the match, and Bourne finally started to show some life towards the end, as he used his quickness to outmaneuver Swagger. This match was quick, and Bourne managed to pull of the upset over the bigger man with a roll up.
Match Rating: 4/10
President Obama
So the fake President Obama decides to give a speech. He wishes John Cena and R-Truth luck. The Obama look-a-like praises Teddy Long, and makes sure to take a shot at the real Obama as he does this. Booker T calls Obama in the ring. Booker praises Obama, and then he demonstrates the proper way to do a Spin-a-Roonie. Obama performs a Barack-a-Roonie.
Meh. I tried to laugh at this, but this segment didnt do it for me. I understand this pay per view is in Washington, and I know American pride is one of the themes, and Obama was shown in all of those mock press conferences, but this segment didnt click with me. I wasnt too crazy about the majority of the Obama mock press conferences, but all of them werent bad, and some of them were more entertaining than this segment.
John Cena VS R-Truth- WWE Championship
I was disappointed by this match. I wasnt expecting anything great form this match, but I thought Truth VS Cena would be a solid main event. This match was boring, and this one did have a sluggish pace at times. One of the many Little Jimmies gave Cena an assist towards the end of this one, and I wasnt too crazy about this. I know the Little Jimmies were the main targets of Truths heel promos, but did one of them really have to cost Truth the title? If this happened earlier in the match, then I would not have had a problem with the interference from the young fan. Seeing Truth receive a dose of his own medicine from one the fans he continues to taunt was a nice way of receiving payback, but this distraction allowed Cena to gain the upper hand, and this is something that drove men nuts, because I wish this match couldve remained a one on one contest between Cena and Truth.
Match Rating: 3/10
Overall Show Rating 6/10: Capitol Punishment did feature some good wrestling matches, but overall, I wasnt too crazy about this show. This pay per view just felt like another show, and this show didnt have any epic moments. This was a forgettable pay per view, and I couldnt get into the main event. Cena VS Truth had a great build, and Truth has done a fine job with his heel character, but the match here was very underwhelming.