WWE Champion Randy Orton def. Big Show
WWE Champion Randy Orton retained his title against Big Show at Survivor Series in a manner that has become standard for the manipulative Authority. But The Viper wasn’t the only champion standing in the ring at the end of the night.
Making a massive statement without speaking a word, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena interrupted Orton’s victory celebration and faced off with his greatest rival in the center of the ring. No blows were exchanged, but WWE’s two top dogs held their titles high, teasing a potential showdown that has been a long time coming.
It was an unpredictable ending to a match that was defined by unexpected moments. Earlier in the evening, WWE COO Triple H had announced that there would be no physical interference in any of the night’s bouts. That was troubling news for a WWE Champion who has relied heavily on the influence of The Authority to keep him in the title picture. A week after he had uttered the words, “I probably can’t beat Big Show by myself,” Orton was all alone against a true giant.
If The Viper lacked confidence, he made no attempt to hide it as he rolled out of the ring as soon as the bell rang. Hoping to avoid Big Show’s lethal fists, Orton stayed on the move early in the contest, but it’s hard to avoid the grasp of a man with a wingspan like an airbus.
Ultimately snatching the champion up with his catcher’s mitt hands, Big Show began to tee off on Orton with punches that could rearrange internal organs. All of The Viper’s third-generation instincts seemed to disappear as the idea of losing his WWE Title — and his status as the “face of WWE” — became a disturbing reality.
Orton did show glimmers of his dangerous self at times. After yanking Big Show off the top rope and driving him face first into the canvas, The Viper came within a millisecond of pinning his massive challenger. And Orton’s resilience was on full display when he powered out of a pinfall attempt after being chokeslammed by the titan.
Still, the night belonged to Big Show. At the same event where he won his first WWE Title in 1999 (and his second in 2002), The World’s Largest Athlete seemed on his way to doing it again when the action spilled to the outside. Although the referee went down after an accidental collision, Show fended off Orton’s attempted chair attack and flung him into the third row of Boston’s TD Garden. If that wasn’t enough punishment for The Viper, Big Show went ahead and knocked him out on the arena floor. In that moment, the big man’s victory was all but a formality.
And then Triple H’s music hit. As The World’s Largest Athlete tossed Orton back in the ring and readied to pin him, WWE’s COO, Stephanie McMahon and Kane gathered at the top of the entranceway. Finding a loophole in their own edict, The Authority did not physically interfere in the bout, but they distracted the challenger just long enough for Orton to shake off the cobwebs and connect with an RKO. To finally put Big Show away, The Viper punted him in the head and pinned the giant.
Despite rumors of tension between the WWE Champion and The Authority, the group seemed to be on the same page as the “face of WWE” celebrated with his title. That was until John Cena broke up the party. Riding high after his successful World Heavyweight Title defense against Alberto Del Rio, the Cenation leader brought his hometown crowd to its feet as he deliberately set his sights on the WWE Champion.
What happens next with Orton and Cena is anybody’s guess, but things between WWE’s two World Champions are about to get very interesting.
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena def. Alberto Del Rio
On route to WWE’s fall classic, the WWE Universe was unsure whether Cena’s surgically repaired triceps would hold up against his notoriously vicious No. 1 contender and his devastating Cross Armbreaker – especially since Del Rio has spent the better part of the weeks leading up Survivor Series attacking The Champ.
However, the intestinal fortitude that helped make Cena a 14-time World Champion would ultimately put those doubts to rest – starting with the valiant titleholder refusing to wear his protective brace as he came to the ring to face the dangerous 4-time World Champion.
While it was true that Cena had an incredible record of seven wins and only one loss at Survivor Series heading into the contest, the skillful Del Rio would waste little time executing an aggressive offense designed to take this Champ out early. This would include hurling the titleholder’s hurt appendage into the unforgiving steel steps, attacking him from the top rope and generally targeting his opponent’s weakness at every pass.
Things went from bad to worse when the action spilled outside the ring, as Del Rio mercilessly lunched The Champ in the ringside barricade and mocked him to boot.
Every time that Cena would start to build momentum – whether it be knocking back his No. 1 contender with a earth-shattering dropkick as his attacker came off the top rope, or hitting the Five Knuckle Shuffle – Del Rio would find a counter and take Cena back down to the mat.
Still, no matter what he did, the Mexican Superstar could not put away the ultra-resilient Cenation Leader– as the World Heavyweight Champion kicked out of pin attempt after pin attempt – leaving every ounce of his Hustle, Loyalty and Respect on the field of battle!
Once again looking to put away the iron titleholder, Del Rio finally went for the Cross Armbreaker, only to find himself in the STF! But the Essence of Excellence was not going to give up either and reached the ropes to break the hold, showing equal resilience.
In the height of the action, when Del Rio finally cinched in the Cross Armbreaker on the arm in question, Cena again roared back, miraculously lifting Del Rio up with incredible strength and hurling him back to the canvas.
And when Del Rio attempted a third Cross Armbreaker, it proved to be one attempt too many. For Cena would counter with an Attitude Adjustment out of nowhere and bring the WWE Universe it its feet with another gutsy successful title defense!
CM Punk & Daniel Bryan def. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan
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Mark Henry def. Ryback
Natalya, The Bellas, The Funkadactyls, JoJo & Eva Marie def. Divas Champion AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka, Kaitlyn, Rosa Mendes, Summer Rae, Aksana & Alicia Fox
Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston def. Curtis Axel
The Miz def. Kofi Kingston (Survivor Series Kickoff Match)
Credit: Ryan Murphy & Michael Burdick @ www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries
