Batista quits to end disappointing Over The Limit

Sunday, for the first time, WWE presented Over The Limit. If the show was any indication, hopefully it will be the last. An eight-match show saw only two matches truly deliver and, in a shock to no one, Batista quit in the main event. The show also was hampered by several stoppages for blood and the anticipated Randy Orton/Edge match was cut short due to an apparent Orton arm injury, making for one of the worst WWE pay-per-view events in a long time.

Emanating from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., Over The Limit saw four title matches with one championship changing hands.

The main event saw John Cena defend his WWE Championship in an “I Quit Match” against challenger Batista. These two met at both WrestleMania 26 and Extreme Rules with Cena winning both matches.

The announcers claimed this is the final time these two will meet. As the bell rings, Batista offers Cena the chance to quit “before he puts his ass in a world of pain.” Of course, Cena declines, and hits Batista with the microphone, sending him to the outside. Cena grabs a chair and wildly swings and Batista, who was up against the post, moves, and Cena sells the hands.

In the ring, Batista takes over, throwing Cena around. Then Cena gets going, hitting the side slam and the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Cena grabs the ropes. Cena runs at Batista, but Batista grabs the referee, stopping Cena in his tracks and then spears Cena. Then he locks in his new submission maneuver. Cena refuses to quit. Then Cena just stands up out of the move and locks in the STF. Batista crawls for the ropes and gets them, but there’s no rope breaks. Batista passes out and nobody knows what to do. Cena goes and gets a bottle of water and splashes Batista with it to revive him. Batista gets up and Cena charges, but Batista hits a spinebuster and the Batista Bomb.

Cena refuses to quit, so Batista goes to the outside and dismantles both announce tables. He pulls Cena to the outside. He puts Cena onto one of the tables but Cena reverses and goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Batista drops out, grabs Cena and drills him through the Spanish table with a power slam. Now Cena’s bleeding. Striker points out, and Cole agrees, that Cena should be asked if he quits before he’s attended to. He does and Cena refuses.

Batista shoos the doctor away, telling him to come back later. He then throws Cena over the dasher and into the crowd. They go into the lower bowl and then they go to the upper bowl and threatens to drop Cena over the railing to the lower bowl (about a 10-foot drop). Cena refuses to quit, so Batista hoists him up for the Batista Bomb to send him over, but Cena gets out and puts Batista on the railing and punches him down into a group of security men. Batista refuses to quit.

Batista starts making his way back to the ringside area with Cena in hot pursuit. They end up near the ramp. They start punching away and somewhere along the way, Batista picked up a chair. He starts working Cena over with it but Cena still refuses to quit. They are on the stage now and Batista gets in one of the cars that is on the stage. He starts it up and goes backward, but Cena could be seen moving out of the way in the shot. The announcers sell it like he was back there. Batista doesn’t get out of the car right away and Cena comes around and grabs Batista out of the car and slams him into the car. He picks him up for the Attitude Adjustment and hits it on the hood of the car. Batista doesn’t quit. Cena grabs the mic and said he was really hoping he would say that. He takes him to the roof of the car and puts him in position for the Attitude Adjustment and instead of taking the move, Batista quits. Despite the end of the match, Cena gives him the move anyway and Batista breaks through the stage to the floor.

Winner via verbal submission and STILL WWE Champion: John Cena

Match rating: 6.5/10

As the program is about to go off the air, Sheamus comes up from behind Cena on the stage and gives him the pump kick.

The next WWE pay-per-view is Fatal 4 Way on June 20.

After a video package, Michael Cole, Matt Striker and 2007 WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to Over The Limit. This show is presented in WWEHD (TV-PG,V).

Match #1 – Intercontinental Championship – (c) Drew McIntyre (Ayr, Scotland) vs. Kofi Kingston (Ghana, West Africa)

Hot start for the angry Kingston, who barrels over the top onto McIntyre. Back in the ring, Kingston is still on fire, so McIntyre rolls out and Kingston follows, but that’s where McIntyre takes advantage of the over-aggressive Kingston.

But Kingston makes a comeback of his own. He goes for Trouble in Paradise but McIntyre ducks. McIntyre goes for the double-arm DDT but Kofi counters it into the SOS and pins McIntyre.

Winner via pinfall and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston

Match rating: 6/10

McIntyre pitches a fit after the match. He calls out Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long. He says this pay-per-view is going to stop until Long comes out and reverses the decision and declares him the champion. Instead, he gets a very, very angry Matt Hardy. McIntyre goes after him but Hardy slips him and hits the Twist of Fate, trash talks him and leaves. McIntyre is not happy.

We go backstage with CM Punk who is asking the mirror on the wall who is the purest of them all. Luke Gallows and Serena, of course, tell him he is. He says tonight, they give birth to Straight Edge Mysterio.

They then show a shot of Downtown Detroit and it is dark. I look out my window mere minutes from the site of the shot and the sun is still shining brightly.

Match #2 – R-Truth (Charlotte, N.C.) vs. Ted DiBiase (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

Virgil accompanies Ted DiBiase to the ring.

DiBiase slaps and bad-mouths Truth, so Truth returns the favor, and then with some punches. Truth sends DiBiase over the top. Back in the ring, Virgil provides a distraction that allows DiBiase to recover and hit a neckbreaker. Then DiBiase dispatches Truth to the outside.

Chinlock by DiBiase. Truth stands and just gets back suplexed. DiBiase goes to the second rope for a double axe-handle, but Truth punches him in the stomach and then whips him into the corner. Truth hoists DiBiase to the top turnbuckle and goes for a superplex but DiBiase knocks him down. He goes to stand up and does, but Truth hits the ropes and crotches him. Now Truth goes to work. A hip-toss and a flatliner get him a two count. Double-leg takedown for Truth and he goes for a submission but DiBiase gets the ropes. Then Truth hits a combination suplex-Stunner for two. He gets back up and drills DiBiase with the Lie Detector and that’s it.

Winner via pinfall: R-Truth

Match Rating: 5/10

Theodore Long is backstage on the phone when McIntyre comes barging in demanding the result be changed and that Matt Hardy be fired. Long declines both points and starts tearing up Long’s office. Then he nearly tears up Long’s picture of Martin Luther King Jr., despite Long telling him that picture means a lot to him. McIntyre stops, calling King a revolutionary leader, unlike Long who is spineless and gutless. McIntyre says he is more like King than Long will ever be.

Match #3 – CM Punk (Chicago, Ill.) vs. Rey Mysterio (San Diego, Calif.)

The Straight Edge Society has been banned from ringside in this match.

Rey Mysterio shaves CM Punk’s head.

Punk asks for a test of strength first but just kicks Mysterio in the gut. He beats up Mysterio a little bit and blackbody drops him to the outside. Punk tries to slingshot out, but Mysterio moves, goes into the ring and hits a dropkick that sends Punk into the dasher. Mysterio goes for the 619 early but Punk springs up and kicks Mysterio. Then Punk grabs Mysterio and throws him under the bottom rope and right into the barber chair that is sitting outside the ring. Mysterio is hurting outside and inside, Punk is bleeding, so we’ve got a stoppage on both sides here. The referee is working on Punk while Mysterio is being checked on by someone else. Mysterio is checking on his right arm. Mysterio pulls himself onto the apron with his left arm. Punk escapes from the referee and doctor and dropkicks Mysterio out of the ring then absolutely goes to town on him on the outside, throwing him into post and the dasher and hitting a suplex.

Punk tries a pin inside and gets two. Punk locks in a reverse triangle choke but Mysterio gets out and tries a quick cradle for two but Punk immediately puts him back down. Punk then goes to work on Mysterio’s neck. Punk locks in a Muay Thai clinch and lands some knees and sends Mysterio into the corner but Mysterio kicks him and hits a sunset flip power bomb for two. They’re both down and they slug it out until Mysterio hits the ropes and hits a springboard crossbody for two.

Mysterio kicks Punk in the head and charges but Punk lifts him over his head and face-first into the buckle. Punk hits a backbreaker for two. Punk is starting to get frustrated but then gets a diabolical look on his face. He lifts Mysterio for GTS but Mysterio fights out of the move but Punk power bombs him into the turnbuckle instead. Punk to the second rope and he hits a bulldog for two.

Now Punk’s going to work with kicks, including a high kick for two. Mysterio springboards himself right into GTS position but elbows out and sends Punk into the ropes, hitting the 619. He goes for the splash, but Punk moves. Then, in the lull right after, Mysterio surprises Punk with a crucifix cradle and wins it.

Winner via pinfall: Rey Mysterio

Match Rating: 8.5/10

After the match, the Mystery Man comes in and attacks Mysterio. Then Punk calls for Gallows and Serena and they come out. Gallows has handcuffs. They are about to cuff Rey until Kane makes the save, clearing house and hitting the choke slam on Punk. Then Mysterio handcuffs Punk to the rope as Kane chases off the SES. Mysterio hits the 619 and locks in Punk’s other arm. Mysterio grabs the clippers and starts shaving Punk’s head. Punk is still bleeding but they have to show it. Mysterio shaves off much of Punk’s hair as some fans chant “Shave his chest!” Mysterio walks off with clumps of Punk’s hair in his hands. Serena covers Punk’s head with a towel but Mysterio runs her off and makes Punk look at himself in the mirror. He freaks out.

Big Show is backstage warming up when he’s approached by Chris Jericho. Jericho says he can tell Show’s intimidated, but he’s not here for a confrontation. He wants to thank Show for bringing he and Miz together and they are going to become the champions and Show will have nothing. Show punks them both out verbally.

The Hart Dynasty – Tyson Kidd, Natalya and David Hart Smith celebrate their win.

Match #4 – Unified WWE Tag Team Championship – (c) The Hart Dynasty (Calgary, Alberta) vs. The Miz (Cleveland, Ohio) & Chris Jericho (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

The challengers cut off David Hart Smith and go to work on him. Miz locks in a chinlock but Smith gives him an electric chair. He slowly crawls to reach Tyson Kidd and gets him as Miz gets Jericho. Kidd is on fire, drilling Jericho with a variety of kicks. He rolls up Jericho for two. He goes for a rana but Jericho locks him in the Walls of Jericho. Kidd gets to the ropes, though. He goes to the apron and kicks Jericho. He goes to springboard back in but comes right back in to the Codebreaker. Both men are down. Jericho finally covers but Kidd kicks out at 2 7/8. Jericho argues that it was three.

As Jericho trash talks him, Kidd kicks Jericho from the ground and gets to Smith. He dispatches of Miz and hits a belly-to-belly throw on Jericho. Smith with a scoop slam. Smith goes off the ropes but Miz trips him and Jericho small packages him for two. Then as the ref dispatches of Miz, Natalya trips Jericho, allowing Smith to hit the running powerslam but Jericho kicks out at two. Smith sends Jericho off the ropes and Miz tags himself in and hits a backbreaker that he immediately transitions into a neckbreaker for two.

Both men back to their feet and Smith sends Miz into Jericho, who was on the apron. Smith goes for a rollup, but Miz reverses it and grabs the tights but Smith kicks out at two. Miz takes control and hits his running corner clothesline, but Smith grabs him in a bearhug, tags Kidd, who comes in and hits the Hart Attack for the fall.

Winners via pinfall and STILL Unified WWE Tag Team Champions: The Hart Dynasty

Match Rating: 8/10

Match #5 – Edge (Toronto, Ontario) vs. Randy Orton (St. Louis, Mo.)

Edge heads to the ring.

Orton in control early, but Edge takes over on the outside. Edge rolls Orton into the ring as Orton is favoring his left arm after being slammed into the dasher. Edge sends Orton flying with a knee to the gut and then locks in a body triangle and a rear headlock. Edge goes to the top but Orton beats him to the punch. Orton follows him up and pounds away and goes for a superplex but Edge headbutts him to the canvas. Edge gets up but Orton crotches him and then hits the move.

Orton fires up from there, hitting the scoop slam and the draping DDT.

He tries to get going on the RKO but just stops. Orton is really laboring and he might be hurt. He works his way over to Edge and Edge kicks him. Edge sends Orton over to the dasher and goes for the spear but misses as the referee counts to 10.

This match is a double countout

Match Rating: NR

The doctor is out to check on Orton, who has his right arm dangling and an unhappy look on his face. The announcers speculate that he could’ve broken his forearm punching the mat before the RKO.

Match #6 – World Heavyweight Championship – (c) Jack Swagger (Perry, Okla.) vs. The Big Show (Tampa, Fla.)

The Big Show hits Jack Swagger with a chair.

Swagger tries to shoot a single early and that fails. He tries a double that fails even worse. Swagger tries for a go-behind throw but that goes nowhere and Show reverses and does it himself. Swagger, upset, rolls to the outside as Show taunts him with push-ups in the middle of the ring. Swagger hops over the top rope and eats a big boot. Then Show goes to work, he lands some crushing chops then steps on and over Swagger.

He sends Swagger off the ropes and locks in the choke slam, but Swagger escapes. Show goes to load up the knockout punch and Swaggers bails out. Show pulls Swagger back in the ring and sends him off the ropes and Swagger spears Show’s upper leg to finally take him down. He hits two Vader Bombs and Show still muscles him off, through the ropes and to the floor.

This gets Show going. He shoulderblocks Swagger and then goes for the chokeslam. Swagger kicks Show in the knees but Show just pushes him over the top rope. Frustrated, Swagger grabs the title and comes back and clocks Show with it.

Winner via disqualification: The Big Show

Match Rating: 2.5/10

Swagger lays Show out one more time for good measure. Show, though, starts to get up. Swagger grabs a chair and hits him in the back. Show starts to get up again and Swagger lays into him again. Show gets up again and Swagger charges him and gets chokee slammed. Show has the chair and plasters Swagger in the back and then choke slams him on it. To finish it off, Show drills Swagger with the KO punch.

Josh Mathews is backstage with Batista. He claims that John Cena was screaming “I Quit” like a little girl, a little baby, after Raw went off the air. He says tonight, he’s going to make sure everybody hears it.

Match #7 – Divas Championship – (c) Eve Torres (Denver, Colo.) vs. Maryse (Montreal, Quebec)

Eve hits a standing moonsault for two and then a sunset flip for two. On the rebound, Maryse kicks her in the face. Then Eve starts brawling with her and grabs her and drills her face-first into the mat for two. Eve with a kick and she goes for a Rolling Thunder-type move but Maryse gets her knees up. She goes for the DDT but Eve counters and puts her legs around Maryse’s head and just sits down, drilling Maryse’s face into the canvas. That’s it.

Winner via pinfall and STILL Divas Champion: Eve Torres

Match Rating: 5/10

Match #8 – I Quit Match for the WWE Championship – (c) John Cena (West Newbury, Mass.) vs. Batista (Washington, DC)

Winner via verbal submission and STILL WWE Champion: John Cena

Match Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

Final Thoughts: Wow. Not WWE’s best pay-per-view effort, that’s for sure. The company showed no flexibility tonight. After the Orton/Edge match went to the double countout, they came back with a very short World Championship match that ended in a disqualification, making two of the show’s three big matches have disappointing finishes. That hurt the show in a big, big way. There also was just general weirdness on this show, probably not seen since New Year’s Revolution 2005, where the show started with Eugene and Lita blowing out their knees in back-to-back matches. This featured many blood stoppages and outside of the CM Punk/Rey Mysterio and Tag Team Title matches, this show was underwhelming in every aspect. Individually, some of these matches were fine. As a group, on a pay-per-view you spend $45 on, it’s no good. Do not buy the replay.