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They aired a feature on the WWE Cruiserweight championship.
Tom Phillips interviewed Cruiserweight champion TJ Perkins. He said he's been waiting since 1998 to be a WWE Superstar and now he's here as the Cruiserweight champ. He said Kendrick has been here before but Perkins has the confidence. Perkins came off as if he was still getting comfortable doing promos.
WWE Cruiserweight champion TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick.
Perkins had a 8 bit graphic and videogame inspired entrance. It was really, really cool. They noted Kendrick used to drive Perkins to wrestling school when he was a kid skipping High School. They had some nice back and forth action early. Perkins tried to lock in a kneebar several times. Kendrick went to the floor. Perkins went to follow but was trapped in the apron skirt by Kendrick, who worked him over.
The crowd chanted back and forth for Kendrick and "TJP." Perkins trapped him in a Pendulum and then turned it into the Muta Lock. Kendrick cut him off and locked in a Straitjacket submission. Kendrick tried to toss Perkins out of the ring but TJP caught himself in the ropes. Kendrick charged but TJP dropped and Kendrick hit the floor. They battled back and forth. Kendrick nailed a monkeyflip for a two count.
Kendrick slipped in horizontal surfboard, putting his boot in the back of TJP's head for added leverage. Perkins broke free and nailed an atomic drop followed by a mule kick. Perkins nailed a back suplex for a two count. Perkins went to the top but was cut off. Kendrick went for a superplex but was shoved back into the ring. Perkins leapt off the top and nailed a rana over the ropes to the floor.
Perkins missed a 450 splash off the top. Perkins went for the Bully Choke but Perkins broke free. Perkins finally locked in a kneebar and finally Kendrick tapped.
Your winner and still Cruiserweight champion, TJ Perkins!
Good match and a better showcase for the division than the Raw segment this past week. You could tell that a portion of the crowd wasn't familiar with them but others were loving the match.
After the match, Perkins was about to be interviewed when Kendrick offered his hand and hugged him, then hit a headbutt on Perkins, laying him out.
They aired an AWESOME promo for WWE 2K17 exploring "Suplex City."
Cesaro was interviewed backstage. He said he was going to earn this championship opportunity tonight and reward the Cesaro Section the biggest comeback in sports-entertainment history.
Match Seven in Best of Seven Series: Cesaro vs. Sheamus
They went back and forth with some hard hitting shots. Sheamus drilled the Irish Curse on Cesaro, playing off his injured back. Sheamus nailed a flying clothesline for another two count. Sheamus picked him up for the Celtic Cross but Cesaro slipped through for a sunset flip, scoring a two count. Sheamus cut him off and worked him over in the corner, drilling him into the turnbuckle. They exchanged uppercuts. Sheamus missed a charge into the corner and was nailed with an uppercut to the back of the head.
Sheamus was sent into the corner and nailed with a series of leaping uppercuts. He nailed a tornado DDT for a close two count. Cesaro went for a Cloverleaf but Sheamus kicked him off. Cesaro shocked Sheamus with a 619 and nailed a flying bodypress for a two count. They noted it was Rey Mysterio's finisher. Sheamus was caught with a springboard corkscrew uppercut.
Cesaro called the swing but Sheamus kicked him and rolled up Cesaro for a two count, even hooking the tights. Sheamus worked over Cesaro's back and cinched in the Texas Cloverleaf. Sheamus pulled him away from the ropes but was caught in a small package for a two count. Sheamus nailed a big backbreaker for a two count.
Cesaro caught Sheamus with the big swing and locked in the Sharpshooter. Sheamus made it to the ropes to break the move. Sheamus went to the outside part of the apron. Cesaro went to the ropes and tried to muscle Sheamus into a suplex into the ring but his back was hurting. Sheamus went for an Irish Curse on the apron but was kicked off the apron to the floor. Cesaro nailed a frighteningly sick suicide dive to the floor where after hitting Sheamus he came down on the top of his head. It was nutty, similar to the way Lita came down with a sick dive years ago.
Sheamus got him back in the ring and nailed the Brogue Kick for a two count. Sheamus began stomping and attacking Cesaro's neck. Cesaro fired up with a clothesline and nailed the Neutralizer for another close two count. The last few minutes of this has been really, really good. They battled back and forth with uppercuts and strikes. They battled to the top rope, where Cesaro teased superplexing Sheamus to the floor. Cesaro was shoved down to the apron and crashed to the floor. Sheamus came off the top but was drilled with an uppercut as he came down. Sheamus caught Cesaro with White Noise on the floor.
They battled on the floor and both went over the barricade and into the first row after a clothesline spot. The WWE medical staff began checking on them. The referee and the doctors called the match. Cesaro protested that he can still go and "I've fought with one arm before." Sheamus was out of it and flailing all over on the floor. The crowd booed the finish and chanted "Let them fight."
Cesaro rolled into the ring and demanded Sheamus return. Sheamus tried to return but was pulled back to the locker room by WWE officials against his will.
Just a brutal, physical match. They absolutely saved the best for last. The finish absolutely let the live crowd down but I felt like the competitors and WWE got more out of this and made the fans care more about the rivalry here than they had before, so if they can follow up with a big rematch on Raw or the next PPV, I can see why WWE did it. But, the effort here was great.
Backstage, Bayley was preparing for her match. She had polka dots on in honor of Dusty Rhodes. Charlotte showed up and said that Bayley backdoored her way into the title match and won't win. Bayley reminded Charlotte that she pinned her on Raw. Charlotte said that Bayley can't beat her and can't even beat Sasha.
Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn.
They had some really good opening sequences. Zayn nailed some nice deep armdrags and chopped away at Jericho in the corner. Jericho retreated to the floor but was caught by Zayn charging with a clothesline. Zayn nailed a moonsault off the barricade and tossed Jericho back into the ring. Jericho used the referee as a shield and nailed Zayn with a springboard dropkick while Zayn was outside on the apron. Jericho followed it up with a dropkick that sent Zayn to the floor. Jericho has done a better job playing off the crowd and trying to get heat than anyone else thus far on the show.
Jericho dropped Zayn on the barricade face-first. Jericho came off the top with a flying back elbow. He slapped Zayn in a disrespectful way and sent him into the buckles. He began razzing Zayn and chopped him. Zayn fired back and went for a move but was caught and crotched on the ropes. Jericho shoved him off to the floor in rude fashion.
Jericho suplexed Zayn on the floor. He continued to work over Zayn and cinched in a chinlock. Zayn fought to his feet but was kicked off as he charged. Jericho went for a bulldog but Zayn used Jericho's momentum to send him into the buckles. Zayn scored with a clothesline and sent Jericho over the top to the floor. Zayn nailed a nice tope con hilo over the top to the floor.
Zayn nailed a flying bodypress for a two count. You could hear fans chanting for Jericho. Zayn nailed a Michinoku Driver for a two count. Zayn went to the top but Jericho met him and scored with several shots. Jericho set up for a superplex but was caught and sent into the ring. Jericho attempted the Walls of Jericho but Zayn slipped out. Jericho caught him with an enziguiri. Zayn was out on his feet as Jericho kept working him over and kicked at him. The fans chanted "Ole Ole Ole." Zayn fired back with open handed strikes but was drilled by a Jericho elbow.
Jericho went for a Lionsault but Zayn pulled his knees up. Zayn went for the Blue Thunder Bomb but Jericho countered. Zayn drilled him and nailed a tornado DDT. He called for the Helluva Kick but Jericho slipped under the ring ropes. Zayn followed him and dove through the buckles to hit the tornado DDT. It wasn't as smooth as ones he's done in the past but it worked and the crowd popped for it.
Back in the ring, Zayn went for the Helluva Kick but Jericho slipped out of the way. Zayn got caught up in the corner. Jericho attempted the Codebreaker but it was stopped and Jericho was hit with the exploder in the corner. Sami went for the Helluva Kick again but Jericho slipped away and locked in the Walls of Jericho in the center of the ring. Zayn's facial expressions as he fought to get to the ropes were great. He tried to reverse it and did so, then caught Jericho in a small package for a two count.
Zayn caught Jericho coming off the ropes and turned him into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Great stuff. Zayn went to pull up Jericho but was trapped with a Codebreaker out of nowhere and pinned.
Your winner, Chris Jericho!
Very, very good match with some great near falls and near-flawless performances from each competitor. This was my favorite Jericho match in a LONG time and Zayn did a great job as a babyface here.
Backstage, Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley approached and buttered up WWE Universal champion Kevin Owens. Owens asked Mick if he's proud of him. Mick said he was. Owens asked if he was proud of all the obstacles that Mick has put him in his way since becoming champion. He said that he was going to show Stephanie why HHH picked him over Seth Rollins and why they should have picked him over Rollins as the top Raw draft pick. He said he was going to show everyone that he was the main event and was going to show the world that Seth was no longer the man, just the mistake. He pointed at Mick and said, "Your mistake."
Coverage continues on Page 3!
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