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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of the 2012 WWE Hell in A Cell PPV from Atlanta, GA at the Phillips Arena!
YouTube Pre-Game Show
We opened with a video piece recapping the AJ Lee-John Cena allegations.
Michael Cole interviewed John Cena about the allegations. Cena said he wants to see what Ryback can do tonight inside Hell in A Cell.
They had Dolph Ziggler sent a Tout, which led to Cena saying he came to fight and challenged Ziggler to come and face him. He asked Ziggler to come out and prove he was the only "real man left." At first Ziggler didn't come out, but then his music hit and out came Vickie Guerrero.
Guerrero distracted Cena, allowing Ziggler to try and attack Cena from behind but Cena caught him and clotheslined Ziggler out of the ring. They teased they may wrestle later on the PPV since Vickie has power to make the matches. Should be interesting to see if they add that to the show, but you would think if they are, they will announce it before they go off the air to push last minute buys.
They showed a World title preview.
World champion Sheamus cut a quick promo backstage, saying he has a Brogue Kick with Big Show's name on it. Nothing major.
They showed a WWE title preview. Big night for Ryback!
They had a great video opening for the PPV.
Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio
They locked up and Orton took the early control with an uppercut and several shots in the corner. He tossed Alberto to the outside and caught him with a clothesline on the floor. Orton slammed Del Rio into the table and then into the ringpost.
Orton tossed Alberto back into the ring and began nailing him with the Garvin Stomp. Orton continued working over Del Rio in the corner. Del Rio tossed him over the top but he landed on his feet on the apron. Ricardo tried to distract Orton, allowing Del Rio to smash Orton's arm over the turnbuckle post.
Del Rio began focusing on Orton's arm, softening him up for the rolling cross armbreaker. Orton fought back in the corner but Del Rio hung over the ropes, pulling on the left arm. Alberto then sent Orton into the corner shoulder-first.
Orton was worked over and tried to roll up Del Rio for a near fall. Del Rio broke free and continued focusing on Orton's arm, locking on a submission. Orton began firing with a series of rights in an attempt to break free but was cut off. Del Rio maneuvered him towards the ropes and hung himself upside down to force more pressure on his arbar. He broke the hold due to the referee's count, allowing Orton to dump him to the floor.
Alberto returned with Orton hitting some offense, only to be caught with the cross armbreaker out of a powerslam attempt. Orton made it to the ropes to break the hold. Orton caught Del Rio for another near fall. Del Rio rolled to the outside but was caught and pulled into the ring for the hanging DDT. Del Rio escaped and nailed a Stun Gun on Orton.
Alberto began pounding on the mat to mock Orton. He went for an RKO but Orton sent him to the outside, then nailed the hanging DDT off the ropes. Now Orton was setting up for the RKO but his arm was hurting when he pounded the mat.
Orton went for the RKO but Alberto countered it with a backstabber for a near fall. Orton shocked him with a powerslam for a two count. Orton placed Del Rio on the top but was shoved down. He was caught up in the ropes. Alberto came off with a double stomp to the chest for another two count.
Orton made a comeback but was captured with a cross armbreaker. Orton tried to fight it off but Del Rio sunk the move in in the center of the ring. Orton turned it into a pinning combination for a two count.
Del Rio charged Orton, who was in the corner for the leaping enziguiri. Orton ducked and caught Del Rio with the RKO as he twisted in the air. Orton scored the pin.
Your winner, Randy Orton!
Good back and forth opener to start the show. Both looked really good and they told a nice story in the ring. The finish was real good. Entertaining stuff.
Josh Mathews interviewed Vickie Guerrero about the AJ Lee scandal. She said it was clear that AJ and John Cena had an affair and she had the pictures to prove it. She said she received them from an anonymous source and would reveal them. Paul Heyman showed up and said that he hoped that after a few days to consider, she would reconsider putting WWE champion CM Punk inside Hell in A Cell. Guerrero said she isn't changing the match. She said that it's obvious Punk is scared of Ryback. Heyman got angry and screamed that Punk isn't afraid of the Boogeyman, Frankenstein, Dracula or Ryback. Well, he might be afraid of wrestling Boogeyman! He said that he's heard Guerrero is doing a good job so maybe she doesn't want to mess that up.
WWE Tag Team champions Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes
Sandow cut a promo as the challengers came to the ring. He said that with all the bickering in politics, there is one thing everyone will soon agree on - that he and Rhodes are the Tag Team champions. They said it in unison to mock the champions.
Sandow and Bryan started and Bryan caught him with a series of kicks in the corner. Bryan leapfrogged Sandow several times before nailing a knee to the mid-section.
Kane tagged in and pulled in Rhodes, nailing several big power moves. Kane worked over his arm and nailed a big right hand in the corner. He nailed another, sending Rhodes down. Kane clotheslined Rhodes into the corner and tagged in Bryan.
Bryan began focusing on Rhodes' arm, kicking the elbow. He beat Rhodes down with several elbows in the corner and tagged back out to Kane. Rhodes fired back and ducked a Kane shot while making a tag to Sandow. Sandow nailed a chop block on Kane. The challengers worked him over. Kane finally nailed Sandow and tagged in Bryan.
Bryan cleaned house with a series of kicks in the corner. He was whipped into the corner and went up and over with a moonsault over Sandow and landed on his feet. He rebounded off the ropes with a nice clothesline. Rhodes got involved so Bryan dispatched him too and nailed a tope through the ropes on Sandow.
Rhodes nailed him on the floor and tossed Bryan back into the ring. Sandow covered him for a two count. Rhodes tagged in and worked over Bryan with a running knee to the gut. The challengers took turns, picking apart Bryan for a series of near falls.
Bryan fought back and went for the No Lock on Sandow, who tried to fight it off. Bryan ran him into the turnbuckles with a drop toehold. Kane called for Bryan who finally mad the hot tag.
Kane cleaned house on Rhodes, including a high backdrop. He nailed a clothesline into the corner and nailed sideslam for a two count. Michael Cole called it a Sidewalk Slam. Oops. Kane went to the top but Sandow distracted him and Rhodes climbed up to try and stop him. Kane knocked him off and nailed a flying clothesline off the top.
Bryan tagged himself in, which led to the champions arguing. Sandow dragged Kane out of the ring. Bryan backdropped a charging Rhodes over the top onto Kane on the floor. Bryan went for a diving knee off the apron but Rhodes moved out of the way and Kane was nailed. The champions began arguing on the floor. The challengers attacked Kane on the floor and tossed Bryan back in.
Bryan was nailed with the CrossRhodes for a near fall but Kane broke up the pinfall. He attacked Sandow and then continued working over Rhodes in the corner despite the five count. The referee called for the bell.
Your winners by DQ, Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes!
The match was OK but nothing out of the ordinary. The finish didn't help that either. The work was fine but nothing you'd go out of your way to see.
The champions argued after the match.
Backstage, Josh Mathews interviewed The Miz. He said that with Kofi Kingston as the Intercontinental champion, the bar has been lowered and mediocrity has been accepted as normal. This would leave to society crumbling. He said some people prepare for Doomsday and he does it by being awesome. He said he has to go win the title back in order to save the world. Uh, OK.
WWE Intercontinental championship Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz.
They had a hot back and forth early but Miz couldn't get the better on Kingston so he walked around outside angry. When they returned, Kingston took down Miz and tossed him over the top to the floor. They are claiming Miz brought out something in Kingston to make him more aggressive.
On the floor, Miz tried to toss Kingston into the stairs but Kingston dove over them and rolled through. He charged Miz but was kicked in the face. That was a play off of what they did on Main Event recently.
Back in the ring, Miz wore down Kingston with a side chinlock. Miz cut him off and set up for a charge in the corner. Kingston clotheslined Miz but was down and out trying to recover. They are working a really hard, physical pace.
Kingston nailed a series of chops and a dropkick on Miz. He nailed the Boom Drop for a two count. Kingston set up for Trouble in Paradise but Miz rolled out of the ring to the floor. Kingston followed him to the floor. Miz returned to the ring and tried to kick Kingston as he returned to the ring but was caught with a rollup and a high cross bodyblock for a two count.
Kingston went for the SOS but Miz went for a Skull Crushing Finale. Kingston turned it back into an SOS for another near fall. Kingston, who was near the ropes, went to kick off Miz as he charged. Miz grabbed his leg and snapped it. It wasn't pretty but it was effective.
Miz began working on Kingston's leg with the idea of grounding his offense. He pulled off Kingston's kickpads, his kneepad and wrestling boot. Miz tied up his leg in the ropes to work it over. Kingston was pulled off the ropes and turned into a Boston Crab. Kingston tried to fight his way to the ropes but was pulled back into the center of the ring just as his fingers reached the ropes.
Kingston turned it into a reversal (didn't look good) for a two count. Miz kicked him off but couldn't get a three count. Kingston caught him with a forward roll for a two count. Miz went for the Finale but Kingston reversed. Miz went for it again but was sent out of the ring. When he returned, Kingston nailed Trouble in Paradise with his other leg and scored the pin.
Your winner and still Intercontinental champion, Kofi Kingston!
Good match. It wasn't perfect all the way through but they had a nice story and some good exchanges as well.
First hour was decent. Best match so far was easily the opener.
Kingston was interviewed after the match. He said Miz brought The Wildcat out of him and he feels re-energized. He said he was proud to be the fans' champion.
Wrestlemania promo. With tickets on sale soon, you know we'll see a lot more of these in the next few weeks.
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