Happy Saturday Everyone!
I haven’t watched WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 since it happened over 12 years ago and I remembered some of the matches on it being fun, so let’s review it this week! That really is the level of thought I put into these reviews sometimes.
Capitol Punishment 2011 was a pay per view held in Washington (thankfully this event took place without any idiots dressed as Vikings storming public buildings) and WWE decided to turn R-Truth Heel in order to make him challenger of the month against John Cena. Truth was quite entertaining in the role but they didn’t really do a good job of making him look like a credible threat because they rushed the Heel turn.
Elsewhere we’ve got Alex Riley taking on his former boss The Miz as they do the whole Virgil/Dibiase thing, as well as CM Punk wrestling Rey Mysterio Jr. You have to actually TRY in order to make Punk Vs Rey be a bad match, so Capitol Punishment 2011 should have one great in-ring outing on it at the very least.
Let’s see how Capitol Punishment 2011 holds up to the rigours of time. You can view the card by clicking below;
https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=54590&page=3
The event is emanating from Washington, District of Columbia on the 19th of June 2011
Calling the action are HEEL Michael Cole, Jerry The King Lawler and Booker T
R-Truth does an excellent to camera promo during the opening video package, as they do a very convincing job of making him look like a crazed nutter.
Opening Match
WWE United States Title
Champ: Kofi Kingston Vs Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero
Kingston had put Sheamus through a table in order to win the belt and regularly wrestled Ziggler during this time period, so this is yet another bout in their seemingly never ending war with one another. I believe they brought the feud back when Kofi was WWE Champion as well did they not? The entrance way actually has some character to it, as they’ve kind of tried to make it look like the Whitehouse. I don’t think they continued this particular pay per view theme going forwards though.
They don’t seem to be gelling as well as they normally do tonight for whatever reason, with some of the work in the early going having some timing issues, but even then it’s still watchable. Kingston gets the better of things in the early going, but Ziggler ends up catching Kingston with a sloppy looking Stun Gun (the move not the item) and that leads to the cut off. Kingston sells well in the heat and the crowd gets behind him to make a comeback, but Ziggler always manages to keep control of things.
Ziggler eventually misses a big Stinger Splash in the corner, leading to Kingston making a comeback, even delivering Delirious’ Shadows Over Hell back splash at one stage for a two count. Things start picking up as they hit the closing stretch, with counter sequences and near falls coming together better than they were earlier on, as both wrestlers have chances to win it, with Ziggler even trying to win with a handful of tights at one stage.
Ziggler does one of my favourite things in wrestling by jumping up into a Kingston flying cross body block at one stage, which always looks awesome. Guerrero ends up getting involved by going to Kingston’s eyes when the referee isn’t looking, which is seemingly supposed to lead to a Ziggler roll up for the three count. However, they don’t manage to pull it off correctly, so Ziggler transitions to a Sleeper Hold and Kingston eventually passes out after a struggle. That ends up being quite a flat finish, as the crowd doesn’t seem to know what is going on and neither does the commentary team or ring announcer.
WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION: DOLPH ZIGGLER
RATING: **3/4
Thoughts: For some reason they couldn’t seem to get on the same page at points in this one, with that being reflected in the finish most of all. That being said, there were also some good sections of the match where they showed their usual chemistry, so I guess they just both had a bit of an off night. It can happen sometimes, even with talented wrestlers like these two. There was still more good than bad in this one, so I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn’t their best work either
A limo pulls up to the arena, and R-Truth steps out of it with John Cena’s WWE Title belt. I assume he stole it from Cena on the TV prior to this. Eve Torres doesn’t want to be friends with Truth anymore after his Heel turn, so Truth bullies her in an uncomfortable segment.
Miz has promo time backstage with Todd Grisham. Miz is annoyed that people are asking whether he can actually beat his pupil Alex Riley in the next match, and cuts a good promo where he hypes up all of his accomplishments and says that Riley will be going back to lackeying following their match tonight.
Video package for the next match.
Match Two
Mike The Miz Mizanin Vs Alex Riley
Riley had been Miz’s lackey, but now he’s broken away from him and we’ve got a match in order to settle things. Riley is from the local area, which usually suggests that he’ll be doing the job here, because WWE. However, maybe WWE will surprise us and have Riley pick up the win? They do a good job of building up the storyline in the pre-match video package actually, showing Miz increasingly being more abusive until Riley snaps and fights back. It’s very Ted Dibiase Vs Virgil, and that stuff always works when you do it right.
Michael Cole is insufferable here, as he was always pro-Miz on commentary during his Heel phase, which would have been somewhat tolerable if he wasn’t also supposed to be the lead play-by-play announcer. If they’d had Cole as Heel colour commentator, Lawler as babyface colour commentator, and then someone like Josh Matthews as the actual lead announcer, then this might have had a chance of working. Instead Cole is being incredibly obnoxious on commentary cheering for the Heel, whilst also trying to lead the broadcast at the same time, and that’s just never something that was going to work.
Riley shows good fire in the early going, peppering Miz with punches until Miz can get a sly shot in and take over. Riley sells well whilst on the defensive, whilst Miz actually does a decent job at trying to be violent and intense as he works Riley over. The match isn’t especially exciting or anything, but it tells a good story with Riley’s inexperience allowing his angry former boss to get the upper hand, only for Riley to hang in there. Riley’s selling is excellent actually, as he does a great job of fighting from underneath and trying to make a comeback, only for Miz to always manage to regain control. Miz is clearly more focused on punishing Riley than he is on winning the match though.
Eventually Riley is able to dodge a baseball slide whilst in the Tree of Woe, and that leads to Miz going crotch first into the ring post, leading to Riley making the comeback. Miz bumps and feeds for everything well, whilst Riley looks good on offence, so it’s an effective comeback, although the crowd isn’t biting quite as much as you’d expect considering that Riley is the local hero going against a hated villain. Cole continues to be annoying on commentary, arguing with Riley at one stage, which actually leads to Cole taking a bump after getting dragged over the announce table. Miz tries to hit Riley with a briefcase following that, but the ref foils his attempt and Riley gets a DDT for the three count.
WINNER: ALEX RILEY
RATING: **1/2
Thoughts: And thus Alex Riley’s WWE career peaks before it ever really gets started. The match was decent, with both wrestlers doing a solid job of performing their respective roles. Cole’s incessantly annoying commentary and a slightly flat crowd stopped it from being rated higher, but the wrestlers did what they had to in order to make the story work
Sgt. Slaughter is backstage talking to a Barack Obama impersonator, which gives us an Obama Care gag, because Vince was bitter that the Democrat won. Vickie Guerrero shows up and hilarity does not ensue.
Video package to hype up the next match.
Match Three
Alberto Del Rio Vs The Big Show
Big Show got run over by Del Rio and Ricardo in order to set this one up, with Big Show hurting his knee in the process. Big Show is looking for revenge for that attack, and he was so darn peeved that he beat up a mostly innocent Mark Henry on an episode of Smackdown as well. Henry was equally annoyed by this, which becomes clear when Henry runs down to attack Big Show whilst Big Show is in the process of destroying Del Rio outside of the ring.
The match hadn’t officially started prior to that attack from Henry, so none of it is a DQ, which makes sense I guess. Henry puts Big Show through a table with a World’s Strongest Slam and then attacks Big Show’s knee for good measure, enflaming the already existing injury. Big Show is very little good to anyone following that attack, but Del Rio of course still wants to wrestle now that the big scary giant has been destroyed by another big scary man and has a bum wheel for good measure.
Big Show agrees to wrestle the match and gets a brief flurry until Del Rio targets the leg to gain control of things. Big Show still manages to Choke Slam Del Rio at one stage, but his knee is too hurt to follow up and Del Rio is able to roll to the outside of the ring so that he can’t be pinned. Big Show’s selling has been very good here, but they really could have done this match with anyone competent for all of what Del Rio has brought to things. Del Rio has taken some nice bumps, but that’s about it.
Del Rio catches Big Show in a leg lock at one stage, leading to Big Show doing an excellent sell job before finally managing to drag himself to the ropes. Big Show doesn’t have much more to give though and the ref eventually waves the match off in order to give Del Rio the win.
WINNER BY REF STOPPAGE: ALBERTO DEL RIO
RATING: *1/2
Thoughts: This was more of an angle than a match. It did a better job at setting up a Big Show Vs Mark Henry feud than it did giving Del Rio a big win in order to give him some steam. Big Show’s selling was excellent, but Del Rio was kind of just “there” and didn’t really add much to proceedings.
Big Show gets helped to the back by security and referees following that.
R-Truth is harassing a photographer backstage after he correctly points out that the belt Truth stole still has John Cena’s name on it.
WWE Intercontinental Champ Wade Barrett has no desire to speak with Matt Striker and instead decides to take the microphone and cut a cheap heat Heel promo whilst walking down to the ring. The crowd doesn’t really bite on any of it, even when he goes to the “you’ll all be speaking Chinese one day” line. Whoever wrote this promo did a miserable job, although Barrett did his best to make it work. Once Barrett switches to talking about how he’ll win because he knows his opponent so well due to him once being a Barrett underling, it picks up because that’s an actual story and not just some dude going for generic cheap heat lines.
Match Four
WWE Intercontinental Title
Champ: Wade Barrett Vs Ezekiel Jackson
This here’s what you can domination, it’s a combination of skill and concentration!
Barrett and Jackson had been stablemates but Jackson is now coming after Barrett’s IC Title. Jackson isn’t an especially good wrestler, but he can do power stuff and Barrett is a solid performer, so this match is rather bland but not terrible. Barrett does his best to hold everything together, and his offence looks good, with Jackson taking some nice bumps for a guy his size in fairness. Jackson has to sell quite a bit following a brief babyface shine, with Barrett actually managing to draw some boos the more the bout goes on.
Jackson eventually makes a comeback with some clotheslines, showing some good fire, and then even gets to kick out of the Wastelands at one stage, as they are trying their best to get Jackson over here and the crowd is actually responding to it more as the match goes on. Jackson’s big spot is delivering a bunch of body slams, which works for what he’s going for as a big powerhouse guy. The Torture Wrack follows that and Barrett actually taps to give Jackson the belt.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: EZEKIEL JACKSON
RATING: **
Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. Barrett did a good job holding it together and Jackson was able to hit the 3 spots required of him, and the end result was the crowd mostly enjoyed it
Jerry Lawler heads into the ring to interview Ezekiel Jackson following that, with Jackson cutting a generic celebratory promo. On the bright side, Jackson seemed really happy to win the belt, which is always nice to see as it makes the belt actually seem important and worth fighting for.
Fake Obama meets Santino, Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly. Hilarity once again fails to ensue.
Chick Magnet Punk has a backstage promo with Josh Matthews. Punk doesn’t like politicians, because unlike him they don’t tell the truth. Nope, I ain’t touching that one. This was a pretty dull promo by Punk’s usual standards, although the delivery wasn’t bad or anything. It seemed like the promo of a person that was mentally checked out and running down their notice.
Match Five
CM Punk Vs Rey Mysterio Jr
These two had feuded in 2010 and had some great matches, but I don’t think there was much story behind this one as Punk had been feuding with Randy Orton and Rey had been feuding with Cody Rhodes. These two have excellent chemistry, so the early exchanges are some darn good wrestling, with Rey-Rey getting the better of things until he tries a rana off the apron to the floor and Punk counters it by catching Rey and then dropping him on the barricades around ringside for the cut off.
Punk works Rey over back inside the ring, with Rey selling all of that well and Punk’s offence being to a good standard. Punk plays to the crowd quite a bit through the heat as well, being his usual smug and unlikable self. Punk even busts out John Tenta’s Aftershock butt splash at one stage, although he neglected to stomp around in order to simulate an earthquake first, so he loses some points for that. Overall though it’s a very well worked heat segment, with Rey selling the mid-section and Punk targeting that part of the body with his attacks.
Rey eventually manages to catch Punk with an Asai Moonsault and then follows up with a torpedo head butt from the top rope back inside for a near fall. That looked brutal, but in a good way. Rey just launched himself at Punk and it was fabulous. We get an RVD Vs Lynn styled counter sequence at one stage, which is executed really well and once again highlights just how well these two work together. The great sequences keep coming too, such as when Punk misses a charge in the corner and Rey then 619’s him down to the floor, with Punk taking a great bump for it.
Both wrestlers have chances to win it in the closing stages, with Rey countering a Go To Sleep into a rana at one stage, whilst Punk gets a Mirko Cro-Cop like kick for a near fall of his own, as they are really cooking in this one after a patient start and the crowd are getting into it. Rey manages to keep slipping out of the GTS, but Punk is eventually able to counter the 619 into the move and that’s enough for three after a great little match.
WINNER: CM PUNK
RATING: ***1/2
Video package for the next match.
Match Six
Smackdown Title
Champ: Randy Orton Vs Christian
Christian had finally won a top WWE belt after years of trying, at which point WWE had him instantly drop it to Randy Orton on an episode of Smackdown. Christian was supposed to be a Heel here after clobbering Orton with the belt, even though the way the storyline was set up it was difficult not to feel bad for him in that he worked so hard for his moment only to have it ripped out of his hands so quickly so that an already established guy could just win the belt again. Christian is eminently good at being dislikeable though, so he managed to make this storyline work in the end.
Orton mostly gets the better of things in the early going, targeting Christian with punches and the like in an effort to get revenge for Christian hitting him with the belt on Smackdown. However, Orton is too focused on hurting Christian and drags him out to the ring steps at one stage, which allows Christian to counter and cut Orton off before working some heat back inside the ring. Christian keeps that mostly straightforward with standard Heel stuff such as stomps and choking, but Orton sells it well and Christian’s attacks look good, so it has the desired effect of getting the crowd to chant for Orton in the hope that he’ll fight back.
Orton gets the odd hope spot in order to show that he’s still in the contest, but Christian always manages to regain the advantage. This is very traditional old school pacing and storytelling, which is something that both of these wrestlers do well. There hasn’t been anything especially flashy or extravagant in this one thus far, but the work has been to a solid professional standard, which is something you’d expect from these two due to their respective skill levels. Say what you want about Orton, but mechanically he’s one of the best you’ll find, and Christian has always been slept on as a high level worker.
Orton eventually gets angry and makes a comeback, with them doing a good job of telling the story that Orton is really ticked off and he just wants to unleash all of his rage on Christian, but Christian just keeps managing to deny Orton and redirects Orton’s own anger in order to assist him in foiling Orton’s quest for vengeance. The selling from both wrestlers is genuinely top-notch here actually, with both of them really doing a good job of getting across how the match is wearing them down as it progresses.
Orton eventually manages to hit Christian with some big moves, including his Powerbomb/Neck Breaker move, along with his rope assisted DDT, but Christian manages to kick out after both of them, before countering an Orton RKO attempt into a reverse DDT for a two of his own. Those were some nicely done near falls. Christian pays homage to his buddy Edge by busting out a Spear at one stage, but Orton manages to survive that one too, with Christian doing an excellent job of selling his frustration at the big move failing to net him the three count. Orton manages to snap off an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE quickly following the Spear and that gets him a three count, although Christian’s foot was under the rope and the ref missed it, thus leaving the door open for more matches.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: RANDY ORTON
RATING: ***3/4
Thoughts: They built that one well and you’re usually ensured a good match when these two go at it. It was good work for the first three quarters and then it picked up into an exciting contest of near falls as it hit the final quarter, which led to it being a great match overall. Two darn good pros having a darn good match on pay per view. You love to see it!
Orton gets some revenge on Christian by hitting him with the belt after the match, although Christian would win the belt the next time they met on pay per view.
The Bella Twins show up with Keith Stone, who is someone I don’t recognise. I’m guessing he was a fictional character from some kind of television show?
They replay the Truth package from earlier.
Cool Down Match
The All-American American Jack Swagger Vs Evan “Air” Bourne
Pour one out for these two unlucky buggers
I’m not sure what the story was with this one, although they’d occasionally look like they might push Bourne by giving him a win or two before quickly jobbing him out again, so that’s probably what will happen here. Bourne uses some of his speed in the early going but Swagger soon grabs hold of him and starts throwing him around, whilst the crowd sits on their hands as we’re two hours into this pay per view now and this match is obvious filler that they don’t care about. Bourne does sell well whilst on the defensive and Swagger’s power stuff looks good, but they’ve been given a thankless task here. Bourne eventually counters the ankle lock into a roll-up and that’s the three after Swagger took most of the match.
WINNER: EVAN BOURNE
RATING: **
Thoughts: Decent wrestling in front of a crowd that was so cold I’m surprised the front row didn’t end up suffering from frostbite. Put this on earlier in the card, or give it a storyline reason to take place so that the crowd would have actually cared about it, and it might have generated something bordering on crowd reactions
WWE Stars talk about the anti-bullying campaign, because if it’s one thing WWE has always stood against, it’s bullying. I mean it’s not like they do horrible hazing nonsense like holding mock trials backstage over small petty things that lead to emotional trauma for those that get dragged into them. Or it’s not like a long time loyal employee such as Howard Finkel got routinely made fun of and essentially tortured on screen for decades because the owner of the company thought it was hilarious. No siree. How do you spell “hypocrite” again? I’m asking for a friend…
Fake Obama joins us for more “comedy”. I skip it.
We get clips of the wrestlers visiting soldiers, as this show apparently needs even MORE padding.
Main Event
Raw Title
Champ: John Cena Vs R-Truth
Truth had had the temerity to drink some water during a gauntlet match (possibly whilst also using ice packs without express permission from his brand’s designated locker-room leader) so they made a thing of it and had him turn Heel, hitting people with bottles of water as part of the act. Truth worked very hard in an effort to get over as a Heel, and if they’d booked him with 6 months of solid wins in big match situations he might have been over enough in order to challenge for the Title. However, they instead had him beat up John Morrison a couple of times and that was considered enough to make him a viable challenger for John Cena. Spoiler; it wasn’t.
This one has decent crowd reactions, but it’s a so-so bout from an in-ring respective. Cena gets a bit of a babyface shine and then Truth cuts Cena off for some heat, with Truth’s offence looking fine and Cena’s selling being what it needs to be. It never really feels like anything more than two fellers just having a match, but they’re not having a bad match by any means. You just expect a bit more from a pay per view Main Event. Truth eventually misses a leg drop and Cena makes the comeback with the Proto-Plex and Five Knuckle Shuffle.
I think the heat segment might have gone on for a bit too long, as the crowd isn’t as hot for the closing stages as they had been at the start, which could be down to Cena getting beaten up for so long and the match feeling like it was starting to drag. We get some near finishes following Cena’s comeback, with Cena applying the STFU for a submission tease whilst Truth gets a Scissors Kick for a near fall. Truth ends up harassing some fans at ringside and steals ones hat, which leads to the fan throwing their drink in Truth’s face so that Cena can follow up with the F-U onto a shocked Truth for three.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: JOHN CENA
RATING: **
Thoughts: This was a Raw Main Event here on pay per view. Nothing actively wrong with it, with even the abrupt ending kind of working as the crowd popped for it and it kind of played into the idea that everyone was against Truth but in reality it was just him being a jerk and getting his just desserts. Ideally you’d want more in a bit match setting though, especially with “Big Match John” in there
Cena celebrates with the kid post-match.
In Conclusion
Heel Michael Cole made this show next to unwatchable, even when there was some good wrestling going on. Thankfully there were some good matches here at least, so if you can tolerate Cole’s Heel mannerisms then there’s some stuff worth watching on this one, although you can probably turn it off after the Christian Vs Orton match.
Mildly recommended show, provided you have a high Michael Cole tolerance
