WWE Live Event
St. Louis, Mo. at Scottrade Center
Report by Dot Net reader Darin Slater

The event started at around 7:00 with some videos. Pretty subdued crowd to start with, no chanting until around 7:10 (started by a small child, interesting enough.) Lots of families here with their kids. At around 7:12, they let us vote for a Divas match or dance off. (If you were at the event and voted for the dance-off, you deserve much pain.) Still much quieter than Extreme Rules. Bottom bowl was only about 3/4 full, many empty seats.

WWE announced their return for Raw on April 28, presale password is STLRAW.

They showed an awesome Mae Young video package that just about had us all in tears.

Started with the national anthem for a definite sports-like feel.

1. Goldust and Cody Rhodes defeated The Real Americans (w/Zeb Colter) to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The Americans wheeled out Zeb in a wheelchair. He cut a promo about the Big show. He played well to the crowd. Nice loud "We the People" from the crowd. Golddust is way over. Zeb was on the mic throughout the match telling us to shut up. Great false finishes with all the wrestlers finishers. Antonio only got 6 1/2 swings out of Golddust. Cody used CrossRhodes for the win. Great, even paced match to start the night.

2. Xavier Woods beat Brodus Clay. Woods came out without the Tons of Funk intro music or The Funkadactyls, Clay had new music and a heel persona. Quiet reception for both. A David vs Goliath match. Woods won with his finisher in about six minutes. The Woods video looks like it was designed by my 8 year old daughter.

Small video from Kane for his Big Show match.

Brad Maddox came down for the Diva's choice match.

3. Alicia Fox beat Aksana. Maddox revealed the match choice: Divas Match (some people sounded really disappointed. Idiots.) Aksana did the splits on the ropes and basically showed half the crowd her nether regions. Decent match, but too many rest holds. The crowd just cant get into it. Alicia won after about 7 minutes. Good match with surprisingly  no botched moves.

4. Big Show beat Kane (sans mask). Corporate Kane should wrestle in a suit. Just saying. Kane worked small man style an worked on one of Big Shows legs for most of the match. There was a big choke slam from the top rope by Kane. Kane went to use a chair on Big show, but Show knocked it away and hit Kane with the WMD. Maddox grabbed a mic and called Big Show a little man and said leave my ring. He addressed Kane, but Big show stayed. Maddox kept harassing him, and Big Show eventually grabbed him and hit the WMD on him. Maddox sold in the ring until the refs helped him out of the arena.

WWE Network ad. Break for intermission.

5: The Prime Time Players beat Ryback and Curtis Axel. Ryback did some Hogan ear calls, said "Shut up you "feed me morons."" on the mic. Immediately followed by "Goldberg" chants, to which Ryback yelled "Who?" Funny. Darren didn't want any of Ryback, and Titus tagged in. He is definitely over here in St Louis. There was a crazy spot where Axel threw Darren out of the ring and into some chairs. Ryback and Axel showed more character than I have ever seen on TV. Ryback definitely did a lot of old Hogan and Warrior-esc moves and taunts. Ryback missed a huge frog splash attempt. The Players got the win when Titus sidewalk slammed Axel. Good match, much better than i've seen from either team lately.

6. Alberto Del Rio beat Sin Cara. Sin Cara was wearing his usual ring gear but with long sleeves and a T-shirt on. Awkward. Some Batista chants here and there. Lots of high spots, with Del Rio winning with his arm bar. I want to know who was playing Sin Cara. Lots of heat for Del Rio, by the way.

Repeat ad for the return of Raw on April 28th.

7. John Cena defeated WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton by DQ. Decent reception for the hometown hero Orton, but nothing like what he got at Extreme Rules. Giant and biggest pop of the night for Cena. Orton grabbed a mic and said he was proud to be from St. Louis, but we all need to sit down, shut up, and watch Orton make sure Cena does not make it to the Rumble. Cena told everyone to stand up and make some noise because he will leave the WWE champion.

Orton yelled at Justin to introduce him first since this was his home town. He did, but then as Justin was announcing Cena, Orton attacked. They were being *very* careful in this match. More chanting during this match than anytime all night combined. Where is Daniel Bryan when we need him? I take the careful back somewhat as Orton threw Cena into the ring stairs very hard. Cena had a few Daniel Bryan-esque comebacks. Very fast and full of action.

Cena went for the 5 Moves of Doom, Orton countered, and Cena threw Orton out of the ring. Major air time on that one. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle, went for the AA. Later, Cena went for it again, knocked the ref out, and made Orton tap out with the STF. Orton grabbed belt, knocked down Cena, then got a great nearfall. Cena hit the AA, got another good nearfall. Orton hit the RKO of nowhere for another nearfall. Orton DQ'd with a lowblow, and Cena won.

Cena mic'd up and said STL doesn't deserve a champion who cheats. Cena challenged him to a fight to prove he was worthy to be from STL. Orton beat him down, then grabbed a mic and beat Cena with it. He hit him with the title belt. Orton lined up for the punt, but Cena dodged it and put Orton down with the AA to send the kids home happy. He mic'd up and said ST Louis was a champion city who has seen the likes of Harley Race come through here and fight. He then plugged the Rumble, and that was the show.


Notes: Overall, a good show that lived up to my expectations. Pretty dead crowd, however, for most of the night, sadly, but not having most of the act was probably the cause. As soon as Cena came in though, that changed drastically. WWE put on a good show, and I feel that It was worth my ticket price. By the way, don't buy a souvenir cup. After the event, we waited and found four of them just in our section that people just left. I feel like a freegan.  

Biggest Pop: Cena by far
Most Heat: Orton as he beat Cena, and ADR.

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