SummerSlam 2010 Review: Team WWE prevails over Nexus!
By Jesse Castleman
Dolph Ziggler (c) w/Vickie Guerrero vs. Kofi Kingston
Intercontinental Championship
Dolph Ziggler and his girlfriend Vickie Guerrero enter the ring. Vickie tells the crowd to excuse her FOUR times, before the entrance guy finally realizes it’s his cue, and finally Kofi Kingston comes out to interrupt her. Kingston knocks Ziggler down with an elbow to start the match, and proceeds to kick Ziggler around before clothes-lining him over the top rope. Kingston attempts a splash through the ropes to the outside on Ziggler, but Vickie pulls her boyfriend out of the way and Kingston goes crashing into the barrier. Ziggler rolls back in the ring and yells at the referee to count to ten while Kingston stays down on the outside.
Ref Mike Chioda makes it to nine before Kingston rolls himself back in the ring, where Ziggler hops ontop and pounds Kingston. Ziggler pins Kingston for a near fall, hits a neckbreaker on Kingston, and pins him again for another near fall. Ziggler applies a rear sleeper hold while Kingston is still down, Kingston breaks out, but Ziggler kicks him into the ropes and chokes him. Kingston makes a comeback, kicking and punching his way back into the matchup. Ziggler manages to trip Kingston into the turnbuckle, however, and tries to pin Kingston again, but only manages another 2-count. Ziggler snaps Kingston down into a sitting position and flips over Kingston, connecting with a neckbreaker-like maneuver before applying another rear chokehold on the belly-down Kingston. Ziggler lets up and elbows Kingston’s head, but reapplies the hold on Kingston. Ziggler hits another elbow on Kingston for a 2-count, and again reapplies the choke hold on Kingston. Kingston breaks out. Ziggler whips Kingston into the corner and attempts a splash, but Kingston evades it. Kingston hits a few punches and chops on Ziggler, then a dropkick and Lou Thesz Press followed by some punches before the ref breaks it up, almost DQ’ing Kingston.
Kingston does a little dance hits a plancha leg drop off the ropes on Ziggler. Kingston jumps at Ziggler in the corner, who evades a splash, but Kingston lands on the ropes, and whirls around, jumping on Ziggler. Ziggler rolls through though and pins Kingston for 2. Kingston rolls Ziggler up for 2. As Kingston gets to his feet, Ziggler is a step in front of him and nails a fame-asser. Ziggler’s slow to roll Kingston up, and only manages a 2-count. Ziggler rushes Kingston in the corner, but Kingston evades and Ziggler goes flying into the turnbuckle. Kingston goes to the top rope and hits Ziggler with a flying double axe hammer. Kingston performs his taunt as he waits to hit Ziggler with his Touble in Paradise spinning side kick. Ziggler evades the kick and counters with a sleeper hold on Kingston in the middle of the ring. From out of nowhere, Nexus runs through the crowd into the ring and beat the competitors down. Skip Sheffield clotheslines Ziggler over the ropes to the outside, then Nexus surrounds Kingston before they take turns beating down on Kingston some more.
Darren Young ultimately hits Kingston with a Full Nelson side slam before Wade Barrett hits Kingston with a Firemans Carry Slam. Nexus stands in a line inside the ring as Barrett takes the mic. Barrett explains that Team WWE will implode tonight because they cannot form a cohesive unit. Nexus is united, on the otherhand, for a common purpose. Barrett ends his address prompting that you’re either Nexus, or against us, then motions for Nexus to exit.
Doph Ziggler retains the Intercontinental Championship on the grounds of a Double Disqualification
Chris Jericho persuades The Miz to join Team WWE backstage, saying he’s the missing link. Edge is eating a Slim Jim, and pleads The Miz to accept their offer. Jericho tells Miz he could be a legend in Los Angeles, and that he could be bigger than the Titanic. Miz responds, saying he has a lot to think about, before snagging the rest of Edge’s Slim Jim and walking away. Jericho and Edge look optimistic about The Miz joining.
Alicia Fox (c) vs. Melina
Diva’s Championship
After a stare down, the two lock up. Ref breaks it up and they circle each other, then lock up again. Fox hip tosses Melina and locks in a head lock. Fox pushes Melina, Irish whip, but Melina slides under Fox and slams her face into the mat. Melina knees Fox in the stomach in the corner, a unique move. Ref holds Melina off Fox so she can recover. Flapjack and a cover by Melina on Fox for a 2-count. Melina evades a rushing Fox in the corner, but tweaks her knee. Melina ducks, elbow, kick to Fox’s face. Fox trips Melina into the ring post, then kicks Melina’s side.
Back in the ring, Fox knees Melina’s left arm and shoulder, and targets the same are with an arm bar on the mat. Melina fights out, and rolls Fox up for 2. Melina dropkicks Fox and unleashes a primal scream. Melina knees Fox into the ropes, then slams Fox’s forehead hard into the mat. Melina covers Fox, 1, 2, 3! Melina is the new Diva’s Champion. Josh Matthews interview Melina in the ring after the match, but before questions are asked, women’s champion Laycool interrupts and berates Melina.
Michelle McCool tries to take a picture of Layla and Melina, but Melina pushes Layla off of her. Melina then pushes McCool away and pummels her in the corner. Layla hits her from behind and McCool kicks Melina hard in the face.
Fox jumps back in the ring and kicks the fallen Melina, but Laycool waste Fox too. Outside the ring, McCool knees Melina’s head into the announce table. Laycool celebrates and leave: flawless.
Melina defeats Alicia Fox by pinfall and is the new Diva’s Champion
Joseph Mercury, Luke Gallows, and C.M. Punk w/Serena vs. The Big Show
3-on-1 Handicap Match
The Big Show is believed to have a cracked bone and severed tendons in his right hand at the hands of the SES, as Big Show enters with his right hand taped up. Before the match begins, however, Big Show motions for the referee to cut the tape off of his hand, revealing the injury as a hoax! His right hand is apparently fine, evidenced by Big Show slapping Mercury down and slapping Gallows on the ropes. CM Punk gathers his minions and game plans in a huddle.
Gallows and Mercury try to whip Big Show, but he tosses Gallows over the top rope, and military press tosses Mercury on top of Gallows over the top rope to the outside. As the crowd chants for Punk, he enters the ring and is met by Big Show’s slaps. The Straight Edge Society is down, and Punk tries to outsmart Show and kick his hand onto the steel steps, but misses. Big Show tries to slap Punk on the steps, but Punk evades and Show nails the steps. The SES begins mauling Big Show on the outside, and roll him back into the ring to Punk. They target Big Show’s hands, kneeing them, and then Gallows hits a splash onto Big Show. Next, the SES target Big Show’s head, then beat on him some more in the corner, throwing each other into the Big Show.
Big Show explodes out though and hits a big splash onto Mercury and Gallows in the corner. After leveling Gallows and Mercury, Show catches Punk in a choke. Knee to the jaw in the corner, again, and a third by Punk on Big Show. Punk and Mercury hit a double DDT from the top rope on Show, and a cover, but Show tosses Mercury out of the ring. Punk yells and assaults Show’s right arm before Show lifts Punk into a fireman’s carry, and catches Mercury with a choke, but Gallows breaks it up and Punk rolls outside the ring.
Double clothesline on Mercury and Gallows. Serena takes Punk up the ramp, then Show lifts Mercury up and throws him down on top of Gallows with a choke slam. Show covers Mercury and Gallows for the 3-count victory. Show stares down Punk and Serena, who are atop the ramp.
The Big Show defeats The Straight Edge Society by pinfall
Kane plans to avenge the Undertaker tonight, and he shuts his casket backstage. Sheamus asks to borrow the casket to use on Randy Orton, but Kane says no. Sheamus says that’s too bad, because if those two were on the same page, they would be unstoppable. Sheamus says he is the real Big Red Machine, and tells Kane to stay out of his way. Kane says he likes Sheamus because he has guts, most of which will be spilled all over the floor if he chooses to ever interrupt Kane again. Sheamus walks away to defend his title against Orton.
Awesome! Out struts The Miz with his red briefcase. Mr. Money in the Bank addresses the crowd, debating whether he should join Team WWE. Miz then claims that Cena begged him to join the team, and that Bret Hart said The Miz was the real excellence of execution, Jericho gave him a Fozzy CD, which he threw in the trash, John Morrison said he was the Jannetty of their former tag team, and that the Miz is Shawn Michaels, but better, Edge gave him Slim Jims, R-Truth crappy rap. The fans still haven’t given The Miz credit, and he says he is the WWE’s only hope, the future. Miz’s decision is bigger than LeBron James’, which will ultimately lead to the Lakers losing the NBA Championship. The answer is: yes! He’s the Miz, and he’s- he tells the audience to refrain from using his phrase! The Miz wants absolute silence. Because he’s the Miz, and he’s awesome! Exit the Miz, and Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, and Matt Stryker debate the Miz’s importance to Team WWE at ringside.
Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE Championship
Circle, lockup, and Sheamus backs Orton into the corner. Ref breaks it up and Sheamus taunts Orton. Now Orton locks Sheamus up and pushes him into the corner, but Sheamus flips Orton around and backs Orton into the corner before the ref breaks it up again. Sheamus again postures himself by tauntin Orton, but Orton begins the brawl and beats Sheamus down in the corner. After stomping a mudhole into Sheamus, Sheamus kicks out and whips Orton into the corner, but he bounces off and clotheslines Sheamus. Orton kicks Sheamus around, hits a knee drop on Sheamus’s head, and pins Sheamus for 2. Sheamus whips Orton into the ropes and attemps a hip toss, but Orton counters into a clothesline, then another clothesline over the top rope to the outside. Orton throws Sheamus’s head off of the announce table, then clotheslines him over the barrier into the crowd. Orton pounds on Sheamus and tosses him back over the barrier and into the ring, smartly, before the ref can count to 10. Orton continues his beatdown on Sheamus in the ring before pinning Sheamus for another nearfall. Sheamus crawls to the apron but Orton continues stomping Sheamus.
Orton slingshots Sheamus’s neck into the bottom rope. Orton whips Sheamus into the barrier on the outside, then reenters and exits the ring to break up the 10-count. Orton attempts to whip Sheamus into the barrier again, but Sheamus counters and whips Orton shoulder-first into the steel stepts. Sheamus reenters the ring, with his advantage Orton can get counted out. Orton reenters and Sheamus pins Orton for a nearfall. Sheamus hits a clothesline on Orton and then taunts the crowd before hitting a well-placed knee on Orton. Near fall for a 2-count. Sheamus applies a rear chin lock, then tries a suplex, which Orton counters into a suplex of his own.
With Sheamus on the apron, Orton kicks Sheamus in the solarplexes and sets Sheamus up for a ropehung DDT. Sheamus breaks out of this maneuver and flips Orton over the top rope to the outside. Sheamus follows Orton outside and tosses him into the barrier twice. Sheamus rolls Orton back into the ring and pins Orton for a nearfall. Sheamus stalks Orton, and connects with a forearm smash on Orton’s head. Sheamus covers Orton, 1, 2, kick out. Sheamus applies a submission hold on Orton’s shoulder, remember that Orton has shoulder problem history, but Orton breaks out. Sheamus hits a drop toehold on Orton into the turnbuckle before Orton can gain any momentum, and nails a modified backbreaker on Orton.
Cover for 2, another cover for a near fall, and Sheamus is disgruntled. Orton fights out of the corner, but is met with another forearm smash from Sheamus. Sheamus reapplies the shoulder submission on Orton, but Orton forces Sheamus to switch to a headlock, which Orton can manage to break out of, countering into a back body drop. Orton takes his time to get up and cover, and the two competitors get back to their feet. Sheamus rushes Orton in the corner, but Orton evades his attack and Sheamus runs into the turnbuckle.
Orton covers Sheamus, but can’t hook the leg due to his injured shoulder, and Sheamus kicks out at 2. The two trade punches before Orton hits an uppercut and a few clotheslines on Sheamus. Orton ducks a Sheamus attack and hits a scoop slam. Sheamus counts a whip into the corner and runs into the ring post as Orton evades another attack. Orton capitalizes with a superplex on Sheamus. Cover, 1, 2, no Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus hits a vicious backbreaker on Orton, and covers him. 1, 2, Orton kicks out. Sheamus taunts again, waiting for Orton to get up, and goes for the Bro Kick, but Orton evades the kick and Sheamus tumbles over the top rope to the outside. Orton hits a ropehung DDT on Sheamus as he reenters the ring. Orton attempts an RKO, which Sheamus counters, throwing Orton down to the mat. Sheamus pins Orton for a nearfall. Sheamus signifies it’s time to put Orton away with the Irish Curse Power bomb. Sheamus lifts Orton up, but Orton breaks out and counters into an RKO!
No, Sheamus counters and sends Orton into the ropes, and upon his return is met with a Bro Kick to the face by Sheamus. Cover, 1, 2, Orton kicks out!. At this point Sheamus freaks out and grabs a steel chair. He reenters the ring but before he can hit Orton with it, the referee struggles with Sheamus. Sheamus knocks the ref out of the ring, and the ref calls for the bell, disqualifying Sheamus. Sheamus swings at Orton with the chair, but Orton evades and kicks Sheamus downstairs. Orton picks up the chair, but changes his mind and rolls Sheamus to the outside. Orton prepares the announce table and tosses Sheamus ontop of it. Orton joins Sheamus, smiles, and hits Sheamus with an RKO on the announce table. Orton, who is pissed, walks up the ramp after staring the fallen Sheamus down. Sheamus is announced as still the WWE Champion due to Orton winning by disqualification.
Randy Orton defeats Sheamus by Disqualification; Sheamus retains the WWE Championship
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (c) w/Undertaker’s Casket
World Heavyweight Championship
Mysterio kicks at Kane’s legs to begin, then Kane whips Mysterio into the corner, scoop slam on Mysterio, missed elbow, Mysterio hits a dropkick on Kane, pin, 1 count. Mysterio misses a 619 on Kane, then Kane whips Mysterio to the outside. Kane slides out, but Mysterio slides in, then hits a baseball slide onto Kane. Mysterio runs and jumps off the apron onto Kane. Kane chokes Mysterio over the ropes. Kane knocks Mysterio down into the ring with a big right hand. Kane baseball slides Mysterio’s back into the ring post. Kane rams Mysterio’s back repeatedly into the post and rolls him into the ring. Kane hangs Mysterio on the top rope then hits a big boot to Mysterio’s face and knocks him to the outside. Kane rolls Mysterio back in the ring. Pin for a 2-count. Kane whips Mysterio hard into the ropes and covers Mysterio for another 2-count. Kane lifts Mysterio into a bearhug, but Mysterio fights out. Kane again catches Mysterio and locks another bearhug on Mysterio’s lower back. Mysterio flips out of it and tries a sunset flip, which Kane catches, but Mysterio dropkicks Kane. Mysterio hits a running hurricanrana on Kane, then tries again for the 619 but Kane nails a gigantic clothesline on Mysterio. Kane tosses Mysterio face-first to the outside, and referee Charles Robinson begins the 10-count. Robinson reaches 8 until Mysterio gets back up. Mysterio kicks away at Kane and tries an aerial maneuver off the top rope, but Kane boots Mysterio off the apron. Mysterio hits a droptoehold on Kane into the barrier. Both men are back in the ring, and Mysterio hits a head butt off the top rope onto the Kane. Mysterio runs into a flipping sidewalk slam from Kane, who covers Mysterio for 2. Kane hits a sidewalk backbreaker on Mystero and continues with a modified chinlock. Kane yells at Mysterio to quit, but Mysterio busts out.
Again, Mysterio runs into a big sidewalk slam. Cover for 2. Kane makes moves to the top rope, but Mysterio runs over and punches Kane and goes for a Frankensteiner, which Kane shrugs off. Kane misses a top rope clothesline and tweaks his knee. Mysterio runs into another sidewalk slam, but this time counters into a tilt-a-whirl hurricanrana and covers Kane for a 2 count. Seated senton from the top rope, but is caught by Kane, but Mysterio counters into a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Mysterio covers Kane, 1, 2, kick out. Top rope splash onto Kane, cover for 2. Kick to Kane’s face, and another 2-count cover. Mysterio attempts a high-risk maneuver, but Kane nails Mysterio with a big right hand. Kane covers Mysterio, 1, 2, kickout. Kane opens the casket, then attempts a chokeslam. but Mysterio counters. Mysterio attempts a 619, but Kane catches him and rolls him onto the casket, before.
Sunset dropkick. 619, Kane catches Mysterio into a DDT, chokeslam, but Mysterio counters and hurricanranas Kane into the ropes, 619! cover for 2, then Kane hits a big boot onto Mysterio. Kane chokes Mysterio on the mat, and lifts him up and throws him down with a chokeslam from hell. Kane pins Mysterio, 1, 2, 3, and Kane retains his World Heavyweight Championship. Kane grabs the mic and tells Mysterio that he will pay for what he did to the Undertaker in hell. Kane attempts to roll Mysterio into the casket, but Mysterio kicks Kane away. Kane manages to catch Mysterio again though, and chokeslams him twice. Kane continues his assault and absolutely destroys Mysterio with a Tombstone Piledriver. Kane drags Mysterio to the casket, and he opens it to put Mysterio in, but he finds the Undertaker lying inside of it instead!
Undertaker enters the ring and Kane runs to the corner, abandoning Mysterio. The two men lock eyes, and Kane smiles, telling Undertaker his man is in the corner. Undertaker walks over and asks Mysterio if he’s ever heard of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, before he makes things right, and then asks Rey why he did it. Mysterio pleads that he didn’t do it. Undertaker says that he believes him, and then chokes him, but before he hits a chokeslam, Undertaker stops short. He signifies a tombstone piledriver, and then turns to Kane and points at him! He chokes Kane, but Kane chokes the Undertaker before he can finish him off. Kane overpowers the Undertaker, flips him up, and nails a Tombstone Piledriver on the Undertaker! Kane throws his arms up and down, and fire erupts from the ringposts as Kane stands over the Undertaker in the ring, surrounded by red lights. Kane grabs his title belt and exits the ring as the Undertaker and Mysterio lay in the ring.
Kane defeats Rey Mysterio by pinfall, and retains the World Heavyweight Championship
Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, and Darren Young vs. John Cena, Edge, R-Truth, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and The Miz/Daniel Bryan
7-on-7 Elimination Match
Nexus makes their way to the ring from backstage before a video compilation is shown to chronicle Nexus’s antagonism over the last few months. Nexus enters the ring and awaits Team WWE to hit the ring. John Cena enters first to a pop. Edge enters second, and R-Truth third. Chris Jericho makes the fourth entrance to a nice pop from the crowd, and Wade Barrett spits venom at his former mentor as he walks to ringside. John Morrison enters fifth, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart joins his teammates at ringside as the sixth member. Awesome! Out comes The Miz to join Team WWE, but John Cena interrupts him and informs the Miz that he’s too late. Team WWE has recruited a different seventh member: Daniel Bryan! Daniel Bryan leads the team to the ring and a brawl ensues. Nexus ends up on the outside, and they regroup under Barrett’s leadership. Nexus chooses to start Darren Young against Daniel Bryan. The two punch furiously at each other before Byan whips Young into the ropes and hits him with a knee to the midsection. Bryan continues the assault by kicking Young multiple times in the midsection while he’s down. Bryan is letting his hatred for Nexus rip. Young reverses a whip to the corner, sending Bryan in. Bryan evades Young’s rush though, and counters into a submission guillotine, which he transitions into a crossface. Young taps out, and Daniel Bryan has eliminated the first Nexus member.
Darren Young is eliminated
Justin Gabriel tries next but Jericho tags in and elbows Gabriel down after whipping him into the ropes. Back body drop, and then a kick to Gabriel, and Jericho tags R-Truth in. Truth beats down on Gabriel and evades a few of Gabriel’s attacks with a cartwheel and a split before nailing Gabriel with a heel kick. Truth continues his assault by dropping Gabriel from a suplex position into a neckbreaker/stunner. Beautiful execution and a nice sell from Gabriel. Near fall on Gabriel. Now Gabriel gets up and hits a few kicks on Truth. Tarver tags in and takes it to Truth in the corner before the ref breaks it up. Tarver is a pit bull in the ring, but Truth manages to tag Morrison in, and Morrison hits a couple of heel kicks on Tarver. Morrison slams Tarver’s face into the turnbuckle before jumping off the ropes and nailing a big heel kick on Tarver. Morrison goes up for the Starship Pain, and nails it on Tarver. Cover on Tarver, 1, 2, 3, and Tarver is eliminated by Morrison.
Michael Tarver is eliminated
With the odds against them, the remaining five members of Nexus regroup on the outside, ultimately choosing Sheffield to enter and take on his former mentor, Morrison. They lock up and Sheffield tosses Morrison off of him like a raging bull. They lock up again, and Sheffield drops Morrison like a fool. Sheffield talks trash to Morrison, and Morrison, who isn’t taking to kindly to it, slaps Sheffield square in between the eyes. Morrison tries a whip, but Sheffield counters into a big body slam on Morrison to the mat. Sheffield whips Morrison into the corner and continues the trash talking. Sheffield is in control, and whips Morrison back to the other corner hard. The crowd chants that they want Bret before Sheffield hits a suplex on Morrison, and then another. Sheffield connects with a third suplex and goes for the cover. 1, 2, but Morrison kicks out. The crowd claps for Morrison, who fights back and runs into the ropes, but Gabriel kicks him from behind, and Morrison walks right into Sheffield’s big clothesline. Sheffield pins Morrison for the 3-count, and the crowd boos Gabriel for cheap-shotting Morrison.
John Morrison is eliminated
Team WWE still leads the match 6-on-5, and R-Truth reenters the match. Truth takes it to Sheffield and rebounds off the ropes to attempt a Truth Axe, which Sheffield evades, and then Sheffield wastes Truth with another huge clothesline. Cover on Truth, 1, 2, 3, and Sheffield has eliminated another Team WWE member with his deadly clothesline.
R-Truth is eliminated
Nexus ties things back up to 5-on-5, and Chris Jericho wastes no time to take it to Sheffield. Jericho beats on Sheffield in the corner. Sheffield holds Jericho up in a military press and drops him down. Barrett tags in and beats down on Jericho in the corner. Barrett tags Otunga in, who punches Jericho and hits him with a body slam. Barrett tags back in and kicks Jericho in the face as Otunga holds him down. Good teamwork there from Nexus, then Barrett applies a surfboard submission on Jericho. Jericho breaks out and hits a missile dropkick from the top rope on Barrett. Jericho crawls to his corner and tags Hart in. Slater tags in and winds up on the short end of a bea tdown from Hart. Hart pounds on Slater in the corner and drags his face across the top rope. Bret continues his assault on Slate, body-slamming him and hitting a Manhattan Drop and a clothesline to set Slater up for a Sharpshooter. Hart locks the Sharpshooter in, but Sheffield enters the ring to distract the ref. Barrett slides a steel chair into the ring, and Bret unleashes his Sharpshooter to go for the chair instead. Barrett’s tactics work, and Hart hits Sheffield twice with the steel chair before the referee disqualifies him for use of a foreign object. I guess that’s why they call him the hitman.
Bret Hart is eliminated
Nexus gains the upperhand now, with an advantage of 5-on-4, but at the cost of Sheffield’s back. Jericho enters the match and hits a Codebreaker on Sheffield. Jericho tags Edge in, who stalks Sheffield and Spears him into the ground. Edge covers Sheffield for 1, 2, 3, and Sheffield is eliminated.
Skip Sheffield is eliminated
All tied up again at 4-on-4, Gabriel runs into Edge’s boot to take over for Sheffield. Edge fights Gabriel into the corner, then whips him into the opposite corner and spears him into the turnbuckle. Edge whips Gabriel back, but is met with Gabriel’s elbow on his rush. Gabriel runs into a flapjack by Edge. Edge covers Gabriel for a near fall. Edge whips Gabriel into the ropes, but Gabriel backflips over the bent over Edge and surprises Edge with a nasty wheel kick to Edge’s face. Gabriel pins Edge, 1, 2, Edge kicks out. Slater tags back in and stomps a mudhole into his idol. Slater chokes Edge on the middle rope, then Barrett cheap shots Edge as the ref pulls Slater away. Slater kicks Edge off the apron to the outside, then drags him back in the ring and brings him to Nexus’s corner. Barrett tags in and continues the assault on Edge. Barrett chokes Edge with his boot on the bottom rope, as does Gabriel from the apron, then Barrett whips Edge hard into the corner and hits a nice backbreaker on Edge. Barrett covers Edge for a near fall.
Barrett applies a headlock on Edge, who breaks out, and then Barrett runs off the ropes into a spinning heel kick from Edge. Edge attempts an Edgecution, but Barrett counters into a swinging neck breaker. Barrett tags Otunga in, and he attempts a Rock Bottom on Edge, but Edge counters into an Edgecution DDT. Edge manages to tag Jericho back in, who catches fire and knocks Otunga down a few times before hitting a bulldog on him. Jericho hits a Lionsault on Otunga before flipping him into the Walls of Jericho. Otunga taps out to avoid being snapped in half.
David Otunga is eliminated
Jericho kicks Slater, who attempts to roll into the ring, and flies off the ropes to knock Slater off the apron to the outside. Jericho maintains his team’s momentum, as they’re on top once again at 4-on-3, by following Slater to the outside. Jericho slams Slater’s face off the announce table, and then rolls him back into the ring and goes up top to hit Slater with a flying spinning elbow. Jericho rushes at Slater, who evades him, and accidentally knocks Cena off the apron. As Jericho and Cena stare each other down, Slater takes advantage of the distraction and hits Jericho with a devastating maneuver. Slater covers Jericho for the pinfall.
Chris Jericho is eliminated
Edge and Cena enter the ring and argue, then Edge pushes Cena. Cena exits the ring, rather than choosing to fight back, but the distraction is all that Slater needed to take advantage of the situation. As Cena steps through the ropes, Slater pushes Edge from behind into Cena, again knocking him off the apron. Slater rolls up Edge on the recoil, 1, 2, 3. Another quick elimination, and Nexus has regained momentum and the upperhand.
Edge is eliminated
Edge spears Cena off the apron to the outside in a blind rage after his elimination. The eliminated Edge and Jericho stand over Cena on the outside. They blame him for their eliminations, then they beat him down and leave up the ramp. Daniel Bryan checks on Cena at ringside, and Michael Cole mentions that Team WWE needs the Miz over the inexperienced Daniel Bryan. Slater rolls Cena bacfk into the ring and beats him down in Nexus’s corner. Barrett hits a cheapshot on Cena and tags in. Barrett hammers away on Cena, who needs to get back into the match. Barrett flaunts his Nexus armband, and tosses Cena into the corner. Barrett whips him across the ring and boots Cena’s back, knocking him face-first into the turnbuckle. Cena blocks a punch, knocks Gabriel off the apron, but is met with a clothesline from Barrett back in the ring. Barret covers Cena for a nearfall, then Gabriel tags back in. Gabriel boots Cena in the face, then applies an armbar submission on Cena. Cena powers out and attempts an Attitude Adjustment, which Gabriel breaks out of and counters into a DDT. Cena can’t get anything going, and Gabriel pins Cena for a 2-count. Gabriel boots Cena into the ropes and tags Barrett back in. Barrett takes over and pounds on Cena. Cena fights back, but runs right into a sidewalk slam from Barrett. Barrett stands over Cena and attempts a suplex, but Cena counters into a suplex of his own.
Bryan looks to tag in, and Cena crawls over to him. Slater manages to tag in and reach Cena before he can tag out though, and whips Cena hard into the corner. Slater continues to punish Cena, but the two competitors run into each other and hit a double clothesline. Slater holds Cena back, but Cena jumps on one leg to tag in Daniel Bryan. Bryan catches fire and knocks Gabriel off the apron. Bryan runs back to Slater and introduces Slater’s face to his boot. Bryan nails a German suplex on Slater, and then a dropkick to Slater’s face. Bryan’s all fired up, kicking Slater over and over again. Slater reverses a whip into the corner, but Bryan backflips over the rushing Slater, and runs off the ropes to nail Slater with a clothesline. Slater rolls to the outside, but Bryan doesn’t let him get away, running off the ropes and jumping through, nailing Slater with a big splash. Bryan nails a missile dropkick on Slater from the top rope, then turns his attention to Gabriel and Barrett on the apron, dropkicking them both off at the same time. Bryan runs back to Slater and takes out his legs with another dropkick. Bryan attempts to put Slater away with a kick to his face, but Slater evades it and rolls Bryan up for a 2-count. When Bryan kicks out he slips Slaters arm around his legs and locks in a crossface, and Slater’s on the brink of elimination: Slater taps out and it’s 2-on-2.
Heath Slater is eliminated
Down to the final four, the referee rolls Heath Slater out of the ring, but as this happens The Miz runs down the ramp into the ring and knocks Bryan in the back of the head with his briefcase. The ref misses this, but turns around to find Barrett pinning Bryan. 1, 2, 3.
Daniel Bryan is eliminated
Barrett rolls John Cena into the ring and tags Gabriel in. Gabriel splashes Cena in the corner and stalks Cena as Barrett shouts instructions from the apron. Cena evades another splash and nails Gabriel with two knockdowns. Cena hits Gabriel with a back body drop, and concludes with a Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Cena sets Gabriel up for an Attitude Adjustment, but Barrett gets the blind tag on Gabriel. Barrett enters the ring and knocks Cena down before he can hit the maneuver. Barrett pounds on Cena, then tags Gabriel back in. They take turns tagging in and out, all the while stomping Cena in their corner. Nexus teamwork is phenomenal in this match. Barrett tags in and stalks Cena, hitting him with a big boot to knock him out of the ring. Barrett follows him out as Gabriel unrolls the outside mats to reveal the cold concrete below. Barrett DDT’s Cena into the concrete, adn then rolls him back into the ring. Barrett sets Cena up near the corner, then instructs Gabriel to hit a 450 splash on Cena. Gabriel tags in and goes to the top rope. Gabriel jumps, and Cena rolls out of the way to leave Gabriel nothing but mat. Cena rolls Gabriel up for the pin, 1, 2, 3! Cena shows life and takes this match to the bitter end.
Justin Gabriel is eliminated
Barrett is the only Nexus member left, so he gets in the ring and attempts to roll the lifeless Cena up, but Cena counters Barrett into a trip and locks his leg and head into an STF submission in desperation. Barrett tries to hang on, but the submission proves to be too much, and Barrett taps out. The referee lifts Cena’s arm in victory as his music plays, and Team WWE has defeated Nexus in the main event at SummerSlam.
Wade Barrett is eliminated; John Cena is the sole survivor
Team WWE survives, but what’s next for Nexus? We’ll find out on Raw, peeps.