By James Cox, WrestlingObserver.com
Jack Swagger beat Adam Rose with The Patriot Lock in 4:30
This week on Superstars, Tom Philips is on colour commentary duties while Byron Saxton takes Michael Cole’s place on Raw. Swagger comes out to a guard of honour from the Rose Buds only they boo him with big grins on their faces. Even though the arena is still only half full, they crowd are really into the ‘we the people’ chant.
A hip lock takedown by Swagger opens things up until Rose is able to get in some offense with chops to the corner. Swagger cuts him off with the most enormous JBL-esque clothesline and then keeps on him with knees to the corner. Eventually, Rose gets his knees up to block the charging Swagger and then he hits a middle rope drop kick and covers Swagger for two.
Rose then beats down Swagger, posturing to the crowd, and then applies a front face lock. Swagger picks up Rose and puts him over the top rope onto the apron so that the ref has to break the hold but Rose drops to the floor, using the top rope as a guillotine. He rolls back in a covers Swagger but again can only get two.
Rose goes back to front face lock. Finally, Swagger throws him clear and both men go down. Then Swagger gets the heat with a short arm clothesline but when he goes for the Swagger bomb it is blocked and he is dumped outside. Rose then goes for a baseball slide drop kick but Swagger reads it, grabs his ankle on his way through and applies the Patriot Lock outside the ring. He holds on to it and then moves into ring with it still locked in and Rose taps. This was a little bit silly but was at least a creative finish. Randy Orton’s ability to reverse just about anything into an RKO clearly has people inspired at the moment.
R-Truth beat Curtis Axel with The Lie Detector in 6:38
Truth came out doing his normal schtick and people seemed into it. There’s a roar for Axel when he then comes out and cuts a pre-match promo: Ax-treme Rules is just around the corner and Axel tells us that Truth is about to face “the most ‘ax-treme superstar in the WWE.
The two have early exchanges to see who can get their chant over bigger – Truth’s ‘what’s up’ wins. As Truth goes to take the adulation of the minor victory, Axel sneaks up behind him and dumps him over the top. He tears of his vest a la Hogan but Truth comes back in and tosses him over the top rope instead.
Axel charges back into the ring, angry at the humiliation he has just suffered but Truth catches him with a drop toe hold and then lands him with chops in the corner. Truth then runs into Axel’s boot and Axel takes over. Truth then ducks under a clothesline with a split leg drop and pops up to slap Axel. Axel is the sent to the outside as we head to the break.
As we return Truth is slapping Axel and mounts him on the second rope with punches. He’s thrown off by Axel who then rains down with punches. When Truth then runs into a neatly-timed drop kick, AxelMania chants start up. Axel then applies a sleeper. Truth gets out and then briefly applies his own. Axel then smacks him with a clothesline to the back of the head, and Truth just about kicks out at two. Axel then slaps on a rear chin lock.
Axel continues to dominate Truth, using a high knee out of a whip into the corner and clubs to the back of the head. And then the finish comes completely out of nowhere. Axel backs off from Truth and Truth just hits the Lie Detector out of nowhere for the win. But this was a fun little match and they should probably be doing more with this AxelMania gimmick.