By Ryan Kester

John Cena vs. John Lautinaitis

This match left me feeling unsatisfied with its presence in the main event slot. This felt like a standard Raw segments that was stretched out rather than a proper finish to a PPV. The fact that Show’s turn surprised no one but the gentleman covered head-to-toe in Cena gear in the front didn’t help matters much.

The idea of a Big Show vs. Cena feud excites me about as much as the idea of another round of Cena vs. Kane. Cena feels like he’s in a stale holding pattern already when he felt fresh just a few short weeks ago. Cena’s win over Brock Lesnar has done him no favors. Worse yet, these stale and rehashed stories are overshadowing the WWE Championship and the work rate of CM Punk.

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan

This was easily the match of the night and what should have closed the show. Punk and Bryan did a phenomenal job of working over the live crowd and they managed to build to a bit of a cliffhanger finish that left me wanting more form those two.

I like the idea of having Punk tap right after the pin. All too often WWE is afraid to have their babyfaces tap out, and that tap went a long way towards getting Bryan over as a legitimate threat. I imagine we’ll get another month out of these two at minimum, and I hope that during that time we get an actual build for their next confrontation.

Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Alberto Del Rio

This match was very well done. I am not usually a fan of four-way matches because they tend to follow a predictable pattern. This match was no different, but it was at least well-executed and provided an entertaining contest.

Sheamus desperately needs some character death. I know I’ve been beating this horse since WrestleMania, but his one-dimensional character will only make him feel like a transitional champion, He needs more wrinkles than a slew of crazy family stories, and eh needs them quick.

Cody Rhodes vs. Christian

The entire booking of this frustrated me. Rhodes was, at one point, seemingly about to break into the main event, yet WWE has systematically evaporated every ounce of heat he was had. I don’t see the purpose in moving the title off of Rhodes, I certainly don’t see the point in Christian taking a step back for the midcard belt, and I definitely question Christian turning face when what got him over what his heel character. I’m not a fan of the direction WWE is taking these two characters, and I really don’t see the money in the path they have chosen.

Layla vs. Beth Phoenix

Color me surprised, Layla and Beth Phoenix were given time to tell a story and they executed well in the ring. This was one of the more entertaining women’s matches I have seen on WWE PPV in some time. Now if only WWE would do this for the television shows and give fans a reason not to constantly chant “We Want Kharma.”

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

This was another quality effort that really came alive in the closing sequence. Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston proved why they deserve to be higher on WWE’s priority list than they are. Still, I found it difficult to truly invest in the action because, as it stands, the tag team championships only serve as holding patterns for talent rather than a division that WWE actually cares about. When I don’t get the impression that a title is of consequence to the company that is showcasing it, it’s nearly impossible for me to convince myself it’s worth worrying about.

Overall Show

Over the Limit featured some decent matches and featured a great WWE Championship match, but I still elft the show feeling like it wasn’t worth the asking price. WWE failed to make this show feel like an event, and it served as a standard WWE B show that one won’t remember a few months down the line.

If you have any questions or comments or just wish to chat with a fellow wrestling fan about whatever, then feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at @TheRyanKester.

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