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World Hvt. champion JACK SWAGGER vs. RANDY ORTON
World Hvt. Title match — Extreme Rules match
Basically, anything goes with the only way to win being a pin or submission. Orton cleared Swagger to the outside early on and Swagger grabbed a chair ringside. Orton walked out to the floor and kicked the chair away, then Orton stalked Swagger around ringside back into the ring. Swagger started playing cat and mouse, then suckered Orton into a forearm to the gut. Swagger proceeded to suplex Orton on the floor before rolling him back into the ring to land more offense. Swagger established a methodical pace here with constant gazes into the hard camera in-between holds. The announcers debated whether Swagger is taking too much time or just confident. Swagger eventually went to the floor and grabbed the World Title belt to use as a weapon back in the ring. Swagger measured Orton, but Orton kicked him in the gut and landed multiple European uppercuts. Swagger cut off Orton, then slowly, slowly, slowly backed away to the corner for a running Vader Bomb, but Orton grabbed the title belt and smashed Swagger in the lower region with the title belt. Swagger rolled to the apron to recover, but Orton grappled him for the spike DDT, only to have Swagger block with a back drop over the top rope to the floor.
On the floor, Swagger flipped up the apron to signify weapons were coming into play. Orton blocked a trashcan shot, then grabbed the can and smashed Swagger over the head with two clean trashcan shots to the head. Apparently there won’t be a fine since it wasn’t a chair. For shame there are still blows to the head with a weapon. Orton then rammed Swagger into the ring steps before placing Swagger face-first on the steps. He did a foot stomp that barely grazed Swagger’s head before rolling him into the ring. Swagger cut off Orton, though, and tried to bring a chair back into the ring, but Orton caught Swagger on the apron and delivered the trademark spike DDT. Orton then did a big stare that drew a pop and crouched down on the mat preparing for the RKO. Orton’s attention was then distracted and he placed a chair center ring. Orton teased a running RKO into the chair, but Swagger countered by dropping Orton back-first across the seat of the chair. Orton sold that like his back was exploding with each breath. Swagger tried to follow with the gutwrench powerbomb and he eventually connected center ring. Swagger with the pin for the win.
WINNER: Swagger at 14:01. Decent, but not memorable title match. I’m not a fan of any weapon shots to the head, but this wasn’t exactly an “Extreme Rules” match. In a PG environment, WWE is better off not raising expectations by advertising an “Extreme Rules” match when the match isn’t going to come close to what that term suggests. Swagger needed the win, so that was fine. They still have some work to do with Swagger’s character, but that’s a good issue to have. (**)
Post-match: Swagger slowly took his title belt and celebrated on the outside. Orton then caught up with Swagger on the floor and spun him around to deliver an RKO on the floor. The fans chanted, “Randy, Randy” as Orton walked off. Suddenly, Sheamus’s music hit and Sheamus walked out past Orton to the ring. Swagger had apparently disappeared at this point. Sheamus still had the pipe in hand with a big smile on his face.
