WWE Summerslam 2012 30-Minute Pre-Show
The “WWE: Then, Now & Forever” video ques up and the pre-show begins. and Scott Stanford and Matt Striker welcome us to ringside as the camera pans around the arena. They go over tonight’s top matches, including the WWE Championship match – with CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Big Show. A video package airs recapping the buildup to this match.
Josh Matthews is backstage and introduces the largest athlete on the planet, the Big Show. Big Show says tonight’s main event is not a triple threat. The only threat in this match is him. He’s not some Hollywood superhero – he’s a big nasty Giant. He’s a threat to CM Punk, John Cena and any man living today. He’ll obliterate them tonight and he will be the new WWE Champion.
United States Championship Match: Antonio Cesaro w/Aksana vs. Santino Marella
Cesaro is out first. Aksana introduces him as the future US Champion. Antonio Cesaro says he personifies Greatness and says the word Greatness in 5 different languages – English:, French Italian, German and Swiss. Santino’s music hits and he gets a big pump. Santino comes out and is fired up. He charges to the ring and points at Cesaro confidently.
Both men lock up and and Santino gets the upper hand. Cesaro back in control. He whips Santino into the ropes and Santino does his silly powerwalk to evade Cesaro’s attack. Cesaro in control as he throws Santino into the corner. Santino goes for the Cobra but Cesaro knocks him down before he can get the Cobra on. Cobra is outside the ring. Cesaro with a series of headbutts to Santino’s chest – 2 count. Cesaro dominating Santino on the mat, with a front crossface applied. Both men stand up and Cesaro lands a stiff European uppercut. Cesaro controlling Santino on top. Santino fighting to get to the ropes but Cesaro keeps pulling him back to the center of the ring. Santino kicks free and crawls to the corner again, trying to get the Cobra, which is now in the corner. Cesaro grabs the Cobra and rips it apart with his hands and teeth. Santino freaks out and goes on an offensive rampage. Hiptoss and Santino goes for fly flying headbutt, but nobody home. Cesaro goes for his Neutralizer but Santino flips him over. Santino takes another Cobra out of his shorts but gets distracted by Aksana. Cesaro nails him with the Neutralizer and we have a NEW WWE United States champion.
Winner and NEW United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro
After the match, Aksana whips out her cell phone and takes a picture of her and the new champion in the ring together.
Backstage, Triple H is taping up his fists and telling referee Scott Armstrong how important his match is tonight. This is bigger than “us” – it’s bigger than Triple H’s family, it’s bigger than the Armstrong family. He’s not asking Armstrong to bend the rules – but there’s not going to be a DQ tonight. This match ends one or two ways – somebody taps out or somebody gets pinned. That’s it. Armstrong shakes his head in agreement. Triple H says this is going to be a fight – a fight to the finish. “Let us fight.”
Scott Sanford and Matt Striker continue to run down the night’s top matches, including Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler, Kane vs. Daniel Bryan and Del Rio vs. Kane. Video package airs recapping the Del Rio vs. Kane angle. Sanford and Striker continue hyping the PPV, with Tout videos and Tweets shown of fans predicting the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H. Video package airs recapping the Lesnar vs. Triple H feud.
Up next … WWE SUMMERSLAM!
WWE SummerSlam 2012 PPV Results
The “WWE: Then, Now & Forever” video airs and then the Summerslam 2012 opening video, featuring clips from the unforgettable moments of the past 24 SummerSlam shows. A storm is near – the perfect storm. Clips of Brock Lesnar’s WWE career are shown and he’s called a force of nature focused on the annihilation of one man – Triple H. Clips are shown of the buildup to Lesnar vs. Triple H. Great video giving the final hype for tonight’s Perfect Storm.
Pyro goes off and we are live inside the Stapes Center. Michael Cole welcomes us to the Silver Anniversary of WWE SumemrSlam. 17, 482 WWE fans are on hand . Cole talks about the first-ever Summerslam in 1988, with the Mega Powers vs. the Mega Bucks main event.
Vickie Guerrero screams “Excuse Me” 3 times and the place goes nuts booing her. She introduces her boyfriend, the brightest star in WWE – Mr. Money in the Bank – Dolph Ziggler.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho:
A clip is shown from last month’s Money in the Bank PPV with Dolph Ziggler grabbing the briefcase. Lights go out and the crowd pops big time. Jericho is on stage in his light-up jacket his music hits. The crowd is very into his entrance, roaring as he walks to the ring. Jericho’s ribs are taped up after the viscous attack from Dolph Ziggler on Friday’s SmackDown.
Fast-paced start to the match with both men running hte ropes and landing a series of back and forth strikes. Big chop by Jericho and Dolph goes down. Jericho plays for the crowd and they eat it up. Jericho kicks Dolph while he’s down. Y2J chants. Ziggler goes for a suplex but it’s blocked. Ziggler lands a high knee lift on Jericho and now has the upper hand. 2 count for Ziggler. Loud Y2J chant. Ziggler working him over int he corner, but Jericho fights back, slaps him in the face and chops him. Ziggler charges at Jericho, who throws him outside the ring. Vickie is outraged as Jericho is in control. Jericho jumps off the middle rope to the outside but Ziggler moves and nobody’s home. Ziggler in the ring as the referee starts counting. Ziggler jumps out and works Jericho over. 2 count.
Ziggler screams at Jericho, “You can’t hang with me!” as he continues to work him over. Nice dropkick to Jericho’s hip. 2 count. Ziggler applies a reverse-headlock submission hold. Ziggler in real control here as he puts his foot on Jericho’s chest and gloats for the crowd. Ziggler whips him into the ropes but Jericho hits a flying small package out of nowhere and get a 2 count. Ziggler misses a big Stinger splash into the corner and it takes a lot of out him. Jericho lands a dropkick to Ziggler’s head. Jericho shoulder-blocks Ziggler twice. Ziggler throws Jericho into the corner and hits a fame-asser. Jericho hits a big enziguri.
Ziggler jumps on Jericho’s back and applies a sleeper hold. He’s got in locked in for a minute or so. Jericho finally breaks free. Ziggler gets whipped into the corner. Jericho climbs the turnbuckle and delivers 10 punches to Ziggler’s head. Hurricanrana off the top rope. Jericho goes for the pin – 1 – 2 – no! Loud Y2J chant again and this is one hell of an opening match. Jericho and Ziggler slugging it out back and forth. Jericho hits a running bulldog, flexes for the crowd and goes for the lionsault – but Ziggler gets his knees up and Jericho’s hurting. Ziggler nails the Zig Zag and gets the 1-2-NO! Codebreaker! Ziggler rolls to the outside. Ziggler comes back in the ring, charges at Jericho but gets thrown into the corner. Jericho locks in the Walls of Jericho and the place is going crazy. Ziggler taps and the place explodes!
Winner by Submission: Chris Jericho
Commercial airs for Slim Jim Steakhouse strips. Footage is shown of downtown Los Angeles. At ringside, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler hype Lesnar vs. Triple H. CNN television host Pierce Morgan is sitting directly behind them. Footage from RAW is shown of Brock Lesnar breaking Shawn Michaels’ arm. They show a tweet from Michaels saying he won’t be at SummerSlam.
Backstage, Matt Striker interviews Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Paul Heyman says he’s the advocate for the most destructive athlete in WWE history, Brrrrcok Lesnar. Tonight, Lesnar will break the spirit of WWE. Brock Lesnar tells Triple H this is a fight he can’t win. Paul Heyman says if Triple H ain’t down with that, he’s got two words for him – TAP OUT.
