WWE house show report 5-29 Raleigh – Cena vs. Kane cage match
By Craig Green
Lots of kids in the audience. This is my first house show in years so I’m impressed with the steel cage hanging over the ring.
King Barrett is out first to good heel heat and demands the crowd to “hail King Barrett” and gets ill when they don’t. He delivers the “bad news” line when asking if Raleigh wants to see him get beat up. He issues an open challenge which Neville accepted.
Neville pinned King Barrett in about 12 minutes after Red Arrow. Good back and forth match that the crowd enjoyed. Nicely done.
After the match Kane attacked Neville on the entrance stage. He announced Rusev’s injury to the audience and said he would take his place in the main event cage match.
Tyler Breeze was out next with Summer Rae(?). They cut heel promos and berated the crowd for not being good looking. Damien Sandow was out next as himself to new music.
Damien Sandow beat Tyler Breeze in 2 minutes by DQ when Heath Slater interfered.
Axelmania comes out for the save, challenges Breeze and Slater to a 2-on-1 handicap match. Yes, they accepted.
About 7 minutes into the match and with Breeze and Axel down, Macho Mandow makes the save, clears Breeze from the ring and Axelmania hits the big leg on Slater.
The Meta Powers beat Tyler Breeze and Heath Slater in 9 total minutes.
A Warrior Award/Connor the Crusher video aired to a good pop. Classy stuff by WWE.
New Day was out to a decent pop. Nobody here knows they’re heels as a majority of the crowd was clapping with them at first, then Xavier Woods heeled them out by leading them in an instructional clapping session. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro were out next. Cesaro pimps Elimination Chamber and the tag title match but forgets he’s actually in one tonight. Harper and Rowan make their entrance. The ring announcer says this is an elimination match for the straps.
Tyson Kidd pinned Erick Rowan in about 17 minutes with a rollup. Rowan and Harper eliminated, but takes cheap shots at Kidd and Big E afterwards before heading to the back.
New Day wins the elimination tag match in about 23 minutes after Kofi rolls up Cesaro. Xavier Woods cheap-shotted Cesaro with the referee’s back turned. Kidd and Cesaro deliver two giant swing/dropkick combos on New Day after the match sends us to intermission.
Naomi is out first after intermission to no heat, followed by her opponent Paige to a good response.
Paige pins Naomi in about 9 minutes with Rampaige. OK match, nothing to write home about.
Bo Dallas out next. Zack Ryder makes his entrance.
Bo acknowledged the Entourage stuff with Ryder from Raw, as well as his loss to Cena. According to Bo, all Ryder needs to do is Bo-lieve.
Zack Ryder pins Bo Dallas in 8 minutes. Bo missed the Bo-Dog and takes a Rough Ryder. Nicely worked match.
Brief intermission to set up the cage.
US Champion John Cena beat Kane by escaping the cage in 13 minutes.
Double ref bump 10 minutes in. Kane accidentally kicked the cage door into one ref’s face while the ref inside the cage took a weak bump from Kane’s foot while Cena was attempting an AA. Cena eventually climbed over the top of the cage to send the crowd home happy while Kane was trying to escape through the door.
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: King Barrett vs. Neville
WORST WORKED MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Meta Powers vs. Slater/Breeze
BIGGEST POPS
1. Cena by a mile
2. Axelmania saving Sandow from Slater and Breeze
3. Kidd/Cesaro
4. Neville hitting Red Arrow
5. Paige/New Day’s entrance (tie)
MOST HEAT
1. King Barrett
2. Kane attacking Neville after his match
3. Xavier Woods and New Day heeling out the crowd after they initially cheered them
4. Bo Dallas
5. Kane