[man] Tonight…
there lies a treasure…
sought by the strong…
the daring…
and the relentless.
But on this night, who will be worthy of becoming champion…
[Heyman] There's only one worthy of the honor of being Universal Champion,
Brock Lesnar!
I'm bringing the Universal Championship back to RAW!
Lesnar's gonna get these hands!
…worthy of being the best in the world…
[Cole] Four men from Monday Night RAW.
Four men from SmackDown LIVE.
[Shane] The first ever WWE World Cup.
[Corey] A truly elite class competing to be crowned the Best in the World.
…worthy of a golden opportunity…
[Joe] In our final chapter, you are left gasping on the ground,
and I am finally raising the WWE Championship.
[Styles] No matter what happens tonight, I will walk out WWE Champion.
[bell tolls]
[woman] Are you ready?
[man] …worthy of cementing their legacy?
[Undertaker] Triple H may have won a battle,
but he started a war.
[Cole] Oh, my God!
The Brothers of Destruction reunite to unleash hell
on D-Generation X for the first time ever.
[Cole] We never thought it would happen.
D-Generation X versus The Brothers of Destruction.
-[Triple H] Are… -[Undertaker] Rest…
-[Triple H] …you… -[Undertaker] …in…
-[Triple H] …ready? -[Undertaker] …peace.
[man] Welcome to the grandeur.
The magnificence.
Welcome to the history-making, first-ever WWE Crown Jewel.
And now, WWE Network presents Crown Jewel.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Tonight, we determine a new Universal Champion.
Tonight, we see if the WWE Champion's nearly year-long reign will continue.
Tonight, we determine the best in the world.
You are looking live at a sold-out King Saud University Stadium.
As we welcome you to WWE Crown Jewel.
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome WWE Hall of Famer
and the host of WWE Crown Jewel,
The Immortal Hulk Hogan!
[Hogan's theme song plays]
♪ When it comes crashing down And it hurts inside ♪
[Renee] Yes!
♪ You gotta take a stand It don't help to hide ♪
♪ If you hurt my friends Then you hurt my pride… ♪
[Cole] The WWE Hall of Famer,
the most recognized sports entertainer in the world…
Hulk Hogan is here.
[Renee] I can't help but have a childish grin on my face right now
to see Hulk Hogan making his way to the ring.
[Corey] This man is the inspiration for so many of us
in the sports entertainment industry.
♪ I feel strong about right and wrong… ♪
[Cole] A multi-time WWE Champion.
♪ I've got something deep inside of me… ♪
Hulk Hogan once held the WWE Championship for four years.
One thousand four hundred seventy-four days.
That is unthinkable.
♪ I am a real American ♪
♪ Fight for what's right Fight for your life… ♪
[Corey] Check out those pythons, Cole.
[Renee] He's still got it, you guys. He's got it.
♪ Fight for the rights of every man ♪
♪ I am a real American ♪
♪ Fight for what's right Fight for your life… ♪
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Hogan! Hogan! Hogan!
Well, let me tell you something, brother.
[crowd cheering]
You know something, maniacs?
It feels so good to be out here in front of the whole WWE Universe
and to be out here with all my stark, raving Hulkamaniacs, brother.
[crowd cheering]
But you know what even feels better?
Is after I climbed on that huge Jumbo 747 jet,
flew halfway across the world, and landed here,
I found out that the power of Hulkamania
and the power of my Hulkamaniacs was stronger than ever
right here at the Crown Jewel, Jack.
[crowd cheering]
It's great to see you guys.
It's awesome to be here back in the WWE.
It's unbelievable to be your host tonight.
And guess what, maniacs?
The show starts right now.
Whatcha gonna do when the power of Hulkamania
and the Crown Jewel run wild on you, brother?
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] The immortal one.
[Renee] Amazing.
What a way to start off Crown Jewel.
♪ I am a real American ♪
♪ Fight for what's right Fight for your life… ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ I feel strong about right and wrong ♪
♪ And I don't take trouble for very long ♪
♪ I've got something deep inside of me ♪
♪ Courage is the thing That keeps us free… ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ I am a real American ♪
♪ Fight for what's right Fight for your life ♪
♪ I am a real American ♪
♪ Fight for the rights… ♪
[Cole] We're just getting started.
What a night it's gonna be here at Crown Jewel.
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome His Excellency,
Turki Alalshikh.
[crowd cheering]
Hello again, everybody. We are sold out tonight
at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
The fans are still filing in, there's a massive crowd outside.
Hi, again, everybody. Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young.
-How excited are you tonight? -I am freaking out.
First of all, I can't believe the fireworks went off.
Hulkamania went wild in here.
We've got three championships on the line,
and we determined who is the best in the world.
-Pretty excited. -My goosebumps have goosebumps.
I can't believe The Immortal Hulk Hogan was right here in front of us.
The party is just getting started, and I brought some friends with us.
Let's take a minute to introduce our Arabic announce team.
[speaking in Arabic]
[Corey] Right now, we're going to start off the road
to determine who is the best in the world at the WWE World Cup.
Here is a look at the brackets.
Some interesting first-round matchups.
Rollins and Lashley, Angle and Ziggler on the RAW side.
And the SmackDown side of things,
it's The Miz and Jeff Hardy, and of course, Orton and Mysterio.
[Corey] This could really be anybody's tournament.
The coveted World Cup trophy
and the right to be determined the best in the world.
And this is what it's all about, the moniker, best in the world.
And you receive this beautiful trophy that is out here at ringside,
the World Cup.
We start right now.
[bell dings]
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen,
it's time to begin the first round of the WWE World Cup Tournament
to determine who is the best in the world.
[crowd cheering]
Introducing first, he is a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion,
a former WWE Champion, a former Royal Rumble Match winner,
and a WWE Triple Crown Champion.
Please welcome Rey Mysterio!
[crowd cheering]
♪ Booyaka, booyaka ♪
♪ 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka ♪
♪ That's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, Rey Mysterio ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619… ♪
[Corey] Rey Mysterio may be the smallest, most diminutive in stature
when it comes to competitors in this tournament,
but when it comes to heart, Rey Mysterio is absolutely unmatched.
[Cole] That is why Rey Mysterio is called
The Biggest Little Man in the history of WWE.
♪ Going 5150 speaking Spanglish… ♪
Rey Mysterio's name means mystery king.
But there is no mystery
about what Rey Mysterio has accomplished in his illustrious career.
The legendary Rey Mysterio talked to us earlier today
about what winning the World Cup
and being named the best in the world means to him.
Proving I'm the best in the world
is one of the biggest opportunities of my career.
So big, in fact, that this tournament is one of the reasons I came back to WWE.
Being smaller has never stopped me because size is not my essence.
And I don't just rise to the challenge, I take flight.
And at the WWE World Cup, I'm gonna land exactly where I belong.
On top…
as the best in the world.
Renee, one word can describe Rey Mysterio, that word is heart.
Absolutely. I mean, you talked about the ultimate underdog.
But since he's made his return here to WWE,
he just said this is what he came back for.
This is one of the main reasons he wanted to step back into the ring,
and tonight he's got a big foe in The Viper, Randy Orton.
[Cole] Rey Mysterio beat Shinsuke Nakamura,
the current United States Champion, to qualify for this tournament.
[Greg] And his opponent, he is a third-generation Superstar,
a 13-time World Champion,
a two-time Royal Rumble Match winner,
and a WWE Grand Slam Champion.
He is The Apex Predator,
Randy Orton!
♪ I hear voices in my head ♪
♪ They counsel me ♪
♪ They understand ♪
♪ They talk to me… ♪
[Corey] It's truly awe inspiring to hear the list of accolades being read off
for even these first two competitors in this tournament.
It truly goes to show how much this tournament means
to be determined the best in the world.
[Cole] Randy Orton defeated The World's Largest Athlete,
The Big Show, to qualify for this tournament tonight.
Perhaps the most dangerous competitor in the World Cup event.
[Renee] Without question, Randy Orton is so sadistic.
We also saw the way that he laid out all the other competitors
in this tournament from SmackDown LIVE this past week on SmackDown.
[Cole] Yeah, RKO's for Miz, Hardy, and Mysterio.
-[Renee] His message was loud and clear. -[Corey] Received.
Rey Mysterio experienced an RKO from out of mid-air.
You know Rey's gonna have to be cautious tonight
when it comes to dealing with The Apex Predator.
[Cole] The Viper looks at tonight as adding another accolade to his resume.
I've always been the best in the world.
Tonight…
I'm going to prove it.
Randy Orton, always the man of few words but very effective in the ring.
This is an interesting match
to start the first round between Orton and Rey Mysterio.
I wanna go back to 2006.
That was the year that Rey Mysterio won the Royal Rumble.
The year that Rey Mysterio started at number two and lasted 62 minutes,
which was then a Royal Rumble record.
He would go on to WrestleMania,
and on that night, he would face Randy Orton and Kurt Angle
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Mysterio, that night, would pin Randy Orton
to become World Heavyweight Champion.
Hence the rivalry renewed here tonight to determine the best in the world.
-[Corey] I can promise you… -[bell dings]
…that night left a very bitter taste in the mouth of The Viper.
And Orton is looking to avenge what he feels was a wrong.
[Cole] A 619 chants already beginning here tonight.
[Renee] The Viper does not look pleased with that.
[Corey] Yeah, but, Renee, Randy Orton, you know as well as I do,
has a great ability to tune out the WWE Universe.
To focus solely on his opponent and the task at hand.
[Cole] Ice in his veins, as many would say.
Collar-and-elbow tie-up to start this match.
You don't wanna try to outpower Orton if you're Rey Mysterio.
[Renee] I don't think he's a man whose skin you can get under either.
You can't get in the head of Randy Orton.
[Cole] Look at Orton with a knee to the midsection,
looking to overpower Mysterio here tonight.
Orton, a 13-time World Champion.
One of the all-time greats, as is Mysterio,
who's gonna target the legs and try to bring Orton down to size.
[Corey] Both of these Superstars celebrated veterans.
Look at the agility of Mysterio. This could come down to…
[Cole] A kick right to the jaw.
…which of these two Superstars makes the first mistake?
You could only have an opportunity for one.
-[all exclaiming] -[Cole] A dropkick by Randy Orton.
-Randy Orton with a big smile. -[Renee] Look at the smile!
[Corey] I'm not so sure Orton couldn't end this right now
if he covered Mysterio.
[Renee] That was exactly what Randy Orton wanted.
This could be it right here.
[Cole] Cover by Orton, hooks the leg, and Mysterio gets the shoulder up.
We gotta watch this again.
[Corey] I can watch this over and over.
The athleticism of Mysterio
countered by a picture-perfect dropkick right to the sternum from Randy Orton.
That totally changed the game.
[Renee] This is two of the best of the best,
and that was a perfect example.
[Corey] And Orton realizing the midsection has become compromised.
Gonna focus the attack on the rib cage of Mysterio.
[Cole] And Randy Orton now, uh, begins the assault.
Orton stomping away.
These are the physical and mental games that Randy Orton plays with his opponent.
There's a reason he's called The Apex Predator.
[Corey] Right now it's as if Randy Orton's toying with his prey.
[Renee] Like the kind of kid that would pick the wings off of flies.
[Corey] You mentioned the word sadistic earlier, Renee.
I don't know if there's a better term to describe Randy Orton,
especially as of late.
He's been absolutely ruthless.
[Renee] He's definitely in his own pocket, his own zone right now.
That could be really dangerous for Rey Mysterio tonight,
even though Rey really looks better than ever right now in his career.
[Cole] And Randy Orton…
now gonna play with the mask of Mysterio, perhaps trying to remove it.
Again, the psychological games by The Viper.
[Corey] That's exactly what it is. It's psychological warfare.
The mask of Rey Mysterio considered sacred in the lucha libre culture.
Orton knows how valued that mask is.
He will do anything to get inside the mind of Mysterio.
[Cole] Randy Orton has won two Royal Rumbles in his career.
He's a Money in the Bank contract winner.
Third-generation Superstar.
His father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, a Hall of Famer,
of course, part of the first ever WrestleMania.
[Corey] Speaking of "Cowboy" Bob,
Randy looking to pay a little homage with a superplex to Mysterio.
Rey able to fight out momentarily.
[Cole] Rey chopping Orton down.
And a headbutt now. And Randy Orton right to his ear.
Cause Orton's equilibrium to be off a bit.
[Corey] And just like that, with a flip of a switch, Mysterio…
-[Cole] Crossbody. -…picks up the pace.
Can he sustain?
[Cole] That is what Rey has to do in this match.
He has to quicken the pace. He has to keep Orton off his feet.
He has to strike quickly and move away from The Viper.
Mysterio, second rope, caught by Randy Orton.
Oh, and a nice DDT.
Great move by Mysterio to try to advance into the semifinals.
And a kick-out by Randy.
[Corey] Mysterio so adept at adjusting his weight mid-maneuver.
You saw Randy Orton did his best to counter.
But Rey just a step ahead.
That's what's led him to this almost legendary status.
[Renee] Almost legendary? I believe he's there.
[Corey] I stand corrected. I won't argue with you.
[Cole] Mysterio throughout his career
has had some of the all-time great rivalries
with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and JBL, and of course Randy Orton.
And there's a step-up enzuigiri by Mysterio.
And Orton's stunned, and he's now in position…
[Renee] Here we go.
…for Rey Mysterio with a 619.
Orton able to intercept.
[Corey] Wow, look at that swing, and Mysterio back…
[Cole] Vintage Randy Orton.
The DDT from the second rope.
[Corey] Rey might be out cold.
[Renee] It's a problem when you've got two Superstars
that have been able to stalk each other for the duration of their careers.
[Corey] Randy Orton so familiar with Rey Mysterio's maneuvers.
Able to counter this one with one of Randy's favorites,
spiking the luchador down.
And, Michael, you mentioned JBL a few moments ago.
I'm always reminded of what he said about Randy Orton.
If you were to build a sports entertainer from the ground up,
it would look like Randy Orton.
[Cole] Renee, you've had the opportunity
to interview Randy Orton a lot in your career.
One of the most remorseless men I've ever met.
[Renee] Looking into the eyes of Randy Orton
is like nothing else you've ever been a part of before.
It sends chills down your spine.
[Corey] It's not like Randy looks at you, it's like he stares through you.
[Renee] Right through you.
[Cole] Measuring Rey Mysterio, looking for the RKO.
Rey though, able to counter.
Look at this. Shoulders down, stacking up Orton here.
-And Rey Mysterio got him. -[bell dings]
Mysterio got him from out of nowhere.
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619… ♪
Rey Mysterio, and now an RKO.
Orton lost the match, and then he attacked.
Randy Orton, I believe, Corey, was embarrassed,
humiliated the way that he lost this match to Rey Mysterio
when he was going for the RKO.
[Corey] You're absolutely right.
An incensed Viper is a somehow even more dangerous Randy Orton.
[Cole] Rey Mysterio is hurt.
Randy Orton has made his mark.
[Renee] Randy decided if he's not the best in the world,
he's not gonna let Rey be that either.
[Corey] I don't know what's going on in the mind of Orton,
but I do not like it.
Just go, Randy. This is unnecessary. It's over.
[Cole] Randy Orton has absolutely no absence of malice,
and he again is gonna continue the assault on Mysterio.
And now Randy Orton gonna pursue Mysterio outside the ring.
Rey Mysterio is hurt.
Come on, Randy. Hasn't he done enough damage already?
[Corey] I don't know if he has any intention of stopping.
[Cole] You saw him look at the World Cup.
That's what Randy Orton came to win here tonight.
He was shocked and upset by Mysterio,
and now Randy Orton is gonna make Mysterio pay.
Somebody's got to stop this.
-Mysterio face-first on the announce desk. -[Corey] Oh, my God!
[Cole] Rey Mysterio still has at least one more match here tonight.
At least one more.
-[Corey] Someone get Orton under control. -[Renee] Get him out of here.
[Cole] Somebody get a doctor down here.
[Corey] Let's take another look at the closing moments.
Orton was looking for an RKO.
Mysterio with an absolutely mind-blowing pinning combination,
would pick up the victory and shock The Viper in the process.
[Cole] A major upset by Rey Mysterio.
And then Orton would strike with the RKO,
and then he would continue to assault and attack Rey Mysterio.
A very bitter Randy Orton embarrassed here tonight
after being upset by Rey Mysterio.
Randy came here to Crown Jewel thinking he would be named best in the world.
It didn't happen, and Rey Mysterio paid the price.
[Corey] What you couldn't see on the monitor just there
was Rey Mysterio's face actually broke
one of our podcast colleagues monitors clean in half.
[crowd cheering]
Took the entire thing right off.
This doesn't bode well for Rey later on.
[Greg] The winner of this match is Rey Mysterio.
[crowd cheering]
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619… ♪
[Cole] He doesn't look like the winner of the matchup.
And Rey Mysterio will not have much time to regroup.
[Renee] We'll see how much that heart comes into play in this second roundup
for Rey Mysterio.
He's gonna need it.
[Corey] He's gonna need more than heart, but Rey Mysterio,
if anybody has made a career
out of overcoming adversity in situations like this,
if anyone can do it, Rey Mysterio can.
[Cole] Corey, my question to you is,
if you're Rey Mysterio and this just happened to you
and you head back now to the locker room
and you may have a little bit of time to get ready for your semifinal match,
what do you do?
It's a tricky situation because a lot of competitors wanna stay warm,
stay loose, keep in motion.
You don't wanna sit down, let your muscles cool down
because it's gonna be harder to warm back up for the next matchup.
I don't know what Rey's gonna do.
As Rey Mysterio goes back to be attended to
by doctors and personnel,
we can tell you that our next first round matchup
is coming up from the SmackDown brand.
Byron Saxton is standing by with one of the competitors in the next matchup.
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619… ♪
Miz, we just saw Rey Mysterio suffer a vicious beatdown
at the hands of Randy Orton.
How are you feeling now heading into your first round match against Jeff Hardy?
How am I feeling?
You really wanna know
how the most must-see WWE Superstar of all time is feeling?
Well… I'm feeling like there is no stopping me
from proving that I am the best in the world.
[crowd booing]
How could I not?
I'm gonna walk through Jeff Hardy in the first round.
And then I have a broken-down Rey Mysterio to step over on my way to the finals.
So to answer your original question, how am I feeling?
With the way this tournament is lining up, I feel…
awesome!
-Well, ladies and gentlemen… -[bell dings]
[Greg] The following is the next first round match
in the WWE World Cup Tournament.
Introducing first, he is a former WWE Champion,
a former World Heavyweight Champion,
a seven-time WWE Tag Team Champion,
and a WWE Grand Slam Champion.
He is The Charismatic Enigma, Jeff Hardy!
[Jeff's theme music plays]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] The colorful, unorthodox Jeff Hardy…
would love to be named best in the world.
We had an opportunity a little bit earlier today
to catch up with Jeff Hardy and ask him what it means to compete in the World Cup.
The WWE World Cup is not about want, it's about need.
I need to win.
Over the years, I've been conquered by demons poisoning my mind,
inhabiting my soul.
Tonight I prove once and for all
that my demons have met their day of reckoning.
The battle begins with The Miz.
And I will not retreat until all demons have been vanquished.
So I can move on to be called the best in the world.
[laughs]
You know, Corey, one of the demons who was vanquished was Samoa Joe,
who Jeff Hardy beat to qualify for this tournament.
It's been a long, arduous road here to Crown Jewel for Jeff Hardy,
who looks to become the best in the world.
-But there's some stiff competition… -[Greg] And his opponent…
-…some awesome competition. -…he is a former WWE Champion,
a former United States Champion, eight-time Intercontinental Champion,
six-time WWE Tag Team Champion,
and WWE Grand Slam Champion.
The A-Lister, The Miz!
[woman] Quiet on the set. Can we please have quiet on the set?
[Miz] Awesome!
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ I came to play, there's a price to pay ♪
♪ Time for you to get down on your knees And pray ♪
♪ I came to play Say goodbye to the good old days… ♪
[Cole] Renee, I know you had the opportunity
to talk to The Miz this week about being involved in this tournament.
Have you ever seen him as confident as he is right now?
[Renee] Yeah, I actually have,
'cause Miz is confident every single day of his life.
He said, "Not only am I the best husband, father, and reality star in the world,
I'm the best WWE Superstar in the world."
And at Crown Jewel, I will have that trophy to prove it.
[Corey] Renee, I wanna congratulate you and thank you for the time you spent
at that press junket just to get a word with the A-List Superstar.
But I hate to nitpick, far be it from me,
but I think the ring announcer forgot a few accolades.
We're talking about a guy who is married to the gorgeous Maryse.
We're talking about a guy who is the father to Monroe Sky,
possibly the most intelligent toddler known to mankind.
[Renee] How do you know that?
[Corey] Did you have a conversation with Monroe Sky? I did.
I was at Evolution, okay? So I wanna hear about it.
[Renee] I'm gonna talk to Maryse about that.
[Corey] Trust me, she'll tell you I'm right.
[Cole] So, the thing about this matchup…
Corey, it's the contrasting styles between The Miz and Jeff Hardy.
[Corey] Certainly a contrast of styles.
Jeff Hardy looking to be a thrill-seeker as usual, a daredevil.
High risk, high reward.
The Miz, on the other hand, will simply do whatever it takes to win.
[Renee] I think the thing here with Miz,
he keeps talking about this lack of respect
he feels that he has from his peers, from the WWE Universe.
Because he's been a big reality star,
he thinks that it's a thing that goes against him.
So to go up against somebody like Jeff Hardy,
who has so much respect from the WWE Universe,
you know that gets to Miz.
[Cole] Well, The Miz qualified for this tournament
-by beating Rusev. -[bell dings]
The winner of this match will go on to face Rey Mysterio later on tonight
in the semifinals.
So here we go, Miz and Jeff Hardy squaring off, center of the ring.
Side headlock for Miz to start this match.
Corey, key to the match for The Miz.
[Corey] Miz needs to be careful and wait for Hardy to make a mistake.
The minute Jeff Hardy goes for something high-risk,
The Miz needs to get out of the way and steal a pin.
And for Jeff Hardy, take to the sky, pick up the pace.
[Renee] Keep your head on a swivel when you're in the ring against The Miz.
This guy's always got something up his sleeve.
[Corey] Listening to The Miz's interview with Byron Saxton before the match,
I have a hard time betting against The Miz right now.
Sure, he has to outlast Jeff Hardy.
It's not gonna be a walk-through exactly like Miz said.
But we saw the condition that Rey Mysterio's in.
That, ooh, that could be a walk-through.
[Cole] One thing we've noticed about Jeff Hardy,
he's not the same man ever since his Hell in a Cell Match with Randy Orton
back in September.
He's changed. He's different.
Miz dropped back into the corner by Jeff Hardy.
[Corey] I agree with you. He's different.
I'm waiting to see if different means better.
I think Jeff Hardy left a little piece of his soul inside Hell in a Cell
-and wants to get it. -[Cole] Look at this, shoulders down.
Almost had him! Kick-out by The Miz at two.
[Corey] Looking for the Best in the World title
to make himself complete once again.
[Cole] A few moments ago,
it was The Miz trying to go for his finishing maneuver,
the Skull-Crushing Finale,
but it was countered by Jeff Hardy.
-Hardy now. Face-first to The Miz. -[Corey] Not in the moneymaker.
[Renee] He can handle it. Make it more rugged. He needs it.
[Cole] Not gonna help the publicity photos.
[Renee] Miz knows how to get a good filter on his selfie camera.
[Cole] And now Jeff Hardy.
Oh, and Miz with a big kick.
[Corey] Renee, Miz doesn't take selfies. He has people for that.
Fair enough. Get that good ring light.
[Cole] You were forcing Corey and I to take selfies at ringside
-before the event. -[Renee] So were you.
Actually cut us out of them.
[Cole] Miz with a knee right to the spine.
And now punishing Jeff Hardy.
And Miz in control.
This is what Miz has to do. Grind Hardy down.
[Corey] Miz, never afraid to take a shortcut.
And I mean that in a good way.
Notice how he took an extra second before the referee would disqualify him
just to inflict a little bit extra damage.
Prying at the nose of Jeff Hardy.
[Renee] You can't knock a victory for a victory.
If he gets in there and gets it done quick, good for him.
But when he wants to earn the respect of people,
a clean win might be nice.
[Cole] And that right there. Classic Miz.
Into the cover. Can he advance to the semifinals?
Almost had him. Near-fall.
You know what? The Miz says with LeBron James gone to L.A.,
and the Cavs and Browns firing their coaches,
he's the most popular man in Cleveland right now.
[Corey] That's an inarguable fact.
[Cole] I'm sure there'd be a lot of people that would argue with you about that.
[Renee] What about Dolph Ziggler?
He's also in this tournament. Could win the whole thing.
[Corey] Not that, we love it in Cleveland.
[Cole] And now, uh, Miz driving Hardy into the corner.
[Corey] I have it on good authority. Baker Mayfield's actually a big Miz fan.
-[Cole] Really? -That's right.
[Cole] And here Miz now. Oh!
And the dropkick right to the midsection of Hardy.
And Miz again building momentum into the corner a second time.
Hardy's in trouble.
[Renee] This entire first part of the match has been all Miz.
[Cole] Yeah, the pace Miz wanted.
Oh!
Now it's Hardy exploding out of the corner with a clothesline.
[Corey] There's absolutely no quit inside of Jeff Hardy.
He will fight until his body simply won't go anymore.
[Renee] We heard what he just said. "It's not about want, it's about need."
[Cole] And Hardy looking to rally.
Has Miz on his heels. Blocked by Hardy.
And Jeff unloading with the right hands.
Jeff, a multi-time World Champion.
Oh! Seven-time Tag Team Champion.
[Corey] Hardy's picking up the pace. This is what he wanted to do.
[Cole] Inverted atomic drop. And Jeff Hardy now.
Goes to the lower abdomen.
Dropkick to the face.
Cover to advance in the tournament.
And a kick-out by Miz. Another near-fall for Jeff Hardy.
[Corey] Jeff Hardy's been able to use his unique style relatively successfully,
at least in these last few moments.
Can Jeff keep the pace up?
[Renee] Need to take things extreme here.
[crowd chanting] Hardy! Hardy!
[Cole] And the Hardy chants.
[Corey] WWE Universe rallying behind The Charismatic Enigma.
Looking for a Twist of Fate.
[Cole] And Miz able to escape.
Elbow caught Miz in the jaw.
Jeff Hardy, little Whisper in the Wind that takes Miz out.
Cover for the victory to advance to the semifinals!
Oh, two and a half. Thought he had him.
[Corey] Hardy needs to figure out
how to keep his foot on the gas pedal right now.
He's got The Miz a little worse for wear.
And a very wise decision by Miz.
Rolling to the outside as we take another look at the Whisper in the Wind.
Incredible athleticism.
Watch the feet of Hardy connect right on the side of Miz's face.
[Cole] And Miz now hanging Jeff Hardy up on the top rope.
[Corey] This is so cagey.
Knows his way around the ring and every shortcut in between.
[Cole] Yeah, you heard The Miz's accolades before.
Right to the hamstring.
Decade here in WWE.
Miz going for the Figure-Four Leglock.
Jeff Hardy's gonna roll him up, though.
Captures the leg!
Thought he had him, and again, a near-fall.
[Corey] Way too close for comfort.
[Cole] And now Hardy sends Miz outside the ring.
-And this is where he's comfortable. -[Renee] Here we go.
[Corey] Uh-oh, dropkick launches Miz.
What's Hardy thinking about here?
[Renee] Oh, I like what he's thinking.
[Corey] Walk the tightrope.
[Cole] Using the barricade to his advantage!
And down goes Miz.
Jeff Hardy pulling out all the stops in this first-round match.
[Corey] The only problem with sustaining
the high-risk, daredevil style of Jeff Hardy
is that almost everything he delivers impacts himself as well.
You can see Jeff got up a little slow after delivering the damage to Miz.
[Cole] But Miz is in the drop zone now.
[Renee] Definitely tough to keep up through an entire tournament
should he advance.
[Cole] Hardy, top rope. Miz wisely rolled out of the way.
Hardy was setting up for the Swanton Bomb.
Oh, and now Jeff Hardy, suckered in by Miz, rolls him up.
Shoulders down.
Miz gonna use the ropes to his advantage, and the official caught him.
Hey, hey, hey. No, no, no.
-No, Miz, you didn't win. -[Renee] Don't celebrate.
[Cole] Now Jeff Hardy from behind. Looking to steal one here from The Miz.
And a kick-out at two.
Went for the Twist of Fate. Skull-Crushing Finale.
-Miz into the cover. -[Corey] Nailed it.
[Cole] Hooks the leg.
-Miz advances to the semifinals. -[bell dings]
♪ I came to play… ♪
[Greg] Here is your winner, The Miz.
[Cole] He didn't walk through Jeff Hardy like he said he would,
but The Miz is gonna face Mysterio in the next round.
[Corey] Trust me, Miz realizes he was just in a fight.
That said, the weakened Rey Mysterio that awaits
can't put up much of a match for an A-Lister.
[Cole] Miz celebrating as we show you what happened at the end of the match.
[Corey] Jeff Hardy looking for the Twist of Fate.
Miz had it all too well scouted.
And drove Hardy face-first in the center of the ring.
Chalked up a ticket to the next round for The Miz.
[Cole] Hey, Renee, I just thought of something that makes me nauseous.
Can you imagine if Miz wins the Best in the World?
-No. -You won't be able to live with him.
[Renee] I couldn't stand it.
[Cole] Here's a look at the updated bracket
for the World Cup Best in the World Tournament.
We now know the semifinals for the SmackDown side of things.
It'll be Miz versus Rey Mysterio.
Still to come,
the two first round matchups from Monday Night RAW.
Could The Miz be on his way to being named the best in the world?
Tonight at Crown Jewel, we are determining who is best in the world,
part of the WWE World Cup Tournament.
[Corey] Is it too soon to make my declaration?
-[bell dings] -[Renee] Do it.
[Greg] The following is the next first-round match
-in the WWE World Cup Tournament. -[Corey] Not yet.
[Greg] Introducing first, he is a former World Heavyweight Champion,
he is a WWE Grand Slam Champion,
and current RAW Tag Team Champion, and Intercontinental Champion.
Please welcome The Architect, Seth Rollins!
[Seth's theme song plays]
♪ Burn it down ♪
[Corey] Here comes The Kingslayer!
He is the current Intercontinental Champion.
And…
I believe the current Tag Team Champion.
[Corey] He is technically still one half of the RAW Tag Team Champions.
You're absolutely right, Michael Cole.
[Cole] Well, Seth Rollins qualified for the World Cup on Monday Night RAW
by beating Drew McIntyre.
But a lot has happened to Seth Rollins since then.
When I qualified for the WWE World Cup, I was on top of the world.
The Shield was on top of the world.
Now… everything has changed.
Everything is different.
The one thing that I know, the one thing that I can make sense of,
is that I've gotta go back to being me.
I can go back to doing what I do best,
and that's clawing, scratching, fighting, competing.
Tonight at Crown Jewel,
I will prove that I am the best in the world,
and I will burn it down.
Renee, do you have any idea what's going on
with the RAW Tag Team Titles
because of the issue with Rollins and Dean Ambrose?
[Renee] I wish I could provide some kind of insight,
but tonight is not about that.
Tonight, it is all about determining who is the best in the world.
[Corey] I wish I could agree with you,
but this isn't just a friend that fell out that you got in an argument with.
[Greg] And his opponent, he is a former ECW Champion,
a former United States Champion,
a four-time collegiate All-American, and accompanied by his hype man, Lio Rush.
Please welcome Bobby Lashley!
[Corey] If Hamilton hadn't spent all day remembering all these facts,
I would have interrupted him.
Well done, Ham.
Anyway, Seth Rollins was stabbed in the back
by his best friend in the world.
As much as I love and respect what Seth does in the ring,
his mind is not right.
Especially not right enough
to topple the mountain of a man known as Bobby Lashley.
[Renee] Can you imagine having Lio Rush buzzing around your head
with all that emotional turmoil that Seth Rollins is in right now?
[Cole] Renee, you lost your bet.
[Corey] Look at the physique of Bobby Lashley.
[Cole] Lio Rush is wearing a shirt.
[Renee] He's kind of a best. The best shirt. Half count.
Take a good look at the big man.
There is nobody on this planet that can match this man's strength.
That can match this man's looks.
And let's just be honest…
none of you people will ever look this good.
And that's why you don't like him.
Because you're jealous.
You're jealous just like every single last WWE Superstar.
But that's okay.
Because by the end of this night, by the end of this tournament,
you people will have no choice but to talk about the big man,
my man, and the best in the world, Bobby Lashley.
[Cole] Remember, Lashley did not qualify for this tournament.
John Cena was supposed to be in this spot,
but Acting General Manager Baron Corbin from Monday Night RAW
liked the fact that Bobby Lashley beat up Finn Bálor
after losing to Bálor the last two weeks and gave him this opportunity.
[Corey] Need I remind you not to sass the Acting General Manager Baron Corbin?
There could be repercussions for you.
[Renee] Are you telling me you agree with this?
[Corey] I have no reason to doubt Baron Corbin and his decision-making.
-[bell dings] -[Cole] So it's Rollins, Lashley.
First round from the Monday Night RAW side of things in Crown Jewel.
And there's the power of Lashley.
You're looking at a man who was a four-time All-American in college.
He won three amateur wrestling championships
at Missouri Valley College in the NAIA.
He's a two-time Armed Forces Champion,
a gold medalist in the International Military Sports Council.
Lashley has done it all.
[Renee] I keep hearing from so many of the men in the locker room
that he is the baddest dude around WWE right now.
[Cole] Step-up enzuigiri by Rollins drives Lashley outside the ring.
There's the quickness of Lashley.
Just like that.
-Plants Seth Rollins. -[Corey] Goodness!
[Cole] Cover to advance to the semifinals.
-And a kick-out by Rollins. -[Renee] What did we just see?
-That was crazy. -[Corey] Seth Rollins is well aware.
He needs to pick up the pace as much as possible.
That said, for a man his size,
Bobby Lashley is incredibly fast
and just about drilled Rollins through the ring.
[Cole] Rollins was shaken up, and this is why.
Watch this impact by Lashley!
Listen, Rollins has got a lot on his mind.
I'm not trying to make excuses for the man,
but he has the issues with Dean Ambrose.
Cover again. A kick-out. In two weeks from Sunday,
if he's still the Intercontinental Champion,
he will defend that title against Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series.
In fact, it's not a title defense, but it's champion versus champion,
but you get the drift.
There's a lot on Seth Rollins' mind here
as he tries to battle through this tournament.
[Renee] If there's been anybody to step up to the plate
to prove that they are the best in the world,
I feel like this tournament is actually carved out for somebody like Seth Rollins.
[Corey] I think Bobby Lashley would disagree with you.
Imagine the amount of pressure every time Lashley locks in a submission.
Every strike he delivers.
Everything Bobby Lashley does can break you.
[Cole] Again, Rollins bounced off the top turnbuckle.
Great strategy by Lashley after the whiplash that Rollins suffered
on that massive slam moments ago by Bobby.
[Corey] I'm not entirely convinced
that Rollins has regained his bearings to this point.
Bobby Lashley not giving him any chance to do so.
Just cut Rollins in half.
[Cole] There's the neckbreaker by Lashley.
And I'll tell you something as Lashley goes into the cover.
Here's the cover. And a kick-out.
We've watched Lashley week in and week out on Monday Night RAW.
I don't think he's looked better than he does right now here tonight.
[Renee] Absolutely, no doubt. Coming into this,
we talked about the position of Baron Corbin
throwing him into this tournament, but he can walk away with this.
[Corey] There's that unbelievable pressure applied once again.
And as much as it pains me to do so, I gotta give a little credit to Lio Rush,
the hype man on the outside.
Since he's gotten in the ear of Bobby Lashley,
Lashley's completely changed his demeanor.
[Cole] I'll tell you, I believe that Lashley has been so embarrassed
and humiliated over the fact that he's lost to Finn Bálor
a couple of weeks in a row,
that he came out here tonight, believed that he had to prove something,
that he had to win this tournament.
Look at what he's doing to Rollins. Full nelson.
[Corey] Ragdolling The Kingslayer right now.
Seth's able to pry the fingers apart momentarily.
[Renee] It's do or die, and it comes down to pure athleticism.
[Cole] Oh! Face-first, the inverted DDT.
[Renee] Nobody can be more dangerous than Bobby Lashley.
Lashley! That's what I'm talking about.
-[Cole] There's the hype man. -[Corey] It's not the athleticism anymore.
Bobby's always possessed the physical tools.
Now it's the confidence.
Now it's the added aggression.
This could be the most dangerous Bobby Lashley we have ever seen.
[Cole] And now, power on full display by the former U.S. Army veteran,
Bobby Lashley, with a vertical suplex to Seth Rollins.
And Rollins, though, able to fight out of it.
Now Rollins hoping to build a little bit of momentum
as he sends Lashley over the top rope.
And this is where Rollins loves to operate.
[Corey] Bobby can't get overconfident.
Rollins will make you pay for any error.
[Renee] Rollins better make this quick.
[Cole] Suicide dive drives Lashley into the barricade.
[Corey] Lashley still on his feet, however.
Rollins looking to change it.
[Cole] A second time! And now Lashley's down.
[Corey] You hear that sickening thud when Lashley crashed down.
[Cole] Did you notice? Look at Rollins,
he once again grabbed the back of his neck.
Still feeling the impact from the assault earlier on in this match.
[Corey] You can't discount the fact
that Seth Rollins has a history of neck injuries.
[Cole] Watch Seth. Look how he landed right in the barricade.
The back of his neck smacking the barricade.
[Corey] Seth Rollins' neck has been surgically repaired in the past.
He's got a sizable scar down the back.
You never wanna aggravate a serious injury like that.
[Cole] Now Seth, top rope,
and Bobby Lashley quickly back on the attack.
Lashley just looks real comfortable tonight, very confident.
[Renee] Hands down, this is easily the best we've seen Bobby Lashley look.
-This is incredible. -[Cole] I agree.
And Lashley looking to put Rollins away.
[Corey] Little jabs to the rib cage.
Seth trying to create a little separation.
[Cole] It's nighttime here in Crown Jewel, and Lio Rush has sunglasses on.
Here we go, sunset flip.
Looking for the powerbomb on Lashley, but Lashley able to counter.
But only for a moment.
[crowd cheering]
-[Corey] Look at this. Wow. -[Cole] Lashley landed on his feet.
Oh, and right to the spine.
[Corey] Agility of his own showing off here.
And watch this massive gut wrench.
[Cole] And how powerful is Lashley?
[Corey] Rollins makes it through his battle. Ask Seth.
[Cole] Nice leapfrog by Seth Rollins.
Gonna roll up Lashley from behind. And Seth…
-Stomp! -[Renee] Oh!
[Cole] The Stomp by Rollins! Is it enough to put Lashley away?
Here's the cover by the Intercontinental Champion!
He got it!
-[bell dings] -[Corey] Wow.
[Seth's theme song plays]
[Greg] Here is your winner,
RAW Tag Team Champion and Intercontinental Champion,
Seth Rollins!
[Cole] Lashley dominated that match.
[Corey] You're absolutely right, but I have to say,
my doubt that I had for Seth Rollins and his ability to focus tonight
was just washed right out the window.
Seth Rollins is here to determine himself the best in the world.
Somewhere along the lines,
Dean Ambrose is taking notes as to what he's witnessing tonight.
[Cole] He better be, because Seth Rollins, from out of nowhere, delivers the Stomp.
[Corey] So quickly.
To have a weapon like the Stomp at his disposal.
Lashley made one critical mistake, and The Architect made him pay.
[Cole] What frightens me about this
is the fact that Lashley controlled this match,
dominated this match.
What does that mean for the rest of the RAW Superstars
with Lashley and the mood that he's been in
after what's happened to him over the past few weeks?
We can worry about that tomorrow night or this week on Monday Night RAW.
Seth Rollins just showed all he needs is this much of an opening
and he can capitalize and move on.
Seth Rollins, you picked to win the whole thing,
is well on his way.
Just now. You guys were kind of on board with that too, but I mean,
that win, Seth got by by the skin of his teeth,
but he got it done.
Monday Night RAW with one more first-round matchup.
Byron Saxton standing by with one of the competitors.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome Olympic gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle.
[crowd cheering]
Kurt, at one point in your career,
you were undoubtedly the best in the world.
And now you have a chance to prove it all over again.
Well, I could tell you this,
the butterflies are back, and it feels good.
Most people have doubted me
that I could win this tournament at this stage of my career.
But most people doubted me
that I could win an Olympic gold medal with a broken freaking neck.
And I did.
I'm not here to add an exclamation point to the end of my Hall of Fame career.
I'm here to write the next chapter.
And I'm gonna prove to everyone, including Dolph Ziggler,
that I am still the best in the world.
Oh, it's true.
It's damn true.
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following is the final match in the first round
of the WWE World Cup Tournament.
Introducing first, he is a three-time All-American collegiate wrestler,
a two-time collegiate national champion, a former four-time WWE Champion,
a WWE Grand Slam Champion,
and a 1996 Olympic gold medalist.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome WWE Hall of Famer,
Kurt Angle!
[Angle's theme music plays]
♪ You suck ♪
♪ You suck… ♪
[Corey] In any language.
[Renee] I love it. I was just taking it all in all around us.
Everybody loves Kurt Angle.
[Corey] All we hear at WWE is that menace is the ultimate sign of respect
for a Hall of Famer.
[Cole] I remember when Kurt Angle burst on the scene at WWE in 1998
at Survivor Series,
I've never seen anyone take the sports entertainment
like Kurt Angle did.
And he has become a Hall of Famer with tremendous accolades.
But he would love to add, Renee, best in the world to that resume.
Certainly. I actually caught Kurt Angle in the lobby of our hotel last night
and talked about the magnitude of what tonight means.
And this means more to him at this point in his career
than any of the other accolades he's already achieved.
He's got one of them around his neck right now.
[Cole] Kurt Angle, of course, winning that gold medal at the 1996 Olympics.
And his opponent, he is a three-time collegiate wrestling champion,
a former six-time Intercontinental Champion,
a WWE Triple Crown Champion,
accompanied to the ring by Drew McIntyre.
Please welcome Dolph Ziggler!
[Dolph's theme song plays]
♪ I'm here to show the world ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ Bring it on… ♪
[Corey] Dolph Ziggler has been looking forward to this match
and has admitted that Kurt Angle is one of the biggest influences
in his entire career.
[Cole] Renee, I know you had the opportunity to speak with Dolph.
Yeah, we just talked about how much he enjoyed watching Kurt Angle
before he even joined WWE.
Now, it's two men with these incredible wrestling backgrounds.
We get to see them go toe-to-toe tonight for the first time.
[Cole] Ziggler accompanied by Drew McIntyre.
Dolph Ziggler says he's confident, as always, for tonight.
No one knows what it feels like to be so great, yet so underappreciated,
except me.
And no one knows what it feels like to be taken advantage of
because of your incredible talent, except me.
And no one knows what it feels like to be the best in the world…
except me.
Now, when I win the WWE World Cup,
I'll be vindicated in everything I've been saying since day one.
Everybody else is fighting for second place.
And that cup, it comes home with the true best in the world.
[Cole] What concerns me about this match, if I'm a Kurt Angle fan, is Drew McIntyre.
We've seen what McIntyre has done for Dolph Ziggler's career.
When Dolph was Intercontinental Champion, saved the title on a number of occasions.
[Corey] McIntyre has certainly proven to be an X factor for Dolph Ziggler.
But I think Dolph Ziggler is such a proud competitor.
He would love to come out here without any caveats
and defeat his hero, Kurt Angle.
That's what a Showoff is all about.
[Renee] Yeah, as much as Dolph Ziggler likes to come out
and talk about all of his own accolades,
for him to get a victory tonight over Kurt Angle,
straight up, would mean the world to him.
[Cole] Kurt Angle, considered one of the greatest collegiate wrestlers ever.
He's in the International Sports Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame.
Dolph Ziggler, at one point in his career,
held the all-time wins record at Kent State University.
One hundred twenty-one victories as an amateur wrestler there.
A three-time Conference champion.
And Kurt Angle now, nice takedown of Dolph Ziggler to the front facelock.
[Corey] No surprise here, early moments,
these two amateur wrestling background Superstars
feeling one another out,
trying to wait for the right opportunity to pounce.
[Cole] And Dolph looking to control Kurt Angle here.
[Renee] We all know Dolph Ziggler already believes
that he's the best in the world,
but if he's able to walk away from Crown Jewel with that amazing trophy,
take that home with him, can shut down all of his haters.
[Corey] You're right, it's one thing to say it,
it's another thing entirely to have the hardware to prove it.
Ziggler feeling confident as usual.
[Cole] And Kurt Angle, though, a belly-to-belly suplex by Kurt Angle.
And that right there is classic Kurt Angle.
[Corey] Angle now stalking Dolph Ziggler.
[Cole] Looking for a German suplex!
With a release by Kurt.
And now Kurt is in his zone.
And a second German suplex to Ziggler.
[Corey] Big time release. Dolph could be in trouble right now.
[Renee] For somebody like Kurt Angle
who doesn't get these opportunities to step in the ring like this,
look at this incredible muscle memory.
What is it that makes him feel step in and not have any ring rust cramps?
[Corey] Being an elite athlete is all about Kurt Angle lives
and stays ready.
It's not something he has to get in shape for.
There you see an attempt at a little gathering
between McIntyre and Ziggler.
Oh, no.
[Cole] Look at Kurt, is he gonna look for the German off the apron?
[screams]
[Corey] Ziggler hanging on with everything he's got left.
The full weight of Angle.
This is impressive upper-body strength from Dolph.
[Cole] Oh, and Angle knocked off the apron,
and he hit hard.
Dolph Ziggler lucky
that Angle was not able to German suplex him off the apron.
[Corey] That certainly would have been game over for The Showoff.
[Cole] Shoulder-first into the steel steps.
Great strategy by Dolph, though.
Angle hit hard on the shoulder when he came off the apron.
And now Ziggler continues the attack.
[Corey] Now Dolph Ziggler taking his time, getting Angle back into the ring.
Dolph Ziggler obviously has become a little more verbose,
a little more confident than he was before
since the arrival of Drew McIntyre onto the scene.
[Renee] He's always said he loves to talk trash,
now he's got some backup.
[Cole] You heard that as Angle went shoulder-first into the steel steps.
And now Dolph Ziggler continues the attack on Kurt Angle.
[Corey] To my previous point, Renee, Kurt Angle always staying…
[Cole] Cover. Inside the leg hook. And a kick-out at two.
…always staying in shape,
it's completely different than staying in ring shape.
Dolph Ziggler is a WWE Superstar, 365 days a year.
It has been quite some time since Kurt Angle's competed,
especially at this level.
[Cole] I believe WrestleMania was the last time.
As Dolph Ziggler now with a sleeper hold locked in on Kurt Angle.
[Renee] You talk about going from a tag team match versus The Showoff,
and Dolph Ziggler, we've already listed out all of his accolades,
and like you said, Graves, he's always ready to go.
[Cole] And Drew looks on, and Kurt Angle could be fading.
[Corey] It's a great strategy. The body scissors applied by Ziggler.
Just all of his weight grinding down on Kurt Angle.
[Cole] Kurt, trying to fight out of this.
Needs to try to make it to the rope to force a break.
Dolph Ziggler will not let Angle up to breathe.
Angle tries to make it back to his feet, back to a vertical base.
Creates some sort of separation here.
Kurt misses with a clothesline, and now Dolph with a sleeper.
The conventional style,
as he's got Angle in the center of the ring.
[Corey] Not only does it become hard to breathe,
not only does it cut off the blood to your brain,
it wears you down.
Dolph Ziggler forcing Angle to support all of his body weight right now.
[Cole] Yeah, Kurt's in big, big trouble.
Gasping for air.
[Renee] You can see the color of his face changing.
[Cole] Maybe the only chance Kurt has, to drop Dolph into the corner.
And now slings Ziggler away.
[Renee] Get some fresh air into those lungs.
[Cole] Oh, a kick right to the face as Kurt looks to rally.
Winner of this match faces Seth Rollins in the semifinals.
Another German suplex. This time, does not release.
Keeps the hands locked around the waist of Ziggler.
A second German suplex.
[Corey] This is vintage Kurt Angle right here.
[Cole] And Angle with a third.
Is it enough to put Dolph away?
Cover by Angle.
Near-fall again.
[Corey] Three German suplexes in succession.
I assure you, Dolph Ziggler's brains are scrambled right now.
His back has gotta be writhing in pain.
Here we go. Angle Slam coming.
[Cole] Able to block with Ziggler.
[Renee] What an unbelievable night it will be for Kurt Angle
to be able to walk away as the best in the world.
-[Corey] Or not. -[Cole] May not happen off that DDT.
Ziggler!
And a kick-out by Kurt at two.
[Corey] Kurt Angle, with a long, storied history of neck injuries.
Being spiked like that by Dolph Ziggler certainly can't help Angle's cause.
Let's take another look at the athleticism of The Showoff.
Just planting the Hall of Famer.
[Cole] Dolph now, to the knee of Kurt.
Went for the Famouser. Kurt able to duck underneath.
-[Corey] There it is! -[Cole] Angle Slam!
Kurt Angle to advance to the semifinals.
Oh, and a kick-out at two.
You saw a nervous McIntyre climbing up on the apron.
[Renee] Served as a bit of a distraction, I believe, too.
[Cole] But Dolph able to kick-out.
Angle thought he had him.
That's it, son of a bitch.
-[Corey] Here we go. -[Cole] Straps are down.
[Renee] You still got it.
[Corey] Here's the Kurt Angle of old.
[Cole] And looking, perhaps, for the ankle lock.
[Corey] Ziggler trying to kick Angle off. Succeed for the moment.
[Cole] Famouser by Ziggler.
Into the cover to advance to the semifinals.
Is it enough right now?
Almost had him, and a near-fall.
Angle stays in it.
[Corey] Kurt Angle is fighting valiantly.
But for most of this matchup,
Dolph Ziggler has just been half a step ahead.
[Renee] The longer this match goes,
the more it's just gonna continue to favor Dolph Ziggler.
[Corey] I gotta agree with you. Angle's in fantastic shape,
but Dolph Ziggler is at the pinnacle of his career right now.
[Cole] Dolph was going for the Zig Zag. Kurt Angle was able to shake him off.
Up over the top. Kurt rolls through.
-[Corey] Uh-oh. -[Cole] The ankle pick.
[Corey] Can he turn Dolph over?
[Cole] Looking for the Ankle Lock.
Ziggler's in trouble. Middle of the ring.
[screams]
You hear Ziggler screaming in agony.
Is he gonna tap to the Ankle Lock?
-[Corey] There's nowhere for Dolph to go. -[Renee] Almost there.
[Cole] Fingertip away,
but he's pulled back to the center of the ring.
Dolph's gonna have to tap out.
Gonna somehow try to reverse the pressure.
Roll onto his back somehow.
[Corey] Dolph's gotta be careful not to snap his own ankle.
[Renee] Oh!
[Cole] And Kurt right back again.
Relentless attack by Angle.
[Corey] I think Kurt's having fun right now.
-[Cole] Yeah, but Dolph with a… -[Corey] He was.
[Cole] But the damage has been done. Dolph can barely stand.
Posted him!
Shoulder-first into the post.
[Renee] Dolph has to think of something quick.
-[Cole] Zig Zag! -[Corey] That's gotta be it.
[Cole] On cue, here's the cover.
Is it enough for Dolph Ziggler?
-It is! Dolph advances. -[bell dings]
♪ I'm here to show the world… ♪
[Greg] Here is your winner, Dolph Ziggler!
[Corey] What a battle.
What an effort put up by Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.
But the question has to be asked,
what sort of condition is Dolph Ziggler's ankle gonna be in
for the next round?
[Cole] Well, Seth Rollins, we know, isn't 100% either.
They will meet in the semifinals.
[Corey] It looked as though Angle had this one in the bag.
The entire stadium erupted when the Angle Slam connected.
But Dolph, with a little bit too much left in the tank,
and an overzealous Kurt Angle,
would cost himself in the form of a Zig Zag,
allowing Dolph Ziggler to move on
and become one step closer to being determined the best in the world.
[Renee] Dolph's definitely gotta be thinking
about what his ankle's feeling like, what his knee's feeling like.
He could be in trouble for the second round.
[Corey] Congratulations, Dolph Ziggler.
[Cole] As we mentioned before, Rollins not 100% either,
as we take a look at the brackets heading into the semifinals.
From the RAW side of things,
it is going to be the Intercontinental Champion, Set Rollins,
and Dolph Ziggler renewing what was an incredible rivalry over the summer.
And then The Miz and Rey Mysterio.
Miz looking for some revenge after a match they had on SmackDown
a couple of weeks ago.
The semifinals are set for the World Cup to determine the best in the world
here at WWE Crown Jewel.
I think the time has come for me to finally make my pick.
I gotta go with the one Superstar remaining
who has no physical battle damage, or at least the least.
I'm talking about The A-Lister. Miz goes home as the best in the world.
It's not just about the World Cup tonight.
There is plenty more to come,
including who is going to win the vacant Universal Championship.
[Corey] After Roman Reigns was forced to vacate the title due to illness,
it has been determined that either The Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman,
or former Universal Champion, The Beast, Brock Lesnar,
will leave Crown Jewel as the brand new Universal Champion.
[Renee] And after a brutal beatdown to the Coquina Clutch to Samoa Joe,
we now have AJ Styles facing Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship.
And it's all going down here.
This personal rivalry makes its way to Crown Jewel.
[Cole] And still to come, coming up next, in fact,
the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
[Langston] Oh, Crown Jewel!
Don't you dare be sour!
Clap for your world-famous, five-time champs
and feel the power!
It's a new day, yes, it is.
[The New Day's theme song plays]
-[Cole] Come on, Renee, enjoy yourself. -I love me some New Day, you kidding?
[Corey] The good news is at least you keep yourself composed,
not like that 12-year-old Saxton.
[Renee] If they bring those pancakes down here, that might change.
-I'm a little hungry. -Crown Jewel, baby!
[Cole] New Day with an opportunity tonight to win back the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
[Corey] You guys always give me a hard time 'cause I'm anti-pancake.
I happened to order pancakes on the flight over here, and guess what?
-They ran out. -[Renee] It was the only option.
-[Corey] What is this? -[Cole] Wait, wait, wait. What is that?
-[Renee] Oh, my gosh! -[Corey] What is this wizardry?
[Renee laughs]
[Renee] Is that magical?
-Looks like it is to me. -[Corey] They better hope it's magical.
They better hope they find a big blue genie
if they want any hope of leaving here with the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
[Cole] I believe New Day is riding a magic carpet to the ring.
[Renee laughs] That's awesome!
[Cole] Leave it to Big E, Kofi, and Xavier.
[Renee] I'm just happy it didn't take away from Big E's dancing,
which is clearly still well intact.
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship!
Introducing the challengers, The New Day!
[Cole] Well, you know, New Day is sort of on a roll this past week on SmackDown.
Big E beats Cesaro in that Trick or Street Fight.
[Corey] Yeah, let's not relive that, okay? I won't give credit where it's due.
Leave it to New Day to always innovate new and exciting ways to enter the ring.
But whether or not they can win is what I remain to be seen tonight.
[Renee] I think that Cesaro
might still have some pumpkin seeds in his trunk.
[Cole] There are pancakes flying like Frisbees…
-[Renee] I need one! -…throughout this entire stadium.
I would take Booty-O's, too. Anything.
-[Cole] You're that hungry? -I'm a little hungry, yeah.
[Corey] This is completely egregious.
[Renee] No, it's not! This is pageantry, Graves.
[Corey] They're not even the Tag Team Champions!
[Renee] Maybe by the end of the night, they will be.
Free celebration.
[Cole] And WWE Survivor Series
is presented by Mattel Elite Collection action figures.
Available now at Walmart.
Make your collection elite!
[Corey] I'm gonna make a bold prediction.
By the end of this matchup,
New Day are gonna wish they were in a whole new world.
A world where The Bar and The Big Show simply don't exist.
[Renee] Did you just go there? Did that really just happen?
-[Corey] You better believe it, then. -Oh.
[Cole] Well, Francesca's here.
[Renee] Francesca goes international!
[The Bar's theme music plays]
♪ Well, well, it's The Big Show ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ It's a big, bad show tonight, y'all… ♪
[Greg] And their opponents, accompanied by The Big Show,
the SmackDown Tag Team Champions,
Sheamus and Cesaro!
[Corey] Sheamus and Cesaro were already an elite-level tag team
before the arrival of The Big Show to their team.
But The World's Largest Athlete changed the game.
[Cole] Yeah, this is how The Bar won the Tag Team Titles for a fifth time
nearly three weeks ago at SmackDown 1000 versus The New Day.
The funny thing was, Corey, The Bar was actually in control of the matchup
when The Big Show, The World's Largest Athlete,
came down to the ring.
We thought he was going after Sheamus and Cesaro.
[Corey] For some reason, everybody assumed
that Big Show wanted to align himself with The New Day.
Instead, he arrived to even the odds. Three-on-three.
[Cole] Yeah, the distraction to Big E
would allow Sheamus to deliver the Brogue Kick.
And Sheamus and Cesaro, The Bar, once again becoming Tag Team Champions.
[Renee] I don't think you can say adding The Big Show evens the odds.
That's insane. This man's a giant.
[Corey] How many human beings do you see there, Renee?
I see three human beings.
One happens to be The World's Largest Athlete.
But there's still three humans.
-The number is even. -This is basically a handicap match.
[Cole] The point you've been making all along, Corey,
is that The New Day has been getting away with the numbers game for years.
[Corey] That's a good point because that's the only kind I make.
Renee, do you think Big E had to eat his pancakes through a straw
after being Brogue Kicked in the mouth by Sheamus?
Quite possibly. He might have had a little wiring of his jaw after that.
[Cole] Sheamus and Cesaro versus The New Day
for the Tag Team Titles.
Been quite the rivalry between these two teams over the years.
Remember, The New Day used to be the longest reigning Tag Team Champions
in WWE history at 483 days.
-That reign was stopped… -[bell dings]
…by Sheamus and Cesaro.
And it's Big E and Kofi who will be in this matchup for The New Day.
Xavier Woods, Big Show looking on
from the outside for their respective teams.
Let's go. Back up. Break away. Let's go. Come on.
And you looked over the massive shoulders of The Big Show.
What a presence at ringside.
[Corey] Big E like a freight train,
-just dropped the Celtic Warrior. -[Renee] Oh, now we're talking.
[Cole] Sheamus kicked in the midsection.
And Sheamus, you know, in my mind, really over the years,
one of the most underrated Superstars in WWE.
This man has accomplished it all.
He's a multi-time World Champion.
He's won a King of the Ring, a Money in the Bank, a Royal Rumble.
Here's the cover by Big E. And a kick-out.
[Corey] Completely agree with you.
I think Sheamus is one of the most underrated Superstars of all time.
And I feel like that's part of the rage
that fuels Sheamus and his partner, Cesaro.
[Cole] Kofi Kingston off the top rope.
Kofi, however, one of the most accomplished Superstars, Renee,
-in WWE history. -Without question.
The accomplishments of Kofi Kingston,
he could've been in the Best in the World Tournament all on his own.
[Cole] Yeah, Kofi, an eight-time Tag Team Champion,
among other accolades.
And now, Cesaro.
[Renee] He's had many battles with Cesaro for the United States Championship.
[Cole] And Kofi whipped across the ring.
And Cesaro, very unique in his approach, as is Kofi,
who lands on his feet to the surprise of Cesaro.
[laughter]
Oh, and a dropkick by Kingston.
Cover to win the Tag Team Titles. And a kick-out.
Corey, that's gonna be so disconcerting if you're taking on The New Day.
And the trombones playing.
[Corey] You always have to account for the third member of New…
Uh-oh, look at this.
Unless you're a Swiss Cyborg and you can do physical things like this.
That's what the arrival of The Big Show means to Sheamus and Cesaro.
Peace of mind.
Focus on the two opponents in the ring.
Not worry about the X factor, that is the third.
[Cole] The great athleticism of Kofi.
Way to crossbody.
Lateral press to win the gold. And a kick-out.
Oh, my God.
Tag.
And here comes Sheamus.
Sheamus and Cesaro may be the most physical tag team
we have ever witnessed at WWE.
[Renee] Good trash talk from Big Show over there.
[Corey] This is beautiful, classic tag teamwork.
[Cole] Look at Big Show now getting involved.
Those massive paws wrapped around the face of Kingston.
[Corey] Being smothered by a pair of catcher's mitts.
[Cole] Tag again to Cesaro, and now the double team.
Cesaro and Sheamus just like to beat people up.
[Big Show] You can't dance if you can't breathe.
[Corey] You can hear Big Show on the outside screaming
he can't fight if he can't breathe.
[Cole] Big Show, very talkative.
Almost like a coach out there.
[Renee] Gotta think of all the accomplishments of The Big Show
for him to come in here as the X factor,
but also be able to add a little insight, some education to The Bar.
[Corey] You're right. There's basically nothing in WWE
that Big Show hasn't experienced or accomplished.
[Cole] Won every championship, as Sheamus comes in off the tag.
Double team again by The Bar.
Kofi's in deep, deep trouble.
Cover by Sheamus to retain the Tag Team Titles.
And a kick-out.
[Corey] Keep using the phrase physical to determine The Bar.
We just witnessed with Sheamus driving his knee into the face of Kofi
while pushing down on the cover.
That's the type of physicality that changes the game.
[Cole] Listen!
The blows by Sheamus to the chest of Kofi Kingston.
[Renee] Look at the size of Sheamus. He's just gargantuan.
That's him standing next to a giant. He's huge.
[Cole] Sheamus, 270 pounds.
Best shape of his career.
Watch his Celtic Warrior workout.
[Renee] He switches up his workouts all the time,
-working with different Superstars. -[Corey] Oh, man!
[Big Show] Again! Come on, Sheamus.
[Cole] Kofi fighting back!
The welts building on the chest of the Celtic Warrior.
Kofi trying to make a tag.
Can't quite get there.
And that'll stop him in his tracks.
Tag, here's Cesaro.
Cover by Cesaro. Hook of the leg.
It is a thing of beauty to watch The Bar.
Classic tag team wrestling.
[Renee] Kofi's not made it to the other side of the ring
in about three minutes.
[Cole] Yeah, Kofi's in deep, deep trouble here.
Great job by The Bar, isolating Kingston from Big E.
Why don't you just give up, Kofi? Why don't you just give up?
-[Renee] Psychological warfare. -[Corey] There we go.
[Cole] Can you imagine Big Show, that giant screaming in your face? Oh!
Cesaro, cover.
Almost had him.
But look at how Cesaro, even out of the kick-out, Corey,
doesn't allow any separation.
[Corey] Absolutely seamless transition from the cover into the submission hold.
Cesaro, when it comes to in-ring IQ, may have the highest in all of WWE.
There are very few Superstars
who have spent as much time just training in the ring,
perfecting their technique as Cesaro.
[Renee] I think Cesaro is a Superstar
that continually impresses all of the other Superstars.
He's the one you hear everyone talking about in the hallways.
[Cole] WWE Crown Jewel is sold out tonight.
[Langston] Kofi, let's go!
We look high above the King Saud University Stadium.
Inside the ring, it's The New Day versus The Bar
for the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
Bar looking to retain, New Day looking to win.
[Renee] Kofi looking to get over there to Big E.
[Corey] Showing a little power of his own.
[Cole] Cesaro trying to make a tag now. He's the one that looks a bit desperate.
Stalemate, center of the ring.
Kofi Kingston, ever so slowly, was working toward Big E.
And Cesaro went for the cheap shot.
Hey, no, keep it in the ring.
Back body drop, Kofi's got an opportunity.
But he's still a long way away from his corner.
Make the tag! Make the tag to Sheamus. Come on.
-Make the tag. -[Renee] If Kofi doesn't get over this,
-it could be one and done real quick. -[Cole] Tag. Here's Sheamus.
And this time, he knocks Big E off the apron.
[Corey] Great ring awareness by Sheamus.
Also positioning his own body between Kofi and The New Day corner.
Look at this, just raw power.
[Cole] And again, tag by Cesaro. Frequent tags in and out.
Keeping each other fresh! What an uppercut.
Double team.
Kofi is done.
The Bar looking to retain the tag team gold.
And a kick-out at two.
[Renee] I can't believe Kofi Kingston's still in this.
[Corey] Take another look at this great tandem offense.
The boost from Sheamus down into a…
almost a jackhammer-type maneuver by Cesaro.
Drove Kofi all the way down on his right side.
Still not enough to win.
Come on, Kofi, just give up.
Kof, it's time to grind, Kof.
[Renee] Kofi looks defeated.
[Cole] Yeah, Big Show imploring Kingston to give up.
[Renee] Might be wise.
[speaking indistinctly]
[crowd booing]
[Cole] Kofi with a boot to the face, and he caught Sheamus.
And now Kofi trying to fight out again.
-Tag. -Tag. Sheamus in.
And The Bar just doing an incredible job keeping Kofi away from his corner.
[Renee] Kofi doesn't have Big E in the corner
if he were to get over there.
[Corey] Sheamus just ate the steel post.
Kofi with an opportunity, but still a long way away from Big E.
[crowd chanting] New Day rocks.
[Cole] Tag. Tag!
-Big E and Cesaro are legal. -[Corey laughs]
Belly-to-belly by Big E.
And another one.
Tremendous strength by the 300-pounder.
And a third one planting Cesaro.
[Renee] The speed and explosiveness of Big E is incredible.
[Corey] Before you can even realize where you're at,
Big E is suplexing you again.
[Renee] Dancing over you.
[Cole] Oh, big splash, but Cesaro got the knees up, though.
Tag. Sheamus in.
Here comes Sheamus.
Planting with a uranage by Big E.
Cover. Is it enough to win the gold?
And a kick-out at two.
New Day looking to win the Tag Team Championship
for a sixth time.
[Corey] Big E, we know what he likes to do here.
-Look out, Sheamus. -[Renee] Oh!
[Cole] And a knee right to the side of the face.
That'll break a jaw.
Big E thinks he's back in Florida already.
[Corey] Oh, my goodness.
[Cole] Another knee echoing throughout the stadium.
Come down, Sheamus. Off the rope.
[Corey] Nothing fancy here, just big right hands.
[Cole] Uh-oh, Kofi providing a bit of a distraction.
Tag made, Kofi's legal.
Big E now with Sheamus up on his shoulders.
Kofi climbing to the top rope.
-Sheamus is in trouble. -[Corey] A double stomp to the back.
[Cole] Kofi's gotta cover. Kofi's the legal man.
Hooks the leg.
And Cesaro breaking things up for his team.
[Renee] There was that six-time chance there.
[Corey] Outrageous closing speed by Cesaro there.
All the way across the ring.
[Cole] Kofi.
Trouble in Paradise driving Cesaro through the ropes.
Big E now legal.
Could New Day be closing in on the Tag Team Titles?
Kingston! Launched into Cesaro!
And Big E with the straps down, looking for the Big Ending.
[Corey] Here comes The Big Show instead.
[Cole] Went for the Brogue…
Off the distraction! Big E sidestep for the titles!
Kick-out at two!
And here's Big E!
[Corey] Once again, wants the Big Ending.
[Cole] Uh-oh.
Big Show with a right hand!
A Knockout Punch right on the jaw!
[Corey] The referee was out of position to see it.
[Cole] Brogue Kick!
Show didn't get all of it, but he got enough of it.
-And Big E into the Brogue Kick! -[bell dings]
And The Bar retains.
-[Greg] Here are your winners… -[Renee] That wasn't even fair!
…and still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions,
Sheamus and Cesaro!
[Cole] Be careful what you say to Big Show.
It might not have been fair, but it was effective.
[Corey] Chalk up an assist to The World's Largest Athlete.
Sheamus and Cesaro will retain.
Hey, Renee, you got a blender you can loan Big E for his pancakes?
I'll take care of him. He'll be all right.
[Cole] Big Show has paid unbelievable dividends.
[Corey] The referee is diving out of the way
to prevent from being squashed by Big E.
And, bang!
Big E connects right on the jaw.
-He would stagger in… -[Renee] The X factor of The Giant.
…for a Brogue Kick from the Celtic Warrior.
The Bar retains.
[Cole] The short right jab by The Big Show was enough.
The Brogue Kick put it away.
The Bar retained the Tag Team Titles.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're getting set now
for the semifinals of the World Cup Tournament
to determine the best in the world.
Byron Saxton standing by with one of the semifinal competitors.
[The Bar's theme music plays]
Please welcome my guest at this time, The A-Lister, The Miz.
Miz, you've made it to the semifinals, where up next you will face Rey Mysterio
and have an opportunity to get one step closer to becoming
the best in the world.
I told you so.
I told you I was going to beat Jeff Hardy.
I may have gotten mule kicked in the throat and can barely talk,
and I bet that makes everyone really happy,
but I beat Jeff Hardy.
And I'm gonna feast on poor, little, wounded Rey Mysterio,
and I can't think of a better Hollywood ending
than the plucky underdog battered, beaten, pulling himself up off the mat
for one last shot of glory only to be decimated by the real hero.
Tonight isn't about happy endings.
It's about me rolling the credits on Rey Mysterio
and proving to everyone that I am the best in the world.
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following is a semifinal match in the WWE World Cup Tournament.
[Miz] Awesome!
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ I came to play, there's a price to pay ♪
♪ Time for you to get down on your knees And pray ♪
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ Say goodbye to the good old days… ♪
Introducing first, weighing in at 221 pounds
and residing in Hollywood, California,
The Miz!
[Corey] What a heroic display from The A-Lister.
Can you believe the adversity that The Miz is going to have to overcome
to escape victorious in this round?
In this semifinal round?
Miz can't even talk!
[Cole] Well, listen, Miz may have a hurt throat,
but there's somebody that was maybe even worse off than he is.
Let's head back to Byron Saxton with The Miz's opponent.
Rey, you were pummeled by Randy Orton after you won your first round match.
What are the odds of you beating The Miz?
I'll tell you, being the best is about never making excuses.
You can be physically at 100%, 75%, or whatever.
But the truth is, you can't put a number on a man's pride and determination.
And, yeah, I know Miz says that he'll do whatever it takes to win.
He's probably cooking up a plan right now or has a plan.
Let him.
The truth is, I've been underestimated by bigger and better.
That just makes my W much sweeter.
[Cole] Now to me, that's a real champion.
No excuses by Rey Mysterio.
Gonna come out here and try to beat The Miz in this match.
Miz is talking about having a sore throat.
[Cole] Did you hear Rey Mysterio speak? It sounded crystal clear to me.
He's not coming into this match with an injured throat.
[Renee] No, but he crystal clearly said
he's been in the ring with bigger and better.
So I don't think The Miz is gonna be a problem for Rey.
[Greg] And his opponent, from San Diego, California, weighing in at 170 pounds,
Rey Mysterio!
[Cole] Miz has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Rey Mysterio.
Looking for some revenge
because Rey beat Miz a couple of weeks ago on SmackDown.
[Corey] I don't understand why you always insist on bringing up the past.
Let's focus on the here and the now,
and that The A-Lister is about to overcome the odds at the expense…
-[Cole] Whoa! Wait a minute. Me? -Yeah.
[Cole] What about Miz?
This guy talks about being WWE Champion at WrestleMania years and years ago.
[Renee] He still talks about the real world,
which was like 45 years ago.
[Corey] Listen, Miz has a lot of accomplishments to keep track of.
I have heard from a source,
I'm not supposed to let the cat out of the bag,
but I heard from a very reliable source
that Monroe Sky is actually on the short list
to become the Browns' new offensive coordinator.
[Renee] I hope that Miz loses his voice and you get to go be his mouthpiece.
That's what I hope.
[Cole] Anyway, let's talk about the Rey Mysterio situation.
He defeated Randy Orton in the first round,
but then after the matchup,
he was beaten and beaten hard by Randy Orton.
Dropped face-first on the announce table.
Rey Mysterio cannot be anywhere near 100% tonight.
And The Miz, The Miz, of course, has been injured as well.
This is a semifinal matchup.
The winner of this match will advance to the finals
of the World Cup Tournament to determine the best in the world.
[Corey] Do you know what that means?
It just dawned on me that one of these two men is gonna go to the finals.
And if by some chance The Miz doesn't win or Rey Mysterio doesn't win,
they're gonna be fired from SmackDown LIVE.
Shane McMahon said there will be no home for the SmackDown competitor in the finals
if he loses on SmackDown.
And here we go, Mysterio, Miz, semifinal matchup.
And for Rey Mysterio, again, quicken the pace
and perhaps put Miz away early.
[Corey] It remains to be seen how well, how capable Rey is to keep that pace up…
[Cole] Went for the kick. Miz rolls him up, trying to win one here.
-Almost had him. -…after the beating suffered
at the hands of Orton.
[Cole] Mysterio, again, looking for the quick victory.
Miz up over the top, sunset flip.
Mysterio rolled through. And a knee right to the face.
So now, to go along with the bad throat, he might have a broken jaw.
Cover by Rey. Kick-out by Miz.
[Corey] Cole, I remember once upon a time you were a big Miz fan.
Now you seem to be happy.
You're gleeful that the moneymaker is being damaged by Mysterio.
You can't stay listening to him anymore, Corey, that's what it is.
Miz has accomplished so much in his career.
There's no doubt he's a Superstar. Everything he does turns to gold.
-[Corey] Oh, God! -It's tough to listen to the guy.
-[Corey] Whoa! -Uh-uh.
That was pretty outrageous athleticism.
[Renee] Rey Mysterio lands on his feet. Nine lives.
[Cole] Ooh! And Mysterio right to the face.
And now Rey.
[all exclaiming]
Talk about unique offense.
[Corey] After all these years,
Mysterio still with the ability to innovate.
Second to none.
[Cole] Rey Mysterio landed hard.
[Corey] I think it was almost instinctive.
Rey delivered this maneuver not thinking about the damage that he suffered earlier…
-[Cole] That ribs! -…in the attack from Randy Orton.
[Cole] Yeah, to your point, he was face-first,
ribs-first onto the announce table at the hands of Orton.
And now Mysterio trying to shake it off.
But it is clear Rey is hurt.
[Corey] And in the moments that Rey is attempting to shake it off,
Miz has also been able to get back to a vertical base.
[Renee] Rey says he's not out here to make excuses.
[Corey] It's valiant that Rey is competing,
especially at this high level to become the best in the world.
That's what this tournament means.
Rey doesn't have the legacy that he does by taking days off because he's sore.
I'm just saying, he's no A-Lister.
[crowd] …four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…
[Cole] Rey Mysterio.
If he could win this match
and have an opportunity to be called best in the world,
that really would be like the top of his resume.
[Corey] Oh, man!
-Face-first! -[Cole] That did not happen.
[Corey] What great awareness by The Miz.
Using Mysterio's own momentum against him, and just planted Rey.
[Renee] I think your boy got a tooth knocked loose, Graves.
[Corey] You know how much those cost?
Face-first, right to the injured rib cage.
I mean, hypothetically, to replace. Miz has perfectly natural teeth.
-But should he wanna replace them? -They're natural?
Absolutely.
[Cole] He had a few knocked out a year or two ago, remember?
[Corey] You and your revisionist history.
[Cole] Miz continuing to work on the midsection of Rey Mysterio.
And this is great strategy by The Miz.
Burying shoulders into the rib cage.
[Renee] Again, though, we need to worry about the tactics of The Miz.
What lengths will he go to make it to the finals?
[Cole] Any length.
We know that.
Here's the cover by Miz.
Hooks the leg. Mysterio kicks out at two.
[Corey] Miz now looking for the modified bow and arrow submission here.
Up goes Mysterio.
[Cole] Miz is not known for submissions with the exception of the Figure-Four.
[Corey] It's because Miz hasn't really needed to use his submission skills.
The guy's got black belts in martial arts you didn't even know existed.
[Cole] Mysterio cover! Almost stole one there!
-[Corey] Remember Miz-jitsu? -Wait, Miz is a black belt?
[Renee] Did he train with the brother of Napoleon Dynamite?
[Cole] Right to the midsection again.
And Mysterio is in deep, deep trouble.
The official checking on Rey.
[Corey] Rex Kwon Do, as a matter of fact, Renee.
[Cole] That is what it's about.
The World Cup to determine the best in the world.
One of these two men will advance to the finals.
The semifinals from Monday Night RAW coming up next.
Seth Rollins versus Dolph Ziggler.
[groans]
[Corey] Could you imagine how proud Miz and Maryse would be
to display the World Cup trophy in Monroe's room, right beside her crib?
[Renee] Listen, that wouldn't just go right in Monroe's room.
They would have an entire parade in Austin.
[Corey] There would certainly be an entire episode of Miz & Mrs.
dedicated simply to the trophy.
[Renee] Cole could go out and line dance with them.
[Corey] I think Cole line dancing is equivalent to raining on a parade.
[Cole] Look it again.
Miz, great strategy.
Continuing to work on the midsection.
The rib cage of Rey Mysterio.
[Corey] Are you honestly surprised?
We're talking about The Miz here.
Miz is a strategist.
He knows exactly what he's gonna do before he gets in the ring.
-[Renee] What's in your water bottle? -[Cole] Look at Rey fighting back.
And, Corey, I'm not debating the in-ring presence of Miz.
Great competitor.
[Corey] Uh-oh.
[Cole] Oh, again, landed hard on the ribs.
And that could be it for Rey.
Miz will take a countout victory, I'll tell you that.
[Corey] Nothing wrong with that.
That's why countout victories occur.
Why they exist.
-Look at this. -[Cole] Watch the impact!
[Corey] Mysterio almost bounced.
Look at this. Miz doesn't wanna take a cheap victory.
-Miz is a proud competitor. -[Renee] All he wants is respect.
That's all he keeps saying about every single interview I ever see Miz do.
[Cole] Into the apron.
I mean, he's accomplished enough in his career to have that respect.
Oh, and again into the barricade.
[Renee] I agree wholeheartedly. It's him with the Napoleon complex.
[Cole] Mysterio into the ring.
Miz looking to put it away and advance to the finals of the World Cup.
-A kick-out by Rey. -[Corey] Listen, Renee.
Rey Mysterio is one of the most celebrated Superstars of all time.
There's no need to start making accusations.
[Renee] I wasn't saying that about Rey. I was talking about Miz.
[groans]
[Cole] Listen to Rey. You can hear him.
Just screaming in agony.
The abdominal stretch now by The Miz.
Elbow right into the midsection.
[Corey] Miz is grinding his elbow into the abdomen of Mysterio.
Rey's having a terribly difficult time breathing right now.
Twelve to six elbows, and now a claw from The Miz.
This has gotta be agonizing for the luchador.
[Renee] Miz is having fun just torturing Mysterio.
[Cole] It's just gotta be a matter of time before Rey Mysterio can't go any longer.
You've gotta give Mysterio credit here.
It's been a valiant effort so far,
but the assault by Randy Orton earlier tonight
and now the damage by The Miz may have done Rey Mysterio in.
However, Rey showing some signs of life.
[Corey] Miz caught it, though, into a pump handle.
[Cole] Mysterio turns it into a DDT!
[Corey] The ever-resourceful Rey Mysterio buys himself a few extra moments.
Keeps himself in this battle and this tournament.
Rey realizes it's win or go home.
Take another look at this.
Miz is enjoying his work, maybe a little too much.
And Mysterio capitalized.
[Renee] I think Miz saw himself up on the Tron,
got distracted by his own face.
[Cole] And for Rey Mysterio, this could be the crucial part of this match.
It may be his last opportunity to rally here with Miz down.
[Corey] Rey slowly making his way back to a vertical base.
Miz still looks like he's got cobwebs.
Ooh, what a left hand.
[Cole] But look at Rey fighting back with the right.
[crowd booing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd booing]
[crowd cheering]
Both men exchanging blows, center of the ring.
Rey Mysterio, though, getting the upper hand.
Some right hands to The Miz.
Mysterio.
-Crossbody, lateral press. -[crowd cheering]
Is it enough to win?
Almost had him. Miz kicked out.
[Corey] This is what Miz could ill afford to find himself in.
This situation like this where Rey could pick up the pace.
[Cole] Mysterio sends Miz flying.
[Corey] Still not entirely sure where Miz… if he knows where he's at.
[Cole] Oh, Miz sent into the second turnbuckle.
Shoulder to the midsection.
Here comes Mysterio.
Miz is in position.
[Renee] Here we go. This is what everybody shows up for.
[Cole] Looking for the 619.
And Miz again!
Mysterio into the corner.
And Miz now has him in position for the Skull-Crushing Finale.
The cover by The Miz to advance.
And Mysterio gets the shoulder up.
[Corey] I can't believe what I just saw.
It's nothing short of miraculous.
The fact that Mysterio was able to survive this combination by The Miz.
First, being launched face-first into the top turnbuckle,
and then… the Finale.
The Skull-Crushing Finale.
And somehow, Rey fights on.
[Renee] Wasn't quite enough to roll the credits on Rey Mysterio,
as Miz said he was gonna do tonight.
[Cole] There's a reason Rey Mysterio is called
The Biggest Little Man in the history of WWE.
The guts and the heart and the resilience of Mysterio.
[Corey chuckles]
[Corey] The world famous "It" Kicks.
Here we go.
[Cole] Mysterio ducked underneath.
[Corey] It's the same pinning combination that got Orton.
[Cole] And he's got him here!
Almost had him again!
Almost another big win by Mysterio.
-[Renee] Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Here we go.
619!
[Renee] Beautiful.
[Corey] Rey looking to capitalize.
Seal the deal and make his way to the finals.
From the top!
[Cole] Oh, and Miz got the knees up to the bad ribs.
And he wraps up the legs of Mysterio.
-And Miz advances. -[bell dings]
♪ I came to play… ♪
[Greg] Here is your winner, The Miz!
[Corey] And the finals of the World Cup Tournament
just became must-see.
[Renee] This is the man who, everything he touches, turns to gold.
And his career is on the exact same path tonight.
[Cole] The Miz took advantage of an earlier attack by Randy Orton
and injured ribs by Rey Mysterio to beat Mysterio tonight
and move into the finals of the World Cup Tournament
to determine the best in the world.
[Corey] It looked like Rey Mysterio was gonna seal the deal right here.
619 connects.
Rey would take his time.
Headed to the top rope.
Favoring the ribs.
And at the end of it all, Miz with great situational awareness.
Exploiting the injuries Randy Orton caused.
And Miz continued.
But as Miz advances to the finals, now the pressure is on.
He is going to face either Seth Rollins or Dolph Ziggler.
That semifinal match is next.
But remember, Corey, it is a must-win for The Miz.
Because if he doesn't win,
SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon said there will be no home
for Miz to come home to.
Miz will be fired from SmackDown LIVE.
[Corey] Listen, it's the commissioner's prerogative to change his mind.
He can adjust the rules in time.
You don't wanna let an A-Lister like The Miz
leave SmackDown under any circumstance.
As a matter of fact, don't worry about it.
Miz is gonna win. I know it.
[Cole] Let's head up to Byron Saxton.
Standing by with one of our next semifinalists.
Seth, you overcame Lashley in the first round.
How do you deal with the divergent styles of going from Lashley
to now facing Dolph Ziggler?
You know, Saxton,
they wouldn't call the winner of this tournament the best in the world
if it was easy.
It's not meant to be easy. I don't want it to be easy.
And everybody in this semifinal,
they're all facing some adversity, including me.
Luckily for me, I do my best work, and the odds are stacked against me.
My back's against the wall.
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following is a semifinal match in the WWE World Cup Tournament.
[Seth's theme song plays]
♪ Burn it down… ♪
Introducing first, from Davenport, Iowa, weighing in at 217 pounds,
he is a RAW Tag Team Champion and the Intercontinental Champion,
Seth Rollins!
[Cole] Renee, the question is, how is Seth? He was dominated by Lashley.
You gotta worry about his lower back.
You can see that Bobby Lashley was working on that the entire time.
But, as we said earlier,
if you give Seth Rollins an inch, he's gonna close in on it.
We can see him moving on to the finals.
[Corey] There's no shortage of history between Seth Rollins and his opponent now.
Dolph Ziggler traded the Intercontinental Championship
back and forth.
It was actually Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre
who set the Dean Ambrose beat to become RAW Tag Team Champions as well.
[Renee] Definitely had a lot of time to stake each other out.
But now, to be named the best in the world by the end of the night,
that's huge for both of these Superstars who grew up wanting to be the pinnacle,
the very top of this business.
And now their opportunity is tonight.
[Corey] Familiarity breeds contempt.
Both men very familiar with one another.
I can assure you, Seth Rollins is gonna be looking to exploit the ankle injury
Dolph Ziggler suffered earlier at the hands of Kurt Angle.
♪ I'm here to show the world ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ Bring it on… ♪
[Greg] And his opponent, accompanied by Drew McIntyre,
residing in Hollywood, Florida, weighing in at 218 pounds,
Dolph Ziggler!
[Cole] If you're Seth Rollins, you've gotta be put off by the fact
that Drew McIntyre's coming to the ring again here with Dolph Ziggler.
Remember, Corey, back over the summer,
one of the great rivalries in recent memory here at WWE,
Dolph and Seth Rollins over the Intercontinental Championship,
the classic Iron Man Match from this summer.
Ziggler winning, thanks to Drew McIntyre.
[Corey] Drew McIntyre has always been the X factor, but Seth Rollins,
by this point in time, is very, very aware of the danger McIntyre poses.
This, in my opinion, is gonna be a pure athletic contest
because both Ziggler and Rollins have egos.
They both want to earn the right to be called best in the world,
no questions asked.
[Cole] Renee, from what I'm told,
Dolph actually wanted this matchup in the semifinals
because he believes Seth Rollins is wearing the championship
that belongs to him, the Intercontinental Title.
I don't doubt that.
We have consistently talked about the Intercontinental Championship
being brought into prominence,
to have the accolade of having the Intercontinental Championship,
and Dolph Ziggler's been one of the main Superstars
to elevate the status of that championship.
And he wants to take that back from Seth Rollins.
-Gotta get through him tonight. -[bell dings]
[Cole] The winner of this match will face The Miz
in the finals of the World Cup Tournament to determine the best in the world.
Will it be Rollins?
Will it be Ziggler to represent Monday Night RAW?
We are underway.
These two Superstars know each other so well.
[Renee] You gotta worry about, of course, having Drew McIntyre at ringside.
[Corey] This is where a Superstar really gets to test their mettle,
show what they're made of.
This is now the second time
both of these competitors have competed tonight.
Both had grueling first-round matches.
Not to mention the travel involved this week.
The inability to train as they would normally do.
This is really where you find out who's elite and who's not.
[Renee] Dolph Ziggler's always so proud of how many days consecutively
he's been on the road with WWE.
He's been here for about 12 years, no real injuries, no time off.
[Corey] Seth Rollins looking for the ankle early on.
Sorry to interrupt you.
[Renee] No, but to that point,
if you're able to focus in on this ankle and take Dolph Ziggler out early,
this could be it for him.
[Cole] Yeah, the damage that Kurt Angle did to Dolph Ziggler earlier tonight
with the Ankle Lock.
Rollins, of course, lower back issues because of Lashley.
[Corey] Not to mention the neck
that has troubled Rollins throughout his career.
I assure you, Dolph Ziggler probably took a few minutes,
got that ankle heavily taped between matches.
You can't tape your neck if you're Seth Rollins
and Dolph wasting no time exploiting it.
[Cole] And the thing about this is Miz has been fairly unscathed so far
in his first two matchups.
He could be close to 100% heading into the finals.
[Renee] He does have that very bad sore throat, though, Cole.
[Corey] Thank God someone showed some sympathy around here.
Thank you, Renee. I appreciate that.
Ask him.
Ziggler now just doing his best to wear down Rollins,
to expend minimal energy while inflicting maximum punishment.
A sold-out crowd here at Crown Jewel,
anxiously awaiting to find out who will meet The Miz
in the finals of the WWE World Cup to determine the best in the world.
[Renee] You've gotta imagine that Dolph Ziggler's on cloud nine now,
having already had a victory over Kurt Angle.
[Corey] Definitely had to be a good confidence boost.
You've always gotta focus on the injury if you're Seth Rollins.
[Cole] Leapfrog by Rollins, caught!
Ziggler got caught!
And Seth now slamming Ziggler to the mat!
Reaching back…
Yeah, the back of the neck damaged by Lashley earlier on as well.
Ziggler sent over the top rope.
[Corey] Rollins thinking about taking a risk
but thinking a little more calculated at this point.
[Cole] I think his neck is bothering him, as is Ziggler's ankle.
You saw Dolph reach for the ankle when he came out of the ring.
McIntyre barking at Rollins outside.
Ziggler driven into the barricade.
[Corey chuckles]
And how important it is for Seth Rollins to win the opportunity.
-[Corey] Uh-oh, uh-oh, wait a minute. -McIntyre.
What you gonna do, big man?
Hit me. I dare you.
Get your little buddy DQ.
Come on, hit me, Drew.
Come on, Drew, hit me.
I dare you, huh?
I dare you.
Stay out of this.
[Corey] Seth Rollins fully aware of the situation.
-If Dolph gets disqualified… -[Cole] Ziggler took advantage.
Is this enough to advance to the finals?
Rollins able to kick-out at two, but again, the neck, the neck.
Turn it up and make him pay.
[Renee] I think Drew McIntyre at ringside might be the factor here for this matchup.
Sure, Seth is wishing he maybe had a little backup himself,
but he tends to do some of his best work when he's on his own.
Let me do my job. Come on!
Watch yourself.
[Cole] The official admonishing Dolph Ziggler.
Get him out of there. One, two…
[Corey] Dolph just raking the eyes and forehead of Seth Rollins
across the top rope.
[Cole] Yeah, ever since the distraction by McIntyre outside the ring,
Dolph Ziggler's in his own, but Rollins now blocks.
Seth Rollins trying to fight back into this.
Right to the knee.
[Renee] Seth said he didn't want it to be easy.
You got your wish.
[Cole] Dolph Ziggler's been trying to preach to the world for years.
Now that he is the best in the world, has an opportunity to prove that tonight.
Off the neckbreaker.
Cover now on Rollins.
Is it enough? Kick-out.
Great strategy, Corey, by Dolph continuing to go back to the injured neck.
[Corey] I love the deep cradle in the pinfall attempt by Ziggler.
Focusing his attack on what he knows hurts on Seth Rollins.
[Cole] Ziggler knows he's in control, that he's in the driver's seat.
And wrestling Rollins down to the mat.
[Corey] Dolph had himself a fistful of hair
but was careful to turn himself and Rollins' body
as to not allow the referee to see it.
[Cole] McIntyre's gotta be careful as well.
Remember, disqualification.
[Corey] Look at Dolph Ziggler, the way he lifts his hips up
while he's applying the side headlock.
-[Cole] What does that do? -[Corey] Maximizes the pressure.
It puts all of Dolph Ziggler's body weight
down on Seth Rollins' neck and shoulder region
as opposed to Dolph's own hips supporting him.
[Renee] You don't get 121 career wins at Kent State University
without some wrestling techniques like that.
[Cole] Dolph Ziggler…
Now, Seth Rollins creating some space.
Nobody home, as Ziggler sidesteps.
And now both men are down.
Crucial moment in this match.
[Corey] Oh, cover here by Ziggler.
[Cole] Is it enough to put Seth Rollins away?
-And a kick-out at two. -Kick out!
[Cole] Certainly think that Seth Rollins is the worse for wear of the two.
Ziggler certainly feeling the effects of the fight, but…
-Seth looks just about out of it. -Come on, Seth!
[Renee] The burden that Seth Rollins is bearing right now.
Dean Ambrose turning on him.
The weight of this championship tournament on him.
…three.
Hey, watch yourself.
[Corey] I don't disagree with you,
but right now, Seth Rollins can't focus on anything
but the pain he's feeling in his spine.
Dolph Ziggler happy to continue punishing.
[Cole] Seth, though, showing some life, fighting out of the corner.
[Corey] Ooh!
[Cole] And another chop.
[Corey] Beautiful elbow from Ziggler.
Down goes Rollins once again.
[Cole] Ziggler cover to advance to the finals and meet The Miz.
And a kick-out by Rollins at two.
[Renee] Dolph looks like he's getting a little frustrated.
He's not okay.
[Corey] I disagree with you, Renee.
[Renee] There was a brief moment, you're right, but he switched.
[Corey] Ziggler growing more and more confident by the minute.
Realizes he's in the ring with a wounded animal.
[Dolph] Come on, Seth.
[Cole] Now Ziggler just mocking Rollins.
[Corey] This is what Dolph can't get carried away with.
We've seen in the past.
This is gonna fire up Rollins.
[Renee] Like I said, you give Seth Rollins that one inch, that little bit of room.
[Cole] Rollins picked the ankle of Dolph Ziggler.
Down goes Dolph.
Fights out of it, however, and again, back of the neck to the turnbuckle.
And now Ziggler with a neckbreaker, continues the attack.
Cover by Dolph.
Hook of the leg on Seth Rollins.
And a kick-out at two.
And now, perhaps, Dolph's getting frustrated.
[Corey] Dolph can only blame it on himself.
Got a little overconfident, even cocky for a minute.
This is a smart strategy, go back to what worked prior.
Wear down Rollins.
Dolph's got that right arm of Rollins pried back,
now just cranking on the face and neck.
It's gotta be agonizing for Rollins.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Rollins.
[Cole] "Let's go, Rollins" chants, trying to will Seth on.
Almost had him!
[Corey] Dolph looking for the DDT again, but Rollins catches him.
[Cole] And now Seth.
Dolph lands on his feet.
Rolling up Rollins again.
I did believe he had the tights there. And a kick-out.
Rollins, pinning combination.
Now it's Rollins shoulders that are down.
Now Rollins stacking up Ziggler.
One, two…
And now Rollins with Ziggler down yet again.
Now there's the power of Seth Rollins.
[Renee] I can't believe Seth Rollins has that in the tank right now.
[Cole] Dolph rolls through, shoulders down to advance.
And a kick-out.
Went for the superkick.
Oh, there's that ripcord knee.
Rollins just falls into the cover to advance to the finals of the World Cup.
And Ziggler with the shoulder up.
[Corey] Even McIntyre looking on a little frustrated.
Probably relieved that Dolph Ziggler was able to survive the ripcord knee.
Maybe hoping that was the last gasp that Rollins had inside.
Let's take one more look at this.
Spins out, bang.
Connects right on the cheekbone of Dolph Ziggler.
[Renee] Could you imagine what it would be like for Seth Rollins
to be able to walk away as the best in the world,
given the turmoil he's in from everything with the members of The Shield?
[Corey] Certainly boosts Rollins' confidence.
Rollins prides himself on being the workhorse here in WWE.
Would love to know that he is the best in the world.
-[Renee] You know what time it is. -Could be time.
[Cole] Oh!
McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler now.
And now it's Ziggler, launched over the top rope to the floor.
[Corey] McIntyre urging Dolph to get it together.
[Cole] Look out, guys. Rollins with a suicide dive!
Right here in front of us.
Seth Rollins doing everything he can.
[Corey] Seth saw the opening and went after it.
Can The Kingslayer close the deal?
Great agility by Rollins on the fly.
[Cole] Ziggler, Famouser!
-[Renee] Seth is out. -[Corey] Deep cradle.
[Cole] Almost had him. And a kick-out at two.
Incredible match.
[Corey] Two of the best in-ring performers of our generation right now.
Showing the world exactly why they belong in this tournament.
Rollins able to adapt in mid-air.
But not in time to stop the Famouser.
Ziggler nearly escapes with a win.
[Renee] These two Superstars know each other so well.
Battling over the Intercontinental Championship,
the RAW Tag Team Championships.
That's why they're going the distance here tonight.
They can stake out each other's every move.
[Corey] What's Ziggler thinking about here?
Not completely uncharacteristic.
But you don't see Dolph up top too often.
Not necessarily his milieu.
[Cole] And now Rollins gonna meet Dolph right over there.
Seth Rollins looking for the superplex.
Rolls through. Rollins for…
-Went for the Falcon Arrow. -[Renee] His neck!
-[Cole] And Ziggler with a Zig Zag! -[Corey] Zig Zag!
[Renee] Seth Rollins clutching his neck there.
[Cole] To advance to the finals.
And a kick-out by Rollins!
[Corey] Wow.
[Renee] Two of the toughest men in WWE.
[Corey] What a series of maneuvers and counters and high impact.
First, Rollins catches Ziggler, who went up top where he wasn't familiar.
Rollins is very, very comfortable up there.
Makes Ziggler pay.
But Ziggler escapes at the last possible second
and delivers a Zig Zag.
Which, somehow, Rollins survives.
[Cole] This has been an incredible match.
For the opportunity to advance to the finals of the World Cup
to determine the best in the world and face The Miz.
[Corey] Ziggler, once again, looking for the Zig Zag.
[Cole] Rollins able to hang on. Kick right to the jaw.
Seth Rollins now.
McIntyre driven into the barricade off the suicide dive.
And now Seth going up to the top rope.
Ziggler's gonna meet him there.
[Corey] Rollins able to stop it.
-[Renee] Ziggler's ankle. -[Cole] And McIntyre! McIntyre!
Dolph Ziggler drew the referee with a bad ankle.
McIntyre got involved.
Here's the cover by Dolph.
-And he advances. -[bell dings]
♪ I'm here to show the world… ♪
[Greg] Here is your winner, Dolph Ziggler!
[Cole] Will again chalk up a victory…
with the aid of Drew McIntyre.
Dolph Ziggler is in the finals.
[Corey] Listen, I understand what Seth Rollins was attempting to do.
Seth was simply trying to neutralize the threat of Drew McIntyre
before he could become a factor.
And it backfired.
[Cole] McIntyre, again, pays dividends for Dolph Ziggler.
[Corey] Ziggler all the way up top with Rollins.
Seth would avoid Dolph's attempt.
McIntyre, however, sends The Kingslayer flying halfway across the ring.
-Dolph, boom! -[Cole] Boom!
[Corey] Superkick.
The ankle injury diversion paid off just long enough.
And Ziggler is heading to the finals.
[Renee] Drew McIntyre said he would make sure
that Dolph Ziggler would be crowned the best in the world.
And he was the factor tonight.
[Cole] Dolph Ziggler heads to the finals of the World Cup.
Where he'll take on The Miz.
Dolph. Dolph, understanding that the referee's decision is final,
it doesn't seem fair that you would advance
to the finals of the WWE World Cup Tournament.
But one way or the other,
many people would say that your win tonight was a huge upset.
An upset?
One way or another, that's what you're saying?
I've been saying the same thing for 13 years,
day in and day out.
You never believed in me.
No one in this arena believed in me.
No one in the WWE Universe ever gave a damn about Dolph Ziggler.
But guess what?
The next time you see me in that ring…
I'll be holding my trophy.
Because I am the best in the world.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] What this does is it sets up
a very interesting finals matchup for the World Cup
to determine the best in the world
because there is a tremendous amount of history
between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler.
[Corey] Longtime friends.
Have traveled together, have trained together,
have battled alongside and against one another.
But now it comes down for the right to be called the best in the world.
[Renee] We constantly talk about the spirit of competition.
The friendship between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz,
but I do not think that that's gonna come into play tonight.
We've got the best in the world on the line.
The Miz and Dolph Ziggler in the finals.
And we'll be back in a moment with the WWE Championship Match.
[man] On Sunday, April 7th, 2019…
history waits for no one, so why should you?
[Cole] Welcome…
to WrestleMania.
[man] Ticket available, two weeks.
Yes, WrestleMania returns to New York City in MetLife Stadium next April.
Tickets available to the general public in two weeks from today, November 16th.
But this coming Monday, you can go to wrestlemaniatravel.com,
and you can, well, get your trip set for New York City
as part of the WrestleMania Travel Package.
Again, wrestlemaniatravel.com.
You don't wanna miss the biggest event of the year.
Ladies and gentlemen, coming up right now, it's about the WWE Championship.
It is one of the most personal and professional rivalries
that we have ever witnessed on SmackDown.
It is AJ Styles, the reigning WWE Champion,
and his bitter enemy, the challenger, Samoa Joe.
It's about the WWE Championship.
It is all about the WWE Championship.
[Corey] It is one thing to play mind games with your opponent
to gain a psychological advantage…
Oh, Wendy!
…it is another to terrorize another man's family.
[Joe] I made you a promise.
Daddy was coming home.
[doorbell rings]
It looks like he's not.
[Tom] At Crown Jewel,
it will be AJ Styles defending the WWE Title against Daniel Bryan.
[crowd chanting] Yes! Yes!
Here comes the Commissioner of SmackDown LIVE.
We're gonna have AJ Styles taking on Daniel Bryan
in the Crown Jewel WWE Championship Match…
right now.
[Tom] The WWE Championship Match from Crown Jewel has come early.
Could this put away Daniel Bryan?
[bell dings]
[Corey] What an extraordinary matchup between two incredible athletes.
[Tom] Oh, my God.
[Corey] Where did Samoa Joe come from?
[speaking indistinctly]
Samoa Joe has made no secret he desires to be WWE Champion.
[Paige] AJ, shouldn't you be in the trainers?
I want Samoa Joe.
I've filled my obligation,
defending my WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan.
Now give me Samoa Joe at Crown Jewel.
-Consider it done. -Thank you.
You won't regret it.
Samoa Joe will.
Oh, AJ.
Did you actually think we were done?
[Corey] There's no shortage of history between Joe and Styles.
I knew I had to pick up my pen and I had to write our final chapter.
This needs to end.
[Saxton] An uncontrollable and personal rivalry.
In our final chapter, you are left gasping on the ground. Clutched out!
[Tom] This will be a war.
A rivalry set to be renewed.
Samoa Joe and Styles.
[Corey] Will this be the end of AJ Styles' reign,
or will it be the final chapter in this rivalry?
And I am finally raising the WWE Championship above my head.
The end.
[Joe's theme music plays]
[Cole] Renee, can Samoa Joe make this any more personal with AJ Styles?
Absolutely not. You know, I tried to get a word with Samoa Joe earlier.
Asked him about his actions on SmackDown LIVE.
Going for the Coquina Clutch on Daniel Bryan, on AJ Styles,
clearly sending a message,
and he just stormed right past me with a gruesome smile on his face.
[Corey] Samoa Joe stomping to the ring as ferocious as ever.
Renee, I actually was able to sit down with Samoa Joe
and got a few words from him.
I said, "Why will tonight be different?"
He said, "Because each time I've stepped into the ring with AJ Styles,
I've taken a piece of him with me.
There's not enough left to do it again."
[Cole] This rivalry has been going on since SummerSlam.
[Renee] When I saw AJ Styles after their matchup at Super ShowDown,
I just couldn't believe the damage that was inflicted on the WWE Champion.
But yet he stood tall, retaining the gold.
[crowd chanting] AJ Styles! AJ Styles! AJ Styles!
[Styles' theme song plays]
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
♪ They looking scared No, they don't really want none… ♪
[Cole] It has been a historic reign as WWE Champion for AJ Styles.
He is a two-time champion.
In this latest reign, he has held the title for 360 days.
It is the 10th longest reign of any WWE Champion.
And if he wins tonight, he'll be the 9th longest title holder.
[Renee] I heard Booker T say earlier on the Crown Jewel Kickoff Show
that he talked to AJ Styles and said,
"You better get into WWE, start making your impact now."
There's no question that ever since The Phenomenal One stepped foot in WWE,
he's been doing just that.
[Cole] You know, Corey, it's interesting.
Nearly a year into his title reign, and this coming week,
SmackDown LIVE returns to Manchester, United Kingdom,
where last year, AJ Styles won the WWE Title.
[Corey] I was ringside. I remember it fondly.
One of the most emotional moments I can remember being a part of.
Styles has since worn the WWE Championship as proudly as any man to ever hold it.
[Cole] Renee pointed out to me moments ago
that we have to watch the knee issues of Samoa Joe in this match tonight.
Dating all the way back to Australia.
[Renee] We talked about what Jeff Hardy inflicted on Samoa Joe as well.
He certainly was focusing on the knee of Samoa Joe.
[Corey] Absolutely right.
If there's a weakness to be found in the game of Samoa Joe,
that could be it.
There is wear and tear on the body of Joe.
The same can be said for the champion.
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the WWE Championship!
Introducing the challenger, from Huntington Beach, California,
weighing in at 282 pounds,
Samoa Joe!
[crowd booing]
And his opponent, from Gainesville, Georgia,
weighing in at 218 pounds,
he is the WWE Champion,
The Phenomenal AJ Styles!
[Cole] You see the look on the face of AJ Styles.
He demanded this match tonight against Samoa Joe.
He said, "I was proud of the title match I had with Daniel Bryan on SmackDown.
The match centered on skill and athleticism.
Joe's attack was not that.
He got his wish.
I'm going to put him out tonight."
[Renee] Graves, you think that was a smart idea from the WWE Champion?
[Corey] To demand a match with Samoa Joe? Absolutely not.
I don't think in any walk of life that's ever a wise decision.
But Styles is coming out of the gate fast and strong.
[Cole] Samoa Joe covering up and has to try to survive
the emotional onslaught from the early going.
And right to the knee, the back of the knee goes Styles.
[Renee] I feel like I heard it pop from here.
[Corey] AJ Styles certainly did his homework.
Recalls what went down in Australia at the Super ShowDown.
[Cole] That was a no disqualification, no countout match
that Samoa Joe went through a table.
-That is where the knee issue started. -[Corey] Joe checked it.
[Cole] And now right to the back of the knee again.
AJ Styles goes to work.
[Corey] AJ has certainly been a step ahead of Joe here in the early moments.
[Renee] That's why he demanded the matchup.
He had a plan the entire time.
[Cole] Look at Samoa Joe trying to beg off the attack here by Styles.
[Renee] This has gotten so personal between these two Superstars.
If AJ is able to shut down Joe tonight, they could be done.
[Cole] Come on, when you target a man's family,
you bring the family into discussion.
When it's a sporting event, it's about the WWE Championship.
How do you expect AJ Styles to react?
[Renee] Showing up at a man's house.
[Corey] It's psychological warfare.
It's doing what needs to be done in the mind of Samoa Joe.
-[Cole] Corey, you can't even… -I'm not justifying it by any means.
I'm simply telling you what goes on in the mind of Samoa Joe.
[Cole] And now AJ Styles off the apron.
Samoa Joe.
And got kicked right in the jaw.
And now Styles moonsault off the apron.
And Samoa Joe now.
Driven into the post.
And it has been all Styles.
[Corey] Joe has been so ineffective since the bell rung.
This is kind of surprising.
[Renee] His knee must be just causing so much damage on his entire body.
[Cole] Yeah, but now… Oh!
AJ Styles bounced off the barricade.
What happened there was AJ Styles went back to the ring to break the count.
Does not wanna win via countout tonight.
He wants to beat down Samoa Joe.
That tactic caught AJ Styles there.
[Corey] Dealing with a Superstar like Samoa Joe,
you can't let pride get in the way.
AJ needs to escape with his championship by any means possible.
[Cole] And now Joe back into the ring.
Remember, Joe, though, has to pin or submit Styles.
A countout does not allow Joe to win the championship.
Champion's advantage.
And Joe with a knee,
driving Styles right back down to the floor again.
[Corey] What we're seeing is classic Samoa Joe.
-Uh-oh, wait a minute. Look out! -[Renee] Come on!
[Cole] Joe with a suicide dive! And AJ hit hard!
AJ hit hard!
-His elbow driven into the announce table. -[Corey] His ribs as well.
[Cole] The official quickly down to check on the champion.
And now the look, the demeanor of Samoa Joe has changed
since he delivered that blow.
[Renee] I don't think Styles can catch a breath.
He got the wind knocked out of him.
[Corey] It was an earth-shaking impact.
Styles almost sent through the table, courtesy of a Samoa Joe dive.
[Cole] Now Joe cover for the championship. And Styles kicks out.
[Corey] What I started to say, this is classic Samoa Joe.
This is the trademark. Let's take one more look at this.
Nearly 300 pounds.
[Cole] Oh, my God! Right on the edge of the announce table.
[Corey] Watch. Pay attention to AJ Styles' rib cage.
[Cole] Right on the point of the table. Driven into the ribs of Styles.
[Corey] I wouldn't be shocked at all if Styles didn't have a cracked rib or two
right now after that impact.
But Samoa Joe weathered the early emotional onslaught of AJ Styles.
Joe is that tough of a human.
He could survive that and change the tide in just one move.
[Renee] AJ better get back to his initial game plan quickly.
[Corey] It's incredible when you think about what Styles has accomplished.
To hold the WWE Championship for nearly a year.
-It'll be one year next week. -[Corey] Look out!
[Cole] Oh! Samoa Joe looking to end that reign here tonight.
He may have done it right there.
Hooks the inside leg,
and it allows Styles to put his leg on the bottom rope to force the break.
[Corey] It's great ring awareness by the veteran, Styles.
Not to exert any more energy.
It's a lot more difficult
to push Samoa Joe's entire body weight off your shoulders
than use the bottom rope.
It was a smart move.
Get up!
[Cole] And now the trash-talking begins for the challenger, Joe.
[Renee] This is where AJ is gonna have to temper his rage.
He lets Joe under his skin any more than he already has,
that could be it.
We could see a new WWE Champion tonight.
[Corey] Right now, AJ can be as rageful as he wants.
Samoa Joe is in complete control.
[Cole] Now Joe just mocking and taunting the WWE fans
as Styles again looks to fight back.
But a vicious chop drops Styles in the middle of the ring.
[Renee] Turned Styles inside out.
[groans]
[Cole] This match, for the WWE Championship.
Later on tonight, we are guaranteed to crown a new Universal Champion.
On Monday Night RAW, it will be either Brock Lesnar or Braun Strowman.
[Corey] Right now, Samoa Joe is using all of his body weight
wearing down AJ Styles.
[Renee] Samoa Joe has had his heart set,
his eyes set on that WWE Championship since day one with WWE.
[Cole] Samoa Joe and AJ Styles exchanging blows center of the ring.
Styles misses wildly.
Joe with another vicious chop!
And look at Joe go.
And AJ with a step-up enzuigiri.
And Joe's down and Styles down.
[Corey] Styles has bought himself some valuable time.
But Samoa Joe is the rare case where a bigger Superstar
is actually favored the deeper the match goes.
Samoa Joe's endurance and cardio is freakish.
Let's take a look at these.
Like a grizzly bear pawing at Styles.
Styles out of the way just in time to buy some time with a well-placed kick.
[Cole] A kick right to the ear dropped Joe.
[Corey] But Joe almost back up to a vertical base before the champion.
Neck and neck here. Oh, Styles…
gets there a fraction of a second before.
[Cole] Ah! Now Styles with a chop.
[Corey] Knife-edge chops from Joe are absolutely thunderous.
[Cole] Uh oh, Styles looking for the Styles Clash perhaps.
[Corey] Hasn't fared well for AJ in the past.
Joe's a little bit too big.
[Cole] AJ, second rope.
-Oh! -[Renee] Oh!
[Cole] Down goes Joe.
Cover by Styles! And a kick-out.
[crowd chanting] AJ Styles!
[Corey] Samoa Joe, doing the wise thing, rolling to the outside to compose himself.
The WWE Universe rallying behind the champion, Styles.
Even this deep into the match, Renee, do you think AJ wants to change strategy
or does he stick with what worked in the past?
[Cole] Delivering the forearm as he launches himself over the top rope.
[Renee] I think AJ might have to stick with some old tricks.
He knows what can work against Samoa Joe.
He's had victories over him before.
If he can stick to that game plan, which we're getting to right now.
[Cole] AJ looking for the Phenomenal Forearm
as he launches himself off the second rope.
Joe able to duck underneath.
-[Corey] Once again, Samoa Joe! -[Cole] Powerslam!
Cover to win the championship! Two and a half! Almost had him.
[Corey] That point to counter it, Renee.
Samoa Joe knows every move AJ Styles is about to make.
Almost before Styles makes it.
[Renee] What an impact on AJ Styles' body.
[Corey] The speed with which Joe drove Styles' body down to the mat
is horrific.
Kick right to the back of Joe's knee, to this point in the match.
-[Cole] Oh! Clothesline! -[Corey] My God!
-[Cole] Styles landed hard on his neck. -That is it.
[Cole] Cover now by Joe! And a kick-out by AJ.
How the hell did Styles kick-out?
Turned inside out, landed on the back of his neck.
[Corey] I have no idea how the champion fought through that one.
That was one of the most brutal lariats I have ever seen.
Let's take another look.
That'll make Stan Hansen blush.
I can't believe Styles survived that.
[Renee] The last time I heard a club to the body like that
was these two at Super ShowDown in Melbourne, Australia.
[Cole] AJ and Joe down,
middle of the ring for the WWE Championship.
We are sold out tonight at Crown Jewel.
Samoa Joe back to his feet.
Styles back to his feet as well.
[Corey] Uh-oh, Styles, once again looking for the Calf Crusher.
[Cole] Can he get it locked in on Joe?
Looking for the Calf Crusher now.
AJ Styles!
[Corey] Joe's got much thicker legs than a usual Superstar.
It could help him as far as buying some time goes.
But this is incredibly agonizing, especially on the injured knee.
[Cole] Joe gets to the rope and gonna force the break.
[groans]
Again, Joe's lower body has just been beaten apart by Styles.
[Corey] What's the mark of a champion?
AJ Styles knew coming into this battle that he requested what weak spots,
if any, exist in the armor of Samoa Joe.
It's the knee, and Styles is doing his best.
[Cole] And look at Styles from behind.
O'Connor roll succeeds.
Cover!
-[Cole] And the Coquina Clutch! -[Corey] It's in!
[Cole] Joe, just like that, locks the Clutch in on AJ Styles!
The champion with nowhere to go!
Will he tap out? Will he pass out?
Will Joe win his first WWE Title?
[Corey] Joe has put Styles to sleep on numerous occasions.
[Cole] Oh, look at this, though, the bad leg!
-[groans] -AJ Styles now torturing Joe!
What a great counter by AJ Styles!
And Joe makes it to the ropes!
[Corey] It was a desperate situation for the champion,
but great, great awareness to grab the injured knee of Samoa Joe.
Forcing Joe to break the Coquina Clutch.
Thus preserving Styles' title a bit longer.
[Renee] Oh!
[Cole] This has been a relentless and vicious attack
on Joe's lower body by the champion, AJ Styles.
[Corey] Styles, once again, looking for the Calf Crusher.
[Cole] Joe hanging on in the corner.
Elbows back of the neck in the upper back of Styles.
And that rungs… Oh, and Pelé Kick!
[Corey] Right between the eyes of Samoa Joe.
Both men giving it their absolute all for the right to be called WWE Champion.
[Cole] And now AJ launched out to the apron.
Oh, and a big right hand!
[Corey] Joe on spaghetti legs, Styles could be perched.
Here it comes!
-[Cole] Phenomenal Forearm! -[Renee] This is it!
[Cole] To retain the championship!
-Got him! -[bell dings]
AJ Styles!
[crowd cheering]
[Greg] Here is your winner,
and still the WWE Champion,
The Phenomenal AJ Styles!
[Cole] I'll tell you, it has been an unbelievable title reign for AJ Styles.
Closing in on one year.
Three hundred sixty days as champion.
[Corey] And once again,
the wolf in Samoa Joe came knocking at the door.
But the WWE Champion defended his title in the house that AJ Styles built.
What a phenomenal effort by the champion.
And much respect to Samoa Joe for bringing the big fight.
[Renee] This is wild!
[Corey] Joe taking it high risk, throwing everything he had.
And then some at the champion.
But Styles would not be denied.
In the end, the familiar sight soaring through the sky.
A Phenomenal Forearm found its mark…
and drove away the threat…
that is Samoa Joe once more.
[Cole] A triumphant champion, AJ Styles,
on top of the world from SmackDown LIVE.
Coming up next, we guarantee we will crown a new Universal Champion.
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the acting general manager
of Monday Night RAW, Baron Corbin.
[Corbin's theme song plays]
[Cole] There is a reason for Baron Corbin to be here for this matchup.
[Corey] Of course, there is, Michael Cole,
he's the acting general manager of Monday Night RAW.
[Cole] The point I'm trying to make is the Universal Championship
was vacated by Roman Reigns a few weeks ago
because Roman Reigns is battling leukemia.
So now we have this matchup.
[Corey] I had the pleasure of flying all the way here next to Baron Corbin.
It was an absolutely glorious flight.
The acting general manager is so excited
to have a brand new Universal Champion to represent Monday Night RAW.
♪ I'll be your end of days ♪
♪ End, end, end, end of days ♪
♪ Out of the ashes… ♪
[Cole] And Baron Corbin looking at the Universal Title,
of course, being displayed here at ringside.
Either Brock Lesnar or Braun Strowman,
one of those men guaranteed to become the new Universal Champion here tonight
at Crown Jewel.
This past Monday, Baron Corbin had the Universal Title over his own shoulder
and seemed to take quite a liking to it.
-[Cole] Yeah. -[Renee] Sure, he did.
[Cole] Powerslammed a number of times by Braun Strowman.
[Corey] Why do you keep bringing up the past?
[Renee] Unfortunately for him, The Beast Incarnate is here, Brock Lesnar.
[Brock's theme music plays]
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] What we are about to witness will not be for the faint of heart.
One of the most celebrated athletes in the history of combat sports
making his way to the ring
in an attempt to reclaim the Universal Championship
Lesnar once held so proudly.
[Cole] Brock Lesnar held the Universal Title for 504 days.
An incredible reign by The Beast.
[Corey] And it was this past Monday,
after an unprovoked assault by Braun Strowman on Baron Corbin,
we actually saw The Beast Incarnate deliver a ring-shaking F-5
to The Monster Among Men.
Will the past repeat itself?
[Renee] Brock Lesnar is the most terrifying man
I have ever crossed paths with.
There's so many Superstars in the back here.
When Brock Lesnar is out, it changes the entire feel of everything through WWE.
[Corey] I think a stadium full of people would agree with you.
The minute his guitar riff hits in his music,
the energy changes in the building.
[Cole] I felt the wrath of that man.
[Corey] Now that's some old stuff I'm okay with you bringing up. [chuckles]
[Braun's theme music plays]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] This is a very important night in the career of Braun Strowman,
to say the least.
Braun Strowman with an opportunity to win his first Universal Championship
here in WWE.
[Corey] The Monster Among Men surveying the scene
of what could be a defining moment in his career.
We are moments away from finding out if, in fact,
Brock Lesnar will get these hands.
[Renee] Braun Strowman looks focused, more ready than ever.
So confident.
Either way, tonight we have a new Universal Champion.
[Cole] Yeah, guaranteed.
One of these two men.
[Corey] Strowman's eyes have not broken the gaze of Brock Lesnar.
These two foals are set to clash.
[Renee] It's like a T. rex versus a great white shark.
[bell dings]
The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the Universal Championship!
Introducing first,
weighing in at 385 pounds,
Braun Strowman!
[screams]
And his opponent…
[crowd cheering]
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman.
Let's just get this out of the way.
You'll hear this is just a few minutes.
Your winner and new, reigning, defending
Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Champion,
Brock Lesnar!
[Renee] That was not a prediction. That was a spoiler.
[Cole] Acting General Manager Corbin going to, uh,
present the championship to the official and to, obviously, the competitors.
One of these two men will be the Universal Champion
after this match tonight.
Oh, my God! What the heck is he doing?
Corbin! Corbin blasted Strowman with the championship…
-[bell dings] -…and told the referee to ring the bell!
-[Renee] What the hell? -You gotta be kidding me!
This is ridiculous!
And now Lesnar with an F-5 to Braun Strowman!
And the cover by Lesnar! Not like this!
Oh my God! Strowman kicked out!
You gotta be kidding me!
What the hell is Corbin doing?
[Corey] It's obvious.
Baron Corbin believes Brock Lesnar's best suited to represent Monday Night RAW.
[Cole] Come on! That's ridiculous!
-[Renee] In what capacity? -I'm not saying I agree with it!
[Cole] And now, Lesnar again, lifting Strowman up on his shoulders!
And looking for a massive F-5 a second time!
-[Renee] This is an assault! -[Corey] No one survives two!
[Cole] Cover again by Lesnar!
Strowman kicks out again!
[Corey] What?
[Cole] Brock cannot believe it!
Brock in disbelief!
No one here can believe that Strowman has kicked out of two F-5s!
Paul Heyman is beside himself at ringside!
[Renee] These men are not human, neither one of them.
[Cole] Strowman struggling to make it to his feet.
Lesnar once again stalking Braun Strowman.
Lifts Strowman up on his shoulders.
And now looking for a third F-5 in this match!
And he delivers it!
Strowman is down after a third F-5!
And a cover by Brock! Hook of the leg!
And Strowman kicked out a third time!
[Corey] What is it gonna take?
[Cole] Are you kidding me?
Three straight F-5s!
Three straight kick-outs!
[Renee] I don't wanna see what Brock Lesnar wants to do
if Braun Strowman survives three F-5s!
[Corey] I've never seen that look on the face of Brock Lesnar,
but it's as close to doubt as I think I've ever seen!
[Cole] Strowman struggling back to his feet.
And now Brock Lesnar, what does he do?
He goes for a fourth F-5!
Lifts Strowman up on his shoulders!
-Now Strowman F-5'ed out of the ring! -[Corey] Oh, my God!
All the way to the outside!
[Renee] Like a body bag!
[Cole] Strowman is F-5'ed out of the ring!
The official has begun to count, and this is odd because normally
a championship doesn't change hands in a countout.
[Corey] I'd agree with you, but there's no champion's advantage tonight.
Whoever wins this match is champion! This is winner take all!
[Renee] Oh, my God,
Brock Lesnar might become the new Universal Champion via countout?
[Cole] Yeah, but was that a desperate Lesnar?
To F-5 Strowman out of the ring, hoping for a countout victory!
[Corey] Lesnar will take it any way he can get it!
[Cole] But he won't get it there. Strowman is back in the ring.
[Renee] What's next?
That's four F-5s! Four F-5s!
[Corey] One of them all the way to the outside, to the floor!
That has never been done before, and now Lesnar taking the gloves off!
[Renee] Going bare-knuckles!
[Cole] Lesnar's gotta…
He's trying to figure out
what does he have to do to put this monster away!
Strowman back to his feet, Brock Lesnar going for F-5 number five!
Strowman, though, with a boot to the face, looking to rally!
How is Strowman even in this?
-Lesnar with him up again! -[Corey] Wow!
-Unbelievable! -[Cole] And steps out the rally.
-[Corey] That's it. That's gotta be it! -The fifth F-5 on Strowman!
And Brock Lesnar wins the Universal Championship!
[Greg] Here is your winner, and the new Universal Champion,
Brock Lesnar!
[Corey] Braun Strowman never had a chance to get out of the gate!
[Renee] Yeah, because Baron Corbin attacked him
with the Universal Championship right in the back of the neck!
[Cole] You're right, Renee, he did do that!
Braun Strowman survived four F-5s!
One out of the ring, the final one was it!
Brock Lesnar is again representing Monday Night RAW.
Brock Lesnar is again your Universal Champion!
And there's gonna be a lot of people that don't like it!
But Brock Lesnar won the title here tonight!
[Corey] You don't have to like it, but you have no choice but to accept it!
We have reentered the era of The Beast!
[Cole] And watch Corbin,
with the championship right to the back of the neck!
[Renee] What a brutal advantage for Brock Lesnar!
[Cole] Lesnar's like, "Whatever, I'll take the opportunity!"
And here's the first F-5!
And this one here, a normal man would have been taken out!
But he wasn't!
Strowman kicked out!
[Corey] Brock wasn't dealing with a normal man,
he was dealing with The Monster Among Men
and had to kick things up to a whole other level!
Launching Strowman to the outside!
But as Braun finally attempted to get back in the fight,
a fifth, fifth F-5
would finally fell Braun Strowman for three!
[Cole] So the story tonight, the headline is this!
The Beast is back!
The Beast is Universal Champion!
But there is a headline rolling on the floor!
And that headline is this!
If you're Acting RAW General Manager Baron Corbin,
you better watch your back!
Because The Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman,
will not forget what happened to him tonight!
[Renee] Tonight, Brock Lesnar celebrates!
[Brock's theme music plays]
[Cole] I'm shocked at what has transpired here tonight!
And the way that it's transpired!
I'm so proud of you!
[Corey] There's gonna be a lot of questions asked!
There's gonna be a lot of conspiracy theories raised!
The fact is, the Undisputable, Indisputable,
the Universal Champion is Brock Lesnar once again!
[Cole] There's one man that's not gonna ask any questions!
That man is lying right in front of our announce table now!
When he figures out what the heck is going on,
when he figures out what Baron Corbin did to him,
there's gonna be hell to pay!
But Brock Lesnar is once again Universal Champion!
[man] Who rules this universe?
One is the Monday night monster.
The other, the Tuesday night tornado.
RAW is a who's who of greatness.
SmackDown, larger than lifeline.
[Cole] The one night a year, RAW and SmackDown
compete in head-to-head competition.
[man] Survival is everything!
It is the one night a year that SmackDown and RAW Superstars
go head-to-head in competition.
And that happens at Survivor Series, two weeks from Sunday,
streaming live on the WWE Network.
Of course, we know now who the Universal Champion will be.
We also know who the WWE Champion's gonna be
when they clash at Survivor Series.
[Corey] It will be, representing Monday Night RAW,
the brand new Universal Champion, The Beast, Brock Lesnar,
one-on-one with The Phenomenal AJ Styles!
This one is gonna be unforgettable for sure!
[Cole] And what about this dream matchup?
It is the Intercontinental Champion from Monday Night RAW,
The Kingslayer, Seth Rollins
against the United States Champion from SmackDown,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
Rollins versus Nakamura, two weeks from Sunday at Survivor Series.
[Renee] And take a look at this,
two of the most talked about women in all of WWE,
the self-proclaimed, The Man, Becky Lynch,
taking on the Baddest Woman on the Planet, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.
RAW Women's Champion versus the SmackDown Women's Champion.
[Cole] That's at Survivor Series, two weeks from Sunday.
But tonight, we still have to crown the best in the world.
It's the finals of the World Cup Tournament!
Right now!
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome the Commissioner of SmackDown LIVE,
Shane McMahon!
♪ Here comes the money ♪
♪ Here we go, money talks ♪
♪ Here comes the money… ♪
[Cole] Of course, Commissioner Shane McMahon here tonight,
representing SmackDown.
And remember what he said.
And it pertains to The Miz, Corey.
Miz has gotta win tonight, or he's not gonna have a show to go to.
He's gonna be fired from SmackDown!
[Corey] It was a decree made this past week on SmackDown LIVE
that if you were the SmackDown representative
and you made it to the finals but you came up short,
you would be, "Crawling away from SmackDown."
[Cole] There's the Acting General Manager for Monday Night RAW, Baron Corbin,
with a huge smile on his face.
He's already affected the outcome
of the Universal Championship Match moments ago.
[speaking indistinctly]
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following is the finals of the WWE World Cup Tournament
to determine who is the best in the world!
[Miz] Awesome!
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ I came to play, there's a price to pay ♪
♪ Time for you to get down on your knees And pray ♪
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ Say goodbye to the good old days ♪
♪ They're never coming back Watch your future fade ♪
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ I came to play, to get my dues paid… ♪
[Cole] Well, we're gonna show you The Miz's path to the finals
of the World Cup Tournament to determine the best in the world in WWE.
♪ Time for you to get down on your knees And pray ♪
♪ I came to play ♪
♪ Say goodbye to the good old days… ♪
In Miz's first round matchup, Corey, he was one-on-one with Jeff Hardy.
[Corey] Jeff Hardy brought everything he could to the battle,
but The Miz with a well-countered Skull-Crushing Finale,
toppling the dreams of The Charismatic Enigma,
and moving The A-Lister to the next round.
[Cole] And then Miz, in action against the previously injured Rey Mysterio,
who had been battling rib injuries throughout the entire match.
[Cole] But it's not like it wasn't inspirational in his own right,
with a possibly bruised trachea.
The Miz would overcome the odds and advance to the finals,
where we could now be moments away from crowning an A-List best in the world.
[Cole] Is there pressure on Miz tonight, considering he might be out of a job?
[Renee] He just mouthed the words to Shane McMahon, "I got this."
Miz is as confident as ever.
[Corey] I don't think Shane McMahon has anything to worry about,
to be totally honest.
♪ I'm here to show the world ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ Bring it on… ♪
I'll take care of it, boss.
Michael Cole, that was Acting General Manager Baron Corbin
demanding us, we, let the WWE Universe, that Monday Night RAW is taking us home.
[Cole] Listen, you said that Miz has nothing to worry about.
-[Corey] I'm unbiased. -[Cole] Perhaps he does.
Drew McIntyre, accompanying Dolph. We're gonna show you why.
First round matchup, Ziggler and Kurt Angle.
[Corey] Ziggler was in the ring with one of his heroes,
and Angle lived up to the Hall of Fame hype
but just could not seal the deal.
Despite coming incredibly close
and inflicting a great deal of damage to the ankle of Dolph Ziggler,
Dolph would overcome on an overzealous Kurt Angle.
Nailed a Zig Zag, boom, and move to round number two.
[Cole] But then, in round number two,
it would be Dolph Ziggler taking on Seth Rollins, an old rival.
And this is where the McIntyre factor would come into play.
[Corey] Well, it could be argued that Seth Rollins caused his own defeat.
Causing a distraction, allowing McIntyre to actually interfere,
allowing Dolph to land a superkick.
Regardless of the McIntyre interference, Dolph is in the finals.
[Cole] You're like a spin doctor.
McIntyre clearly got involved and cost Seth the match.
[Corey] After Seth attacked Drew without provocation.
Introducing first, weighing in at 221 pounds
and residing in Hollywood, California,
The Miz!
And his opponent, accompanied by Drew McIntyre,
residing in Hollywood, Florida,
and weighing in at 218 pounds,
Dolph Ziggler!
[Cole] Ziggler and Miz.
Long-time rivals.
They've battled for years over many championships,
including the Intercontinental Title.
And tonight, they square off to determine who is the best in the world.
This is one-on-one. He needs to go to the back.
-Drew, to the back. Let's go. -He's always by my side.
-He needs to go. -What are you talking about?
-That's enough. -He's by my side all the time.
He needs to go to the back. It's one-on-one.
-It's you versus The Miz. -I'm not telling him that.
-He's staying right here. -Let's go. Out. Let's go. Out.
Drew, let's go.
-[Cole] I love this decision. -[Renee] Good!
He needs to get to the back before I start this match.
Get the grips, McIntyre.
He needs to go to the back before I start this match.
You beat Kurt Angle, you beat Seth Rollins,
you can beat this punk.
That's enough. That's enough. To the back.
Let's go.
[Cole] Great decision by official Ryan Tran
to put Dolph Ziggler on an even playing field with Miz.
And Miz attacks Ziggler.
Matchup has not started yet. Bell has not rung.
Hey! Come on.
[Corey] Miz will stop at nothing.
-And again. -Come on. That's enough.
[Corey] The referee still hasn't called for the bell to begin the matchup.
[Cole] Miz doesn't care. Trying to take every advantage he can.
[Corey] We've said ad nauseam
that Miz will do anything it takes to emerge… Oh!
-[Renee] Oh! -[Cole] Wait a minute.
[Mason] Come on.
Let's go. In the ring.
Get it back in the ring, Dolph. Let's go.
[Cole] Well, Dolph Ziggler now hammering away on The Miz.
This match hasn't started yet, folks.
And Miz apparently came up lame when he came out of the ring.
Ziggler driven shoulder-first into the steps.
And somebody's gotta get some control here.
[Renee] I think Miz needs help.
[Corey] I wouldn't go that far. There's a lot at stake.
You guys, get in the ring.
Come on.
[Cole] The official forcing Ziggler and Miz back into the ring
before he can start this.
[Corey] But Miz is a big game competitor. He wants to be the best in the world.
Let's start this in the ring, Miz.
-Can you continue? -I'm fine!
-Can you compete? -I'm fine!
Come on, you gotta get on your feet. Come on. You gotta show me you can get in.
-I'm fine! I'm fine! -Can you do this?
-Yes, yes, yes, yes! -Okay, bring it home.
You gotta show me you can get in the ring.
-Come on. -Bring it home.
[Cole] Miz can't even stand.
He can't even get in. I can't let him compete.
Get me some referees! Referees!
Shane, he can't compete. I can't let him do this.
-A pop. -No.
I can't let him compete.
-I can compete. -[Corey] Referee is asking for help.
Miz, you can't even get in the ring, Miz.
I promise, I've never been injured.
[Shane] Hey, hey.
Forget it. Chill.
You can't. You can't compete.
He said you cannot compete, Miz.
You cannot compete. Sorry.
I can compete.
Yes, I can. I've never been injured!
-I understand. -Leave me alone!
Miz! Hey! Do not do this.
[speaking indistinctly]
It's gonna be a forfeit. Your winner is Dolph Ziggler.
-His knee is messed. -What are we doing here?
What are we doing?
He can't compete.
-We're not doing it. -He can't go.
-It's gotta be a forfeit now. -No.
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately,
The Miz cannot compete in the finals of the WWE World Cup Tournament.
Therefore…
[crowd cheering]
It's not going down like that. It's not going down like that.
No, no, no. Not gonna go down like that.
This is the finals…. This is the finals for the best in the world.
The best in the world.
-Absolutely not. -He can't compete.
He can't compete, Shane.
Therefore, your winner by forfeit…
No. No.
No.
[crowd cheering]
Come here.
-He can't go? -He can't go.
I'm gonna go.
I'm gonna compete. Okay?
Tell him.
-You tell him. -He's the official.
Tell him. He's the official. You tell him.
-I'm gonna take his place. -Is that what we're gonna do?
Tell him.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Did we just hear that right?
[Greg] Ladies and gentlemen, taking the place of The Miz
in the finals of the WWE World Cup Tournament
to determine the best in the world,
SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon.
-[Cole] Wait a minute. -[Renee] Oh, my God.
[Corey] How is this okay?
[Cole] I don't know how it's okay, but it's unprecedented,
-I'll tell you that. -He's not in it!
[Renee] Commissioners make the rules.
-Shane-O-Mac's the boss. -[Cole] But what…
What about the Acting RAW General Manager Baron Corbin?
He doesn't have any say in this?
[Corey] Oh, not for nothing. It is a SmackDown referee in the ring.
[speaking indistinctly]
[Cole] Ziggler's irate, and you can't blame the guy.
-[Renee] Shane's not even warm. -Dolph's the winner.
[Cole] Dolph Ziggler's been in two matches tonight,
just got beaten up by Miz.
He's not in this match.
-[Renee] What's happening? -[bell dings]
[Cole] I cannot believe what's transpired here over the past 20 minutes.
And now, Shane McMahon,
who's in this match officially against Ziggler,
to determine the best in the world,
the finals of the World Cup, is going right after Ziggler.
[Corey] Punches and bunches from the Commissioner of SmackDown.
[Cole] Maybe the official should step in here.
And Shane with a big elbow.
How is this even right?
[Corey] I have no idea what's happening right now.
[Cole] Baron Corbin getting involved.
[Renee] This is insanity.
You know what? Out!
[Cole] Oh, come on now!
This referee's clearly biased.
He clearly works for Shane.
He's worried about his job, and now he's sending Corbin to the back.
And Ziggler from behind with a Zig Zag.
-Get in and count, ref! -[Corey] That's it.
Do your job!
[crowd] One, two…
Oh, Shane kicked out!
[Corey] If the official was in the ring where he was supposed to be…
He's not in this match.
[Cole] This is insanity.
And now Dolph Ziggler is just teeing off on Shane McMahon.
[Corey] Dolph Ziggler earned his place in the finals.
[Cole] Of course he did!
[Renee] He's also spending all day getting ready to scout for The Miz,
not Shane McMahon, but it's working for him now.
[Cole] I can't believe how the commissioner
and the acting general manager over the last two matches
have affected the outcome of what's going on here.
[Renee] It's all self-serving. This is insane.
[Cole] First Lesnar, now this!
[Corey] Dolph is raking at the face of Shane McMahon.
[Cole] Again, it's supposed to be The Miz representing SmackDown.
He got hurt.
A forfeit was supposed to give Ziggler the victory.
Shane McMahon has inserted himself into this match.
And now Shane is going one-on-one with Dolph Ziggler.
DDT by McMahon!
[Renee] Shane's bringing that pride back to the blue brand.
That's a good commissioner.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] And now Shane whipping Ziggler into the turnbuckle.
[crowd cheering]
[Renee] Brand supremacy at an all-time high.
[Cole] Where's he going?
[Corey] How is this brand supremacy? This is highway robbery.
[Cole] It's ridiculous is what it is. It's unprecedented.
I've never seen anything like this in WWE history.
[Corey] No way. Don't do it, Shane.
[Cole] Now Shane going for Coast-to-Coast.
[crowd cheering]
Are you kidding me?
Not like this!
Not this way!
-[crowd cheering] -[bell dings]
♪ Money, money, money, money ♪
[Greg] Here is the winner of the WWE World Cup Tournament
and the best in the world,
Shane McMahon!
[Cole] I have no idea how he's gonna be proud about that.
Oh, yeah!
Yeah!
[Renee] I'm sure Miz is watching from somewhere in the back.
[Cole] Miz probably doesn't have any idea what just went down.
Look at him.
I'm… I'm just… I'm shocked. I don't even know what to say.
[Corey] I guess Shane McMahon did what he had to do
to bring the best in the world cup to SmackDown.
[Cole] Look at this. This is incredible no matter how you look at it.
A Coast-to-Coast from Shane McMahon to Dolph Ziggler.
I'm just…
I don't know.
[crowd] One, two, three.
[Renee] There goes the man. Now crowned the best in the world.
[Cole] I just… I cannot… I cannot put into words
what the last 20 to 30 minutes…
-what's happened here. -[Corey] Twenty to thirty minutes?
The whole night has just gone up in smoke. Now, I mean…
[Cole] Well, Corey, I'm talking about first,
Acting General Manager Baron Corbin and what happened with Brock and Braun,
and now, the commissioner of SmackDown putting himself into this match
when Miz got hurt, only to win the match against Ziggler.
[Corey] Stop being so biased. It happened.
It happened on both sides, but all is fair in love and war.
It happened from RAW. It happened from SmackDown. It's fine.
-Just enjoy… -Wait a minute. It's not fine.
It is fine. I'm on both shows. It's fine.
[Cole] You were just critical of what Shane did.
And now, because he won, you're on his bandwagon?
What is wrong with you?
I know where my bread's buttered, Cole.
[Renee] I'd be careful. Shane might take that from you, too.
[Corey] I know who signs my paychecks.
Both of them.
-Oh, my God. -[Cole laughs]
[Cole] Wait a minute. Seriously.
-Whoo! -He didn't win the whole tournament.
He's acting like he just ran through everybody.
[Corey] His edge is nine-tenths of the law.
-Who's got the cup? -[Renee] He must feel heroic.
I mean, he stepped in there,
represent for SmackDown LIVE, bringing the championship home.
The cup, you called it?
Yeah!
-Yeah! Yeah! -The trophy?
[Corey] I don't necessarily think Shane let the WWE Universe down.
I mean, that would have been accepting a forfeit.
We at least got an action-packed finale to the Best in the World Tournament.
Maybe it's a little unorthodox, but I'm okay with it.
I can learn to like it.
[Renee] Keep talking. You'll talk yourself into enjoying it.
[Cole] He already has.
Thank you.
I can't believe it.
Whoo!
SmackDown rules!
This is for SmackDown!
[Corey] SmackDown rules tonight!
SmackDown! Yes!
Yes!
♪ Money, money, money, money Money, money, money, money, money ♪
♪ This is our war cry ♪
♪ We'll rise up… ♪
[Corey] The second longest running event in WWE,
Survivor Series!
♪ Our time to rise up… ♪
Tables, Ladders and Chairs.
[Corey] Each one seems to top the last.
[Tom] The Royal Rumble is a night to witness history!
Where opportunity is everything!
[Cole] We begin the Road to WrestleMania!
♪ War cry… ♪
What did we all just witness?
Yep. The WWE Network, where you can see all the controversies.
It went down tonight at Crown Jewel.
Shane McMahon is the…
-Best in the world. -…best in the world.
Commissioner Shane McMahon from SmackDown LIVE.
But it's also on the WWE Network where you can see this.
Something we never thought we'd see.
Because for the first time ever,
D-Generation X versus The Brothers of Destruction,
plus the in-ring return of the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels.
A story which exploded at Super ShowDown in Australia.
[Triple H] Twenty-five years is a long time to climb a mountain.
[Cole] Shawn Michaels will be in Triple H's corner.
In The Undertaker's corner will be his brother, Kane.
The Undertaker, Triple H, for the last time ever.
No disqualifications now in this match.
[Corey] Oh, my God, did you see that chair bend?
[Cole] Shawn Michaels is pleading.
And a spinebuster by The Game!
[Corey] Both of these men have given it everything they have,
and then some.
The Undertaker had his sights fixed on the sledgehammer of The Game.
[Cole] Yeah, but Shawn Michaels has it in hand.
And now Kane coming to the aid of his brother.
[Corey] HBK went low.
[Cole] And now Shawn Michaels.
Triple H with a sledgehammer off the face of The Undertaker.
Sweet Chin Music!
Into a Pedigree!
-[crowd] One, two, three. -[bell dings]
The Game with the win!
[Triple H] In Melbourne, Australia, we made it to the summit of that mountain.
[Cole] You have witnessed history.
Four men who have made our industry what it is today.
[Triple H] But the avalanche that fell on us
after we made it to the top of that mountain…
[Cole] Oh, my God!
…makes us both question
whether that mountain was just a lie the whole time.
[Shawn] I've stayed retired out of respect for The Undertaker.
A respect that never existed at all!
I was about to walk off that plane,
you walked up to me and said three words that I never thought I'd hear again.
Are you ready?
[Shawn] D-Generation X is ready!
I say this with absolutely no respect.
And if you're not down with that, we got two words.
Respect.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels wanna lecture us about respect?
Shawn knows that what kept him in the shadows for eight and a half years
was nothing but fear.
When The Brothers of Destruction reunite to unleash hell on D-Generation X,
all of Shawn Michaels' fears will come true.
Triple H may have won a battle, but he started a war.
And when it ends, Triple H can slink back to the comfort of the boardroom.
You can't survive The Brothers of Destruction.
We will put you down.
But we will own your black and blistered souls for eternity.
And you will never rest in peace.
[Triple H] A lot of big words being thrown around lately, Shawn.
One of them being fear.
Somehow it was fear that kept me from taking off the suit
and stepping out of the boardroom.
That somehow it was fear that kept you from stepping out of retirement.
But I got news for you.
It's gonna take a lot more to instill fear in us.
We bring this X the Crown Jewel.
We ain't coming to make you laugh.
We ain't coming for nostalgia.
We are coming to kick your ass.
[Cole] Wait a minute, somebody's missing.
Oh, wait a minute, Shawn Michaels.
Superkick to The Undertaker!
DX up to their old tricks.
Oh, and The Undertaker.
And D-Generation X realizes what they face at Crown Jewel.
[Corey] For the first time ever,
two of the most powerful duos in WWE will clash.
[Cole] Four all-time greats in the ring at the same time.
D-Generation X versus The Brothers of Destruction.
[crowd cheering]
♪ Are you ready? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us what to do? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us What to wear? ♪
♪ You think that you're better? ♪
♪ Well, you better get ready ♪
♪ Bow to the masters ♪
♪ Break it down… ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ Degenerate into something, fool ♪
♪ We just got tired of doin' What ya told us to do ♪
♪ That's the breaks, boy, yeah ♪
♪ That's the breaks, little man ♪
♪ Break it down ♪
♪ D-Generation X ♪
♪ D-Generation ♪
♪ You think you can tell me what to do? ♪
♪ You know who you're talkin' to? ♪
♪ Well, you'd better get used To the way the ball bounces ♪
♪ I've seen what you got It measures in ounces… ♪
[bell dings]
[Greg] The following contest is a tag team match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, The Game, Triple H,
and WWE Hall of Famer, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels,
D-Generation X!
[Corey] I can't believe it.
DX rides once again.
[Cole] For the first time in over eight years,
Shawn Michaels returns to in-ring competition.
It was back at WrestleMania XXVI in 2010,
Michaels versus The Undertaker, streak versus career.
Since then, Shawn Michaels has not stepped foot
back in a WWE ring for a match until tonight.
[Renee] There it is.
[Corey] I think the only thing in the world
that could bring Shawn Michaels back was The Undertaker.
♪ You know who you're talking to? ♪
♪ Just stop wanting me To be someone else ♪
♪ Put it away like a book on a shelf ♪
♪ That you can't read, boy, yeah… ♪
[Cole] One of the most controversial groups
in the history of WWE.
The things that these two men have accomplished in their careers
is unparalleled.
Triple H, a 14-time World Champion.
Shawn Michaels, a multi-time champion.
[Kane's theme music plays]
[Greg] And their opponents,
first, weighing in at 323 pounds,
Kane!
[Cole] The Big Red Monster.
Multi-time World Champion.
Former Money in the Bank contract winner.
And one of the most fearsome Superstars in WWE history.
[Corey] How massive, how thick, how big Kane is.
[Cole] Him and Triple H have had some unbelievable battles over the years.
[Corey] It's a match between Shawn Michaels and his brother, Kane.
Or his brother Undertaker, where Kane was first seen in WWE.
[Cole] Yeah, Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood.
[Undertaker's theme music plays]
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] I can't help but feel that here comes hell.
[Renee] What a scene.
[Greg] And his tag team partner, from Death Valley,
The Undertaker!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Please fear the reaper.
The Phenom is here.
How many times in their careers
have… Shawn Michaels and Triple H stood in the ring
and glanced down the aisleway…
to see this… awe-inspiring yet frightening entrance?
[Corey] It's intimidation in its finest form.
You have to imagine Triple H and Shawn Michaels right now
feeling like a couple of cowboys standing at the O.K. Corral,
ready for a shootout with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
[Cole] JBL would tell the story
that the only time that he was scared in his career
was when he stood in the ring and watched The Undertaker approach
before their many battles.
So many Superstars have said that over the years.
A man who once won 21 straight matches at WrestleMania.
[Corey] A streak that, albeit broken,
will live in the mythology of sports entertainment forever.
[Cole] The greatest presence in WWE history.
[Corey] Awe-inspiring and bone-chilling.
[Cole] To think about the storied history between these four men.
Yet tonight marks the first time ever
that D-Generation X and The Brothers of Destruction
will meet in a tag team match.
Think about that.
We've never witnessed this.
[Corey] It's almost implausible.
[crowd cheering]
Everything that the four of these men have accomplished in sports entertainment,
there is almost nothing that hasn't happened
when you talk about these four men.
Yet here we are, moments away from witnessing a first-time-ever clash.
[Renee] We heard from The Undertaker on Monday Night RAW.
They will take the beaten, battered soul of DX to the fiery gates of hell.
[Corey] I know Shawn Michaels said
he was showing up tonight with absolutely no respect.
I wonder if HBK has changed his tune at all.
[Cole] You have to wonder what DX has up their sleeve.
You know they've got a plan. You know they've been conspiring.
They've been thinking about this for a very long time.
[Corey] They better have something.
[crowd cheering]
'Cause The Deadman and The Demon await.
[Cole] Undertaker and Kane are ready.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels taking their time.
The world is talking about, the world is witnessing this match.
Our four icons, four legends, four all-time greats,
about to do battle in a tag team match for the very first time
at the sold-out King Saud Stadium at WWE Crown Jewel.
History happening now.
[speaking indistinctly]
Come on, guys.
Who's it gonna be, huh?
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Cole] Indeed, it is.
And it will be The Big Red Machine, Kane, starting for his team.
Triple H will start things off for D-Generation X.
[bell dings]
Kane with a stoic stare.
Has not taken his eyes off The Game, The Cerebral Assassin, Triple H.
[Renee] Triple H meets his gaze head-on.
No, no, no. Hey! Taker.
[Cole] And Triple H trying to draw Undertaker in.
Playing mind games already.
[Corey] You don't call Triple H The Cerebral Assassin for nothing.
[speaking indistinctly]
[Cole] Ah, a right hand by Triple H.
And it doesn't even faze Kane.
[Corey] I don't know if that was the wisest decision
The Game could have made.
[Cole] And perhaps not, and Triple H sent into the corner.
Triple H…
Oh, went for the crotch chop and paid.
Right hand by Kane floors The Game.
[Corey] I think it's fair to assume we're gonna see DX rely
on the mind games and their quickness.
'Cause you are not gonna overpower The Big Red Machine or The Deadman.
[Cole] No way it's gonna happen.
Kane now follows up in the corner. Down goes Triple H.
[Corey] Gotta wonder, standing on the outside of the ring,
if Shawn Michaels feels any trepidation right now
being this close to the action once again,
watching Kane dismantle his friend, The Game.
[Renee] Cole, did you talk to Shawn Michaels?
You guys have a personal relationship
-about coming out of retirement. -Yeah, Shawn Michaels is concerned.
He was concerned about this match tonight
because he's coming out of retirement against the Kane and Undertaker.
Shawn Michaels said, "I hope I'm ready. I think I'm ready."
And we're gonna find out right now if he's ready.
Shawn Michaels off the top rope.
And it's interesting to me that Michaels goes right to the top rope,
where he made much of his career in his first move of the match.
[Corey] I think Shawn's aware of what he's dealing with now
in The Big Red Machine.
Doing as much impact on everything as humanly possible.
Or superhumanly possible.
[Cole] Another chop by Shawn Michaels, trying to drive Kane back.
Kane now whips Shawn across the ring. Shawn Michaels with a neckbreaker!
And HBK fired up, saying, "Hey, I still got it."
[Renee] Ring rust out of the equation.
[Cole] Uh-oh, turn around! He better turn around!
[Corey] HBK got caught up in the moment for a second, nearly paid for it.
[Cole] Another chop by Shawn Michaels.
Shawn whipped into the ropes up over the top, went for the sunset flip.
Kane, though, trying not to allow this to happen.
Using his power.
Shawn's in trouble.
[Corey] Nearly seven feet tall, over three hundred pounds,
you're not gonna bring down Kane that easily.
[Cole] Went for some Sweet Chin Music, said, "Could have got you there."
[crowd cheering]
Glad to see Shawn hasn't lost his sense of humor.
[Corey] I don't think Undertaker ever had one.
[Cole] Or his smile.
[crowd cheering]
And here we go.
The man who ended Shawn Michaels' career eight and a half years ago.
Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
[Corey] Undertaker retired Shawn Michaels eight years ago.
[Cole] Yep, the streak versus career.
[Renee] This lack of respect
is what's taunted Shawn Michaels to return to the ring.
[Cole] One of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history.
And Undertaker says, "It's over here again.
Rest in peace, Shawn Michaels."
[crowd cheering]
The rebellious Michaels, the Heartbreak Kid.
[Corey] HBK bringing the fight to The Deadman.
[Cole] Oh, what a big boot!
And down goes Shawn. And he hit hard.
[Corey] The Phenom standing over his fallen prey.
Undertaker might tear Shawn's shoulder clean out of the socket.
[Cole] Oh, and a shoulder tackle by Undertaker.
And now Shawn Michaels is in trouble.
Undertaker looks to overpower the Heartbreak Kid.
Undertaker looking for the ropes, looking to go old school.
And now Triple H gets involved.
-[Corey] Here comes Kane. -[Cole] Kane with a right.
All four men in the ring now.
Remember, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are legal.
Shawn hit hard in the corner, and he's hung up.
[Corey] Shawn hung up in the tree of woe.
Not somewhere you wanna be.
[Cole] And Triple H… Oh, my God, up over the top.
Hunter hit hard.
[Corey] Shawn was able to free himself, but…
-Look at this. -…this isn't any better.
[Renee] Right into the clutches of The Undertaker.
[Cole] The power of The Phenom.
I think Triple H hurt his ribs when he came over the top.
[Corey] A long way down.
[Cole] And now The Brothers of Destruction send Shawn Michaels over the top rope.
And D-Generation X…
are in deep, deep trouble.
[Corey] D-Generation X may not be getting back in the ring.
I wouldn't blame them.
[Renee] Taken so much to get Shawn Michaels out of retirement.
There's not gonna be any quitting in HBK tonight.
[Corey] If there's any quitting in the human being of Shawn Michaels,
Undertaker and Kane are hell-bent on finding it.
[Renee] No question.
[Corey] Uh-oh!
[Cole] Uh-oh!
And now DX battling back, fighting back.
[Corey] Double axe handle sends Kane over.
[Cole] Now The Brothers of Destruction outside the ring, landing on their feet.
Oh!
[Corey] To this point, it's like…
HBK and Triple H have been stuck in an endless labyrinth of destruction.
Everything they've done, Undertaker and Kane have been there.
[Cole] And now Shawn Michaels sent back in the ring.
Undertaker now in pursuit.
And now, Undertaker looking to go old school once again.
Heading up to the top rope.
Undertaker…
walking the tightrope.
Old School to the Heartbreak Kid!
[Corey] You think Shawn Michaels is recontemplating
coming out of retirement?
[Renee] Sure, life at home is a little nicer than this.
[Cole] He is being punished right now by The Brothers of Destruction.
One, two, three, four…
[Corey] You can almost hear Shawn Michaels girdling.
[Cole] Undertaker hung up on the top rope.
And this could be the opening that D-Generation X need.
Can Shawn Michaels make it to Triple H?
-Tag! -[Corey] Here comes The Game.
[crowd] Woooo!
And Triple H, now unloading with a chop to The Undertaker.
[Renee] COO proven he's not just about board meetings anymore.
[Corey] Uh-oh.
[crowd cheering]
That boot from Triple H had practically no effect on The Phenom.
[Cole] Tag. And here comes Kane.
And now it's Kane and The Undertaker beating down Triple H.
Taking apart The Game.
[Corey] Elbow right to the jaw of The Game.
Triple H is in dire straits at this point.
[Cole] And now Kane lifting Triple H up and slamming him down.
This is the game The Brothers of Destruction wanna play.
Went for the elbow. Triple H rolled out of harm's way for now.
[Renee] Shawn Michaels looking on helplessly.
-[Cole] Oh, and a right by Kane. -[Renee] Right to the ear.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Triple H building up steam.
[Cole] Kick to the midsection. And he plants Kane with a DDT.
Both men down.
[Corey] This could be the opening that Triple H needed.
Shawn Michaels anxious to get back in this battle.
You can imagine The Big Red Machine's gonna be looking for his brother,
The Undertaker.
[Cole] Tag.
Here comes Shawn Michaels.
And the Heartbreak Kid, now unloading on Kane.
[Corey] Uh-oh.
[Cole] Both men down.
-Shawn, kip-up! -[Renee] Hey!
[Cole] He still got it!
HBK… Oh, my God!
Kane sat up, too!
Inverted atomic drop!
Chop by Michaels.
[Corey] It's a big, big tree for HBK to chop down.
Kane just too much for Shawn.
[crowd chanting] You still got it!
[Cole] And the "You still got it" chants from the WWE Universe.
Now the double team…
-[Corey] Oh! -…to Kane!
And D-Generation X is in control.
[Renee] The size of Kane, as you mentioned, Graves,
to get him up and over, what strength.
-You need two of them. -[Corey] Wait, wait.
Are we gonna see what I think we're gonna see?
[Cole] I think so. Shawn Michaels is going up top.
Shades of yesteryear for the Heartbreak Kid!
-[Corey chuckles] -Drops the elbow to the heart of Kane!
[Corey] Do you hear it, Cole?
[Cole] Oh, I hear it!
They're tuning up the band!
It's time for some music!
[crowd] …three, four,
five, six, seven, eight…
Kane back to his feet.
Shawn Michaels, with the Sweet Chin Music!
Blocked by Kane!
Kane with a Chokeslam!
[crowd cheering]
Tag!
And here comes The Undertaker.
And Shawn Michaels in deep, deep trouble now.
[Corey] Straight rights from The Phenom.
[Cole] And a headbutt as well.
[Renee] Unbelievable strikes from Undertaker.
[Corey] One of the best to ever do it.
[Cole] Shawn whipped across the ring.
-[Corey] Uh-oh! -[Cole] Undertaker now!
Snake eyes!
-[Corey] Taker with a full head of steam! -[Cole] Boot to Michaels!
Shawn has no idea where he is!
A big leg drop right across the face!
Here's the cover for the win!
And Michaels kicks out!
[Corey] The Deadman was half a second away
from spoiling the return of Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels has so much to prove.
[Renee] He's gonna be in a lot of trouble.
[Cole] Triple H ran right into a right hand.
Oh, he caught him! Sweet Chin Music to the jaw!
From out of nowhere, the superkick by Michaels!
[Corey] But HBK doesn't have enough left to capitalize.
[Cole] Taker's down.
Kane's down.
Shawn's down.
Triple H is hurt.
[Corey] The official… Uh-oh!
[Cole] Uh-oh, Undertaker just sat up.
And that could be the death knell for D-Generation X.
Undertaker sends Shawn right outside the ring.
Right here in front of us.
Uh-oh! Undertaker clearing house here.
Undertaker is clearing house.
[Corey] What could The Deadman possibly have in mind?
[Cole] Uh-oh.
This is not good.
Undertaker has that look in his eye.
And now Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels set up on the announce table.
[Corey] HBK is about to regret ever stepping foot in the ring again.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Shawn Michaels up top.
Triple H go from behind.
-[Renee] What a save. -Saving his D-Generation X buddy.
And now Kane.
Driven into the steps by Triple H.
And now Undertaker into the barricade.
[Corey] Triple H out of the way,
able to reverse at the last possible second.
[Cole] And just like that, DX is back in the game.
-Or maybe not. -[Corey] Uh-oh.
[Cole] Oh, my God!
Kane!
[crowd cheering]
A Chokeslam through the table!
Monitors and all!
Triple H and Shawn Michaels…
are motionless!
This is incredible!
Kane driving Triple H through our monitors,
through our entire announce table!
[Corey] What lengths are The Brothers of Destruction
willing to go to…
to put DX down forever?
-[Cole] We're seeing it right now. -[Renee] It's like the scene of a crime.
[Cole] I don't think there's any doubt about it.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Corey] The onslaught just continues.
[Cole] Triple H is hurt.
Shawn Michaels is helpless.
Undertaker is going for a vintage leg drop on the apron.
Right across the chest of Shawn Michaels!
D-Generation X!
Look at this, look at this.
Undertaker crawling right over to Triple H.
And now staring right into the eyes of The Game.
The Deadman's cold, icy stare.
"You guys are finished!"
The words of The Phenom!
And Triple H, I have no idea how…
The punishment that these two men have taken in this match.
And now Undertaker with the cover on Shawn Michaels, who kicks out!
Undertaker again, this time with a forearm in the face!
And another kick-out by Michaels!
[Corey] It's almost like Taker's punishing Shawn Michaels
for even attempting to stay in the fight.
[Renee] Punishing him for coming out of retirement.
[Cole] You gotta believe Undertaker's upset that Michaels' returned.
Tag!
Here comes Kane.
Shawn Michaels is being decimated
by both members of The Brothers of Destruction.
[Renee] Triple H is left down here at ringside through the announce table.
[Corey] The Big Red Machine
now just teeing off on Shawn Michaels in the corner.
[Cole] You just saw… You just saw Triple H.
The look on his face, his body destroyed.
Barely moving at ringside
as Kane continues the assault on Shawn Michaels.
You know what? It sounded fun.
It sounded all well and good for D-Generation X to reunite
and ride one more time.
[Corey] Well, right now, this has turned into a horror movie come to life.
The Brothers of Destruction could stay here doing this all night.
[Cole] And Kane now in the cover.
And Shawn still has fight in him.
[Corey] Frequent tags now from Kane and The Undertaker.
It's almost as if they're enjoying this.
Just taking turns destroying Shawn Michaels.
[Cole] And that's what it is, is complete destruction.
Undertaker now with a suplex to Michaels.
Into the cover again on Shawn.
And somehow, Michaels has still got fight.
[Corey] I'm wondering if this is just pure instinct alone.
I don't think Shawn even realizes it.
[Renee] Muscle memory's gotta be coming into play for Shawn Michaels tonight.
[Cole] I think it has to do with pride. Shawn Michaels is a very proud man.
He talked a lot to me in the weeks leading up to this about his comeback to the ring.
How he wanted to be good. He wanted to be 100%.
He didn't wanna lose his step.
It means so much to him to be involved here tonight.
But now he's being pummeled,
and he's being destroyed by The Brothers of Destruction.
[Corey] Unfortunately, for Shawn Michaels,
his pride could be the worst thing in the entire world
because of what we're seeing right now.
[Cole] Triple H is now a non-factor in this match.
Ringside Doctor is here with Triple H.
Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels has no one to tag, no one to go to.
He's been left alone.
It's no fault of anybody's except The Brothers of Destruction.
They caused all this.
And now, they are just continuing to punish and pummel Shawn Michaels.
To make Shawn Michaels regret that he returned to this grand stage.
To come back to the ring for the first time in eight years
to suffer this.
[Corey] Cover here.
[Cole] Again, a cover. And Shawn again kicks out.
But, Corey and Renee, at some point, Shawn's just gotta stay down.
I know it's not in his instinct.
I know it's not in his blood.
But he's gotta stay down because this is getting bad.
[Renee] You talked about that pride before.
I think that's the main thing
that's in effect here for Shawn Michaels tonight.
[Corey] Pride's fueling something in Shawn Michaels.
HBK firing rights.
-Fighting his way back into this. -[Cole] Kane with a vintage sidewalk slam.
Cover now on Shawn, who again gets the shoulder up somehow.
Shawn Michaels.
Deep, deep down, way back into years,
the resilience that made him a multi-time champion,
that made him one of the greatest in-ring performers in history,
on display here again tonight.
[Corey] The Big Red Machine headed up top.
[Cole] Michaels, though, buys himself some time.
Kane is down.
Undertaker is down.
Shawn Michaels is down.
Triple H is down.
[Corey] Both members of D-Generation X,
their bodies have to be wracked with pain right now
after the suffering they've endured
at the hands of The Brothers of Destruction.
[Cole] There's a reason that these four men
are considered the greatest of all time.
It's the heart and the display of emotion that they're showing here tonight.
And now Undertaker back to his feet.
And he is not done punishing Shawn Michaels.
But Taker into the post!
And Michaels has life.
[Corey] I don't know so much that Michaels has life
as he averted certain disaster.
I don't even think Shawn Michaels knows where he is right now.
Let's take another look at this.
Undertaker… with malicious intentions
of driving Shawn into the steel post, but now…
[Cole] And Kane driving Shawn back into the turnbuckle yet again.
[Corey] The Big Red Machine picking up right where The Undertaker left off.
[Renee] Continually inflicting so much damage on the Heartbreak Kid.
[Cole] And now an uppercut by Kane.
And Shawn trying to cover up now.
Fighting back with everything he has left.
Right to the ribs.
And now Kane.
Shawn Michaels hit Kane so hard that Kane's mask came off his face.
[Corey] Shawn Michaels bought himself some valuable time.
Now looking down, almost unable to capitalize.
[Cole] What are you doing?
Shawn Michaels up to the top rope.
Michaels, moonsault!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] God Almighty!
[Cole] Shawn Michaels, shades of old.
[Renee] Is he smiling?
[Cole] Shades of 96.
The moonsault by Michaels!
Absolutely incredible!
He said, "What the hell?"
And delivered the moonsault to The Undertaker and Kane!
[Corey] This ranks right up there
with one of the most insane moments I've ever been a part of.
[Renee] Huge boot to the face of Kane.
[Corey] Makes you think of the Eagles song, "Desperado."
Why don't you come to your senses?
Shawn, what are you doing?
[Cole] Meanwhile, Triple H has somehow managed to crawl back up the steps
and up to the apron of the ring.
Shawn has somebody back.
We don't know what Triple H's… his condition is,
but Shawn Michaels has somebody back on his side,
somebody back in his corner.
[Corey] Shawn Michaels desperately trying to will himself to the corner.
[Cole] Triple H trying to get the WWE fans behind the Heartbreak Kid.
[Renee] I can't imagine the pain in Shawn's body from that moonsault.
[Cole] Shawn trying to drag himself to the corner.
He makes a tag!
Here comes The Game!
Triple H, after being Chokeslammed through a table,
is back in this match!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Triple H looks like he's fighting with one good arm right now.
It's certainly the effects.
[Cole] He injured his ribs early on in the match
when he hit the turnbuckle hard and went over the top rope.
But Triple H is still in this, with the knee,
and now a spinebuster from Triple H!
And The Game is back in it!
[Corey] D-Generation X somehow able to build a rally, but…
[Cole] Undertaker sat right up.
And Triple H, looking for the Pedigree, but a backdrop!
Blocks the Chokeslam!
[Corey] Another attempt at a Tombstone from The Deadman.
Pedigree on its way!
[Cole] Undertaker looking to block!
Pedigree from The Game!
But Kane back to his feet!
[Corey] The Big Red Machine launched to the outside.
[Cole] These men are absolutely exhausted.
[Corey] This is DX's chance if… Oh, no!
[Cole] Looking for the Hell's Gate! Looking for Hell's Gate! Hell's Gate!
The submission hold locked in!
Locked in on Triple H!
Triple H trying to fight out of it!
[Corey] The Game beginning… fighting with everything he's got left!
-[Cole] But Hell's Gate is locked in! -Is Triple H gonna tap?
[Cole] Shawn Michaels back in the ring!
Kane back in the ring!
Went for the Chokeslam!
Sweet Chin Music!
[Corey] Oh! He landed on Undertaker and broke Hell's Gate!
[Cole] All four men down in the ring!
A desperation superkick from Shawn Michaels
may have saved the match for DX!
[Corey] One of the luckiest turns of events of all time.
HBK, bam!
Superkick!
Sending Kane on top of The Undertaker.
Forcing Undertaker to break the Hell's Gate submission.
We are back at zero!
[Cole] And did you hear the rumble in this stadium when the superkick landed?
And now The Brothers of Destruction sit up again!
How much do these four men have left?
This is an incredible performance, no matter what happens.
-Uh-oh! Shawn and Triple H! -[Renee] Right into it.
[Cole] The Brothers of Destruction looking for a double Tombstone!
-[Renee] An eye poke. -[Corey] Shawn went to the eye!
Shawn put his fingers in Kane's eye to…
[Cole] Superkick again!
Undertaker driven across the ring!
-Superkick to Kane! -[Renee] Half-blinded Kane!
[Cole] Triple H with a Pedigree!
The Game has nothing left!
But was that enough?
-It is! -[bell dings]
-D-Generation X wins! -[crowd cheering]
[Greg] Here are your winners,
D-Generation X!
[Corey] I saw it with my very own eyes, and I still don't know if I believe it.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, stand up and applaud.
Stand up and give these men the ovation they deserve.
[Renee] Everybody here at Crown Jewel is on their feet, Michael Cole.
[Cole] The four greatest of all time in one ring tonight
with an epic performance that no one will ever, ever forget.
[Corey] Take a look at this, the closing moments.
Watch Shawn Michaels reach across Triple H's body.
And, boom!
A finger right in the eye of Kane.
Shawn Michaels would escape, opening the door for not one…
Boom!
…but two sets of Sweet Chin Music and a Pedigree from The Game.
Face-first goes The Big Red Machine.
[crowd] One, two, three.
And DX at Crown Jewel reigns supreme.
[Cole] I want you to think about what we witnessed tonight.
These are four men who have not been, by any stretch of the imagination,
regular performers for years, Superstars for years in WWE.
Shawn Michaels retired and hasn't had a match in eight and a half years.
And the performance that these four men put on for us tonight is historic.
It is absolutely incredible.
The passion, the emotion that was displayed tonight.
D-Generation X rise again.
Indeed, there should be a celebration.
A celebration of the greats of all time.
[Corey] Congratulations to D-Generation X.
[Cole] Thank you for joining us.
Good night everybody, from Crown Jewel.
♪ You think you can tell me what to do? ♪
♪ You know who you're talkin' to? ♪ ? ♪