Show
Time and location
BOSTON – Once again, the live-streamed pay-per-view Pre-Show on YouTube.com/WWE and WWE.com proved to deliver must-see action before Night of Champions went live on Sunday night. Sixteen hungry WWE Superstars competed in an Over-the-Top-Rope Battle Royal for the right to face United States Champion Antonio Cesaro later in the evening.
Heath Slater’s biggest fan, Heath Slater, began the contest by showing off some of his dance moves in the center of the ring. But the other participants didn’t stand for The One-Man Band’s nonsense and quickly discarded of the ginger-haired southerner, much to the delight of the sold-out Boston crowd.
As unique alliances began to develop in an attempt to weaken some of the more physically daunting competitors, Primo leaped on to the back of Brodus Clay and applied a submission hold that left The Funkasaurus gasping for air. The former Tag Team Champion soon discovered the pure might of his foe when Brodus peeled Primo off of his back and tossed him out of the ring. The man from Planet Funk continued to take control of the matchup, eliminated several of his opponents and began to look like the favorite.
Tyson Kidd, one of WWE’s most impressive athletes, began a flurry of offensive maneuvers on the dominant Tensai. The Japanese ex-pat was too much for the Hart Dungeon graduate and Kidd quickly met elimination at Tensai’s powerful hands. As the numbers in the contest dwindled, Tensai came face to face with the equally monstrous Clay. The two freight trains of the bout, as referred to by the broadcast team, collided in a ring-shaking clash while others battled around them. Eventually, The Funkasaurus was sent out of the ring by most of the remaining Superstars.
The man who was defeated by Cesaro, Santino Marella, didn’t seem to understand the rules of a Battle Royal, and attempted to score a pinfall on both Darren Young and Tensai after felling them both with the Cobra. After the former champion caught on, he struggled to lift the cumbersome Tensai off the canvas. The Prime Time Players took advantage and eliminated Santino.
Former Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre took control of Zack Ryder, but Long Island Iced-Z wiggled out of his predicament. He eliminated “The Chosen One” with a dynamic dropkick. After Young and Titus O’Neil executed a series of their signature tandem maneuvers on Tensai, Ryder held on while The Prime Time Players were eliminated. It looked as though Tensai would be victorious, but Ryder reversed the enormous brawler’s elimination attempt with a head-scissors takeover to shockingly win the matchup.
The Ryder Revolution was not over at Night of Champions as the self-proclaimed “Internet Champion,” and former United States Champion, prepared to challenge Cesaro for the title he once held.
Order of elimination:
Heath Slater
Michael McGillicutty
Ted DiBiase
Primo
Jinder Mahal
Epico
Justin Gabriel
Tyson Kidd
Brodus Clay
JTG
Drew McIntyre
Santino Marella
Titus O’Neil
Darren Young
Tensai