Show
Time and location
CLEVELAND — A raucous “Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!” chant reverberated throughout the Quicken Loans Arena during the WWE Fastlane 2016 Kickoff, as the WWE Universe in the Sixth City witnessed Kalisto successfully defend his United States Championship against the arrogant Alberto Del Rio in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match.
Under a stipulation Del Rio chose himself, “Mexico’s Greatest Export” immediately exploited his overwhelming size advantage, disrespectfully pulling at Kalisto’s mask and even going so far as to tear a piece of it right off the champion’s head. On the defensive, the wily King of Flight managed to send the aggressive Del Rio tumbling over the ringside barricade. As the masked warrior prepared to press his momentary advantage, Del Rio snatched a nearby steel chair and brutally grounded the high-flyer with it, intentionally granting the first fall to the champion via disqualification. What at first appeared to be a desperate act of frustration proved to be a deliberate, fruitful tactic on the part of the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Moments after his savage steel chair strike, Del Rio trapped his dazed foe in the ropes and stomped him hard into the mat, scoring the match’s second fall (Del Rio’s first) and bringing him all that much closer to the title that has thrice changed hands between these heated rivals.
It was that same brutal stomp that nearly sealed Kalisto’s fate via count-out, when Del Rio drove his boots into Kalisto’s chest as the masked Superstar was draped over the ringside barricade. The luchador ultimately raced into the ring to narrowly beat the 10-count. Again, Del Rio attempted his signature stomp, but Kalisto smartly evaded the move, instead sending The Essence of Excellence face-first into the turnbuckle. Stunned, Del Rio was quickly rolled up by The King of Flight, who scored the match-ending three-count to retain the U.S. Title by winning the first and third decisions of the match.
Having turned back “Mexico’s Greatest Export,” Kalisto now carries his star-spangled prize down the final stretch of The Road to WrestleMania. No matter what challenges arise for this indomitable Lucha Dragon, he’ll be ready.