Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler def. Cesaro in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match

DALLAS — Dolph Ziggler may have been outmuscled and outsized, but with his prestigious Intercontinental Title on the line in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match against Cesaro, he refused to be outmatched. The Showoff swept Cesaro, claiming two consecutive falls in a thriller that further cemented the Intercontinental Title’s reputation as a top prize among WWE’s Superstars.

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Heading into the contest, the Ziggler-Cesaro rivalry had been defined by its parity, with both Superstars trading wins as recently as this week. Given their familiarity with each other, the two thoroughbreds wasted no time coming out the gate at WWE Hell in a Cell, working to outmaneuver each other in  technical exchanges that prompted Jerry “The King” Lawler dubbed “old-school grappling.”

Sporting a newly shaved head that reflected a new, harder edge, Cesaro was aggressive throughout, displaying his world-class strength as he sent Ziggler for a ride with a Cesaro Swing three minutes in. The Showoff, however, was quick to show off his Timex-like resiliency, countering the subsequent pin attempt to score his own rollup on The King of Swing and win the first fall.

Shocked and irate, Cesaro didn’t wait for the second fall to begin, landing a mean double foot-stomp on the Intercontinental Champion. Once the second installment did start, The Swiss Superman charged into the corner with a thunderous European uppercut before wearing down Ziggler with methodical malice. Though Cesaro’s dominance on the mat was interrupted by a well-timed armbreaker that visibly hurt his left bicep, the Swiss Superstar landed several huge slams, including a modified Tiger Driver powerbomb and an unbelievable deadlift superplex, the latter of which was greeted by a “This is awesome!” chant from the AmericanAirlines Arena.

Cesaro again demonstrated exactly why Ziggler dubbed his opposition the strongest Superstar, pound-for-pound, in WWE, launching The Showoff high in the air and catching him with an uppercut as he crashed down to the canvas.

Despite the high-impact offense, Cesaro, who continued favoring his left arm, was unable to put Ziggler down. After several blistery reversals, Ziggler connected with another armbreaker, a superkick and a Zig Zag in rapid succession to earn the winning pinfall, and dispel Cesaro’s criticism that the champion’s show-stealing ways are all flash and no substance.