Rusev def. Jack Swagger in a Flag Match

LOS ANGELES — Despite being hampered by an ankle injury suffered before the match began, Rusev survived the Patriot Lock and held on to defeat Jack Swagger in a high-stakes Flag Match.

Yet, even in losing, Swagger displayed the type of fortitude that proved what it means to be a Real American. The proud patriot fell to the mighty Rusev, yet it was not for a lack of resolve, as the double-tough Oklahoman, locked in Rusev’s Accolade, refused to submit, instead losing the match when The Super Athlete’s punishing hold forced Swagger to pass out from excruciating pain.

View photos of the hard-hitting Flag Match |  Video interview with Lana & Rusev

Heading into the supremely nationalistic match — which for the winner meant the right to have his country’s flag raised and national anthem played— there was no questioning which Superstar had the support of the WWE Universe in Los Angeles. Not only was Swagger heralded down to the ring by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Color Guard; his and Zeb Colter’s war cry of “We the People” also drew an enormous response from the STAPLES Center. Rusev’s supporters in LA, meanwhile, may have totaled one: his Social Ambassador, Lana.

That didn’t stop Rusev from getting an early start, as he ambushed The Real American before the bell, knocking Old Glory out of Swagger’s hands and to the mat . During the pre-match brawl , however, Swagger applied the Patriot Lock, causing Rusev’s attack to backfire as the Russian would be at a disadvantage when the match officially started. .

Swagger targeted  Rusev’s ankle, though The Super Athlete had a target of his own — Swagger’s ribs, which Rusev injured weeks ago with a flagpole. The Russian wrecking machine  used precise kicks and a vice-like bearhug to wear down The Real American’s mid-section. Rusev’s first attempt to cinch in the Accolade, however, proved unsuccessful, as Swagger picked the weakened ankle and applied the Patriot Lock.  Strategically, Rusev rolled to his back and escaped Swagger’s famed hold with kicks to Swagger’s injured ribs.

After a battery of more kicks and a big splash, Rusev — in visible pain, thanks to his injured  ankle — again locked on the Accolade. As the excruciating submission hold contorted and wrenched back on Swagger’s spine, The Real American valiantly tried to persevere, only to eventually pass out from the pain, leaving the referee no option but to call the match in Rusev’s flavor.

With Rusev having defeated Swagger, Lana and her Super Athlete watched on as the Russian flag was raised for all to see. While Colter tended to the unconscious Swagger, Rusev, unprovoked, knocked out the veteran manager with a side kick. Have Rusev and The Ravishing Russian put behind them the biggest challenge to The Super Athlete’s domination to date? Regardless of the answer, Lana didn't seem impressed by Swagger's gutsy performance, calling him a "stupid and proud American" in a post-match interview that aired exclusively on WWE.com.