Aleister Black vs. Cesaro
I know I wasn’t the only one thinking that this could be a contender to steal the show at Extreme Rules and those who thought that certainly weren’t wrong. This match only got about 10 minutes but it was a thing of beauty. This was two veterans going out there, getting after it and making the absolute most of their time in the ring.
Both Aleister Black and Cesaro were working stiff with the strikes, which is something you don’t always see in WWE. This had more of a New Japan feel to it and it was fun to watch. There were leg kicks (which Cesaro sold beautifully) and uppercuts and big knees and submission holds, and all of it worked, with so many fun spots in the match.
The spot where Cesaro caught Black in mid-air, threw him up in the air and landed the uppercut on the way down was spectacular, as was that monster knee that Cesaro took to the face later on. The Swiss Superman also got caught with Black Mass, which was enough to get the 1-2-3 for Black, who looked great in what we’ll call a re-debut. Excellent work.
What’s next: I want this match again and I’m sure we’ll see it at some point. I still think they’re building for something bigger for Black for SummerSlam, likely a bout with Randy Orton. The two have been working with one another at live events and I’m betting that during the rematch with Cesaro, or perhaps with another midcard talent, Black will take an RKO from The Viper to set things up.