MVP who fancies himself one of the greatest United States Champions ever.
>> And you would argue that?
>> Against the former World Champion.
>> Would you argue that?
No, can't argue with MVP's success.
>> [NOISE] >> Like I just mentioned
before you can't argue with the fact that Rey Mysterio is a former World Champion.
>> Can't argue with the fact that MVP is half man and half amazing.
Never say anything bad about Rey Mysterio.
>> Stand off early part of the match between MVP and Rey Mysterio.
>> I would go so far to say Rey Mysterio's not just the greatest high flyer in WWE
history, he's the greatest high flyer in sports entertainment history, period.
>> Let's talk strategy, John.
First, for the United States champion MVP against Mysterio.
What MVP needs to do is what he was trying to do early.
You gotta squash this guy, you gotta get him down, you got to get your paws on him.
Very simple.
>> [NOISE] >> Wow, that's what we're talking about,
the high flyer.
>> What Rey Mysterio needs to do is right there.
You gotta create distance.
>> Mysterio up over the top, the quickness of Rey Mysterio,
he's got them all packed, and here we go, a kick out at one.
First cover of the matchup,
Rey Mysterio trying to win the United States Championship.
For Rey Mysterio, he needs to use the high flying well to his ability.
>> You've got to create this as plain and simple.
You don't want to get an old fashioned grappling contest,
an old fashioned fight with MVP.
>> Rey Mysterio using the second rope, nice arm drag,
taking MVP through the second row.
And Rey Mysterio has got MVP out of his game and off balance in the early going.
Mysterio and
referee Jimmy Korderas motioning that MVP had his hand on the rope.
And that's completely fair what Korderas did there.
>> MVP. >> Breaking up the and look at this,
Rey Mysterio over the top, over the top of the official.
Rey Mysterio taking out MVP.
>> First time Korderas has been useful.
>> [SOUND] >> Watch this.
This is what Rey Mysterio is all about.
[SOUND] >> MVP just can't get out
of the starting blocks so far in this matchup.
>> Rey Mysterio comes out here.
The crowd all 14,000 plus are behind him.
Sometimes you just got to weather the storm, Michael.
It's what MVP needs to do.
>> He couldn't weather the storm there.
Rey Mysterio using his quickness to duck underneath.
Rey's in trouble.
And MVP had a great counter.
>> That's called weathering the storm.
>> Mysterio sent head first off the top turnbuckle.
>> Again, referee Jimmy Korderas doing the right thing to check on Mysterio but
watch the whiplash here, something by Mysterio.
Cover by MVP, hook of the leg and a kick out at two.
>> See Rey Mysterio still favoring the neck.
>> Saw how his head just bounced off the turnbuckle.
>> That's the one shot that MVP's been looking for.
>> Cover again, hook of the leg, and a kick out.
>> You got to find a way to ground Rey Mysterio.
MVP just found that way.
>> MVP this past Friday night on a WWE mobile exclusive saying that
Rey Mysterio should stay out of his business and
Mysterio must wake up at night in cold sweat fearing MVP.
And what will happen here tonight in this match up?
>> [APPLAUSE] >> The European headlock,
working exactly on that neck that Rey snapped back on that turnbuckle.
MVP back, should say Mysterio back to his feet,
right hands to the rims trying to battle out of this.
Had to get back to the vertical base that he did.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> MVP drop toehold.
Notice how he wrapped that armor on the back of the neck,
slamming Mysterio with more force into the ring.
>> Hadn't seen that since Ron Simmons.
>> And a kick to the head!
Nearly kicking Mysterio out of the ring.
>> This is where MVP has become so good.
>> Cover again by the champion.
Hooks the leg, grabs the other leg, kick out at two by Mysterio.
>> Watch this kick.
Boot to the temple!
>> This is why MVP has picked up his game.
You get a guy down.
>> Cover again, hook of the leg again, and Mysterio kicks out at two.
>> Especially Rey Mysterio.
You don't let him breathe.
This is where MVP finds a bullseye.
He stays on it.
>> You mentioned before when you don't create separation.
When you allow Mysterio to stay close.
Mysterio can fly.
>> You've got to keep closing the gap.
You got to keep pressure on Rey Mysterio.
>> And keep pressure on the neck that was slammed into the turnbuckle minutes ago.
Mysterio working on the head and neck area.
Great strategy so far for the United States champion.
>> MVP had this strategy all along until you just had to weather the storm and
that's what he did.
>> Mysterio weathering the storm as well.
Elbows not nearly as effective, and MVP jaw off the knee.
MVP to the cover.
Does he hook the leg?
He does.
A nonchalant cover so to speak by the champion and a kick out at two.
>> One of the rare snap photos of MVP for United States Championship.
You get a chance to pin somebody, you hook the leg and
you try to get the three count.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Fans calling for
the 619, but Mysterio has got to get back to the ballgame before he can even think
about that move.
>> MVP dressed in red, white and blue for the United States Championship.
Become part of the bleeding on MVP.
>> Become part of his life.
The man is almost obsessed with being United States Champion.
>> Anything wrong with that?
>> Not at all.
>> MVP has been the champion since late last spring.
Wearing the arm of Mysterio down and
it get back to the neck area.
Mysterio with those quick feet trying desperately to battle out of this for
the United States championship on the line.
As we kick off Armageddon for the sold-out Mellon arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
>> You can feel the buzz, Michael.
14000 plus people starting off with a championship match.
>> Hooks the leg, Mysterio's out of it and a kick out at two.
But again, the effect of what he just did, that MVP just did, John.
The whiplash to the head and neck area again.
>> Yeah, he's going to target that.
He's going to target it until he finally finds a way to beat Rey Mysterio.
MVP has become very good at sticking with a gameplan.
>> Mysterio in trouble, in deep trouble.
MVP, Mysterio landed on his feet.
MVP didn't realize it.
>> [NOISE] >> This could be the opening that
Mysterio needs.
Can he capitalize?
>> Both men down center of the ring.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Three.
>> Mysterio has gotta get back to his feet but
he needs MVP to too because if it's a ten count, the tittle is not changing hands.
>> Five, six.
>> This is where MVP is smart, he's got to close the distance.
Close the distance, close the distance no matter what you do with Mysterio.
>> MVP missing with a wild wide hand.
And Mysterio, his quick feet going to work on the hamstring and knees,
trying to wear the United States Champion down.
Mysterio, cross body, lateral press, they have him, for the title!
No, kick out at two!
>> [NOISE] >> Again,
in order for Rey to win the championship.
He's got to win via pinfall or submission.
Disqualification and count out will not do it for Rey Mysterio.
Title cannot change hands those two ways.
Mysterio looking good here.
Already bouncing back, look at that.
Mysterio lost his balance, still managed to take control-
>> He was hurt though.
>> But he may have injured that surgically repaired knee when he came off the rope.
>> Mysterio is hurt Michael, he lost his balance through that rope.
He landed funny, look at Mysterio.
>> Mysterio going for the cover but remember the surgically repaired knee of
Rey Mysterio, and he's still gonna go to the top rope.
Look at the, look at that, the hook to the leg, does he get it?
No and a kick out.
Think about what Rey Mysterio just did, John, he tweaked the knee,
injured the knee.
Knew he couldn't use his legs on the top rope.
What does he do? He uses his back side just as effectively.
>> Yeah, but you're looking at what a big break in a championship match for
MVP Rey Mysterio was on the roll.
Rey Mysterio.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> What a clothesline by MVP,
turning the momentum just like that.
>> The role of Rey Mysterio might be over.
He had one goal and with that knee gone Michael,
with the best high flyer in the history of this business isn't so dangerous.
>> The hell is MVP doing here And he be going for the top rope.
This cannot be good for Rey Mysterio!
>> [NOISE] >> Mysterio trying to counter,
Mysterio trying to block it!
>> [NOISE] >> Both men high risk situation top rope,
the United States Championship is on the line!
>> [NOISE] >> And Mysterio with a right hand!
And it buys the champion time.
Every time Mysterio tries to mount a little bit of offense,
MVP takes it right out of his game.
>> Look at Mysterio.
>> [NOISE] >> The heart and
soul Mysterio with an injured knee,
you saw what that knee did moments ago when he couldn't stand the top rope.
The top he did, the top he did.
Mysterio, pulling out a hurricarana from nowhere.
Here's the cover, for the title.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> Kickout at two by the champion.
>> How good is Rey Mysterio?
Watch this.
Bad knee and all, still managed to get his balance, we saw MVP buckle for
a moment but not enough to stop Mysterio.
>> One of the rare mistakes of MVP.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> That's ball game.
>> This is over.
>> Here's two.
No.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> MVP almost kicked off Rey Myterio's
head and Mysterio kicked out.
Watch the impact here.
>> You see the head bounce off the canvas, Michael.
I'm not sure Rey Mysterio knows where he's at.
>> MVP with Mysterio in trouble again up on the shoulders.
>> Rey Mysterio countered, hook to the leg, that's two, did he get him?
And a kick out at two and a half.
>> All this for the United States Championship.
You saw the look in Mysterio's eyes told the story.
He thought he won the match right there and the title.
>> This is what championships are about, Michael.
Lights on bright, pay per view.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> In position.
>> [INAUDIBLE] >> Could have a new champion.
Going for the 619.
MVP rolled out of the way.
Mysterio.
>> Rey, back up and get in the ring.
Get in the ring, Rey.
>> You can hear the referee admonishing Mysterio, MVP.
[INAUDIBLE] The high flyer.
>> [NOISE] >> You can't win the championship
on the outside.
You can't get a pinfall out there.
Mysterio's got to get the champion back in the ring to capitalize.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Referee Jimmy Korderas to
the count of five.
United States title on the line.
Mysterio brings the count for himself.
>> Seven.
>> To the United States champion.
>> Eight.
>> Mysterio has gotta shake out those cobwebs.
He's got the champion back in and MVP,
MVP had known he wanted to get back in the ring.
>> [NOISE] >> The winner of this match as
a result of a count out, Rey Mysterio!
>> And Mysterio made MVP pay.
Mysterio loco.
>> Why would Mysterio do that?
>> Because the match is over, what a blatant cheap shot by Mysterio.
How are you gonna rationalize this?
How are you gonna justify this?
>> How you gonna justify this?
The 619.
>> I'm not trying to justify it, I'm saying it's wrong.
>> Perhaps Rey Mysterio believes that MVP intentionally took a walk knowing his
championship wouldn't change hands in a count out.
>> Maybe MVP had had enough.
Maybe MVP realized he couldn't beat Rey Mysterio here tonight.
>> Now you are thinking boy.
Now you're a psychoanalyst.
Now you're a mind reader.
Now you know what is going on in MVP's head.
>> I said perhaps.
That was the qualifier.
>> Nonetheless, MVP retains the United States Championship.
>> Great performance by MVP.
>> Rey Mysterio may be closing in on the United States title and Rey knows it.
And I believe the champion knew it too.
>> I don't give a damn what you believe.
What I believe is that is a hell of a way to start Armageddon right here in
Pittsburgh, PA.
[MUSIC]