#79: John Cena vs. Cesaro, WWE Raw (6/29/2015).
This is for Cena’s United States Championship.
Kevin Owens, the NXT Champion, is here! He’s not waiting for Battleground in 3 weeks, where he’s already scheduled to face Cena for the US Title anyway. They both get ring introductions, and then Owens goes to the outside, and announces that he’s changed his mind, and he’s going to wait until Battleground. He promises to take the US Title from Cena, unless someone else takes it first…
It’s Cesaro! Fresh off of a great tag team run with Tyson Kidd, Cesaro is here looking for some singles success following Tyson’s unfortunate neck injury a few weeks prior that would ultimately end his wrestling career. Owens takes a seat at commentary to get a fresh view of this match.
Cesaro quickly takes control of the back, and Cena escapes into a side headlock. Cesaro sends Cena into the ropes, and Cena is able to fight back with a monkey flip to Cesaro. The Swiss Superman is back up, and he takes the side headlock next. Cena tries for a high crossbody, and Cesaro catches him mid air with a scoop slam for a nearfall. Cena goes for the AA, and Cesaro drops him with a hard right hand.
Cesaro hits a gut wrench suplex for 2. He cranks away at the neck. More strikes to the head of the champion. Cesaro grounds Cena and stretches his right arm and neck. A kick to the gut follows, and a huge big boot to the head, and that gets Cesaro a nearfall. He irish whips Cena hard into the turnbuckle. Cesaro lifts him up, and Cena pops off a dropkick. He rushes Cesaro in the corner, but he avoids it and pops off a double stomp to the chest. Hard forearm shots to the face get a nearfall.
Middle rope elbow drop to Cena, and the champion kicks out. Back from commercial break, and Cesaro is getting another nearfall on the champion. Cesaro looks for the Sharpshooter, but Cena kicks him away. He hits the side slam, and gears up for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cesaro is up in time to hit a huge clothesline, and that gets a nearfall. Cesaro makes the signal, and now he looks for the Swing! Cena counters out of it and hits the middle rope springboard Stunner, and that gets a close nearfall!
Cena sets up for the AA, but Cesaro flips out of it, and lifts Cena high for a nasty uppercut! He makes the cover, and Cena kicks out! He lifts Cena up, who trips him right into the STF submission! Cesaro tries biting the forearm to escape, and he finally slips out, and immediately transitions into the Sharpshooter! Cena quickly crawls and makes it to the ropes. They fight on the top rope and Cesaro hits a huge suplex to the mat below, and Cena is able to kick out again!
Cesaro rushes Cena in the corner with an uppercut. He irish whips him to the opposing corner, but Cena kicks him and hits a Tornado DDT, and that’s only enough for a nearfall. They exchange fisticuffs in the middle of the ring. Cena has the advantage, as he sends Cesaro into the ropes. He flips through, and goes to the top rope. He comes down with a crossbody, but Cena catches him and flapjacks him chest first. He makes the cover, and Cesaro kicks out again!
Kevin Owens leaves commentary, and threatens Michael Cole. Cena’s on the top rope, and Cesaro hits a dropkick that sends Cena to the floor below. Cesaro meets him outside, and hits a running uppercut into the barricade! He tosses Cena back inside, and makes the cover, but Cena kicks out! Cesaro sets up for the Neutralizer, but Cena counters with a back body drop. Cena busts out a Code Red, and Cesaro kicks out again!
Cena lifts Cesaro up for the AA, but he counters out of it and hits the Neutralizer! He covers, but Cena kicks out again. Several uppercuts from the challenger follow, and Cena is down to his knees. He pushes Cena into the turnbuckle and hits another uppercut. He drops Cena and connects with the Cesaro Swing! 9 times later, and Cesaro locks the Sharpshooter in again. Kevin Owens leaves commentary and attacks Cesaro, causing the disqualification. Pop Up Powerbomb on Cesaro, and then to Cena.
Another match nearly ruined by a disqualification finish. Damn you, Kevin Owens. Either way, my goodness, if I could pick one guy to have a long series of matches with John Cena, it would be Cesaro. When these two faced off with one another, they made magic. Cena was very giving to people throughout this Open Challenge, but Cesaro was the only guy that I genuinely believed was going to beat Cena for the US Title.
He beat his ass here, and Cena was lucky that Kevin Owens decided to ruin the finish. As great as this match was, these two would face off again a week after this, and that match is one of the best I've ever seen. In fact, my two favorite US Open Challenge matches? The two with Cesaro. The Swiss Superman simply doesn't miss.