Dolph Ziggler vs Kaval (WWE, 11-21-2010)

WWE Survivor Series, Miami, FL

This is a match I’ve never seen from a dark period in my wrestling fandom (dark as in the lights were out, not, like, emotionally). I didn’t even know this happened until I was looking for a Kaval match to watch for the fuck of it.

Kaval earned this shot on Friday Night Smackdown by beating Ziggler in a non-title match. Oh, Ziggler is the IC champion, so this match is for Ziggler’s IC title. Dolph has Vickie Guerrero in his corner.

Oh God it just hit me that I’m watching a Dolph Ziggler match of my own choice.

Bell sounds and Michael Cole is whining about The Internet Crowd because Kaval won NXT season two. “He as an ‘internet darling.'” Kaval off the ropes, big shoulderblock puts Ziggler down and a pin gets one. Kaval with a headbutt to the shoulder. Chop from Kaval. Striker talking about Kaval’s “unique international offense.”

Ziggler back with an elbow to the back of the head, then a snapmare and the rolling Hennig neckbreaker. Cover gets one. Ziggler staying on the advantage, takes Kaval down with a fireman’s carry, cover gets one again.

Kaval kicks up in the corner, rolls Ziggler up for two. Front facelock from Kaval, but Ziggler hammers out. Elbow to the back of the head again. Ziggler shouting at Kaval, “You don’t deserve this!” Ziggler whips Kaval off the ropes, but Kaval springs off and hits a crossbody for two.

Kaval with a chop in the corner. Mounted punches in the corner, four land but Vickie distracts Kaval and Ziggler takes him down, smacking his head off the turnbuckle. Ziggler with a grapevined chinlock. Ziggler up with a reverse neckbreaker as Cole speculates on Ziggler and Vickie being commonlaw.

Back to a grapevined chinlock. Kaval elbows out, but Ziggler kicks him in the gut. Into the corner, but Kaval gets a foot up on a charging Ziggler, then drops him with a clothesline, and another, and another. More forearms really. Kaval with a fancy kick to the back.

Kaval with a charge in the corner, then a springboard moonsault for two. Cole makes fun of the “World Warrior” nickname. Someone’s bleeding. It’s Ziggler, from the nose. They fuck up an Irish whip to the corner and Kaval halfway saves it with a knee to the face. Poor Ziggler is getting roughed up here. He got absolutely obliterated there.

Kaval up top, back to the ring, but Ziggler climbs up behind him and locks on a sleephold. Kaval shoves him off but has to recover for a moment. He’s got an opening here, and he goes all the way up, then misses a splash, but lands on his feet. Kaval with a backslide for two. Rocker Dropper from Ziggler for two.

Ziggler goes for another sleephold, Kaval gets out and then lands a flying enzuigiri for two. More kinda clumsy brawling. Kaval goes for a rollup out of the corner, gets it, but Ziggler rolls through. Ziggler with a kick to the gut and an inside cradle for two. All of this is a half-step off and just looks sloppy. Ziggler gets the pin with a rollup holding the tights to retain the IC title.

Rating: 2/5. It’s not hard at all to see why Ki got released a month after this. It was fun to watch in the sense that it was kind of a slopfest, unique for modern micro-managed WWE action, but man did Ki not look ready for WWE style prime time in this match. And the reality is he’s just not a WWE wrestler. As good as he is and can be, he doesn’t fit this environment at all. He and Ziggler were off constantly here and the whole thing was a mess. Meltzer gave this ***1/4 somehow. Maybe for Ki’s exciting moves and ignoring the lousy timing on a lot of them.